Turkey
Crescent and Star: Turkey between Two Worlds
My parents asked me to embark on Mission Impossible:
obtain a fully-cooked whole turkey in time for Thanksgiving dinner (which would
occur in two days time). The location was Barcelona, Spain. Needless to say, I was
overwhelmed by this. Not only was I a full-time student running between classes
in several different locations, but new challenges also seemed to keep arising.
For example, I found a raw turkey only to discover the apartment’s oven was too
small to cook a raw turkey.
Enter the hero: El Corte Ingles – the granddaddy of department
stores. To me, El Corte Ingles is a magical place where you can merely whisper
what you need and it will appear before you, including groceries, translation
services, musical instruments, and cell phones. (My most magical El Corte
Ingles moment came when my friends and I posed for some photographs in the
fragrance section as a part of a marketing campaign. After returning to the
United States, I discovered my image was chosen to be printed and plastered up
on posters throughout Spain.) When I explained my dilemma to a representative
from El Corte Ingles, they immediately recognized my plight and provided my
family with a beautiful, delicious turkey.
![]() |
My El Corte Ingle "magical" photograph. |
The reason why I am mentioning Thanksgiving dinners is
because of the subject of this blog: Turkey, the country. When I was a kid, my boy
crush drew a picture of a greasy hamburger and a Thanksgiving turkey on the
Mediterranean Sea – “Greece” and “Turkey,” respectively. Needless to say, I
thought it was the cleverest thing I had ever seen.
Studying the economics of Europe while in Barcelona, the
question of Turkey invariably came up. It was a similar question to that posed
in the book I read about Georgia: “What is Europe and how large should Europe
grow?” Turkey has aspirations to join in the European Union, and for a while,
the aspirations were viewed as a reality (at least by many in the Turkish
population.) Unlike Georgia, however, Turkey already benefits from NATO
membership. Thus, I wanted to find a book which would not only delve into the recent
history of Turkey, but also focus on the modern developments of the country. I
found this book in Stephen Kinzer’s “Crescent and Star: Turkey between Two Worlds.”
(As a classical music lover, I must digress to express my elation when within the first few pages, the author notes Mozart's opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail and how it affected the European's mindset regarding the Turkish people. For classical music buffs, this opera was highlighted in the film Amadeus.)
(As a classical music lover, I must digress to express my elation when within the first few pages, the author notes Mozart's opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail and how it affected the European's mindset regarding the Turkish people. For classical music buffs, this opera was highlighted in the film Amadeus.)
So, should Turkey be a part of Europe? As I am neither
Turkish nor European, I do not feel like I can really offer an answer to this
question. However my opinion as an American is “Grow. Expand. The more, the
merrier.” According to the book, the reforms implemented by the Turkish government
in order to be eligible for EU membership had a deep impact on its people,
particularly its minorities. Turkey created a strong nation based on
solidarity, nationalism, progress, and secularism – mantras of Kemalism – based
on the rule and legacy of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk after World War I. It was this
nationalism and emphasis in a Turkish identity which further separated many
ethnic groups living in Turkey from the mainstream. Perhaps the two main ethnic
groups in Turkey which receive the most media attention are the Armenians and
the Kurds.
While the author briefly mentions the Armenians (for
those more interested, please go to my book review about the country of Armenia),
most emphasis is placed on the Kurds. The Armenian genocide was conducted by
the Ottoman Empire, before the modern state of Turkey existed. However, this
atrocity has never been formally acknowledged by the modern Turkish state. The
author’s opinion is that Turkey must recognize this in order for reconciliation
to take place. The Kurds, however, are a much more pressing issue, brought to
light during the Iraq War. The Kurdish people are without a homeland, dispersed
between Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. Since 1978, many Kurds have been using
the PKK (the Kurdistan Workers Party) as a means to demand rights by conducting
attacks. The author brings this conflict to life, detailing his own experience
being interrogated by the Turkish police by being suspected to be involved in
Kurdish unrest. Having spent much time in Turkey, he also details the change in
attitudes and expectations, most notably during a visit to the Kurdish region in
2005. On page 139 the power of “Europe” and the security that “being European”
provided the Kurdish people are described.
This has recently changed. In 2006, Turkey received several
blows in regards to the status of their application to the European Union. According
to the author, “Europe had fallen into an identity crisis of its own. By
falling victim to insecurities, its fear of the changing words and its
perception of being threatened politically, economically and above all culturally,
Europe seemed to say that, at least for the moment, geography mattered more than
ideals. “ (page 225.) This was a change from the past, which hoped that by offering
membership to Turkey, better relations with the Islamic world might be established in
the future. For those from Europe and/or Turkey, what do you feel about the
expansion of Europe?
Two other interesting topics included in this book that I
would like to mention are: 1.) the power of the military and 2.) secularism and
its relationship with women’s rights.
The power of the military was key to the Ottoman Empire,
which had at one point, expanded into Europe. (The Ottoman Empire nearly took
Vienna in 1521.) The military has continued to play a key role, and its
relationship with Turkey’s modern-day democracy seems to be in the process of
being defined. The author noted that “between 1960 and 1980 they [the military]
toppled four governments, each time with considerable popular support.” (page
177.) I would love to know from the Turkish people, how they feel the
power of the military has affected them (if any.) What does conscription
entail? Does the military have a strong presence?
Another topic which interested me was that of the
relationship between secularism and women’s rights. When Atatürk came to power,
he implemented many reforms, including replacing Turkey’s Arabic script with
Latin script. He also banned the veil worn by women for religious purposes.
Today, although the veil is allowed, it is still a contentious issue. Many
women believe that the reappearance of the veil is a threat to their personal
identity. Others feel as if they were not given their rights when the veil was
banned. Interestingly, if a politician’s wife wears a veil in Turkey’s
relatively-secularized society, there is often controversy. For women who wear this veil, why have you
chosen to do so? Where do you stand on this argument?
Please feel free
to comment on these topics or note something interesting from the book. I look
forward to hearing your opinions!
No comments:
Post a Comment