Category: Authors

  • Turkey Pursues Mixed Aims Over Supply Contract Cancellation With Russia

    Turkey Pursues Mixed Aims Over Supply Contract Cancellation With Russia

    Turkey Pursues Mixed Aims Over Supply Contract Cancellation With Russia

    Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 8 Issue: 182
    October 4, 2011
    By: Saban Kardas
    After the failure of Turkey’s apparently last-ditch effort to renegotiate the price for Russian gas, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz announced Turkey would not renew the supply contract through the “Western pipeline,” scheduled to expire at the end of the year. The contract was originally signed in 1986, which was a major turning point for Turkish-Russian relations, as Turkey went ahead with this deal in Cold War conditions. Since then, Turkey’s energy ties with Russia have flourished, in parallel with the overall improvement of bilateral relations.

    Under the contract, Turkey imports 6 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas through the Balkans, which is distributed in Istanbul and the surrounding areas. Turkey also has other supply agreements with Gazprom through the same pipeline and the Blue Stream pipeline, and additional supply agreements with Azerbaijan and Iran, as well as importing LNG from Algeria and Nigeria. Granted, Turkey’s imports from Russia account for almost two-thirds of its total gas consumption.

    In addition to its concerns over the strategic liability generated by this overdependence, Turkey has raised several demands vis-à-vis Gazprom for some time. Ankara has confronted the problem of over-contracting, which emerged as a major issue following the contraction of its energy consumption in the wake of the global financial crisis. As Turkey had to incur penalties resulting from take-or-pay provisions, it has been demanding an easing of the supply terms. Moreover, given the calculation indexes linking gas and oil prices, Turkey, along with other importers, has been complaining about the hike in its energy bills. Again, Turkey’s demand for price revision has largely fallen on deaf ears, which became an issue during Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s trip to Moscow earlier this year. His Russian counterparts only deferred the issue for further discussion (EDM, March 18).

    The parties were expected to notify their decision for the cancellation of the 1986 agreement six months prior to the expiration date, or it would be renewed automatically. Gazprom responded positively to Ankara’s request for the postponement of the date for notification to the end of September. Gazprom’s concession to Italy’s ENI in a similar plea partly encouraged BOTAS to expect a similar outcome (Sabah, July 25). Yet, Gazprom, instead, raised the price in its quarterly revision (Radikal, August 10).

    While an agreement was not forthcoming in the lingering talks and the deadline was approaching, Yildiz threatened not to renew the contract, citing a 39 percent increase in prices over the last 29 months. In a swift reaction, Gazprom officials downplayed the minister’s remarks, arguing that they received no confirmation to that effect from BOTAS, which was their partner in Turkey (Hurriyet, September 29; EDM, September 30). However, Gazprom officials apparently undervalued some nuances: after all BOTAS was a public corporation and the Turkish government was very sensitive to energy issues, not to mention the fact that Turkey’s concerns were long on the agenda.

    With the Russian side’s failure to meet the expectation for discounts, Yildiz announced that BOTAS conveyed to its partners the decision to end the contract (Anadolu Ajansi, October 1). While the decision seems to halt about 15 percent of Turkey’s supplies, Yildiz sought to allay concern that it might lead to gas shortages, citing the ongoing supply contracts with Russia and other countries, as well as the import contracts signed by the private sector. Alexander Medvedev, the Director-General of Gazprom Export, also confirmed this development, noting that Gazprom will continue to supply the same volume to Turkish end-users through existing and new customers, including those from the private sector (www.cnnturk.com, October 3).

    This development was possibly sparked by various interrelated considerations, which is hidden in Yildiz’s remarks. First, there seems to be strategic reasoning. Through this move, Turkey wants to send a signal that it is determined to break its over-reliance on natural gas (especially for electricity generation) on the one hand and Russian gas on the other. It is instructive that Yildiz explained in detail how Russia was unresponsive to Turkey’s demands for price revision for a long time, and added that with this move Turkey demonstrated that it was not devoid of options for supply diversification. Granted, for Turkey, Gazprom has been a reliable supplier and will likely remain a major supplier in the years to come. Given that Yildiz also acknowledged that point and added that the private sector would likely sign new contracts with Russia, it seems that this move largely seeks to enhance Turkey’s bargaining position in the future.

    A second and related point suggests that this development is driven by Turkey’s ongoing project of liberalizing its energy markets. In particular, the Turkish government has been criticized for its slow pace in decoupling BOTAS’s transportation grid and its monopoly on imports. Private companies have already secured supply contracts in some instances, and it was reported that Gazprom did not concede to the transfer of contracts to private importers. With this decision, the government hopes private companies will take over the contracts with Gazprom, hopefully on more favorable terms, while simultaneously reducing BOTAS’s market share, which is also a requirement the EU has put before Turkey. It remains to be seen, however, if this move will enhance Turkey’s bargaining leverage vis-à-vis Russia and other suppliers. There is reason to doubt whether private companies bidding for smaller volumes of gas will be able to gain a better bargaining power than what BOTAS has accomplished so far vis-à-vis Gazprom.

    Third, the decision seeks to contain BOTAS’s losses, which has been selling gas to domestic consumers below its actual costs. On the same day that Yildiz announced the termination of the contract, BOTAS issued new prices for residential and industrial consumers, which implied price hikes of over 10 percent. While BOTAS cited the declining value of the Turkish Lira and increases in gas prices in international markets, this major price adjustment came as a shock to consumers. Instead of paying for unused gas, BOTAS had kept the prices constant in order not to curb consumption. The latest price hike, accompanied by efforts to reduce BOTAS’s market share and its take-or-pay obligations, seeks to improve the company’s financial standing, which has been running huge losses due to such practices in gas sales. But Turkish consumers – who became accustomed to this indirect subsidy – are unlikely to welcome the development.

    https://jamestown.org/program/turkey-pursues-mixed-aims-over-supply-contract-cancellation-with-russia/
  • Turkey Threatens Greek Cypriots Against Unilateral Oil and Gas Exploration In the Eastern Mediteranean

    Turkey Threatens Greek Cypriots Against Unilateral Oil and Gas Exploration In the Eastern Mediteranean

    Turkey Threatens Greek Cypriots Against Unilateral Oil and Gas Exploration In the Eastern Mediteranean

    Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 8 Issue: 177
    September 27, 2011 01:53 PM Age: 1 days
    By: Saban Kardas
    Amidst growing concerns about the escalation of Turkish-Israeli tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, Ankara’s decision to undertake seismic exploration for oil and gas – in retaliation for the Greek Cypriot administration’s ongoing exploration activities – further raised tensions in the region. Recently, the Greek Cypriots issued a license to a US firm, Noble Energy, to launch exploratory offshore drilling for gas off Cyprus. Turkey condemned immediately this development, viewing it as an attempt to undermine the rights of Turkish Cypriots. Moreover, since the resumption of reunification talks on the island has recently reappeared on the agenda, Turkey believes this move will be potentially damaging to further diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict. Therefore, the Greek Cypriot side should avoid such unilateral provocative actions, and delay discussing drilling projects until after a political solution to the existing division is found (Hurriyet, September 13).

    Later, Ankara went as far as issuing warnings that it would undertake its own exploration work and boost its military presence in the Eastern Mediterranean, should the Greek Cypriots proceed with their plans. Energy Minister Taner Yildiz also added that the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO), in cooperation with a Norwegian firm, was preparing to carry out seismic surveys off Northern Cyprus. To this end, Turkey started talks with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to conclude a continental shelf delineation accord to determine the areas for exploration (Anadolu Ajansi, September 19).

    Despite Ankara’s threats of retaliation, the first phase of Noble’s drilling activities started on September 18. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reacted harshly to this development, adding that Turkey would dispatch naval and air force assets to the area. While in New York to attend the UN General Assembly, Erdogan raised the issue during his talks with President Barack Obama. More significantly, he signed the continental shelf agreement with the leader of the TRNC, Dervis Eroglu. Erdogan argued “to caution international oil/natural gas companies that have and will undertake business with Greek Cypriots. Our Ministry of Energy is working to ban admission of these companies from energy projects in Turkey and impose a series of sanctions upon them” , September 21). The Greek Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias described Turkey’s actions as provocations and sought to highlight the issue during his address at the UN General Assembly (Hurriyet, September 23).

    In a demonstration of determination, a Turkish ship set off for seismic exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean sea, escorted by frigates and submarines (www.haberturk.com, September 23). As the issue was internationalized and risked militarization, especially coinciding with the UN General Assembly, efforts were made to cool down the tensions. While the Greek side seemed disinterested in Erdogan’s proposal for the simultaneous renouncement of the exploration work, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also intervened to resolve the dispute. As a more concrete proposal, Eroglu presented to Ban Ki-moon another plan which would involve mutual suspension of such exploration (Anadolu Ajansi, September 25). While Ankara expressed support for this proposal, the Greek Cypriot side has yet to accept it.

    A promising step toward achieving a diplomatic solution was the telephone conversation between Erdogan and his Greek counterpart Yorgo Papendreu. While discussing the agenda for the next high level strategic cooperation council, the two leaders expressed their desire to address bilateral tensions (Anadolu Ajansi, September 26). However, in the absence of any concrete steps by the Greek Cypriots to halting their exploration plans, Yildiz said that the Turkish seismic exploration ship will start its operations today (September 27). Yildiz also added that the TPAO was in touch with the firms interested in carrying out drills in partnership with Turkey (Cihan, September 27).

    Exploration of the underwater energy resources around Cyprus has been a matter of controversy for some time, as it has been intermingled with the unresolved Cyprus issue and, by implication, Turkey-EU relations. The EU admitted into membership the government on the Greek part of the island as the sole representative of the Republic of Cyprus in 2004, but Turkey has protested against this decision because it ignored the rights of Turkish Cypriots who established the TRNC as a separate state. Turkey remains the only country to recognize the TRNC, though the Turkish government has supported talks for the reunification of the two communities on the island. However, at least since the collapse of the Annan plan in 2004, which was backed by Turkey, there is a line of thought in Turkish politics that views a two state-formula as the most viable solution for the Cyprus dispute. If the current tensions continue to escalate, with each side carrying out unilateral drilling projects, this development might de facto pave the way for a two-state solution. Whether the Turkish government has moved in the direction of adopting such a position remains to be seen.

    At the same time, Ankara’s refusal to recognize the Greek Cypriot administration’s claim for full sovereignty over the island poses a major obstacle to the Turkish bid for EU membership, further complicating the issue. Turkey has sought to delay the exploration of energy resources by linking it to the resolution of the dispute, which has angered the Greek Cypriot side. For instance, in protest over what it viewed as Turkey’s veiled threats against exploring their energy resources in the Mediterranean, the Greek Cypriot administration has been vetoing the opening of the Turkish-EU accession talks in energy and other chapters. As Turkey reacts to such policies, Turkish-EU relations have already become deadlocked.

    Only recently, Erdogan threatened to freeze Turkey’s relations with the EU, if the Greek Cypriot government is allowed to assume the EU presidency in 2012 before a political settlement is found on the future of the island (Anadolu Ajansi, July 20). Such statements by Turkish leaders continue to present obstacles to Turkey’s EU accession process, which is already stalled due to numerous issues. However, Ankara’s brinkmanship over the drilling issue shows that it is increasingly unconcerned with the EU’s negative reactions, perhaps indicating the degree to which Turkey is keen to pursue unilateral policies in the Eastern Mediterranean.

    https://jamestown.org/program/turkey-threatens-greek-cypriots-against-unilateral-oil-and-gas-exploration-in-the-eastern-mediteranean/
  • Reflections of Israeli Crisis in Caucasus

    Reflections of Israeli Crisis in Caucasus

    israel armeniaThe recent tension between Turkey and Israel has over the last year affected the fronts of alliances in the region, leading to pursuits for new forms of alliances subsequent to the current crisis. (more…)

  • Armenia’s 20th Anniversary: A Young Republic; an Ancient Nation

    Armenia’s 20th Anniversary: A Young Republic; an Ancient Nation

     

    sassounian33
    Armenians worldwide had many reasons to celebrate the month of September, as they observed the 20th anniversary of the twin Republics of Armenia and Artsakh (Nagorno Karabagh).
    Two decades ago, Armenians did not have a single independent Republic. Now they have two, and look forward to the day when the two republics are joined by a third — Western Armenia — to form the Republic of United Armenia!
    On Sept. 19-20, the Diaspora Ministry organized a Pan-Armenian conference in Yerevan that drew over 500 participants from 50 countries, along with political and religious leaders from Armenia and Artsakh. It was a reunion of Who’s Who of the Armenian world.
    The conference had four main themes: language and education, youth issues, commemorating the centennial of the Genocide, and strengthening Armenia-Diaspora relations. Some speakers took this opportunity to point out the serious shortcomings that continue to plague Armenia 20 years after independence.
    His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of Cilicia, singled out emigration from Armenia as the greatest national crisis. “Our enemies wished to see an Armenia devoid of Armenians,” he stated. “Today, we are emptying Armenia with our own hands!” His Holiness also condemned the prevalent “corruption” in the country that protects “a prosperous minority.”
    Tashnag Party leader, Hrant Markarian, chided government officials for the persistence of poverty, joblessness, stagnant economy, social insecurity, injustice, criminal behavior, corruption, and emigration. He also criticized them for not withdrawing their signature from the “infamous Armenia-Turkey Protocols.”
    During the panel on the Armenian Genocide — I was one of the moderators — the participants suggested training a new generation of Genocide scholars, Ottoman language specialists, Turkologists, and international law experts. They emphasized that the time had come to demand reparations from Turkey rather than mere genocide recognition and urged filing lawsuits against Turkey in international and national courts.
    While in Armenia, I experienced many exhilarating moments as well as a few disappointing ones. The military parade on Independence Day was the highlight for all Armenians worldwide — watching it at Yerevan’s Republic Square or on television! The goose-step march of highly disciplined soldiers and display of sophisticated tanks, missiles, warplanes and helicopter gunships filled every Armenian with pride and a sense of security from menacing neighbors! Later that evening, hundreds of thousands of spectators were captivated by a special high-tech laser show that projected scenes from Armenian history on the facade of buildings overlooking Republic Square.
    The four locally-manufactured Armenian drones (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), displayed for the first time during this year’s military parade, drew the most attention, especially since the Artsakh forces had just downed a drone Azerbaijan had purchased from Israel! The parade held yet another surprise — a contingent of women soldiers with machine guns who had volunteered to join the exclusively male Armenian armed forces! Also marching was a contingent of military chaplains in clerical garb.
    Two other developments added a special luster to the celebrations of independence. The Mesrob Mashdots Madenataran in Yerevan, the depository of ancient manuscripts, unveiled a massive new wing, funded mostly by Russian-Armenian entrepreneur Sergei Hampartsoumian. On this occasion, Mihran Minassian, a humble man of limited means from Aleppo, Syria, donated to the Madenataran over 10,000 priceless manuscripts and fragments he had collected through his life-long efforts.
    A second momentous event in September was the opening of a state of the art terminal at Yerevan’s Zvartnots Airport. The new complex can serve up to 3.5 million passengers annually, doubling the airport’s capacity. This important project was brought to fruition by industrialist Eduardo Eurnekian of Argentina who controls “Armenia International Airports,” the concessional management firm overseeing the airport.
    Two sour notes: Some of the Independence Day t-shirts handed out to participants of the Pan-Armenian Conference carried a surprising “Made in Turkey” label! The t-shirts were embossed with the following slogan in Armenian: “2011: Armenia is You!” Embarrassed officials explained that the t-shirts were donated by a local businessman!
    More embarrassing was the no-show of the two former Presidents of Armenia at any of the Independence Day celebrations. Regardless of the reasons for their absence, this was a serious mistake by the two heads of state who had led the Republic of Armenia for 17 of its 20 years of independence!
    Despite all of its shortcomings, all Armenians fervently embrace their homeland with a solemn pledge to defend and protect it, and do their utmost to secure the well-being and prosperity of their compatriots in Armenia and Artsakh!
  • Hrant Dink Olayi  ve Turk Destekcilerindeki Asagilik Kompleksi

    Hrant Dink Olayi ve Turk Destekcilerindeki Asagilik Kompleksi

    Hrant Dink olayi tamamen civitildi. Turkiye’yi, Turk tarihini, kulturunu, ulkesini ve insanini adeta kum torbasina cevirmek icin hem arac ve hem de ortam haline getirildi.

    Dink protestolari, Dink yuruyusleri, Dink panelleri, Dink makaleleri, Dink kitaplari, Dink filmleri, Dink odulleri, Dink internet siteleri, Dink muzeleri, Dink…Dink…Dink…

    Dink, yani bir Ermeni binlerce Turkten daha mi degerli?

    ***

    Biraz acayim:

    Ermeni teroristleri (ASALA, JCAG, ve digerleri) 1973-1993 arasi, dunyanin her yerinde, ve hatta Turkiye’de, binlerce teror eylemi yaptilar. Bu bombali, kursunlu saldirilarda yuzlerce Turk’u
    katlettiler. Binlerce insan yaralandi. Binalar, evler, arabalr, okullar, havaalanlari, bankalar, devlet binalari … onbinlerce bina hasar gordu. Yuzbinlerce insan degisen yogunlukta travmalar yasadi. Bugun Ermeni terorunun Turk kurbanlarindan hangisinin ismini hatirliyorsunuz?

    Eger bir tanesinin adini soyleyebilirseniz, ben bu yaziyi geri cekecegim ve siz de okumanizi burada
    kesebilirsiniz.

    Ermeni teroru kurbanlarindan hangisi icin yuruyusler, paneller, basin toplantilari, internet siteleri, surekli TV programlari, belgeseller, filmler, yapildi?

    Hangisi icin makaleler, kitaplar, agitlar, siirler, sarkilar yazildi? Oduller, paralar, serefler, burslar dagitildi? Avukatlar ordusu tutuldu? Muzeler, binalar insa edildi?

    Oyleyse soruyorum: Dink, yani bir Ermeni onlarca, yuzlerce, binlerce Turkten daha mi degerli?

    Kandirilmis bir Turk gencinin yaptigi tek bir teror eylemi, Ermenilerin son yuzelli yildir yaptigi binlerce teror eylemini siler mi? Unutturur mu?

    Birak 150 seneyi, bir Dink, bir Arikan’i unutturur mu?

    Unutturdu.

    Suc bizde, cunku buna biz izin verdik…

    ***

    Arikan’i ozellikle sectim. Eminim ki cogu okurun Arikan’in kim oldugundan haberi yoktur. Iste sorun da zaten burada ya.

    Bazilarinin Turkiye’de Dink’e olan yaklasimi bir insan haklari ya da demokrasi yaklasimi degil; bilgisizlige dayali bir asagilik kompleksinin tezahuru, disavurumu. Bu yuzden de bu tip “Dink’ciler” e hem kiziyorum, hem de aciyorum…

    Zavallilar, kendi ulkelerini, vatanlarini, insanlarini, kulturlerini, tarihlerini, geleneklerini, goreneklerini, ruhlarini, benliklerini, kimliklerini azar azar sattiklarini goremiyorlar… Oylesine, futbol takimi tutar gibi, kӧrü kӧrüne, bilgisizce ama arsizca bir itaat icindeler… Dink de Dink… Ille de Dink…

    Hani bebeler vardir ya “cok, cok, cok, cok” boyuna emzik emerler… Bos ama mutlu gozlerle dunyaya bakarlar … Iste bu zavallilar da “dink, dink, dink, dink” diye sesler cikararak Turkiye-dusmani propagandalari emiyorlar…

    ***

    Karsilastirma oldukca ogretici:

    Arikan 1982 de Los Angeles’te bir genc tarafindan vurulmustu, adi Sasunyan. Dink’i 2007 de Istanbul’da vuran da bir Turk genciydi, adi Ogun Samast.

    Turk genci bazi soylemler ve vaatlerle o anlik kandirilmisti ama simdi pismandi. Arikan’i vuran Ermeni gencinin ise beyni sistematik olarak uzun yillar icinde Turk nefreti ile yikanmisti ve sucunu tekrarlamaya her an hazirdi…

    Arikan’da Dink te olduruldugunde 52 yasindaydi.

    Ikisi de kursunlara hedef oldugunda evliydi.

    Ikisinin de kizlari vardi ve onlar da benzer yaslardaydi.

    Ama Dink icin butun Turkiye ayaga kalkti, terore lanet okudu, yuruyusler yapti, “Hepimiz Ermeniyiz” diye bile sacmaladi…

    Arikan icin Los Angeles’te tek Ermeni bile yurumedi. Birak yurumeyi, yuzlercesi, binlercesi zil takip oynadi. Bir seytan daha gitti diyenler bayram yaptilar. Ermeni kiliselerinde Ermeni teroristler icin paralar toplandi. Bunlardan bihaber Turk magandalar ise 25 sene sonra Istanbul’da 2007 de bir pankart tasiyordu: “Hepimiz Ermeniyiz.” Soruyorum: asagilik kompleksi bu degidir de nedir?

    ***

    Dink’in katilini babasi polise yakalatti. Yani kendi babasi bile Turk katili desteklemedi. Sasunyan’i ise bazi Ermeni aileler gunlerce Los Angeles polisinden sakladi. Sonunda Amerikali gorgu sahitleri ortaya cikti da Sasunyan yakalanabildi. Yoksa o da bugun hala yakalanmamis olurdu, tipki suc ortagi gibi (o simdi Lubnan’daymis.)

    Halbuki Samast hemen yakalandi, yargilandi, 22 yila hapis cezasinamahkum oldu… Bu bile bazi Ermenilerin Turk-dusmanligini, kinini, nefretini dizginleyemedi… Neymis efendim, derin devletmis! Fransa’nin serbest biraktigi ASALA katili bugun Ermenistan’da kahraman muamelesi goruyor. Derine de lluzum yok, bunlar sig devletler… ve vapacik hareketler… Ama bu onlari ilgilendirmiyor, cunku olenler Turk ve Musluman… Yani “harcanabilir” turden… Dink lobisi ve onun bazi tanidik-bildik Turk isbirlikcileri bastiriyorlar: derin devlet de derin devlet…

    Dink’in oldurulmesini Turkiye Cumhurbaskani, Basbakani, Bakanlari, Valileri, Belediye Baskanlari, toplum liderleri, kanaat onderleri, sanayiciler, isadamlari, sanatcilar, sporcular, halk herkese
    kinadi… Bu Turkiye icin cok buyuk bir artidir. Tarihi bir hosgoru belgesidir…

    Arikan’in ӧlümünü ise, birkac soguk diplomatik aciklama disinda, kimse kayitsiz sartsiz olarak kinayamadi. Ne Ermeni diasporasi, ne Ermenistan politikacilari, ne Ermeni yazarlari, sanatcilari, aydinlari… Hic kimse! Hepsinde de kayitlar sartlar vardi. “Efendim, oldurme yanlisti ama bu yerde kanlar icinde yatan Turk diplomat, kanli tarihi nedeniyle olumu bir sekilde haketmisti…Zaten bunlar derin devletciydi… ” demeye getiren affettirici soylemler denediler.

    Turkler ve Ermeni Diasporasi aradaki bu “derin” davranis, hissiyat, ve ahlak farkini hala goremeyeniniz kaldi mi?

    ***

    Amerikali tarihci Justin McCarthy’nin “Turks In America” diye yeni bir kitabi var. Tavsiye ederim. Mutlaka okuyun. Turkcesi de yakinda cikiyormus galiba–cikmiyorsa da cikmali diye dusunuyorum. Dusunun ki, 500 sayfalik bir kitap ama 200 sayfasi kaynaklara, aciklayici notlara ayrilmis. Yani boylesine zengin ve ayrintili bir arastirma urunu.

    Kitap okuyacak vaktiniz yoksa, lutfen hic olmazsa sadece ikinci bolumunu okuyun. Bostonlu Protestan Misyonerlerin Batida yarattigi olumsuz Turk imajini anlayin, gorun, hissedin…

    Amerika’da son ikiyuz yilda Osmanli ve Turkiye hakkinda yazilanlari, soylenenleri bir okusaniz, kaniniz damarinizda donar. Benimki dondu.

    O kitapta 1819 yilinda bir Boston Kilisesinde Potestan misyoner Pliny Fisk’in vaazini bir okuyun. Yazar McCarthy, o gunlerden baslayip bugune kadar inatla gelen anti-Turk soylemlerin izini adeta usta bir izci surmus.

    Hangi mektup, hangi hutbe, hangi kilise, hangi okul, hangi kitap, hangi gazete, ne zaman, nerede… Kim neler soylemis, yazmis… Reaksiyonlar ne olmus… Bugunlere nerelereden gecilerek, hangi evrimler yasanarak gelinmis… Bunlari tek tek okuyun. Gorun. Nalinci keseri Dinkcilerin iste bu gelenegi nasil surdurdugunu anlayacaksiniz… Onlar icin Dink arac; Turkiye’ye saldirmak, Turk’u karalama amac…

    Bu kitap kadar yazdiktan sonra size biraz tattirmazsam bir belki yeriniz siser. O yuzden, izninzile, sadece ikinci bolumun cok kisa bir ozetini sunayim. Bu kitabin, “Dink’ciler” in bugunku davranislarinin ardindaki karanlik ve nefret dolu zihniyeti nasil aciga vurdugunu goreceksiniz.

    Amerika kuruldugu yillarda (1776-1818) Hristiyanlik, daha dogru bir deyimle Protestanlik, one cikiyor. Gerci anayasa ve yasalar var tabii ama yasam genellikle dini degerler uzerinden duzenleniyor.

    Inanislardan biri ise Yahudilerin Isa peygamber’e ihanet edip kotu yola saptiklari, dunyadaki tum kotuluklerinin kaynaginin bu oldugu, ve eger bu Yahudilerin tekrar Hristiyanliga dondurulmesi saglanabilirse Isa’nin yeryuzune tekrar geri gelecegi ve tum sorunlarin bitecegidir. Inanclari bu. Seversin, sevmezsin. Inanirsin, inanmazsin. Inanclar tartisilmaz ki.

    Hatta bu yuzden Protestanlar ve Presbyteryanlar Kudus’e buyuk ilgi duyuyorlar. Derken misyonerler gonderiyorlar. Ilk giden misyonerler raporlarinda Protestan yapilmasi gerekenleri siraliyorlar: once Yahudiler, sonra Muslumanlar, sonra Ortodokslar (Rum), sonra diger sapmis Hristiyanlar (Ermeni, Nasturi, Asuri, vs) ve sonra da Katolikler.

    Bunlardan ilk ucunde hicbir yol katedemeyince de Ermeniler uzerine yogunlasiyorlar ve anti-Turk,
    anti-Musluman soylemlerle, Anadolu’ya yuzlerce okul ve hastane yapip egitim ve saglik hizmetleri goturerek Ermeniler arasinda hatiri sayilir bir Protestan kesim yaratiyortlar. Iste sorun bu calismalardaki
    anti-Turk, kin dolu ve bolucu soylemlerde. Tamamen hurafe ve nefrete dayali bu soylemlerden bazilari aynen, bazilar hafifleyerek gunumuze kadar gelmisler.

    Iste ABD deki anti-Turk soylemlerin, makale ve kitaplarin, belgesel ve filmlerin, ve hatta politikalarin ardinda bu ikiyuz yillik misyoner edebiyati cikabiliyor.

    Bostonlu Protestan Misyonerlere gore Muslumanlik sahte bir dindir, gelenekleri sapiktir, tum Muslumanlar Hristiyan olmadikca dunyada huzur yoktur. Turkler de Muslumanlarin en birincil temsilcisidir. Tembeldir, sakindir,kafasi calsimaz, reform yapamaz, kendisini yenilemesi, gelistirmesi mumkun degildir, ama kizdigi zaman cok kotu seyler yapan bir canavardir. (Misyonerlik merkezinin, soykirim iddialarini kabul ettigini ilk defa 2003 yilinda beyan eden Globe gazetesinin ve Ermeni Devrimci Orgutu merkezinin hepsinin de Boston’da bulunmasi bir tesaduf mudur?)

    Ondikuzuncu yuzyilda koskoca Osmanli imparatorlugu icin sadece bir veya iki paragraf vardir lise tarih kitaplarinda ve onlarda yukarida yazdigim yalan ve hakaret dolu seylerdir. Bu kitaplara gore Turk’te sanat ve bilim yoktur, varsa mutlaka Hristiyan kokenliler tarafindan yapilmistir. Turk’un mimarisi, han, hamam, kopru, cesme, yol, cami ve diger eserleri, sanati, siiri, felsefesi, Mevlana’si, Yunus’u, Nasreddin
    Hoca’si, Dede Korkut’u, cinisi, halisi, minyaturu, muzigi, hic ama hic yoktur.)

    Binlerce yillik Turk, Amerika’nin Tarih kitaplarinda iki paragraftir ve ikisi de cok kotudur. Haritada zor bulacaginiz Karayip adalarina bile sayfalarca yer veren bu tarih kitaplari, uc kitaya 623 hukmetmis bir dunya imparatorlugu icin sadece iki paragraph ayirmistir… ve orada bile hakaret etmistir.

    Boylece, Pazar okullarinda anti-Turk soylemler ile tanisan minnacik cocuklar, orta okulda ve lisede birkac paragraf ta olsa bu nefret ve onyargi soylemini tekrar duymaktadir. Universiteye gelen genc
    Turk hakkinda fazla birsey bilmez ama bildigi cok kotu seylerdir.

    Universitede ise anti-Turk soylem bilimsel bir havaya sokulur. 1453 Istanbul’un fethi ve onun etkilerinden soz edilirken Turklerin nasil yakip yiktigi belgelenmeye calisilir. Bizans yasami, sanati ve teknolojisi one cikarilir. Dogal olarak, bunu okuyan genc te Turkiye’ye karsi, en hafif deyimiyle,
    endiseli ve mesafeli olur. Seni sever, dost olursun, tanisirsin, Turk oldugunu ogrenince ilk lafi su olur: “Hic Turk’e benzemiyorsun?” Cunu kafasinda pala biyikli, kilicindan kan damlayan bir katil imaji var. (Boylelerine genellikle esprili cevap veririm: Eger devemi ne yaptigimi ima ediyorsan hemen soyleyeyim, onu binanin arkasina parkettim.)

    85 milyonluk Almanya’dan 4-5 milyon turist ceken Turkiye’nin, 330 milyonluk ABD den yarim milyon turist bile cekememesinin ardinda yatan etken sadece cografi uzaklik degildir; yukarida anlattigimiz bu tarihi, dini, ahlaki boyutlardaki uzakliktir. Onyargidir. Haydi nefret demeyeyim de antipatidir. Derin kizginlik ve sevgisizliktir…

    ***

    Bu onyargilarin isiginda, ben Dinkciler’i degerlendiriyorum:

    1) Dink ailesi ve yakinlari – bunlarin acisi gercektir ve tabii ki anlasilabilir. Bunlar zaten grubun binde biri bile degildir.

    2) Ozurcu aydinlar – Yani Dink’i Turkiye’yi surekli karalamak icin bir arac ve/veya bir platform olarak kullananlar. Bunlar genellikle 70 li yillarin eli kanli solculari, bugunlerin ise liberal veya dinci yazarlari. Kimse aldanmasin: bunlarin meselesi Turkiye’ye duyduklari kindir ve saldirmak icin her araci kullanirlar: Dink, demokrasi, insan haklari, AB, inanc ozgurlugu… Ben bunlara karsi degilim ama bunlari yaparken Turkiye’ye insafsizca hucum edilmesine karsiyim. Bunlar bence yuzde biri ikiyi gecmez… Azdir ama cok yaygara yaparlar.

    3) Gizli Turk dusmanlari ile bazi asagilik kompleksliler : Bunlar Arikan’i bilmezler. Ermeni terorunun 70 den fazla Turk kurbani icin tek damla goz yasi dokmus degildirler, zaten hatirlamazlar. Tarihteki Ermeni isyanlari, ihanetleri, teroru, bombali kursunlu saldirilari, apartheid icin toprak istekleri, Islamofobyasi ve Turkofobyasi konusunda pek bilgisiz olduklari icin de Ermeni soykirim iddialarina karsi “aman canim, ver-kurtul” yaklasimina siginirlar. Boylece demokrasi, insan haklari, ve AB cephesine tasindiklarini , yani aklandiklarini dusunurler. Zavallidirlar ama buyuk cogunluk da bunlardadir. Merak ediyorum, acaba “Hepimiz Ermeniyiz” pankartlarini tasiyanlar bunlar olabilir mi? Sorunun yanitini okura birakiyorum.

    ***

    Eger teror kurbanlari icin adam gibi, Insanca uzuleceksen, o zaman hepsi icin uzul; “Bu Dink, bu degil” diye ayirma. Biraz da sen insan ol. Bu arada biraz oku ve ogren ki seni bu kadar kolayca manipule edemesin “Ozurculer” ve “Dinkciler”. Bunlara karsi en iyi mucadele bilgi ile olur. Onlarin ezberi ancak bilgi ile bozulur.

    Son soz: Onlarin Dink’i varsa benim de Arikan’im var… Ve Arikan’imin yaninda 70 tane Alim, Velim, Mehmedim, Ahmedim var. Dinkciler ve Ozurculer hatirlamak istese de var… istemese de var!

    Yeter artik gozumuzun icine baka baka yaptiginiz bu kadar irkcilik, ayrimcilik, ve hakaretler; hepsini ama hepsini sizlere gerisin geri iade ediyorum. Tepe tepe kullanin!

    Ergun KIRLIKOVALI
    Hem babasi ve hem annesi Balkan Savaslarindan sag cikabilmislerin oglu

    Not: Ingilizce argumanlar icin:

  • IMPERIAL  NATIONALISM  &  TURKISH  UNION

    IMPERIAL NATIONALISM & TURKISH UNION

    Republic of Turkey , born from the ashes of a 600-year Empire and having the character of independence , has pioneered many freedom movements which resulted with the establishment of new free countries within the first half of 20th century . The founders of the Republic under the leadership of Ataturk set up this new state by giving the whole nation  , desolated and impoverished , the spirit of resistance and by getting their rights with force against the Western Allies at that time ; therefore , they deserve our feelings of gratitude and respect .

    Today , at this point , we , as Turkey , need to follow much more active government policies . Personally , I strongly believe that the nationalism concept taking place among the founding principles of the Republic  should be considered as Imperial Nationalism . In other words , Turkey , will exert its power and authority in every piece of land which it already exists or existed before and which it strongly wishes to exist in the future . No need to say , this is not an enlargement basing on the military power , but on the contrary , an enlargement policy by using all the historical and cultural close relations and by creating a land of attraction for other states and people . Military power must always be respected and must create hesitation among the possible enemies .

     First of all , I want to start wit a basic fact of creation : every entity in the universe has an energy and the power of this energy is directly proportional to its mass .

     If we apply this fact to politics , the way to gain power in world politics goes through creating unity , as our ancestors wisely said “union makes us strong” . Examples are many : USA today , Ottoman & Roman Empires in the past … Of course , the age of empires ended long time ago , but there is always a future for the unions . Even the United States , despite its present power and influence , continuously brainstorms about establishing a One-World-Government under the authority of the United Nations controlled & directed by the USA .

     Under the light of the basic reality above , Turkey , in order to be effective in world politics , needs to unite . The candidates for setting up a union stand next to us : Azerbaijan , Kazakhstan , Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan , Kyrgyzstan and , due to geographical and historical ties , Georgia and Tajikistan . Except the last two , all Turkish origin states … This unification process can first start with the establishment of confederation and may end up with a federation .

     Due to its historical experience and the effectiveness in state establishment , Turkey must perform a leadership for establishing “Eurasia Federation” consisting of the eight states above . This new Federation will represent  a union covering approximaely 5 million square kilometers and a population of 150+ million , which is hard to ignore .

     It is obvious that many of the other actors in the world politics will try every way in order to prevent such a powerful union . Moreover , the present administrators in these eight countries will be reluctant in giving up the power they currently use . However , nobody can claim that it will be easy . I personally do believe that the people forming the nations of those states will look at this unification idea with sympathy .

    Finally , the last but not least , this new “Eurasia Federation” will need a technology-creating reliable partner in order to set up a confederation . That partner is JAPAN . Imagine Japan and Turkey with their own distinctive and leading characteristics and , right beside them , all other participating countries with their natural and social wealth . The future lies in the united political and social entities .

    Even the idea itself is exciting !… Don’t you think this is worth trying ???