Turkey is capturing its share of headline news with the good, the bad, and the ugly, as well as the humorous all this week.
First, the 'good.' The Turkish author Orhan Pamuk was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature today. This is the first ever Nobel award going to a Turk. What makes this story interesting is the controversy his works have garnered in the home country, culminating in the amicable resolution of reforming the freedom of speech rights. This will become more of a point in favor of Turkey as I move on to the 'bad,' and the 'ugly.'
France today, passed a resolution condemning the denial of the Armenian 'genocide' committed by Turks. Although, this bill still has to be ratified by both the upper house (Senate) and the French President to become law. However, instead of arguing the merits of whether such genocide existed or the transcription of the term genocide itself, I move to argue the restrictions on the freedom of expression enacted by this ruling.
Regardless of whether we like it or not, the 'freedom of expression' enjoyed by the Armenians and others against the Turks is something that benefits the Turks as well in return. In fact, Turkey is taking steps, whether to gain entry into the EU (which France is a part of) or truly in the name of 'real' reform to expand the freedom of expression. Whereas, it seems France (of all people - the champions of Liberte?,) once the homeland of the Renaissance, is taking a backward step.
Here in the US, the last time I checked, I don't think that the denial of the Jewish holocaust (and I don't mean to equate the alleged genocide with the holocaust,) gets you a free pass to a jail term. Even Mel Gibson's recent drunken tirade does not seem to keep him out of a lifetime sentence to Hollywood. And speaking of genocide, what happened in Kosovo and Bosnia a few years back does not qualify for prosecution in France, but the 'denial' of the Armenian genocide now would.
Another reason for Turkey to dismiss the EU when some of its members can still pass ridiculous amendments which may go against the collective EU's opinion, at least publicly speaking. It is also very difficult to legislate stupidity!
So in the end, I am proud of Turkey for expanding the freedom of expression even if it means insulting Turkish-ness or sympathizing with Kurdish-Turks or Armenian-Turks in their fight to either expand their liberties or expand their ideals of a homeland. Conversely, I am embarrassed for France for taking a giant leap back to the Middle Ages similar to the times of the Spanish Inquisition where the Jews (and Muslims) prosecuted (tortured and massacred) by the Christians took refuge in the Ottoman Empire in hordes.
In fact, contrary to the Western perception of Islam in recent years, "in the Ottoman Empire, if a Muslim coerced a Christian or a Jew to convert to Islam, he was put to death." One such reference to this fact can be found here.
All of this brings me to the 'humorous' Turkish news item. According to Wired Magazine's News Blog posting yesterday titled "Where No Turk Has Gone Before," the Turkish knockoff of Star Trek "proves that cheesy effects are the international language." Watch and see if you agree with the footnote by the Wired blogger Lori Sjoberg "Hmm. Still beats Star Trek: Enterprise." (Be Warned: It's 10 mins.)
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