Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind

This time last year was a time that the Turkish Jewish community was re-living traumatic incidents following Mavi Marmara. With Israel re-engaging Hamas in Gaza following a break of several years, the anti-Semitism in Turkey reached its peak and the usual suspects within the press and certain NGOs equated the 17 thousand Jews in Turkey with Israel and engaged in activities that aimed to imprison this micro-community. In fact, one of these usual suspects even went so far to state that if the Turkish Jews did not openly and officially condemn Israel, that they would protest in front of the Synagogues. Fortunately, the authorised organs of the state must have intervened in order to prevent this dangerous progression, since no deplorable events were witnessed during those difficult times. However, this incident would become deep rooted in the common memory of Turkish Jews as a new and unique form of anti-Semitism that was conducted over Israel.

A year later, even if it is not at the same level, due to the pressure applied by the Chinese against the Uygur Turks xenophobia has been directed in a strange but very real way towards Chinese people who are not in Turkey. I do not know how to explain how the anger towards the actions of the Chinese government is taken out on the Chinese restaurants in Istanbul and their owners. In fact, believe me when I say that I am embarrassed to write about the incidents in which some have gone even further and treated every person with slanted eyes they encounter as Chinese.

Are those who govern this country and the employees, workers, officials, students, intellectuals and villagers of this country all working to witness such actions that go beyond the absurd in 21^st century Turkey?  Opposing everyone but ourselves is hard to understand but is understandable to a certain degree; however why oppose the person on the street who is just living their own lives merely based on social belonging? What is the reason that lies beneath such opposition?

Yesterday the Jews, today the Chinese and tomorrow yet another of this world’s communities will be lined up in this cycle of creating enemies.

***

We also published the Pew Turkey research in the past weeks. According to the results, we do not like anyone but ourselves and view everyone as an enemy to differing degrees. Consider for a moment, as a NATO member, 70 percent of our people hate this institution. 73 percent of our people dislike our ally the USA. 66 percent of us hate the EU, an institution of which we have been seeking membership for decades to ensure our prosperity and to become a more democratic country. Israel being the least liked and most hated country with 86 percent is not really unexpected. After all, particularly in the last ten years, almost all of the printed, visual and social media of this country has continuously pumped out opposition and antagonism of Israel.

 ***

Ali Bayramoğlu, a writer for Yeni Şafak newspaper who has almost unconditionally supported the AKP government for the past 13 years, has stated in one of his most recent pieces in which he lists the factors that are endangering the peace process:

 “The second factor is related to the reactionary and closed political climate that exists in Turkey. This climate is the momentum within conservative politics, media and public of the trend to explain away the problems, obstacles and failures in this country and the crisis by making reference to conspiracies, an exaggerated emphasis on a superior mind, foreign intervention and foreign enemies and the machinations of the West and Israel (..).”

Isn’t it surprising just how correct this statement is? Are we not aware that this climate did not form suddenly, that conspiracy theories have been afforded unnecessary importance in this country for years, that the approach and politics of imposing the reasons for failure on others rather than seeking for the fault within ourselves has become settled in our lives over many years, that the West – and particularly Israel – has been viewed as an enemy in the strongest terms for years? More precisely, do we not see this?

In a final analysis, it is both thought-provoking and equally upsetting that Ali Bayramoğlu, who is one of the leading rightist/liberal intellectuals, has only just said what he should have said yesterday.

In fact, the Pew Research figures are a result of the continuous search for a foreign enemy and conspiracy theory mentality, which has been mentioned by Bayramoğlu, that has been prevalent in our country for years.

Those who sow the wind, will reap the whirlwind.

Now is time for restoration.

Right now.

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