The People's Servant
"If they call someone who has served the people a 'dictator', I have nothing to say. My only concern has been to serve my country."
I am not the master of the people. Dictatorship does not run in my blood or in my character. I am the servant of the people."
"There is now a menace, which is called Twitter. The best examples of lies can be found there. To me, social media is the worst menace to society."
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
A protester holds a Turkish flag decorated with the image of Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, during clashes near Taksim Square in Istanbul, late Monday, June 3, 2013.
Ingrates, all. What do they know about democracy? This is not, of course, any popular movement of social activists decrying the oppression of the poor and the disadvantaged. Under Mr. Erdogan's ten-year rule the economy of this great country, this division, this crossroads between Europe and the Middle East has thrived. The economy is strong, people have a say in how their government does its work on their behalf.
And the government of Turkey is not only cognizant of the welfare of those whom it serves, but it takes moral stances on behalf of those whose own governments oppress and even commit violent atrocities against them when they take to the streets to protest unjust conditions. No, of course not Hamas, nor even Hezbollah, since both represent respectable social-political missions in defence of their own against a cruel enemy.
Ankara's split with Syria over the Alawite Shia regime of President Bashar al-Assad whose form of democracy is clearly inferior to Turkey's own, since their elections are fraudulent and Turkey's is not, represents a courageous stance against a corrupt, malignant government bringing homelessness and death to its people, rather than listening to the legitimate concerns of protesters.
Compare, for example, Turkey's patience and forbearance in dealing with the rebellious Kurds who insist on using their own language in their own schools, and on forcing conflicts upon the government of Turkey, and what for? A homeland of their own; obviously quite redundant, since their homeland is within Turkey, but as quiescent and obedient citizens with almost-equal status to Turks.
Of course some icons of secular democracy had to be dismantled in Turkey to achieve the great strides that were undertaken by the Justice and Development Party; and heed that name well, for it represents what the government of Prime Minister Erdogan represents. The emasculation of Turkey's military was a necessity to ensure that it would not undertake to mount a coup against a legally constituted government.
Turkey's military leaders, left to their own devices would have removed the Justice and Development Party, claiming that its long-term goal was to overturn the secular legacy of Kemal Ataturk, to introduce increasing Islamism, so that religion and politics would no longer be separated, and allow once-forbidden vestiges of rigidly fanatic Islam to prevail after over 70 years of Western-style democracy.
That some protesters compare Mr. Erdogan to a sultan, denouncing him as a dictator simply illustrates the ills of a secular minority incapable of recognizing when they are well off. Never before in the history of modern Turkish elections has anyone captured as many votes of confidence as has Mr. Erdogan. It is so obvious that among the protesters are foreign elements, terrorists determined to unsettle the peace and tranquility, wealth and equality that exists within a successful democracy.
As a symbol of just how right the Turkish government is in its decision-making just consider the impudence of that brutish civilian-butchering President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, condemning Turkey's faultless Prime Minister Erdogan for not listening to peaceful protesters, for having the riot police react with unwarranted force to a peaceful demonstration; a sneering mockery from a bloody tyrant against the outstanding performance of a scrupulous government.
Labels: Controversy, Human Relations, Islamism, Turkey
posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, June 04, 2013
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