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talkpolitics[Error: unknown template video]
There's no doubt at this point who's behind the Turkish protests. Obviously, that's the doing of foreign spies and various dark forces! Or so sayeth the benevolent Turkish government of Sultan Tayyip the Magnificent. Indeed, conspiracy theories around the Bosphorus - çok!*
In recent weeks, Erdoğan hasn't stopped blurting out rancorous diatribe against the foreign media and the dark forces which, in his mind, undoubtedly are behind the protests in his country. But where's the proof of all that? "A woman came to Taksim and started dancing. When she was asked why she was dancing, she responded that she wanted freedom. Only later it became known that she was German. What kind of German citizen would dance for Turkey's freedom, I ask", Melih Gökçek said, the Mayor of the capital Ankara and a prominent member of Erdoğan's ruling Justice and Development Party.
Mind you, Gökçek also posted a vid on his Twitter account, offering other "proof" as well: pictures of the evil "foreign agents". See, a young German guy went viral by appearing at Gezi park with a piano. "What's a German doing at Taksim, throwing gigs right now?", Gökçek rhetorically asks and raises his metaphorical eyebrows. He's convinced that the 31 y.o. pianist has come from Germany as a spy, period. As did the Australian lady who happened to get in the way of the water cannons.
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All of this would've been kinda amusing if it weren't so sad and pathetic. Because the man who's doing this word vomit is not just some obscure web-warrior with too much spare time on their hands, but the actual friggin' Mayor of Ankara. Nearly 750 thousand Turkish citizens have watched his "evidence" by now, and they share Mr Mayor's Twitter opinion (or "Tweet-pinion" [tm]). In turn, hordes of government-friendly lackeys who have the audacity to call themselves "journalists" are fanning the flames with all sorts of conspiracy theories. For example, they see a European plot aimed against the planned super-airport near Istanbul; or why not a possible Zionist blow against the increasingly Islamized Turkey.
The Turkish media are alleging of some sort of "usurer lobby" that's trying to trip up the country's economic upsurge. But no one yet knows what exactly this "usurer lobby" looks like, how it smells, does it bark or mew. So far the Turkish economists have struggled to give a clear definition of the term. İlter Turan, a political scientist, believes that conspiracy theories are inherent for the Turkish society. "Politicians tend to conceal their own mistakes by diverting attention to mysterious alien forces", he argues.
Of course, conspiracy theories being spewed by the topmost officials is not a uniquely Turkish phenomenon. The politicians of Syria, Iran, Iraq and the entire Middle Eastern region to that matter, often resort to conspiracy theories to energize the masses. The more closed and introvert a society is, the more prevalent this phenomenon is. Just look at Russia. In fact, the proneness to mass paranoia is a product of people's rampant ignorance, and by "people" I'm also including the ruling elites (who largely originate from the people, after all). So it's no surprise that right now, very few people in Turkey are still discussing the true, deeper reasons for the public discontent. And fewer still are focusing on the government brutality. Right now, all that the public at both sides of the Bosphorus seems to care about, are the evil "foreign agents" who are here to destroy their awesome country.
But that self-delusion won't last for too long.
(*çok = a lot)
There's no doubt at this point who's behind the Turkish protests. Obviously, that's the doing of foreign spies and various dark forces! Or so sayeth the benevolent Turkish government of Sultan Tayyip the Magnificent. Indeed, conspiracy theories around the Bosphorus - çok!*
In recent weeks, Erdoğan hasn't stopped blurting out rancorous diatribe against the foreign media and the dark forces which, in his mind, undoubtedly are behind the protests in his country. But where's the proof of all that? "A woman came to Taksim and started dancing. When she was asked why she was dancing, she responded that she wanted freedom. Only later it became known that she was German. What kind of German citizen would dance for Turkey's freedom, I ask", Melih Gökçek said, the Mayor of the capital Ankara and a prominent member of Erdoğan's ruling Justice and Development Party.
Mind you, Gökçek also posted a vid on his Twitter account, offering other "proof" as well: pictures of the evil "foreign agents". See, a young German guy went viral by appearing at Gezi park with a piano. "What's a German doing at Taksim, throwing gigs right now?", Gökçek rhetorically asks and raises his metaphorical eyebrows. He's convinced that the 31 y.o. pianist has come from Germany as a spy, period. As did the Australian lady who happened to get in the way of the water cannons.
[Error: unknown template video]
All of this would've been kinda amusing if it weren't so sad and pathetic. Because the man who's doing this word vomit is not just some obscure web-warrior with too much spare time on their hands, but the actual friggin' Mayor of Ankara. Nearly 750 thousand Turkish citizens have watched his "evidence" by now, and they share Mr Mayor's Twitter opinion (or "Tweet-pinion" [tm]). In turn, hordes of government-friendly lackeys who have the audacity to call themselves "journalists" are fanning the flames with all sorts of conspiracy theories. For example, they see a European plot aimed against the planned super-airport near Istanbul; or why not a possible Zionist blow against the increasingly Islamized Turkey.
The Turkish media are alleging of some sort of "usurer lobby" that's trying to trip up the country's economic upsurge. But no one yet knows what exactly this "usurer lobby" looks like, how it smells, does it bark or mew. So far the Turkish economists have struggled to give a clear definition of the term. İlter Turan, a political scientist, believes that conspiracy theories are inherent for the Turkish society. "Politicians tend to conceal their own mistakes by diverting attention to mysterious alien forces", he argues.
Of course, conspiracy theories being spewed by the topmost officials is not a uniquely Turkish phenomenon. The politicians of Syria, Iran, Iraq and the entire Middle Eastern region to that matter, often resort to conspiracy theories to energize the masses. The more closed and introvert a society is, the more prevalent this phenomenon is. Just look at Russia. In fact, the proneness to mass paranoia is a product of people's rampant ignorance, and by "people" I'm also including the ruling elites (who largely originate from the people, after all). So it's no surprise that right now, very few people in Turkey are still discussing the true, deeper reasons for the public discontent. And fewer still are focusing on the government brutality. Right now, all that the public at both sides of the Bosphorus seems to care about, are the evil "foreign agents" who are here to destroy their awesome country.
But that self-delusion won't last for too long.
(*çok = a lot)
(no subject)
Date: 11/7/13 15:53 (UTC)There was a solidarity protest her in SF a few weeks back that rivaled abortion clinic protests in the sparsity of participation. Anti-Ahmadinejad protests enjoyed greater attendance.
(no subject)
Date: 11/7/13 20:46 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 12/7/13 09:29 (UTC)