Article About Recent Incidents in Syria and Turkey’s Stance

Turkey, a neighbour of Syria has gone  through a lot in the political arena, recently.. Most recent incidents in Syria have been of greatest concern for Turkey. Indeed, many fear that Turkey may have to get involved in said turmoil more deeply.

This would be truly frightening for the country especially after all it has been through, including terrorism on its own soil.

Umit Zileli, a well known columnist evaluates the Turkish government’s stance with respect to the incidents in Syria. He comments on the AKP government’s changing Syria policy as it, seemingly in deep frustration, calls for reform and an end to the violence.

The article is obtained from CUMHURIYET.COM.TR

WAR & PEACE

UMIT ZILELI
Cumhuriyet columnist, ISTANBUL-

Today, September 1, World Peace Day …
Look at this irony, this date is the date when Hitler’s armies attacked Poland in 1939, starting World War II!.. 65 million people lost their lives in this bloody battle for resources!.. Gentlemen, “Peace Day” was chosen to be this day… I guess they thought “lets always remember what the heck we did”!.. Therefore, they by now carry out their bloodiest battles by letting oppressed nations fight each other, themselves collecting the money (oil, mineral resources, etc.)..
– It’s safe and profitable; so what’s wrong with that?..
Anyway, add another two holidays to “Peace Day”; It is the 89th anniversary of imperialism receiving its first big slap on August 26-30 at Dumlupinar from the Turks… Victory Day… And a big religion’s feast following Ramadan that whishes peace and well-being, at which nearly one and a half billion people embrace each other…
And the President and the Prime Minister, at a day where two major holidays overlap (in case the Republic lives on, we will only celebrate these two holidays on the same day 33 years later), at a time when peace and brotherhood should prevail, meanwhile said this:
– There is no turning back anymore!..
– It’s too late!..
No going back on what?.. What is too late?.. Of course, they are talking about Syria! They are talking about Bashar al-Assad, who until very recently they walked with hand in hand, arm in arm at official parades, patting each other’s backs, calling each other “my brother.”.. Now, there are certain questions an ordinary Turkish citizen needs to be asking looking at this picture, this question for example:
– What is it to you!..
When 2 million Muslims were murdered in Iraq, removed and seperated from their motherland, and raped, where were you then?.. Did al-Assad become dictator just yesterday? For god’s sake wasn’t al-Assad’s father also a dictator?.. Now you are screaming that there are massacres taking place at the city of Hama (which I’ve traveled to, I’ve seen. I have not seen one correspondent or one cameraman of Al-Jazeera, AP, AFP or Reuters, which are broadcasting that massacres are taking place, in fact there were none!.. When I learned that they did all their broadcasts from Jordan, from Beirut I felt sick). If you are that sensitive, that passionate about human rights where were you when al-Assad’s father oppressed an uprising on February 2, 1982 where thousands, ten thousands of people were killed?.. Where were the US, the EU, human rights organizations, the Soros children?..  – In Space?.. Or wasn’t this page of the scenario reached yet?..
***
There are many questions, yet, no answers!..
Wasn’t it the West that is screaming for “democracy” and “human rights” today, that shared the petro dollars with the dictators that it placed at the top of the oppressed people?.. Wasn’t it them who welcomed the American puppet, the King of the Saudi monarchy, at the plane gates, smiling under his photo with their hands on their knees?..
Let’s forget about all these questions and a thousand others and get to the actual questions that need to be asked, let’s ask these two linked questions:
– Why now?.. What for?..
Of course, I have a last question:
– Whatever the gain from this might be, is it worth throwing a whole nation, a big country into a huge bloodbath, pushing it into a swamp from which it is impossible to come out?….
If it is already too late, the question to be asked needs to be in this form:
– Was it worth it?..
Celebration: Beginning with patriot prisoners, I congratulate all enlightened people’s “Victory Day” that carries the signature of our liberation and our people’s “Sugar feast”…

September 1, 2011, Cumhuriyet daily