Violent nationalism blights Turkey

[Blue_Tires]

Source: BBC

Writer Hrant Dink was the first victim, killed last year because some in Turkey could not tolerate what he stood for. To nationalists, he was a traitor.

In a country where every citizen is defined as a Turk, Hrant Dink defined himself as ethnic Armenian. That was already subversive to some. But Mr Dink went further.

He wrote about the expulsion and killing of hundreds of thousands of Ottoman Armenians from eastern Turkey in 1915. To Armenians, and others, that was genocide - a claim Ankara vigorously denies.

Hrant's cause

Hrant Dink was convicted of insulting the Turkish nation. That is a crime here. Nationalist protesters surrounded his office shouting "Love Turkey or leave it!" and he received hundreds of death threats.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7737413.stm

---

i could swear i'd seen over-the-top uber-nationalistic hatemongering before, but i just can't remember where....

[Fed_Up_Grammy]

1. Ankara isn't the only place that refuses to call it genocide.

This situation has been going on for a long time.

[KakistocracyHater]

2. then there's the natural blondes & redheads

in Eastern Turkey, somewhere around where Medea was said to have been living, until Jason & his Argonauts went & stole some golden fleece. It's a shame that Turkey seems to be ratcheting up the differences & shattering itself, it is the gateway to the mid-east & exists on both the continent of Europe & on Asia. It is the nexus of a great number of ancient but important events: Constantinople, Battle of Troy, Armenian/Hittite/Sumerian crossroad. Half 'European'/worldly & half Islamic(which is itself suffering from the problems of fundementalism like Christians here). How do you "be a good person" & yet NOT be religious(fundamentalist)? The answer could help all of us.

[BuddhaGirl]

3. Turkey will never be admitted to the EU

until it abolishes this ridiculous law.

Turkey should also stop lying about the Genocide. It has been thoroughly documented for chrissake!