Ask a Turkish citizen

[muhtesem insan]

Everybody is doing it and i am jelaous so i'll make one too .
a little background: I am half kurdish, come from an Alevi family, a communist and atheist. So if i were gay too i would be perfect odd man out. So my views will not represent majority of Turkish people but i will try to tell what an ordianry turkish man would think too.

 

[Tee Kay]

I'll start off with a light topic.

The Armenians.

 

[muhtesem insan]

I'll start off with a light topic.

The Armenians.

my idea: A people very similar to Turks. But impression i got from here they're -like turks- are poisoned with nationalism. And the ones living here have mixed feelings, they're subjected to discrimination on all levels of state, and people are suspicous against them, but they live amongst Turks some of their best friends are also Turks.

ordinary turk's idea: They do not know anything, but popular belief is Armenians are living in Turkey are happy with tolerance of turkish people, but other armenians are full of hatred aginst turks because imperialist countries brainwash them and use against Turkey.

 

[Tee Kay]

Can you give an example of the sort of discrimination that Armenian Turks face?

Do you think Turkey should recognise and/or apologise for 1915?

Would you support the "right of return" of Armenians whose ancestors historically lived in Turkey?

Do you see much hope for reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia in the next 10 years? How about the next 1000 years?

 

[muhtesem insan]

Can you give an example of the sort of discrimination that Armenian Turks face?

On paper, they have every right but in practice it is almost imposibble for an armenian to become an government offical and rise. They can be rarely employed at government but they stay as low level officials. And they have no chance being in army other than mandotary military service.

Do you think Turkey should recognise and/or apologise for 1915?

Yes and Yes/No. Yes we should recognize and accept the Genocide.I do not believe Turkish People living today nothing toapoligize what happened more than 100 years ago, but state should, it's claiming to be predecessor of Ottoman Empire so it must accept its failures too.

Would you support the "right of return" of Armenians whose ancestors historically lived in Turkey?

In theory? Yes. In practice? Not today. I don't think it would be safe for them. After Armenians "gone" a new group of people become rich by getting their properties, and they would be threatened if Armenians had "right of return", And we both know what would happened if influential peole feels threatened by an ethnicity.

Do you see much hope for reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia in the next 10 years? How about the next 1000 years?

Who knows? We were same with greek but it all changed in couple of months with two earthquakes.

 

[Tee Kay]

What's the main difference (in your opinion) between Alevi and "mainstream" Islam?

What do other Muslims think of Alevis?

 

[Blue Emu]

There was a time when the Islamic countries, especially the Ottomans, were more advanced than Western Europe in Literature, the Arts, Sciences and Technology. How and why did they lose that position? In your opinion, what were the root causes of the decline and fall of the Ottoman Empire?

 

[muhtesem insan]

What's the main difference (in your opinion) between Alevi and "mainstream" Islam?

Alevism is Anatolian version of Islam. It's synthesis of Turkic Shamanism, Sufism and Shia Islam. Some claim it has roots in Zoroastrianism, i am not sure about that. But i can say that it's much more humane and compatible with modern life.

What do other Muslims think of Alevis?

I do not think it is known outside Turkey. In Turkey some believe it is not Islam and another religion (Some alevi's support this too i am undecided on this). There's great prejudice against alevi's in Turkey but it's becoming less of a problem. But There's still discrimination againts them in government levels similar -but not as intense- to armenians.

There was a time when the Islamic countries, especially the Ottomans, were more advanced than Western Europe in Literature, the Arts, Sciences and Technology. How and why did they lose that position? In your opinion, what were the root causes of the decline and fall of the Ottoman Empire?

Western civilization severed its ties with religion and turned to reason. But we did the opposite.

 

[amadeus]

Why did Constantinople get the works?

 

[muhtesem insan]

Why did Constantinople get the works?

Both İstanbul and Constantinople were used until early 1900's. But after 1920's the name İstanbul become more used and in 1930 it's chosen for official name of the city.

 

[r16]

even the word İstanbul comes from Greek , yet we have nothin against it , now that ı am also a Turk .

 

[NedimNapoleon]

What do you think of Bosnia

 

[aronnax]

To what extent does the average Turk think that Kemal Atatürk single-handedly won the Turkish War of Independence?

 

[r16]

don't know what the originator of the thread will say , but the ordianry Turk was educated to believe he was almost alone in doing it . Going deeper into the morass will one day take to you to believe this was actually quite the case .

 

[muhtesem insan]

What do you think of Bosnia

My earliest memories of Bosnia is from news reports of Bosnian War. Since then there's great sympathy for them here from both me and general population.

To what extent does the average Turk think that Kemal Atatürk single-handedly won the Turkish War of Independence?

Our education system single outs Ataturk as the Hero of Turkish War of Independence. I believe, If it wasn't for his leadership probably we'd have lengthy resistance and couldn't survive WW2. But other leaders of the war -which are purged after- had great influence, most notably "Çerkes Ethem" and "Kazım Karabekir". As ordinary turks I don't believe majority of people thinks Ataturk did it all by himself but he's seen as a miracle worker in military. Actually his sucess was uniting all resistance after it was accomplished even the remnants of Ottoman Military was more than match for Greek occupiation.

 

[NovaKart]

You say you're half Kurdish. Do you speak Kurmanci? I'm in eastern Turkey and most people are Kurdish here but a lot of them are assimilated and don't speak Kurmanci well. A lot of the Kurdish nationalists I've met are communist, why is that? What do you think of the BDP? Is your family originally from Eastern Turkey?

I heard something about Alevis who were massacred in Turkey in the past but I don't remember anything specifically. Do Alevis pray to Ali? I've seen pictures of him with a green turban but I wasn't sure if there was a connection.

Last, do you prefer Efes, Tuborg or Carlsberg?

 

[Camikaze]

How 'European' do you consider yourself?

 

[Tee Kay]

Will you be hanging around CFC? We need more communist Kurdish Turks in this forum.

 

[muhtesem insan]

You say you're half Kurdish. Do you speak Kurmanci? I'm in eastern Turkey and most people are Kurdish here but a lot of them are assimilated and don't speak Kurmanci well.
A lot of the Kurdish nationalists I've met are communist, why is that? What do you think of the BDP? Is your family originally from Eastern Turkey?

My father's side from Dersim(aka Tunceli). We're actually Zaza but, some claim they're another ethnicity some not but as for our family concerned we see ourselves as Kurds. I've born in İzmir and grew up in İstanbul. And yes i am assimilated too. I feel myself closer to post-Uras(ufuk uras) ÖDP but have sympathy for BDP and support them.

I heard something about Alevis who were massacred in Turkey in the past but I don't remember anything specifically. Do Alevis pray to Ali? I've seen pictures of him with a green turban but I wasn't sure if there was a connection.

To stage coup, locals has been organized in both maraş and çorum in 1978 and 1980. And they attacked alevi neigbourhoods and killed . In Maraş even pregnant women killed and their bellies cut out to kill fetus too. In 1993, 33 -mostly alevi- intellectuals
and two hotel workers are burned alive in Madımak Hotel, Sivas. And until last year ground floor of this hotel was a kebab saloon.

Last, do you prefer Efes, Tuborg or Carlsberg?

I'd prefer Bomonti (previously known as Tekel Biras&#305. But from these three; Carlsberg.

 

[muhtesem insan]

How 'European' do you consider yourself?

I more european than a Persian, more Asian than a greek.

Will you be hanging around CFC? We need more communist Kurdish Turks in this forum.

I've been hanging around here for a while but am a more of a reader than poster.