The 7th article of the Flag Law reads "(...) the flag cannot be torn, burnt, thrown on the ground (...) those acting against this law and statute will be prevented and investigated by the authorities ..."
According to the 8th article, those who are found guilty at the end of the investigation "will be sentenced according to the article 526 of the Turkish Criminal Law unless their crime warrants a heavier sentence." According to that article: "(...) unless the action results in another crime, the sentence will be 3 to 6 months imprisonment in a minimum-security prison and a light fine"
This is the argument the "law of the state" would use to frame the "flag tearing three kids" incident on March 20th Newroz celebrations in Mersin.
Looking at the news media there is nothing to suggest a disfunction in the process of the investigation. As the demonstration was ending an armed police officer took the flag being torn from the grips of the kids, the kids ran away but "14 year old V.S. and 12 year old C.S. were identified from video footage" and were detained last week.
Why is a crime committed by children and which has a legal consequence of "minimum-security imprisonment and a light fine" attracting such a barrage of reaction leaving one speechless, exaggerated favors; 2 years worth bonus pay to the police officer who took the flag from the children, audacious remarks, media driven condemnation campaigns and fascist demonstrations of nationalism.
Ultimately, at the scene of the crime the flag was prevented from being ripped: there isn't a "negligence of duty", the "suspects", kids, even if we assume that they are "criminals", have been detained and finally arrested: there isn't a "security" issue. Those who organized the rally say "that is our flag also, we wont let it be torn": there is no provocation or open defiance.
So what is the big deal? Why is an issue that legally and by mere common sense should be the responsibility of the "juvenile court", being blown out of proportion? Why are those who should be responsible for warning people who usher civil turmoil and make sure that all is turned back to normal, exploiting this to create a climate of nationalist Armageddon? Why are countless state institutions who are "claiming responsibility", specifically the army, the president, the parliament, the government, the political parties acting so immaturely?
If not grave, very serious...
In a society divided by deep inequalities, wrongfulness and injustices; shouldn't those rulers take a sigh of relief when 3 day long demonstrations accross the country attended by over one million people asserting their identity and culture aren't marred by any significant violence and the only thing that passes for an "incident" is a "light crime" committed by children,
Don't those who rule Turkey know that since 1999, if not before, the leaders of the hundreds of thousands who attend the Newroz demonstrations shape their politics and actions to conform with Turkey's "indivisible land integrity", that this was accepted not because of a "particular choice" but out of " strategical necessity"? Aren't all of these political decisions observed during "weekly meetings" of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan with his lawyers and monitored in the field by the security forces.?
Then, in contrast to the arguments of those, who are fanning the fire albeit knowing all these facts, the real danger is not separation of the country, not secession of the Kurds from Turkey.
The real "big danger" is the disconnection of those who rule the Republic of Turkey, its military force, its social-political and economic control mechanisms from reality and objectiveness. The real "big danger" is their lack of political determinedness and insight to champion policies based on reality and objectiveness vis-à-vis their ultra-nationalist, fascist adversaries and subordinates.
If this wasn't the case would the Military Chief of Staff , who directs an armed force of approximately 1 million and who holds Abdullah Ocalan prisoner, who "reports" the most insignificant intelligence, who are at the head of the most sophisticated state force in Turkey, sink to the level of children and pledge to "protect the country and it's flag to fight even for the price of the very last drop of their blood."
If that wasn't the case would the Military Chief of Staff issue a statement pointing to one sixth of the population by labelling them as "so-called citizens."?
Doesn't this expression strongly imply that their rights as such, their right to free expression and legal equality are also "so-called" rights for the "so-called citizens"?
Doesn't this statement issued by the Military Chief of Staff encourage those who have been hesitant towards trampling the rights of equal citizens that from now on that they have the "army behind them"?
The only reason why there havent been serious strife among the peoples of diverse ethnic origins is the common sense of citizens. But nobody can guarantee that the same situation will persist if this campaign would continue in similar intensity on all fronts for another year...
The relationship amongst citizens hasn't reached a level of serious tension yet, but it certainly is grave between leaders and society. Ultimately the end result of labelling part of the citizenry as "so-called citizens" and a media sanctioned advertising of this to society with or without "foreseeing " the consequences leads to the same outcome: The state is as such feeds a serious confrontation among the public.
The most important issue today is that those with social and political responsibilities understand the gravity of the situation and act accordingly. Yet for the past three days everyone who holds political powers, from the president to extra-parliamentary opposition groups, have behaved overtly fragile and inept with an almost reflexive reaction to one-up those to the right of them. Consequently fascism sets the standard for the actions and comprehension of our leaders.
The media, whose public duty is to check, criticize and warn those in power "fans the fire" and leads to increased public fermentation instead of airing programs to address the seriousness of the situation and help enlighten people.
Those who can't bully the US, bully the Kurds
Let's face up to reality, anyone who is encouraging hatred, enimity, hostility and resentment against the Kurds of Turkey is indeed trying to transfer the price of their incompetence in the international arena on to the shoulders of a "domestic enemy".
*Was the failure of the ridiculous supra-governmental foreign policy strategy of becoming a "regional power" regardless of the economic and cultural poverty due to the Kurds or because of those who foolishly thought they could challenge US interests with military power provided by the US?
*Who is responsible for Turkey being cornered in Cyprus after 30 years. The champions of false assumptions that international law could be disregarded and ambitions of gaining territorial influence outside of the Anatolian peninsula" who claim ownership of the whole island od the Kurds?
*Who is hurting national pride? The Kurds or a European Union candidate Turkey who has accepted to conform itself with EU standards and agreements yet cannot move a finger unless clubbed by Brussels.
*Who is responsible for the ineffectiveness of regional power claims despite 300 billion dollars in internal and external debt? Th Kurds or those who have been drawing "red lines" within the territories of other countries?
The rulers of Turkey are paying their inability to replace the cold war status-quo after the fall of the United Soviet Republic of Russia (USSR) with anything but fluff by watching the direct US takeover of the region. The old days of cross-border assertions and practices of regional domination with the direct or indirect approval of Washington are over now.
The rulers of Turkey are paying the price of not implementing a democratic process that respects the multicultural nature of the society and instead subscribing to the "authoritarian democracy" notion what had been approved during the existence of the USSR.
Attacking the Kurds, the poor and the women every time when Ankaras rulers come to loggerheads with crucial allies, international powers and institutions, Washington and Brussels, in the game of global power will never give back the regional influence lost by the rulers of Turkey for their lack of correct policies and foresight.
But it will "legitimize" the revanchism of those who are enraged of the slight tipping of the political balance in the last decade in favor of the poor, oppressed, neglected and excluded, under ultra-nationalism.
Those who feel themselves responsible of the good of Turkey need to see the prevention of such prospects as their number one priority, that is, if they wish not to remain mute before the readers of "Mein Kampf", whose numbers are reported to increase recently. (EK/AT/EK/YE)
