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News :: Peace |
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No War! Say Thanks To Turkey! |
Current rating: 0 |
by an anti-war activist
(No verified email address) |
02 Mar 2003
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Turkey has voted against war on their neighbor. But with Bush arm-twisting, they could vote again! We should express anti-war solidarity with the people of Turkey, just as we express anti-war solidarity with the people of Iraq. |
Quote: "Peace at Home, Peace in the World." Kemal Atatürk, founder and first president of the Turkish Republic.
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The Bush administration had offered thirty billion dollars in grants and loan guarantees, including six billion dollars in cash. What a colossal bribe to a would-be ally. Still not enough to convince us that war is necessary, replied the Turkish Parliament.
Turkey is a democracy, that great form of government touted by Bush as the salvation of the Middle East. Yet this democracy has voted against war. What, a democracy that works?
At first it seemed that this was a minor setback for the Bush administration. Certainly, it is possible to implement other war plans. But upon reflection it seems that this setback is not just an annoyance, it is huge. It came within minutes of the report that 22 Arab League countries had united to issue a "complete rejection of any aggression on Iraq". Consider, the Arab League includes countries such as Kuwait, which was invaded by Iraq twelve years ago. What has changed?
Turkey's decision and the Arab League communique seem to demonstrate that the Bush policy of war against Iraq at any cost is faltering.
With the Bush administration pooh-poohing Iraq's destruction of missiles as "deception" in stark contrast to the view of other nations, the Bush adminstration seems increasingly arrogant and out of touch.
Here are links to the story of the Turkish Parliament's vote:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23284-2003Mar1.html
http://www.msnbc.com/news/867008.asp?0cv=CB10
We should express appreciation to Turkey, and at the same time declare that the American people are still friends with the people of Turkey, whatever our government's response may be.
Here are email addresses that you may use to express your views.
Only brief, friendly expressions of appreciation please! And forward this to other like-minded anti-war activists!
Turkey's Prime Minister ABDULLAH GÜL
abdullah.gul (at) basbakanlik.gov.tr
Turkish Embassy in the USA
turkish (at) erols.com
Turkish Parliament
tpb (at) tpb.org.tr
zceliker (at) tpb.org.tr
If any of the mailboxes are full, wait a day and send your email to that address later!
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THANK TURKEY !!! |
by K
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
02 Mar 2003
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TO CONTACT TURKEY:
.
http://la.indymedia.org/news/2003/03/32463.php
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.
(PLEASE forward to other anti-war activists) |
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Turkey To Be Renamed France |
by Jack Ryan
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
03 Mar 2003
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As the son of a Korean War Vet, I have always had great respect for the Turks and their fighting spirit. However, this most recent act of betrayal is the last straw.
Truthfully, we do not need you anyway to establish the northern front. When our armed forces sweep north from Kuwait, maybe we should tell them to keep going. Or better still, how about a United Kurdistan established on your Southern Boarder with the full faith and backing of the US Government.
Quit messing with the Turks and their whimp ass parliment. This is the very reason we have Para Troops and Aircraft carriers. In other words, who needs you?
Peace through Strength,
Jack |
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Ordinary Turks: 'Serves Rude America Right' |
by Suna Erdem
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
03 Mar 2003
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Nesrin Aloglu, a bank clerk, is delighted that Turkey’s parliament has thrown Washington’s plans for an attack on Iraq into disarray by blocking the deployment of US troops. “Serves them right. Now they can apologise.”
Apologise, she said, for the way in which the United States so rudely took Turkey for granted and issued threats, insults and ultimatums when it did not get what it wanted.
In rejecting Washington’s demands, the recession-hit country is turning its back on US aid worth more than $20 billion (£13 billion).
But Turks still support the parliament’s decision. “At least it’s cleared Turkey’s name and dispelled the image abroad that Turkey can be bought,” Zafer Dorttas, a 27-year-old customs official, said.
Ordinary Turks were incensed by US media references to haggling in a carpet shop and by what they saw as insulting American behaviour.
The final straw came when a series of American newspaper cartoons were broadcast. They depicted Turkey as a money-grabbing belly dancer, or a prostitute bargaining for the price of its favours.
“I can’t tell you how awful I felt when I saw the cartoons,” Ayse Akin, a student, said. “They were so deeply insulting. America can stick its money and its troops up its backside.”
Copyright 2003 Times Newspapers Ltd
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/
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