Dear Sir or Madam:
I was distressed as I read Gene Gerard's July first article on Turkey. The article seriously misrepresents Turkey by omitting facts and ignoring recent developments that counter the editorial slant of the article. The speed with which Turkey has improved itself in the last 82 years is unmatched in the world and Turkey has no intention of stopping.
The European Union has decided to start the membership process with Turkey. The article erroneously claims otherwise. Turkey has made serious progress in Human Rights; both in legislation and implementation. The Copenhagen criteria, the benchmark for membership negotions for Turkey, have been met.
The PKK is responsible for the expulsion of Turkish citizens from their homes. The PKK has burned villages and killed persons and their families that do not support their autocratic rule. The PKK has used killings, rape, and burning of homes as methods of intimidation to terrorize citizens who don't want to live under their autocratic rule. The article fails to mention that the villiage guards are Turkish Kurds that are defending their homes and villages against the PKK. The article also fails to mention that the PKK has regularly burned down village schools, driven out village imams, and killed civilians identified as teachers, engineers, and doctors. The PKK has regularly mined roads and railroads in an effort to harm the local population and demonstrate its ability to terrorize. The article does not even mention the organization that is responsible for terrorizing the region leading the reader to the erroneous conclusion that the state security forces are there for no reason at all. The Turkish Chief of Staff put it best when he said, "We are not in the mountains to picnic."
The article also doesn't mention at all that women in Turkey have the best status in any Muslim country. Women had the right to vote in the 1930's. Swiss women weren't able to vote till the 1970's. Women are in the workforce in proportion to their population careers such as teachers, lawyers, doctors, and engineers. Education is compulsory for all children regardless of gender. "Honor killings" are not tolerated by the population. The article tries to show this type of criminal activity as the norm. Turkey has had a woman Prime Minister which is something that is not even a possiblity in some developed countries.
Every country in the world needs improvment in human rights, treatment of women, and education. The speed with which Turkey has improved itself in the last 82 years is unmatched in the world. The speed of reform and the commitment to reform has not changed and will continue to propell Turkey forward despite the misrepresentations of the full truth.
Sincerely,
Osman Oksoy
I was distressed as I read Gene Gerard's July first article on Turkey. The article seriously misrepresents Turkey by omitting facts and ignoring recent developments that counter the editorial slant of the article. The speed with which Turkey has improved itself in the last 82 years is unmatched in the world and Turkey has no intention of stopping.
The European Union has decided to start the membership process with Turkey. The article erroneously claims otherwise. Turkey has made serious progress in Human Rights; both in legislation and implementation. The Copenhagen criteria, the benchmark for membership negotions for Turkey, have been met.
The PKK is responsible for the expulsion of Turkish citizens from their homes. The PKK has burned villages and killed persons and their families that do not support their autocratic rule. The PKK has used killings, rape, and burning of homes as methods of intimidation to terrorize citizens who don't want to live under their autocratic rule. The article fails to mention that the villiage guards are Turkish Kurds that are defending their homes and villages against the PKK. The article also fails to mention that the PKK has regularly burned down village schools, driven out village imams, and killed civilians identified as teachers, engineers, and doctors. The PKK has regularly mined roads and railroads in an effort to harm the local population and demonstrate its ability to terrorize. The article does not even mention the organization that is responsible for terrorizing the region leading the reader to the erroneous conclusion that the state security forces are there for no reason at all. The Turkish Chief of Staff put it best when he said, "We are not in the mountains to picnic."
The article also doesn't mention at all that women in Turkey have the best status in any Muslim country. Women had the right to vote in the 1930's. Swiss women weren't able to vote till the 1970's. Women are in the workforce in proportion to their population careers such as teachers, lawyers, doctors, and engineers. Education is compulsory for all children regardless of gender. "Honor killings" are not tolerated by the population. The article tries to show this type of criminal activity as the norm. Turkey has had a woman Prime Minister which is something that is not even a possiblity in some developed countries.
Every country in the world needs improvment in human rights, treatment of women, and education. The speed with which Turkey has improved itself in the last 82 years is unmatched in the world. The speed of reform and the commitment to reform has not changed and will continue to propell Turkey forward despite the misrepresentations of the full truth.
Sincerely,
Osman Oksoy