What is offending "Turkishness?"

[betsy]

It's not enough it seems that we're being censored even from quoting anyone or anything from history because that gets some overly sensitive folks getting all worked out.

But now, there is such a thing as offending "Turkishness."

They say things comes in threes...just like the three Eurpean Stooges of WWII...or the Holy Trinity of Chavez, Castro and that Coco-guy.

What's following this Turkish offense, I wonder?

Or, do we count the Cartoon Affair as the first one?

[kimmy]

But now, there is such a thing as offending "Turkishness."

I assume this is what you're referring to?

http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article1696158.ece

Turkey's increasingly fragile relations with the European Union were spared further embarrassment when the best-selling novelist Elif Shafak was acquitted of charges that fictional Armenian characters in her latest book had "insulted Turkishness".

(...)

The offending passage in the novel, which tells the tale of an American-Armenian and Turkish family whose lives become intertwined, involves an Armenian character who claims that "Turkish butchers" massacred his ancestors in a 1915 "genocide".

Turkey insists the mass evacuation and deaths of up to 1.5 million Armenians from 1915 to 1917 was not a planned genocide. Calling it such can be a criminal offence and, until recently, discussing the issue was taboo.

It appears that Turkey's leadership is trying to walk a tightrope... on the one hand trying to bring modern ideals to the country while on the other hand trying not to offend the knuckleheads:

After taking power in 2003, Mr Erdogan's Islamic-rooted government passed legal reforms to bring Turkey in line with EU norms. But Article 301 remains, a holdover from a more draconian era and a concession to vocal nationalists. The EU, which Turkey hopes to join, has expressed concern over the issue in the past, warning that it poses a significant threat to freedom of expression.

(...)

Sixty far-right protesters, some carrying EU flags marked with swastikas and emblazoned with the slogan "fascist Europe", chanted slogans as they gathered outside the courtroom yesterday. Their cause is being championed by a lawyer, Kemal Kerincsiz, whose extremist Union of Lawyers is responsible for most of the charges brought under Article 301.

-k

[BubberMiley]

Turks are maybe being sensitive. They can't stand anyone saying anything bad about them.

Betsy's also being sensitive. She can't stand anyone saying anything bad about her saying bad things about them.

[betsy]

Turks are maybe being sensitive. They can't stand anyone saying anything bad about them.

Betsy's also being sensitive. She can't stand anyone saying anything bad about her saying bad things about them.

In what way have I shown that "I can't stand anyone saying anything bad about me saying "alleged bad" things about them?"

Have I threatened to blow up anyone? Or joined any violent protest?

Or indulged in any childish display of tantrums by waging on a vandal spree....and stompin' flag-burning bouts of fits?

Don't you find it curious though....the similarities between the Cartoon Affair, The Pope's Quotations and this so-called "Insulting Turkishness?" They've all touched free expressions....and quoting someone else.

So they are sensitive....who else? Does that mean one should not give any opinions just because a particular group is sensitive about it?

And come to think of it....

Is arguing and expressing one's point of view...views that are opposed and contradictory.... not considered acceptable by liberal thinkers anymore? Is this how we are supposed to be now?

If that is so, no wonder a lot of people do not see the importance of our troops being in Afghanistan.

[BubberMiley]

In what way have I shown that "I can't stand anyone saying anything bad about me saying "alleged bad" things about them?"

Have I threatened to blow up anyone? Or joined any violent protest?

Or indulged in any childish display of tantrums by waging on a vandal spree....and stompin' flag-burning bouts of fits?

I don't think there were violent incidents in Turkey either. It was a legal matter. Nonetheless, they challenged the writer's free expression, which was wrong. My point is, you can go the other extreme and challenge people's free expression to say what they feel is not "politically correct."

[jbg]

Turks are maybe being sensitive. They can't stand anyone saying anything bad about them.

Betsy's also being sensitive. She can't stand anyone saying anything bad about her saying bad things about them.

I've had about enough with Muslim sensitivities. If Turkey wants in to the EU it had better learn that the free press delivers some lumps.