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An Inside Look at Muslim Turkey; is Turkey Right for the Eu?

From the European Heritage Library powers of tolerance, freedom, complete
social and political secularism, and
This is an inside look at the current social rights are rejected in every sense
cultural, ethnic, historical, religious, of the word in the possible Turkish
historical, social, and linguistic membership and merger with its former
dimensions of Turkey. It also analyses victims of its Jihad. Turkey and the
the issue of Islam in Europe as well as Turks are by no means European -
their controversial entry into the EU. Is culturally, ethnically, politically,
Turkey by any means European? Do the historically, and socially - and thus
Turks have any right to merge with Europe have no right to merge with Europe. This
as the US and EU encourage? Click the reality by no means denigrates the Turks
link at the bottom and top of this nor their proud and glorious Islamic
article to view the photos that go with nation.
this article. The Turkish national founding father,
Turkey -- Mustafa Kamal Atatürk (Father of the
English name: Turkey Turks) is virtually mythologized in
Population: 71,158,647 Turkish life. Having brought the Turkish
Religion: Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), Ottoman state from complete economic and
other 0.2% political collapse into a powerful and
Language: Turkish, with near-illegal proud new Turkish nation and military
Kurdish minority, Armenian power that conquered its neighbors in
Ethnic groups: Turkish 80%, 20% Kurdish, less than two years (and successfully
minute Armenian assaulted the new Greece to return "lost"
Average fertility/woman: 1.89 per woman land), this culture-creating leader is
Migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 celebrated with a portrait in nearly
population [none leave, none enter] every major building, every office
Per capita average income: $9,000 building, every police station and shack,
Unemployment: officially 10.2% in every public monument, and in hundreds
Population below poverty line: officially of homes and ships. He acts today as a
20% paradigm for all future politics of
Extant populations elsewhere of Turkey, which is why current efforts to
Albanians: Germany, Bulgaria, Greece, Islamicize politically-secular Turkey is
France met with a sizable public outcry. Aside
Source: CIA World Factbook his portraits and statues are dozens of
I went to Turkey not only with a great flags, some stretching 20-feet in length,
fascination for Islam, but also to to celebrate independence Turkish
investigate first hand the question: are nationhood and Islam. Many of his statues
Turkey and the Turks by any means are adorned with Arabic script and quotes
European culturally, ethnically, from al-Qur'an that he today in the West
religiously, politically, and is perceived to have assaulted. Turkey
historically, and do they have any right and Islam are indivisible, though the
to merge with Europe as the United States Turks have been smartly able to avoid the
& European Union so staunchly debate and theocracy of Khomeini or bin Laden. This
often encourage today? In Germany and ulterior political goal must be
Europe to which they (rarely illegally) recognized.
emigrate for better labor opportunities The Turkish and Muslim traditions other
and government social monetary benefits, than in the mosques is subsidized by the
they are generally hated and deemed state to protect it from the "Western
completely diametrically polar to imperialists" who are encroaching on
European culture, history, and modern their Islamic and homogeneous heritage.
politics. The nation of Turkey is often The traditional and world-famous rug
deemed a backwards Islamic nation of goat carpet-producing techniques are paid for
herders, an unstable government, and the by the boards of culture and economics.
wickedly poor. Is this image by any means Here, the exclusive double-knot Turkish
true, and if not, does this then imply carpet-making tradition requires female
that they have any right to integrate members of families to produce carpets
with the Europeans whom reject them? for years and years at a time by hand
Turkey is relatively new to tourism due from the ilk of silk worms for sale
largely to a popular stigma of Westerners around the world. This is but one of the
that the Middle East or the Islamic world cultural measures protected by the
are dangerous or volatile. Our cruise Turkish government today. The Turkmen
ship landed in Istanbul and Kusadasi, two minority (a people related to the Turks
distinctly Islamic and Turkish cities by race, history, and the same Sunni
rife with ancient ruins of other cultures Islam) dominate this field. This is a
long dead and expelled but by no means great source of income for Turkey on the
multicultural. The Kurdish Sunni minority world market for textile production where
is responsible for nearly all of Turkey's Iran (Persia) and India are their biggest
terrorism (primarily by the PKK [the competitors. The traditional Muslim dowry
Kurdssh Workers' Party] terrorist group), (akin to bride-price) is generally paid
which is further incited by American and encouraged to be paid by the man to
support for the Kurd minority in northern the woman upon marriage, though the
Iraq and Syria, another reason why Saddam Muslim near-universality of polygamy is
Hussein has been executed for genocide of illegal in urban Turkey. Most Turkish
a very volatile minority. The majority of women still receive dowry in the form of
the Kurds are in the east. They are money, carpet, or other heirloom to
incited historically not only because cement the Muslim marriage.
they are a different race with a Regarding the cities themselves, Muslim
different language than the Turks (the Turkey has more treasures from ancient
Kurds being Persian with a Farsi-derived empires of the past than can be seen
language), but also largely because the completely in a lifetime. Outside of
post-WWI Allied victors promised Kurdish Kusadasi, an ancient provincial capital
statehood in Kurdistan, which the Turkish of Greek-ruled Anatolia (later to be
founding father Atatürk completely annexed and expanded by the Romans)
obliterated in a military expansion after called Ephesus remains the very greatest
the war. Upon learning that the west and most well-preserved city in the
along the coast would be spared the world. Like Pompeii, a city some 5
majority of this ethnosocial calamity, I centuries before the life of Jesus can be
was anxious to experience the very traversed in near entirety. A world
capital nation of the Islamic world whose monument, the House of the Virgin Mary
Jihad caused Europe to quake in its boots can be visited as a major Christian
for nearly 5 centuries, not only as an (almost exclusively Catholic of course)
investigation of history, but as a rare site of pilgrimage. It is proported to be
chance to experience Islam first-hand. the very house of Mary, the virgin mother
They are unique in their own right as a of Jesus of Nazareth. Inside, very little
race, culture, and (in part) history than can be seen other than walls and a
the Arab tribes with whom they are often commemorative tomb with no corpse
affiliated (to the anger of the Turks). therein. A wall can be seen on the way
For a brief historical walkthrough, the out with endless notes from pilgrims to
region of today's Turkey (Anatolia) was Mary and Heaven. The modern Islamic
originally populated by a variety of Turkey has its own endless treasures.
peoples, the majority of whom Iranians Turkey is very economically upright and
and Scythians before and during apt for Western trade; English is highly
Zoroastrianism took root long before common amongst the youth and adult alike.
Judaism's dualist monotheism was founded. Almost no English or other language is
After the heroic conquest of the old used in the cities though. There is
Zoroastrian Iranian state (Persia) by the almost no trash visible anywhere on the
Greek Alexander the Great, Anatolia street, and almost no graffiti at all.
became populated by Greeks. This later Oddly, there are literally almost no
coalesced -- after the Roman conquest -- trash basins anywhere in the cities of
into the heart of the Byzantine Orthodox Turkey. We learned that this is a
Empire. But by the 10th century, the many security measure imposed by the military
nations of the Turkish race (at the time government to stop from fires as well as
in central Asia) adopted the Sunni faith Kurdish terrorism (assumably, bombs in
of Islam, and, pressured by the Mongol trash cans). Soldiers with machine guns
tribes and in search of better crop are everywhere in Turkey, as Turkey's
yields, traveled by equine into Anatolia. government is regulated and controlled by
Here, they encountered and conquered the the huge military to a large extent.
infidel Christian Greeks with every mile. There are hardly any broken or collapsed
The battle of Malazirt (Manzikert) in houses with waste affront. The buildings
the 11th century foreshadowed a dark are all plain and simple. There are no
future for the powerful Christian blatantly poor areas like "ghettos" like
Byzantine Empire. The next 3 centuries in America or some of the larger European
marked a reality that the Turkish Muslims cities. However, there is little safety
were superior to the supreme power of the precaution unlike in the US to resist
past. These Seljuks (Salçuk) Turks lawsuits, and it is very easy to injure
established a powerful Seljuk Empire, oneself. The streets are largely narrow
which conquered much of then-Sunni Iran in the bigger Turkish cities. The drivers
and Iraq (Mesopotamia), as well as are outright maniacs. Many drive at top
eastern Anatolia. Annihilated by the speed in complete traffic without
coming Mongol hordes, the Turkish Muslim stopping, even driving on one-way streets
race re-established itself under Asman, through popular business areas with food
establishing the "Ottoman" Empire in carts to get to their destination more
central Anatolia. By the early 15th quickly. Driving is impossible.
century, under the banner of the holy Everything in the society seems
Jihad, the Ottoman Turkish Muslims had economically uniform and upright.
encircled the Byzantines by conquering However, there is a relatively pungent
their Slavic and Greek neighbors: the and foul smell throughout much of the
Greek city-states, the Byzantine land in Turkish cities, and bathrooms are
today's Greece proper, Slavic Bulgaria, virtually impassable to a European or
Romania, Albania, later Bosnia, Serbia, American. Water and a thick foul smell
and nearly all of southern Hungary, where seem to flow on the ground of every
they forced the conversion of millions of bathroom. The toilets are generally
their subjects with death or unlivable sunken into the floor or are a hole for
taxation as a penalty for not submitting defecation, always with a horrific smell.
to Islam. On 29 May, 1453, the Turks A thick layer of water on the floor by
completely stormed the Byzantine capital the pungent toilets, in theory, imply
of Constantinople, which they renamed that they have recently been cleaned and
Istanbul ("Islam aplenty"). By the 19th washed. There are an endless amount of
century, though, they had declined due to stores on every corner with businessmen
bankruptcy and internal rebellion by the on the streets watching for pedestrian
variety of races that they had conquered. tourists like vultures. Some 50% of these
Russia had crippled their fleets in stores are all for the sale of rugs,
nearly a dozen Russo-Turkish Wars. In totaling hundreds of thousands of carpets
World War I, the Ottomans allied with the each hundreds of dollars in worth. Nearly
Germans against Russia. Failing, their every store has goods ranging from
former lands in the Arab world became t-shirts to traditional veils and
ruled by the French and British. In 1923, headscarves, pewter, metal, jewelry,
the sultanate was abolished, and Mustafa illegal DVDs, etc. Nearly every store
Kamal "Atatürk" (Father of the Turks) offers dozens of huqqah (hookah)
banned the Arabic alphabet (hence it is waterpipes for smoking tobacco (marijuana
today written with a German and Latin and other drugs are illegal). Tobacco and
base), declaring a secular republic with huqqah, which are believed to have both
an ultraconservative and centralized originated as a cultural device in the
government. By no means at all was this Ottoman Empire, are a source of pride for
out of admiration for freedom, tolerance, the Turks. Many of their victim nations
or multiculturalism, but rather to of the past or regions to which Turks and
alleviate the Turks' post-war economic Muslims immigrate have popular huqqah
collapse by opening economic and "bars" for smoking, especially in Ukraine
political ties with the victorious West. where the Turkic Crimean Tatars offer it
The rebellious Armenian Christian to the local Slavs. A trait unique to
minority that was accused of massacring Turkey occurs upon passing any business:
Turkish soldiers (and did) and civilians business owners and employees literally
was slaughtered by the Turks in the stock passerbyers for miles to coax them
denied Armenian genocide. The statehood into seeing their wares. Several people
claims of Kurdistan, Greater Armenia, and at once pursue pedestrians for several
Western-ruled land was completely minutes and even later in the day again
conquered. The government of Turkey if another encounter occurs, offering tea
became an ultra-right wing military state and friendship, asking from where the
until today. Today, the very people who visitor comes and his nationality. This
rose the banner of Jihad against Europe hospitable ploy is in reality an attempt
is seeking to exploit its multicultural to make a sale to the coming wealthier
liberal goals to integrate universally tourist from Europe. Businessmen can be
with its former mutual enemy. seen carrying trays of ultra-strong
Istanbul is arguably the greatest city in Turkish tea all over the city to be
the world archaeologically, historically, brought to later shop clients. One can
and culturally. Nowhere else but in barter in any store. Many stores are
Muslim Turkey do nationalism and pride in willing to drop as much as 50% of a
culture, heritage, history, their product's worth to make a sale with only
distinct race and language, the Islamic little effort by the client. Turkmen and
faith, and tradition coalesce so strongly Azerbaijani (Azeri) businessmen can be
into national awareness. Aside from the seen everywhere in Turkey, as both
endless mosques, there are thousands upon descend from the same race (though the
thousands of massive Turkish flags latter professes Iran's Shi'ia Islam);
proudly announcing the Turkish heritage they integrate well into the society of
rooted in the star and crescent of Islam. their brethren. Kurdish minority
Nearly every home has a Turkish flag on businessmen can also be seen in their
display for all to see, often right next tight-knit yet marginalized society that
to government-ordered sets of 20-flag is directly hampered by the government.
standards or 25-foot massive flags in the Their language is illegal in schools and
center of town. From its cultural capital government, and the Kurds' Iranian-based
(not political) of Istanbul, the triumph language may only air on television by
of Turkish and Islamic history, culture, law on a select few number of channels
and heritage over its predecessors of the for a small number of minutes per week.
Romans and Greeks (Byzantines) can be Armenian Christians and Jews are given
studied in the same city. By no means but just as few rights in this staunchly
politically is Turkey a secular or Islamic society. This inequality, along
godless state as they accuse America of with Turkey's denial of the genocide of
being. The Turks embrace their secular Armenians (who were assaulting Turks in
politics today with great wisdom: by an independence movement), is a major
being politically secular but culturally criticism by the social-liberal US and EU
a staunchly Islamic nation, the Turks can against Turkey. Turkey is incredibly
distinguish themselves from the Arabs homogeneously; nearly all the inhabitants
they hate and deem so primitive, and are of the same race (Turks) or their
trade amply with Europe and America as descendants (Azeris, Turkmen, Tatars),
well as the Islamic world, without with some unrelated Muslim Baluch, Arab,
limiting the importance of Islam in daily and Uzbek minorities (aside from the
life to the Turks. Prayer or "Ezan" is marginalized Armenian, Greek, and
sounded for miles five times per day to Georgian Christians).
be heard from miles and miles away from Just walking through the cities of the
the hundreds upon hundreds of mosques western coast (especially Istanbul and
whose massive minaret spires reach for Kusadashi), one can encounter Byzantine
the heavens: Greek Christian treasures before the
In Arabic: Turkish conquest, pre-Christian Greek
Allahu Akhbar; Allahu Akhbar. cities preserved in entirety, Roman
Ashadu-allah, Ilaha il Allah. arches, and ancient Iranian tombs. The
Ashadu-allah, Ilaha il Allah. Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia) - considered
Ashadu-anna Muhammadan Rasulallah. among the greatest buildings ever built -
Ashadu-anna Muhammadan Rasulallah. rests in the center of the Islamic
Hayyah a Salah. Hayyah a Salah. cultural capital (Istanbul) of the last
Hayyah a Falah. Hayyah a Falah. 500 years (after Baghdad before it and
Allahu Akhbar. La Ilahai Allah. Damascus before that). With its
In English: foundations built before the life of
Allah is great; Allah is great. Jesus, and its massive domed walls built
I confess that there is no majesty but by the greatest Byzantine empire since
Allah. I confess that there is no majesty Constantine the Great himself, Justinian
but Allah. (conquerer of the southern German
I confess that Muhammad is his messenger. conquerers of the Roman Empire), the
I confess that Muhammad is his messenger. Ayasofya was the largest Christian
Hurry to prayer. Hurry to prayer. Hurry building in the world until St. Peter's
to success. Hurry to success. Basilica was built in the Vatican in the
God is great. There is no majesty but 11th century. It was so magnificent a
Allah. Christian church that it impressed the
Looking in one direction in one portion heathen Slavic king Vladimir the Great,
of the massive city of Istanbul, one can king of the Germanic-built Kievan Rus, to
see anywhere from 5 to 50 mosques with convert all Slavs of Europe to the
two or more minarets each towering above Orthodox faith of the Greeks. In the 15th
the city's Muslim inhabitants. There are century, when the Muslim Jihad delivered
hardly any Christian churches or the ultimate fate into the heart of the
synagogues that are not museums that were Byzantine infidel capital of
not burnt by the Ottoman Jihad. Turkey is Constantinople (now Istanbul), the holy
reportedly 99.8% Muslim (majority Sunni). Orthodox church was converted into a
These mosques are built 500 years ago as mosque. Today, it remains among the
they are only recently. The "secular" greatest and most majestic mosques in the
government funds the construction of world; a true testament to the victory of
mosques as well as pays their imams Islam over Christendom. When the republic
(equivalent of priests) and mullahs a was declared, it was converted into a
form of government salaries. Many argue museum. Nonetheless the call to prayer is
that this is to allow pro-government firmly and proudly emitted from it for
(right-wing) imams to prevent radical the entire city to hear. The interior is
militant Islam that is commonplace in ancient, tarnished, and fading as
Turkey among Turks and Kurds both. There expected from its age. It is rich in
are signs everywhere in the city listing ancient Orthodox Christian mosaics and
the latest times of the call to prayer frescoes of John the Baptist, Jesus, and
based upon adjustments to the direction the Saints dating over 1,500 years of
of the sun. When the loud pencefold age. All evidence of Jesus was entirely
prayer (five per day) is not being echoed erased or burnt when the Jihad reached
with synchronism between the endless the Byzantine capital, with the mosaics
mosques in the nation for several minutes of Jesus and the saints covered in a
at a time, one can hear Islamic lectures, plaster base. This was later uncovered
chants, and prayers from the mosque's when the building became a museum, and
loudspeakers throughout the day, can be seen today with much of it removed
reaffirming the Turks as a Muslim people due to age and peeling. The original
who are by no means akin to their Arab, Byzantine design during the Roman period
west Iranian, or Uzbek subjects of the and afterward (under Justinian) can be
past. Prayer can be heard even from ships seen, oddly with Hakenkreuze (or the
outside the harbor at all hours of the Indian Swastika) all throughout the
day: as early as 0200 and as late as building and arches in obverse and
2300. Stars and crescents not on flags reverse both. The building is almost
are visible all throughout the city, entirely in reconstruction with painters
distinguishing the Turks' usage of these carefully repainting the surface.
symbols from being simply their Original massive plaques cover the walls
traditional flag, but rather an of the building with verses from
expression of their heritage and al-Qur'an and the holy 99 names of Allah
submission to Islam. Unlike in some parts all about the massive overhead dome. The
of the Islamic world, like in Uzbekistan original Mihrab (the gate in the center
and Morocco, the nation's Muslims do not of the mosque showing the direction of
generally just bow on the spot and Makkah to which all must pray) and Minbar
initiate prayer. Rather, hundreds of (the steps to heaven from which the imam
people can be seen walking into each or mullah speaks to the taliba) are in
mosque all throughout the day (though perfect golden condition. Only 200 paces
prayer can be performed at home or at from the huge mosque, the walls of
work, and often is instead of going to Constantinople that the Turks struggled
the mosque all day long). Women in veils for years to overrun can be touched. One
or full burqas, men with regular can even see the black marks where the
conservative clothes, men with full Mujahidin's cannons bombarded the
beards and Hamas-esque frightening Christian gates for years and years
turbans and aggressive expressions, and before final victory. Within eye's length
children of all ages can be seen hurrying from the Ayasofya, one can see the
to prayer. Many Turks are militant and greatest mosque in all of Turkey: the
ultra-nationalist in their faith, which Blue Mosque or the Sultan Ahmed mosque.
frightens the secular government and its Built in the 15th century, its blue iznik
military state. Islam is domes is arguably the center of Istanbul,
ultraconservative: men must cover where most of the most famous imams and
shoulders and legs, and women must cover Islamic scholars attend. The interior is
shoulders and their heads with veils or gorgeous, massive, clean, segregated,
headscarves. No infidels (Christians, completely covered in carpets, and
Jews, etc.) are allowed in mosques during decorated in blue flower designs with
prayer. Inside the mosques, though, Arabic inscriptions and plaques with
foreign white tourists can be seen "Allah" written on nearly every wall. The
bypassing this law to the dismay of the main area for prayer is forbidden to
imams who cannot regulate some 400 people infidels during all hours. Sitting in the
in one mosque at a time. Shoes may not be courtyard between the Ayasofya and Blue
worn inside the mosques nor anywhere on Mosque during prayer is a sad reminder of
the steps around it (which is strongly the collapse of faith and tradition in
enforced). Men and women can be seen the US and gradually Europe, and the
performing ablutions (washing the hands, strong resilience of faith in the Islamic
head, and feet to void the soul of sin, world.
dirt, and worldliness) in local blessed The hundreds of other mosques throughout
fountains with Arabic writing around them Turkey and Istanbul are equal treasures,
before entering. Outside of mosques, as are the endless temples and palaces
ablution fountains can be seen everywhere built by the numerous Turkish sultans,
in Turkey by the hundreds to encourage especially at their main palace of
both cleanliness as well as prayer in Topkap1 (Toep-kop-uh) whose halls and
solitude away from mosques. Men and women harems seem to bear no end. Inside the
are strictly segregated inside and sultan's main palace, a fantastic
outside of mosques during religious treasure horde of the personal swords,
rituals and prayer, virtually in separate helms, and standards of the most valiant
rooms. Turkey is nonetheless one of the of Islamic Jihadists and conquerers can
few places in the world whose big tourist be found. The swords of Mehmet II (who
cities allow infidels to enter mosques. obliterated the Byzantine Empire
During prayer, again, no infidels are forever), Sulayman the Magnificent (who
allowed. The "whirling darvishes" (or led the golden age of the Ottomans),
dervishes), Sufi monks who stand and spin Sultan Ahmed (who brought a height of
about to near themselves to Allah, are Islamic architecture), and other Jihadist
celebrated and sold all throughout the Mujahidin can be seen with Arabic script
city in pewter, plastic, and wood, as the and surah quotes from al-Qur'an engraved
Sufis played a large role in the