Turkey reverts to its Islamic origins

PanARMENIAN.Net - And who can in this case be more attractive than a young man doped up with Pan-Turkism ideologies and "the exclusiveness of the Turkish Nation", which in fact doesn't even exist. These young people are ignorant of many facts, though they are perfectly good at seeing "internal enemies" and know much about Islam. As the Turkish journalist Burak Bekdil writes, they only know the book "These Crazy Turks" and the movie "Wolves Valley." Perhaps this is enough for killing Christians.

The assassination in Malatya was based on Turkish society's fears that the official Ankara may put an end to the existence of the Turkish secular state. The representatives of today's political elite in Turkey many a time have spoken about their intentions of giving up the principle of separation of church from the state, which has been the main attainment of the first president of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Qemal Ataturk. R. Erdoghan's party, practicing Islamic way of Turkey's development, may cause more complications on country's way to Europe.

Germany was among the first countries that condemned the committed crime. It can be explained by its position in EU and by the fact that it insists on the "privileged partnership" and not on full membership. During its last visit to Berlin R. Erdoghan considered possible to issue ultimatum to Europe. But the recent events, which most likely will still continue, bring to naught all the statements about "Turkey's devotion to democracy and progress." Minister of Foreign Affairs of Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier condemned harshly this crime. Secretary General of the Christian Democratic Union Ronald Pofalla announced that Turkey is a lot far from freedom of religion typical to Europe. Green Party co-chair Claudia Roth announced in the interview with Deutsche Welle, that the international community expects quick and thorough investigation of the cruel murder from Turkey. By the way, this is what one doesn't have to doubt. The direct murderers will be caught just as it happened in Hrant Dink's case. But the question is whether or not this will put an end to the persecutions Christians have to suffer.

Several days after the cruel murder of the three Christians, including one citizen of Federal Republic of Germany, the Turkish police caught ten suspects. All the detainees are young people from 17 to 20. Both of them had the weapons used to commit the murder. They already confessed to the crime and announced that they had done it in the name of "motherland and faith", as well as intended to "teach a lesson to all enemies of Islam."

The representatives of Turkish Protestants publicly called the oppression of Christians, which has recently become even more violent, "a hunt for witch in the manner of the Middle Ages." According to the member of the International Catholic Organization Michael Rag, people not hiding their Christian creed in Turkey "are in the center of attention of extremists, and Hrant Dink's murder is the most evident proof of the above mentioned." Ragg also points at the conditions the only Catholic priest of the country has to live and work in Turkey. After the attempted murder of the priest two years ago, he doesn't leave home without guards. Another catholic clergyman in the beginning of last year was shot dead, when the protests against publication of the caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed in the western media were in full swing.

Terrible murders in Malatya demonstrated the brutality the fanatics are capable of. The radical nationalists openly call the Christians the enemies of the country, and the attacks on them have recently become even more violent, some of them having deadly outcomes. It is a complete absurdity to think that the Christian missioners undermine the political and religious basis of the country. Turkey's population is over 70 million people and only about one hundred and thousand of it are Christians. This is just a small minority which only wants to live its life in peace and at the same time continues to struggle for its religious rights," writes the Mannheimer Morgen.