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Mehmet Ali Birand: Why are we so unable to show our love?(Turkish Daily News Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)I remember stories told by family elders. We used to have a relative who would describe how he had never been so much as hugged or kissed by his father and grandfather. The less you laughed in front of your children, the less you embraced your child, the more you would be thought to be serious and level-headed. Your authority within the family would be boosted relative to how little affection you displayed. I even know people who have been described in complimentary terms like this: "I have never seen the man laughing, not even once." Yes, showing direct love was interpreted as shameful behavior among us. Nowadays, although the behavior described above has largely fallen by the wayside, we are still not a society who shows love easily. I don't know whether this is a result of all the difficult years behind us, or due to some of the restrictions that our religion puts on us, or perhaps because of our cultural traditions. What I know and what I have seen is that, as a society, our shows of love are, like many other things, all for show. Just like theatrical plays. Valentine's Day, as you probably realized while watching its images on TV or reading in the papers, was a complete theatrical event in Turkey. Worried about appearing civilized, politicians hugged each other, while flowers were delivered to the desks of MPs... We don't like those who are successful. We are jealous... We don't like the rich. We hate them... As a society, we seem to hold no love for anyone outside our immediate family circles, and maybe some close friends. Maybe if one day we, as a society, become very rich, maybe then we will finally learn how to show love for one another. The winds are blowing against Papadopoulos: I don't know if the Greek Cypriot leader is aware of it, but the international winds have begun to blow against his favor. I don't actually think that Papadopoulos really cares. For him, the only important thing is to win this year's presidential elections. For this reason, without even looking around him to see what's going on, he has tapped straight into the pulse of the Greek Cypriots, and is cleaving hard to policies which are popular with the people of his side of the island. Looking over the developments of recent weeks, we can say Papadopoulos may in fact win the elections but that he has made the future more difficult for the Greek Cypriots, and even if only in a small way, he has made life easier for the citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC). Anyway, this is all business which I guess they'll realize in the end. Let's take a look at ourselves here in Turkey... Turkey's latest Cyprus initiative confused people. What it did was to make plain to the international public that the question of opening ports to Greek Cypriot ships is more of a political problem than a technical one. Judging by the messages coming out of London and Washington, with Ankara taking a few steps forward, there is a growing impression that northern Cyprus will be officially and literally recognized. Thanks to the back to back smart moves made by KKTC President Talat, the Turkish side is gaining in strength. Despite the accusations that Talat is "selling the nation" by some columnists who don't understand the chess-like mentality of international relations, the fact is that the KKTC is making all the right moves, and progressing down the right road. However, we should be careful not to make too much of a connection between things that we have heard that have pleased us, and the official messages coming from London and Washington. We ought not to cling too hard to the words of European Union authorities who have said that they regret having made Cyprus a full member. After all, we heard the same things about Greece while it was going through the membership process. They complain, then they grow accustomed to the situation and quiet down again. And after that, they come knocking at our door. What we must not forget is that the opening up of our ports to the Greek Cypriots is an inescapable reality. Ankara has given its word, and in the end, these ports must open. The only current exit here lies with the postponement of this process. Along with the closure of the accession talks, Turkey will open its ports up and it will also have to officially recognize Greek Cyprus. But all this, because it is part and parcel of a political solution, will not make Ankara uncomfortable. And so, the real problem is just making sure that everything remains on track and well-directed until that period begins. Ankara is having a difficult time with the opening of the ports. It is making it very clear that it will take no steps without gaining things in return. Which is why Ankara's position will be greatly eased if it gives priority to EU reforms and carries out the procedures expected of it. In short, it looks like it's Papadopoulos' turn to feel the squeeze regarding the Cyprus problem. The key factor will be whether or not Ankara plays its chess pieces well. Dora will reinvigorate Athens: There has been a very interesting and important change in Athens. Dora Bakoyannis has been brought in to head up the Foreign Ministry. Dora is known well in the Turkish press. She is a very personable, hard-working politician who knows how to attract attention. She has been to Turkey many times and is one of the few Greek politicians who knows us well. She has many friends in Turkish circles. It would be a mistake though to look at all these factors and think that Dora Bakoyannis' view of Turkey is going to be very different from her predecessors. Dora will maintain Greece's basic policies, although the style and approach might see some changes. The foreign minister that preceded Dora was Petros Molivyatis, a man from the old school of politics. He hailed from the stormiest period of Turkish-Greek relations. He was a polite man, but managed to give off a tough image to the outside world. He was very close to (Greek Prime Minister) Karamanlis. There is no doubt that bringing Dora in as foreign minister was very difficult for the prime minister. Beyond the fact that he was forced to hurt the person closest to him (Molivyatis), it must have also been difficult to bring the daughter of one of his biggest opponents, Mitsotakis, into his Cabinet. In any case, Dora's presence in the Greek Foreign Ministry might just be able to remove some of the rust that has gathered on Athens' foreign policy lately. She might help bring back some of the sparkle from the Papandreou era. Greece was a country that attracted much attention in the international arena, though that ended with Papandreou's departure from the scene. Dora's biggest contribution will be bringing back that former flurry of activity to Greek foreign affairs. |