Friday, October 20, 2006

Entering blogs

Let us see how it looks in the browser. Let, as well, enter body in this post. I am going to write about, what I have been thinking these past few days. I am currently reading a book, of Europe's history from 1815 to 1850. The reason I started to read this book, is to get a background idea of the situation prevailing in Europe, that led to the events that took place in Asia Minor, beginning of 20th century. As Turkey, emerged defeated, in her involvement in the first world war, managed to re-organise herself and pursued towards the establishement of a Turkish national identity, albeit controversial overly criticized and widely condemned methods. She could not do so, without taking advantage of the squabbles between the, then, powers in the european scene, triggered by their efforts to gain control over the oil-rich regions of Middle East. The powers (France, Italy, Britain, Russia, USA) employed, each on their own accord, policies which will strengthen in the future their influence in the region. Their commercial interests prevailed and Turkey, the not so long ago enemy, was seen as a potential friend and therefore supported. Turkey's struggle to survive as a nation, meant that she had to promote its turkishness and musulman religion. Turkish politicians, have long realised that turkish identity could not survive within a multicultural society, because the other members in the multicultural society were more powerful than the turks themselves. A pursuit of a multicultural society would have as a result the loss of the turkish national identity. This stems as well from the historical background of the modern turks themselves. All through the eons of turkish rule, there are numerous references of christians forcibly turkified. These turkifications, the extent of which might not be possible to estimate, would have been a problem within the bounds of a multicultural society, as it would have been impossible to maintain a national turkish identity. Even after the forced expulsion of all the Asia Minor inhabitants, who would not identify themselves as musulman Turks, it would have been impossible if it wasn't of the measures of Kemal Atatourk which institutionalise turkishness and forbade its subjects to speak or act against it. This is matter which is carried in our present era. .....to be continued later.

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