However .. Just
over a week ago, on the 23rd of October, a massive earthquake
rumbled Turkey near the city of Van in the Eastern part of the country, and the
people who live there awoke to terror. I’d like to thank everyone who enquired
after my safety and sent good wishes by email, facebook, skype and the other media outlets. Fortunately, I’m far from the epicentre
of the quake zone and suffered no ill harm, however, I do know several people
with family in the area and wish them the best in these difficult times.
Five days before
the unsettling tremor, on October 18th, 24 Turkish soldiers were
killed and 18 others wounded when an attack on police and civilians occurred
near the Turkish-Iraqi border as the PKK once again set out to make their point
for Kurdish independence in the region. At least 21 PKK militants were also
killed attempting to flee back into Iraq after their raid on the border towns.
The town of Ercis,
the most devastated of the crisis caused by the natural disaster is also
located in the mainly Kurdish region. This raised the question once again of
Turkish-Kurdish relations and the spectre of terror that haunts the two
distinct cultural groups that live in this nation.
As the Turkish
government and healthcare professionals, including people I know here on the
coast, rallied to send aid and provisions as well as 250 doctors and a
900-person team from the Emergency Aid Team, another bomb went off nearby killing several more people, courtesy of a female suicide bomber.
The death toll from
the devastating earthquake has now risen to 596 with more than 4,150 people
injured. We have all seen the pictures of babies pulled from the wreckage, but
how many have stopped to consider the longer term rebuilding efforts this will
necessitate? The water network has been damaged and sewage may be seeping into
the pipeline polluting drinking supplies, and of course many thousands have
been left homeless and grieving.
Given the area’s
large Kurdish population, the knee-jerk reaction of many, as seen on various
social media, was that this was “divine retribution against separatist Kurds
for PKK attacks.” SEMİH İDİZ http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=earthquake-brings-out-best-and-the-worst-2011-10-27
I was visiting
students in a nearby town this past week and those of Kurdish ethnicity are
often quite vocal about their desire to have autonomous political control in
the region many call Kurdistan, although they are more concerned with
maintaining their ‘cultural identity’ and perceive the Turkish-led
government as attempting to eradicate their history and language. People who
consider themselves true Turks are divided on this issue, with many believing
peace through talk is essential while others think all Kurds are part of a
terror plot, sending the money they earn to the violent opposition. Most Kurds
I meet simply want to integrate into a ‘modern nation’ with the same
opportunities as all other citizens.
Naturally, I
support those who seek peace. Peace and compassion combined with outreach to communities
in need are our most valuable assets in times like these – what potential disaster is
needed for all people to recognise our reliance on each other for existence in
the face of tragedy? In 1999, when a massive earthquake struck in Western
Turkey, killing many thousands, the Greek state quickly sent assistance,
leading to renewed understanding of their common heritage and better, more
peaceful relations between the two nations, an achievement politicians had
previously failed to accomplish with all their posturing.
Let’s break down
the walls of inequality and remove the barriers to peace to recognise our
common humanity for the benefit of all people who encounter these obstacles,
for there are no greater threats in life than the unstoppable power of nature
and separation from loving human interaction. I have always believed that a
truly civilised society is judged by the way it treats the least of its
citizens. When someone is hurting, do not turn your eyes away, but wipe away
the tears and help them to smile again, the world will be better for the little
effort it requires to be decent, especially to those less fortunate.
In these days of occupation, whether on the streets or in far away lands, try to occupy your mind .. with thoughts of peace ..
*
Over the past
few days unseasonably cold weather brought deep snowfalls to parts of America’s
East coast, including those places where I lived for so many years. Already
people are dying from this latest onslaught of nature. My thoughts are with my
friends and family there – hopefully it isn’t an indication of the winter to
come ..
While you’re at
it, spare a thought for those suffering in the floods of Thailand, and save a
thought for how lucky you are to be reading this instead of struggling with one
of these tragic events .. No one is immune from the power of a shifting
environment, so, if you happen believe there is karma at work in any of
nature’s actions, shouldn’t you be trying to ensure positive vibrations to
counter the terror ..?
* * *
