KeghartBy Avedis Kevorkian, Philadelphia PA, 7 December 2007
No, doubt, you might have heard the story of the little Prince who asked his father, the King, "Is it true, Father, that you are the most powerful person in the kingdom?"
The King thought for a moment and replied, "No, Son, you are."
The little Prince was surprised, and he said, "I am but a little boy. How can I be so powerful?"
By Avedis Kevorkian, Philadelphia PA, 7 December 2007
No, doubt, you might have heard the story of the little Prince who asked his father, the King, "Is it true, Father, that you are the most powerful person in the kingdom?"
The King thought for a moment and replied, "No, Son, you are."
The little Prince was surprised, and he said, "I am but a little boy. How can I be so powerful?"
The King explained, "The entire kingdom fears me. I fear your mother. Your mother fears you. You, my son, are the most powerful."
The president, who isn’t capable of thinking, went to check with his advisors and those who think for him. He returned and said, "No, the Turkish Prime Minister is the most powerful."
The Martian went to the globe in the Oval Office, and spun it until he found Turkey, then turned to the president and asked, "How can someone in this little country, so far away, be the most powerful?"
The Martian returned to Mars and told his leaders, "We have been in error and have been teaching our young the English language. We must now teach them Turkish."
If that tale seems far-fetched, think of the recent events concerning the ill-fated HR106, the non-binding resolution that would have "recognized" the Armenian Genocide.
While the perfidious, lip-service politicians were playing games with the megaphone-wielding point-scoring Armenians about the "sure-thing" passage of HR106, the Turks were busy planning and executing a magnificent public-relations and lobbying campaign, a plan that should be in every political-science text-book in every university.
While HR106 was making its clumsy way to a vote in the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the Turks turned on the pressure. The top officials of the Turkish government were spending more time in Washington than in Ankara. (They were in the White House so often, people assumed that the building was for sale.) Turkish parliamentarians were coming in teams to Washington to pressure Congress. Turkish businessmen were cajoling their American counterparts to aid the campaign. The Turks were buying up credentialed and influential people to write Op-Ed pieces in the leading newspapers. Their consuls were drafting "letters" for Turks in this country to send to editors denouncing HR106.
Eventually, as we all know, the measure passed by a scant six votes in Committee. The measure has not been scheduled for a full House vote simply because there are no longer enough votes to ensure its passage. Copies of HR106, with a paid-for ticket, will get you on any airplane in the world.
But the Turks aren’t satisfied with, in effect, defeating the measure. They have made top Americans (except, out of charity, the President) to go to Ankara and kneel before the Turkish officials and swear that future measures won’t even get to a Congressional Committee vote.
Not satisfied with the Americans humbling themselves, the Turks have demanded that the Israeli President also come to Ankara and swear eternal fealty and accept blame for the fact that seven Jewish Congressmen voted for the measure.
If there are any doubters as to the power that Turkey has over America, think for a moment about what would happen if, for instance, Mexico were to try to mount a similar campaign to prevent any legislation about illegal immigrants. Would the Mexican government have open access to the White House and the State Department and the Defense Department? Would Mexican parliamentarians have open access to the Senate and the House? Would "anti" Op-Eds be bought and published? Do pigs fly?
Or, what would be the outcry if China were to mount a Turkish-style campaign to prevent any anti-Chinese-trade legislation?
Yet, the Turkish campaign was accepted as perfectly natural by the American government, by the American media, by the American commentators, by the Americans in general.
Has anyone noticed that the American position on Kosovo is the Turkish position? And that the American position on Artsakh/Karabagh is the Turkish position? And that the positions are contradictory? For Kosovo, the principle of "self-determination of people" rules. On Artsakh, the principle of "territorial integrity [of Azerbaijan]" rules.
Now, knowing that America is back in the Turkish fold, Turkey is tackling Great Britain. Its new Prime Minister has created a new post–one never even contemplated by his predecessors. There is now a "Special Advisor on Northern Cyprus" Note, not for Cyprus, but for the 37% of the island illegally occupied by Turkey. Recently, the "Special Advisor" went to Cyprus on a "fact-finding" trip–not to the Republic but to the north. Her explanation: "I know what they think, so there was no need to talk with them" (or words to that effect).
Her task is to help Britain force European Union recognition of the occupied north, which is protected by a 43,000-man Turkish Army, and populated with 160,000 Anatolian colonists imported into the north to change its demographics. Turkey’s accession negotiations are at a virtual standstill because Turkey refuses to recognize the Republic of Cyprus, a member of the EU. If Turkey does not meet the rules of the EU, it will be the British PM’s task (with American help, of course) to change the rules. But, that’s Europe’s problem.
(As a side note, many of you probably have seen the map on the front page of one of the Turkish newspapers showing a "new" Turkey that includes all of Armenia, parts of Iraq and Syria, all of Cyprus, most of the Ægean Islands including Crete, and Western Thrace. Laugh if you wish, but remember that Adolph Hitler–the most honest politician of the 20th century–said what he would do when in office and, when in office, did what he said that he would do. But, I digress.)
There are those who think that Spanish will be the language of America by mid-century. There are those, more internationally minded, who think that Chinese will be the language of the world by the end of the century. As for me, I have been putting my pennies in an old spaghetti-sauce jar to accumulate enough to make a worth-while bet on Turkish.
And then I will be able to converse with Martians when they come here in force.
Keghart
Keghart