Turkey & My Foreign Perspectives with Bea Vanni

Goodbye Google Alert: Hello More Bans for Turkey

While my Turkey blog is less frequent these days, I still track the latest and this one deserves attention. Now Google sites are banned inTurkey; this time the lawsuit hails from Denizli, home of a dear friend of mine.

 

The International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) reports that the Second Criminal Court of Peace in Denizli on June 24th banned Google and did not give a reason to add to the lame excuses of bans across Turkish Courts. When will Turkey learn that they cannot patrol the internet to any advantage of their state?

 

Since November 2007, over 2600 websites have been banned and right now YouTube is still banned. To read more in Turkish, go to Bianet which is a Communications Foundation tracking these bans and other injustices to the people of Turkey.

 

Do these silly courts not understand how they impair their people from becoming more educated and doing better business by blocking the very resources needed to build a better society?

Floods, Power Outages & Dumped Data

Where's my next article on Who Speaks for Islam? Unfortunately, with the floods and bad electrical storms here in Des Moines, power outages, and my work being swallowed by the electric gremlins, I have again lost my work and hope to get it posted by tomorrow.

 

Due to lightening and fiece winds with rain, the computer gets closed down and unplugged. Hopefully, more of my work doesn't get swallowed. Maybe tomorrow.

Ragip Zarakolu: Freedom of Expression Pioneer & Award Winner

For International Human Rights Day, you found a roundup of problems still present in Turkey. Today, I found a perfect complement, a Turkish publisher, to go with the post on violations. It's a really good one!

Congratulations go to Ragip Zarakolu for pioneering Freedom to Publish in Turkey! The International Freedom of Expression Exchange gives annual awards to several people each year who emulate the best of courage while promoting freedom to publish independent thought.

This year the 2008 IPA Freedom to Publish Prize will be received by a Turk who, since 1977, has undergone harassment by the Turkish government. As late as early April 2008, Zarakolu faced prosecution under Article 301; the fate of many writers, journalists and publishers.

Zarakolu continued his publications, even though, he endured jail sentences with his wife Ayse Nur, confiscation and destruction of books, and repeated large fines, all in the name of respect for minorities and human rights in Turkey.

You can read more about this special man, Ragip Zarakolu, on the IFEX site and find out about winners from other countries, as well as, a posthumous award to Hrant Dink.

Turkey Grapples with Human Rights Issues: A Roundup of the Past Year

Article 301 tops the lists for Turkey to disregard Human Rights. This article impedes the right to freedom of speech and thought and used to fine, prosecute and jail anyone who speaks out against the Turkish government, tarnish the memory of Ataturk, Turkey's founder, or in any way insults the Turkish nation.

In May, YouTube was banished from Turkish internet waves, again blocked for the third time in two months and Google groups shut down. Under Article 301 offenders can be prosecuted for just their words, and the new Law 5651 covers most anything else the government wants to ban, not to mention spy on your internet surfing.

A prosecutor can block any internet site they deem inappropriate or one determined to lead to a myriad of society foibles. Whereas, they could work with the websites thought to have offending material and only block the provocative content, they prefer to shut down entire sites to its customers.

Last year, they blocked all Wordpress blogs, many still without accessed within Turkey. I guess freedom of opinion is definitely on Turkey's ban list. I wonder what the EU thinks about all this censorship.

Part and parcel of the rewriting of the Turkish Constitution and re-dressing Article 301 particularly, the government chose not to throw out the Article, but only change its wording from 'insulting Turkish identity' to 'insulting the Turkish nation'. Unfortunately, this lackluster provision leaves the courts able to install retaliation against anyone at will and gives wide latitude to doling out fines where deemed necessary.

Another new Law 5752 constrains the alcohol and cigarette habits of Turkish society. No longer can alcoholic beverages or cigarettes be sold individually ensuring that either vice can only be observed in the privacy of your home. Fat chance this law will be observed!

The Turkish police still struggle with human rights complaints about inappropriate force during demonstrations to torture while under police protection. Some believe that Turks actually sanction torture as a form to get information or confessions.

Freedom of Press has also stagnated moving down the list since 2005 on Worldwide Press Freedom. Journalists and reporters still face prosecution for what they know and write about, but their ranking says it all. Not only individual writers and their snitches and interviewees but entire publishing companies also come under scrutiny and prosecution.

In 2006, Turkey ranked 98 of 168 countries; in 2007, Turkey placed 113 of 167 countries on the Reporters without Borders report. I guess there's no doubt that Turkey isn't progressing in the areas of speech, opinion and thought.

Domestic Violence still takes its toll on the nation's women leaving the female gender under-educated, in poverty, and 1 in 3 suffering from physical abuse at the hands of their husbands, brothers, fathers and other male family members.

Sexual orientation and gender identity issues have also found disdain from the Turkish government with escalating harassment of legitimate Gay Rights organizations. Police raids on human rights organizations purporting the organization infringes upon 'moral values and family structure'.

Peaceful expression and prosecution go hand-in-hand in Turkey. Freedom of association? Out the window. Doesn't apply in Turkey.

Unfortunately, Turkey has not decreased the numbers when it comes to human rights violations. Widespread impunity for even the most serious of human rights violations continues by both the military and civil police forces and accountability for abuses seems no better today than yesterday.

For years Turkey has been under scrutiny by international human rights organizations, but their calls for stop action of such abuses fall on deaf ears. State officials are obligated to conduct full investigations into rights complaints, but little progress has been made. In addition, criminal investigations rarely occur and objective and independent investigations seldom seen because of a protectionist judicial system and widespread corruption to boot.

While these few human rights issues is only the tip of the iceberg for Turkey, the list is long and continuing especially in the police and courts sector. More education and strict oversight may solve some of the problems, but the people's will to do something about it remains a large issue.

A Secret Shared on Meskhetian Turks at the NC Turkish Festival

What would a Turkish Festival be if there weren't a group of people from Turkey dedicated to sharing their culture and friendship with others? The North Carolina Turkish Festival had plenty of volunteers to share their art, dance and music.

Many invitations were extended to me to visit the Divan Cultural Center which I would gladly accept for a later date when I return to Cary.

You should also know about another resource in the Cary area: The ATA-NC founded in 1987 offers diverse activities all about Turkey and the Turkish culture. You'll find their presence at many local venues, and I'm sure they'd welcome you as a volunteer for one of their committees.

In ancient times and still alive today, an artist must practice for years to become great at the art of script writing, Calligraphy. Thousands of years ago, writing script rated only for special documents and manuscripts and the calligraphist held a special position in the sultan's palace.

Today, this art still appears everywhere in Turkey on special occasions, and there's annual talent competitions for it. The award winner enjoys a coveted title and special placement for their work.

Aydin Cayir is one such calligraphist and his writings were admired and requested numerous times at the Turkish Festival. From my old stomping grounds in Istanbul, he entertained many with his quick hand and beautiful results.

Linguists Unite: The Turks and Kurds Need You!

Today celebrates International Mother Language Day and here's a salute to all endangered and live languages under threat of the graveyard where thousands are in the process of being buried right now. This is a serious issue for Turkish and many other languages around the world in harms' way.

Turkish is the legal national language of the 70 million people living in the Republic of Turkey, but worldwide more than 100 million people claim Turkish as their language too. Some Turkish speakers feel their language is under fire with its infiltration of numerous foreign words, but it's the Ataturk Language History Supreme Board's duty to protect it. Other languages don’t necessarily have its protectors.

Do you feel your language is under threat? Last year, I wrote about saving Turkish, but I am happy to report this year that Kurdish acquired legal rights in Turkey and now has its own leaders for saving the language and bringing people together.

While Turkish serves most people in Turkey as the language of communication, not all languages are given proper protection. Kurdish is one spoken widely in Turkey especially in the southeast, but we don't talk about that in good society, do we?

Kurdish has been legally prohibited from use in schools, public and private organizations and even daily living until recently when the Turkish government changed the laws to appease the European Union. Fortunately, there is a movement to secure its place in the language archives.

Are you doing all you can do to ensure your language doesn't disappear? Do you have an organization dedicated to preserving your language? I know an inspiring woman and scholar who wanted the world to know about the depth of her language and culture, so she created the Center for Research of Kartvelian Civilization.

Do you have such a story? If so, share it with us or with me and I'll write about it.

One of the things you can do to ensure your native tongue doesn't disappear is to read for knowledge, listen to orators known for their excellent use of your language or teach it to others. Really, I'm not kidding.

Share your language with someone and learn it well, so it doesn't go to the linguistic graveyard with thousands of others.

Changes in Turkey & My Wandering Soul

Sometimes, Turkey can take its toll with its rapidly changing society and the strengthening of its infrastructure. Just in the last month, Turkey has forged new agreements and partnerships in railroad, electricity and natural gas, not to mention investments at an all-time high.

I, too, have been changing and chasing the catch-up monster and thought it was time I told you why. Recently, I've had difficulty keeping up with interesting resources and commentary on my blog, articles for Arabisto, and business with my clients. I've managed to edit two books, write a brochure and a couple proposals, as well as give a few consults about book publishing and edit a mound of papers and poetry.

Over the next few weeks during this transition, I'll try not to let you down with some handy tips and tools to use for your Turkey pursuits and other information to keep you informed about what's happening in Turkey and how to navigate it.

So my news! I've decided to return to my native land, the hearty Midwest in America. I plan to relocate to the south or southeast after a three-month visit with my family in Iowa. And, no, I'm not a farm girl; I'm a city girl.

I made this decision after a long agonizing year based on some of the numerous negative changes I'm seeing and feeling here in Turkey. I have grown downhearted about my beloved Turkey, even though, I understand it's more difficult living in Istanbul than maybe Izmir or Adana. To be sure you sure should ask my fellow bloggers, Jake and Hans.

While I'm no longer feeling a life of passion and progression here, I've also realized that I must work in an online-friendly environment. I live a rather quiet life as an editor and writer and cannot really forge the ground I want in business here because some of the online technology doesn't exist and probably won't catch on here and be embraced for quite some time.

So, while I intend to continue writing useful and interesting information, bear with me please during this transition when I am unable to post my usual two to three times a week.

Also, dear readers, thank you for reading my blog and helping me sell off my household goods. I heard from many of you when I posted my ad on craigslist and mymerhaba.

Additional Thanks so much to Leah, who does not know how much she lifted my spirits on Saturday. She called me about an item for sale and said she realized who I was and that she reads my blog regularly. Her words were like life to my soul because Saturday was one tough day. Thanks Leah!

Technology Tragedy in Turkey: Protect Your Assets with Experts

Technology in Turkey still lags behind America when it comes to new online tools used to boost your business, but you can also get most anything you need related to a computer. I came to Turkey before the surge in computer use when they were few and viruses many. Today, Turkey booms with the high use of computers, and we face a lot more problems with getting viruses which crash our computer and losing information and even putting our information online.

Many of us have experienced these three problems through the years with our computers, but taking the right action at the right time will ease our stress and promote more favorable solutions.

I don't know about you, but even with 25 years of computer use, I still get stumped on amateur quandaries and get frustrated. As an expat I've made a lot of mistakes with my technology challenges not knowing who to trust; so, I know you'll want these remarkable solutions to solve your next technology crisis to reduce the blunders and increase your positive outcomes.

First off, when your computer starts to grind and spin, it's probably about to crash and you need to immediately shut it down and don't turn it on again. Recently, I've been involved with several horror stories related to crashed computers, and so I learned through helping others.

What did I learn? Well, there's only one really well-known data recovery service here but they may not know a range of crash problems, and you are the next test case. Don't mess around when you might be able to save both your data and computer. Going outside of Turkey may be a lot less expensive and timelier.

Check out ACS Data to learn all about data recovery and a comprehensive list of questions and answers. They even provide the different sounds a computer makes when it's crashing if you scroll about half way down the page.

Depending on the sound your computer makes, the recovery result may take a short time, a long time or something in between, but one thing is for sure, you will be informed before the fact instead of after.

The second problem that many do not consider here in Turkey is the impact of losing your data and your computer. Since insurance isn't thought about here as much as in the western world, people also don't think much about what happens if they lose their data on the computer. You've got to have a regular solution for backing up your data. Your call to take action is an inexpensive and easy solution for protecting your data 24/7 with I Back Up. All my top-selling business gurus love this service and it's a no-brainer.

And last but not yet the end, know how to protect yourself from plagiarism. Since the advent of time, there have been unscrupulous people who want the easy way out. Due to all the online information, many people find it easier to steal someone's work and claim it as their own. Ask Jonathan Bailey about his solution if your work has been robbed by a plagiarizer, and check out a new online system in Turkey, Tasdix, which will register your copyrighted material.

So, what's my last nugget of advice for all your technology needs? I trust only one person and have for over six years. Whether you need a new piece of equipment, solve a technology problem or need some techie advice, visit the best technology businessman in Istanbul, Bora Ongurer. Owner of Uygar Electronic, Bora's technology haven sits in the computer hub of Kadikoy at Rihtim Caddesi, Bascavus Sokak, Yazicioglu Ishani No:28/28a or give him a call at 0216-330-3526. No pirates need apply.

I hope you found value in this short lesson to help you prevent an accident waiting to happen. Tell us what computer solutions you've found that's worked well. Click on the Comments link below this article.

Turkishness 101: Best Viral Marketing Practices ala Turka

Bark, if you know any dogs who claim to be a Turk. Yes, Of course, the Kangal, indigenous to Turkey, should be able to do so without repercussions, but probably not in its homeland. I say this with tongue-in-cheek because the bar has just been raised on Turkey's Article 301.

Turkey has set yet another record for prosecution under Article 301, and should receive the 2007 Viral Marketing Award for gaining the most negative publicity in a year's time using Turkishness as their cause. I bet the Publicity Hound could wax poet on the downfall of this law for an entire land.

If Turkey's Article 301, insulting Turkishness, hasn't sunk to a new low for prosecutions, I don't know what could. If the American government created 100 courts especially designed to hear all the cases against those who insult Americaness or its government and politicians, it wouldn't be able to even touch the cast of millions alone who've insulted President George Bush. The Turkish government, however, is trying to set a record for court cases on insults against Turkishness.

Last week, a local businessman in Turkey, who attended a mass demonstration against terrorism with his dog, was arrested and awaits prosecution for showing that even his dog was a Turk and patriot. Sorry, Tulga, no can do. Not in Turkey.

Don't dress your dog in a t-shirt with the word "Turk" written on it, but if you have a child, you can dress them up in cammies and easily find them in the midst of a demonstration.

If Turkey wants to viral market in the negative sense and to a new low even for Turkish law, then maybe they should now round up all the Turkish journalists who write daily articles about the woes Turkey faces.

Let's marry it to the concern that since 2005, prosecution under Turkishness 301 reflects an increase for the two years following. Journalists, authors, academics and the common 92-year-old man prosecuted under this law receive the label "criminal".

With the looming Iraq incursion and daily demonstrations in the streets, do the criminal courts here have nothing better to do than hear cases of those who were merely "thought" to insult Turkey? Is Turkey's tax-base so large that senseless prosecutions can be the order of the day?

Better to open up a prison just for the insulters of Turkishness because lots of people will keep company with Tulga once Turkish police and politicians start perusing the millions of online blogs and other online mass media.

Do you think Turkish Law should change Article 301, insulting Turkishness? Click Comments below this article and give us your opinion.

Writing Turkey: One Pathway to Understanding

Many people have asked why I blog on Turkey instead of America since I am an American. Well, there's a few answers to that question but mostly because as an expat in Turkey, I wanted to share with other expats what to expect, how to muddle through the daily challenges, where to find resources, how to appreciate the country, and yes, even what to be aware of.

Also, Turkey & My Foreign Perspectives can be quite different from a native's perspective, as theirs will also be if they live in another country. Perspectives can help us all grow and learn to create more understanding. Additionally, I have not lived in America for years, and if I get started on America, I would die not having completed my work because there's just too many issues to take up. Whew, could I go on about this ad nauseum!

While my perspectives aren't the last word on any issue, I do believe a person grows by exposure to vast situations, thought, media and people. Reading and hearing an array of opinions and views can create the catalyst for more understanding and even empathy for a particular plight. I do not claim to agree with or understand everything I read or hear, but it does give me food for thought which can expand my mind and give me the ability to critically think and analyze issues.

When I speak to other writers and business people, it seems we all share one thing—hate mail. Yes, we all get our share because there will always be someone who disagrees with our views. It doesn't matter what we write about; it can be something very controversial or as simple as a where to put a comma in your writing. There will always be people who disagree, and that's okay.

How we relay our disapproval or disagreement, however, tells us who we are in our souls. The other day I wrote about my latest hate mail, but I respect the way the writer expressed himself. He didn't use foul language or call me names; he just stated how he felt in a clear message. I could tell he knew something about getting a point across and used some understanding doing it; even though, I had no idea what he had read or disagreed with.

I told him that through perspectives, educating our minds, we can make remarkable changes in our countries, although, it may be slow for some things and quicker for others. Most know that education is the one thing that can change a country for the better. Whether articles are positive or negative on a subject, we can learn from the perspective.