After all many thanks to Europe which presured Turkiye to do some reforms in legal system, otherwise the neo-Ottoman imperial pashas of Turkiye would be still in power, torturing and hanging people whose sole sins were for asking for human rights.
rick murphy
reforms in legal system, otherwise the neo-Ottoman imperial pashas of
Turkiye would be still in power, torturing and hanging people whose
sole sins were for asking for human rights.
++++++++++++++++++++
Torture and pain in a spotlight on recent history
Friday, November 20, 2009
ŞAFAK TİMUR
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
A primetime TV series has put the spotlight on the painful experiences
of the Sept. 12, 1980, military coup and includes scenes of brutal
torture from Diyarbakır Prison No.5. The series, which focuses on
events in the post-1980 period, has drawn a negative reaction from the
General Staff
One night, you come home after work, turn on the TV and start flicking
through the channels. Flick, another talent show about singing or
cooking. Flick, a talk show with famous guests chit-chatting. Flick,
some series about something or other. Flick, another series, flick,
flick, flick...
But hang on a second - flick back and prisoners are being tortured to
death, forced to eat excrement and undergoing mock executions while
others are protesting by setting themselves on fire.
As the shock wears off, viewers familiar with Turkey's recent history
realize the scenes are recounting the aftermath of the Sept. 12, 1980,
military coup and are showing the real suffering endured at the
infamous Diyarbakır Prison No.5.
A second shock comes as the episode ends and a dedication to those who
lost their lives in the Diyarbakır prison - accompanied by a list of
their names - flows across the white screen.
For those who do not know the recent history, seeing what happened
during those tumultuous years can deliver a very strong jolt.
Although the initial shocks fade, a sense of astonishment soon dawns
on the viewer: How can a weekday, primetime TV series relate all these
true stories, given that it is still considered unusual to discuss how
thousands of people were victimized by the military coup just 20 years
ago?
"We can't talk about the effects of the coup without telling about the
damage it did to the left - especially the Diyarbakır, Mamak and
Metris prisons. The prisons should not be disregarded in any way,"
said Nilgün Öneş, scriptwriter for the series "Bu Kalp Seni Unutur
mu?" (Can This Heart Forget You?).
The series takes its name from a famous song whose lyrics start with
"Even though years pass, can this heart forget you?" The story of the
series is based on real experiences from the 1980 military coup until
the 2000s. The series is a continuation of "Hatırla Sevgili" (Remember
Darling), which depicted events from the pre-1980 period and was also
written by Öneş.
"When 'Hatırla Sevgili' ended, I thought about what would be told if
the story continued, and Diyarbakır prison was on my agenda even that
day," she said. "We will see Metris prison too in the following
episodes."
Öneş does not believe, however, that broadcasting a list of names of
people who died in the Diyarbakır prison is a matter of courage. "Is
it possible to go on your way without commemorating those who died
after you researched the prison, talked to people who stayed there and
looked at what was written and even drawn?" she said. "This has
nothing to do with courage. This is a list that has been published
many places before."
There was a large team behind the series, especially those involved in
its creation. Prominent academics Murat Belge and Yasin Aktay, as well
as journalists Fehmi Koru, Tuğrul Eryılmaz and Ertuğrul Kürkçü, are
all advisers for the series.
"I took part in the project because I thought the series would aid in
better understanding the political truths in Turkey," said Kürkçü, who
was heavily involved in the pre-1980 leftist youth movement.
Political atmosphere helps
According to Kürkçü and other experts, the present political
atmosphere has facilitated the production of the series. For Kürkçü,
the series' production can alternatively be seen as courageous and not
courageous. "It is possible to talk about these things amid Turkey's
current atmosphere, but there is still the risk of being outcast by
some sections of society. For this, it can be considered courageous,"
he said. "Ten years ago, however, you wouldn't have been able to find
even one channel willing to release this series."
Esra Arsan, an academic from Bilgi University's communications
department, said: "Productions and scripts highly overlap with the
atmosphere. Today's Turkey should face its social memory and the
present agenda is about the military's anti-democratic coups and
torture. A series on religious orders, for instance, would not find a
place for itself today."
Increasing awareness
According to Arsan, there are even university or master's students who
learn about these events for the first time and have their worlds
shaken. "I find these kinds of productions positive because they draw
attention to the events," she said.
"The events did not happen just in movies, they were actually
experienced. These kinds of series also trigger other things, like
conferences organized at universities. They are important for
awareness and for looking deeper into social memory," Arsan added.
Orhan Miroğlu, a columnist at daily Taraf who experienced torture in
the Diyarbakır prison, said he watched some of the torture scenes in
"Bu Kalp Seni Unutur Mu?" He believes these kinds of series and books
can help the public face up to realities that are covered up for many
years. "But still, most of the people who were tortured in the
Diyarbakır prison would find the torture scenes in this series very
naïve, since the reality was much harsher," said Miroğlu.
Polls conducted recently revealed that young generations are in the
dark about the 1980 military coup and its aftermath. Coup leader Gen.
Kenan Evren, who was also known for his dedication to painting, was
more often identified as a painter by the younger generations when
asked about him.
Communications professor Ayşe Tunç said her students began to show
interest in contemporary Turkish political history after watching
"Hatırla Sevgili." Another issue of debate surrounding these kinds of
TV series is whether they reduce the meaning of what happened by
popularizing the issue. Tunç said that even though popular culture, by
nature, is superficial and aims to entertain the masses, it still
could be useful as a learning tool.
"We have to accept that there is a gigantic knowledge gap among
youngsters because of their high school education, so popular culture
conveniently fills this gap," she said. "Unless the historical events
and political incidents are distorted or portrayed within a certain
ideological framework in these TV dramas, I think they can be used for
educational purposes."
Öneş also thinks the popular series is an effective way to instruct
the public. For her, TV is a very significant medium for productions
that have an issue to convey. "You can enter millions of homes in one
night," she said, adding that she does not understand criticism that
says popularizing something makes it empty.
"Why would popularizing something mean emptying it when popular
culture is in our lives so much?" she said. "History cannot be learned
from one series, but a series can awake people's interest."
Tunç also opposes looking at popular culture in an elitist way. "I
believe that every possible means should be used to achieve a
collective catharsis in our society. We need to confront our past
since we were unable to reach closure where justice has not been
served," she said. "So, I am against looking down on popular culture
with a simplistic or elitist attitude."
"Today we know there is no way to analyze the Kurdish problem without
knowing the brutality at the Diyarbakır prison," Tunç added. "I think
it is rather courageous to air such a production on national TV to
reveal the dark years in our modern history."
General Staff reacts against series
The series has drawn a reaction from the General Staff. At a recent
press meeting, General Staff secretary Ferit Güler said, "In some
media institutions, subjective, one-sided and irrational allegations
have been leveled against military personnel who served in the Turkish
Armed Forces for years or were killed by a terrorist organization."
Esat Oktay Yıldıran, who was commander of Diyarbakır Prison No.5
during at the time when the torturing occurred, was shot and killed on
a public bus in Istanbul at the end of the 1980s. His name was
synonymous with torture among victims and witnesses. Those who
survived the prison said Yıldıran's dog was trained to attack if
prisoners did not salute him as commander.
Daily Taraf columnist Orhan Miroğlu said he experienced torture in the
Diyarbakır prison. He said one time, when Yıldıran came to visit the
prisoners, the commander touched his arm and told officials to give
him and about 50 other prisoners a shower, which meant torture.
"I heard on a TV program that Yıldıran's family plans to file a suit
against the producers of the series. I hope they do, so that I, and I
believe many other people, will get involved in the court and the
torture will be discussed before the court. I know that Yıldıran was
responsible for torture, but he was not the only one," said Miroğlu.
"Today I am 43 years old and I still feel detached from life when
people talk about the Diyarbakır prison," businessman Selim Dindar,
who was held in the Diyarbakır prison for three years, told daily
Radikal in an interview. "I can't help myself; I want to yell and cry.
I have a wife and a child, a big family and friends. I cannot stop
myself and I cry in front of everyone."