Human Rights Report revealed our weakest point

They added an appendix to their report under the headline "Minorities." This group was founded by law. Their duty is to prepare such reports and present them to the government. This is no draft bill, just an opinion. It has no legal influence, nor is it official.

Even when the report was just a draft it stirred up controversy. Its authors were harshly criticized. They were accused of trying to divide the country. Some even filed charges.

What amazed me the most was to see some trying to stop the debate and eliminate the point of view.

Not only were counter arguments produced, but some even went so far as to call for the criminalizing of even "thinking" about the issue.

The Cabinet appeared to be frightened of the report and went on the defensive. They disowned the commission and criticized the report.

We once again see how far we are from fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria, and how much we need to work at doing so.

We may change the law, but as long as we don’t change our attitude the road of progress will be a long one.

Someone is trying to cause a crisis in the Aegean
You may have read about it in the newspapers: Dark clouds are gathering in the Aegean skies once again.

Greeks claim the number of Turkish ships is increasing around Kardak Island and recently Turkish planes have begun to fly more often in the Aegean skies in order to repudiate the Greek claims about violations in the six and 10 miles of territorial waters and airspace respectively. Headlines in the Greek press are beginning to be dominated by the new crisis.

The Turkish side, on the other hand, declares there is nothing out of the ordinary occuring in the region, adding that only those flights and exercises postponed during the Olympic Games are being carried out.

However, we have yet to understand what is really going on.

Are there some who want to bring forward a crisis and provoke Greeks before Dec. 17, or is Athens implementing a scenario of reasons to veto Turkey?

Altan Oymen’s golden book
Altan Oymen’s youth, developments in Turkey and the world, variables, those who left, those who remain, those who have arrived…

Altan Oymen’s latest book "Degisim Yillari (Times of Change)" tells us the story of the years between 1947 and 1951: The start of the Cold War period; after World War II; Turkey trying to become a part of the Western alliance in the "two-bloc world."

Meanwhile, Turkey also experiences many changes. The most important development is the first governmental transfer after the beginning of the multi-party period.

The civilian and the military staff are replaced with a new generation. The habitual actions also completely changed. The economy changes. The slogan "Use Products Made in Turkey" disappears. Shop windows are being filled with imported products. The newspapers are also full of advertisements promoting the benefits of imported products. Nazim Hikmet is released from prison and then flees the country for fear of being conscripted in to the army.

Victories in sport and unfortunate defeats. Kings and actors and actresses in high society. Restored streets. The green Russian busses replaced by new American red trolleybuses. Change of language for the call to prayer from the minarets. The music changes, together with the singers and the stars. Movies change. The interviewing jounalist, holding a cigarette and wearing a hat…The Korean War.

These are the stories of changes told in Oymen’s latest book, together with his own transformation. Most of the pages are full of caricatures, documents, newspaper headlines and pictures. It is informative, but more importantly, it is an easy read. You should read the book, if you ask me. You won’t stop until finishing it. Your memories will be refreshed. In some parts you cannot help but cry, and in others, laugh. You will enjoy this book very much.

(Dogan Kitapcilik/ www.dogankitap.com.tr / Tel: 0 212 677 06 20)

Enemy brothers
The story of the real rulers of Iraq who are bullied by Arabs and Kurds, the ones who cannot carry out living together despite breathing the same air and sharing the same feelings is the story of the Turkmens.

Dusman Kardesler (The Enemy Brothers), written by journalist Vedat Yenerer, provides answers to many questions about Iraq. Just buy and read it. You will see the Turkmens’ perspective of the developments in Iraq.