Anti-Americanism in the Turkish Media

Over the past few years the Turkish media has grown increasingly anti-American. Turkish media outlets of all political persuasions - left, center, right, and Islamist - much like the Arab and Iranian press, attack the U.S. and incite against it.

The following is the third release [1] from the MEMRI Turkish Media Project. It includes comparisons of Nazi Germany to the U.S. and President Bush to Hitler, racial epithets toward Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; and making the U.S. the center of conspiracies including holding it responsible for the Tsunami. The following are excerpts from several articles (ellipses appear in the originals):

Turks are 'The Gold Medalists in Anti-Americanism'

In the mainstream moderate-right daily Tercuman, columnist Cengiz Çandar wrote: "… The BBC surveyed about 22,000 people all around the world between November 15, 2004 and January 5, 2005. Forty-seven percent of the respondents expressed the opinion that 'America's influence on the world is very negative.'

"What is especially interesting is that among those with the most negative view on America's policies under Bush are the Turks, heading the list with 82%. The Turks are followed by the Argentineans with 79%, and the Brazilians with 78%.

"This means that we are the gold medalists in 'anti-Americanism.' …

"… [According to the survey] among the Muslim countries, Turkey is followed [in anti-Bush sentiment] by Indonesia and Lebanon…" [2]

'America's Hitler'

In the pan-Islamist daily Milli Gazete, columnist S ü leyman Arif Emre wrote: "As we know, Germany's Hitler started World War II, and about 50 million people perished because of Hitler's ambitions.

"Bush is America's Hitler. Like Hitler, he too has become a curse for the world. If the world's sensible leaders don't unite against Bush to stop him, a great number of people will die because of his ambitions.

"Hitler was very racist. Bush, who is an ally of the Zionists, belongs to the racist philosophy too. The beliefs of Bush's evangelical church coupled with Jewish racism, which exceeds Hitler's, are sufficient proof that the 'Sharon and Bush duo' are militants of the same fanatical philosophy.

"Hitler said that he would establish a new world order if Germany won. Bush is after similar invasions. First he targeted Afghanistan and Iraq. Later he expanded his invasion map to include 22 more Islamic countries where he wants to change the order and the borders. He says that he wants to bring the likes of Karzai and Allawi [to these countries] to power, and in doing so establish his colonial empire.

"When a person goes rabid, there is no stopping him. God forbid, if he succeeds in occupying those 22 countries, his lust will expand to cover the whole world. Why expand? Because the five-thousand-year-old dream of the Zionists is to grasp the valleys of both the Nile and Euphrates and build a Jewish state to rule the rest of the world. What I want to say is that the end game for the 'Sharon and Bush duo' is to build a state that would rule the world, just like it was for Hitler.

"What I am saying is beyond a mere guess. Bush yesterday laid out the next steps of his invasion plans and blurted out the names of Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Egypt…

"Conclusion: It is clear that these developments will finally come to the end that our beloved Prophet [Mohammed] promised us. Our Prophet Lord said: Around the time of 'judgment day' there will be a war between my peoples [Muslim believers] and the Jews. And the Jews will be vanquished.During that war the rocks will speak and say, 'O Muslim, there is a zionist hiding behind me, come and kill him…'" [3] 'The Pervert Enemies of Islam'

In the Islamic daily Milli Gazete columnist Burhan Bozgeyik wrote: "At the present, the American administration is in the hands of the worst enemies of Islam. Their hate is so deep that no amount of Muslim blood [spilled by them] satisfies them. Tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of (Muslim) dead, seem little for them.

"American General James Mattis said that 'it is very amusing to spray bodies with bullets in Afghanistan and Iraq.' Defense Minister Donald Rumsfeld, on the other hand, is unhappy about 'not being able to kill enough people' in the Sunni areas of Iraq. For this, he blames Turkey for the refusal of the Turkish Parliament to pass the 'March 1' Resolution [which would have allowed the U.S. military to use Turkish soil to stage an attack into northern Iraq, at the onset of the war].

"The U.S.A., England, and Israel have built a stong alliance. Their aim is to include Turkey and make an alliance of 'four.' This 'axis of evil' [the U.S., England, and Israel], want to sever Turkey's ties with the Islamic world. This 'evil triangle,' whose hatred for Muslims has reached the point of madness, pretends to be Turkey's ally, but in fact it is weakening her foundations and planning to destroy her. The developments in northern Iraq are examples of this. The so-called 'elections' were nothing but the first step towards dividing Iraq. The next phase of this 'division plan' will include Iraq's neighbors too." [4] "The Black 'Occupier' Woman"

In the center-Left liberal daily Radikal, columnist Nuray Mert wrote: "To be in the government is a sad thing, for it obliges you to smile and shake hands in front of the cameras with all the occupiers that come and go. We already know the context of the last visit by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is one of the leading architects of the American project to push the world into chaos and carry it out in the most barbaric way…

"See how it is to be in a position of power, to represent a government and to have to look at world matters through a government's lenses. How the differences between man, woman, white, black disappear [through those lenses]; how being intelligent, learned or savvy about art become unimportant; and how the lines that separate a human from a rabid animal – better yet, a war robot void of feelings and nerves who smiles with a black and dark smile, dissipate.

"Rice is a black woman politician! Those who believe in having quotas to increase the numbers of women in politics, as a way of advancing progressive, humane, and egalitarian politics, should really think long and hard about women like Rice. Also, those who assume that people who come from races and cultures that have suffered injustices will always stand with the oppressed [should think twice].

"… It is possible to be a bully and oppressor with all of these [education, etc.], just as it is possible to oppose oppression while lacking them. History is filled with intelligent, educated, aesthetics - and art-loving fascists. Rice is one of the last and best examples of these. Highly intelligent, very educated, multilingual, a good sportsperson, even a concert pianist – she is a woman bully!" [5]

'The Biggest Danger: USA'

In the Turkish business daily Dunya, columnist Dr. Burhan Ozfatura, who is a former mayor of Izmir, wrote: "It is my sincere belief that the USA is the biggest danger for Turkey, today and in the future. At the present the U.S.A. is run by an incompetent, very aggressive, true enemy of Islam, brainwashed with evangelical nonsense, a blood-thirsty team that is a loyal link in Israel's command and control chain.

• "Afghanistan is destroyed for U.S. interests.
• "Iraq has become a bloodbath. People are nostalgic for the days of the cruel Saddam.
• "As a result, sooner or later, it will be Turkey's turn. Because their [Israel's] 'Promised Land' includes a large chunk of Turkish territory. Israel aspires to be the sole power in the area. Therefore, it cannot tolerate a strong Turkey in any leadership role.

"Unfortunately, we as the Turkish nation have a weak memory. Otherwise we would never have forgotten:

• "All the USA's plots and the support they gave to the Armenians, during our Independence War;
• "How they betrayed us during the Korean War;
• "All the concessions they gave to the Russians after World War II;
• "How Kennedy sold Turkey during the Cuban crisis;
• "Johnson's disrespectful letter;
• "That it is the USA that planned and financed the PKK affair, the 'large Armenia scenario,' Greek aggression and demands (Greek ecumenical ambitions, Greek Orthodox support, Byzantium dreams and aspirations), today's widespread missionary activities, Alavi-Kurd incitements;
• "The evil work done in our country by the 'peace volunteers'…
• "The U.S. threats after our parliament refused to take part in the massacres in Iraq, the incident of tying and putting sacks on the heads of our soldiers and their capture in Iraq, organizing the massacre of the Turkmen, supporting the likes of Talabani and Barzani – all in order to serve their own interests;
• "The U.S. activities in northern Iraq for the establishment of 'an independent Kurdish state';
• "The U.S.'s adherence to the worthless Sevres Treaty, its masterminding of the [Armenian] genocide-allegations, (and the fact that America still has not signed on to the Lausanne Agreement);
• "That they [the U.S.] are behind all the coups [in Turkey]
• "That the pre-September 12 events [6] all originated in American universities (…);

"Sadly, at present Turkey is under total invasion by the USA.:

• "The Turkish economy is under complete control of the U.S. through the IMF and "the World Bank; (even our demographic and genetic codes are in their hands);
• "Our military is dependent on the U.S. (how soon we forgot all the bad things and the embargo they imposed on us, after our operation in Cyprus)
• "There is a cultural invasion [of Turkey] by the U.S.
• "We have no secrets and can hide nothing from America. Even our 'intelligence' is guided by the CIA.
• "Our natural resources (including oil) are controlled by America. (Not even one-thousandth of our reserves is mined. All our riches like gold, borax, thorium, uranium, must urgently be utilized in cooperation with other friendly countries.)
• "Our agricultural sector (through the IMF) is directly guided by the USA (e.g.: No measures can ever be taken against Cargill [7], even if our national interests dictate it.)

"In short, we are dependent on the U.S., to every last detail. And unfortunately, it is not possible to overcome all [of the above], with our present foreign policy of 'status quo.'

"(Both the ruling party and the opposition lack courage. They all believe in the necessity of getting along with the U.S. They fear provocations and choose to believe the great lie of 'strategic alliance' [with America].)(…)

"We consider it a national duty to alert the nation to these dangers. We hope for the enactment of a totally independent 'National Defense Policy.' We want cooperation with forces that are independent of American influence. We remind you that the mentally unbalanced Bush and his team (servants of corporate special interests) should not be trusted. (I strongly believe that the U.S. had its hand in the earthquakes of Istanbul-Izmit and the recent Southeast Asia disasters.) (…)" [8]