Society, Politics, and Economy in Modern Turkey: Sociology of Turkey - Maintained by Tugrul Keskin
We are at a point in our work when we can no longer ignore empires and the imperial context in our studies. (p. 5)
― Edward W. Said, Culture and Imperialism

Sunday, October 13, 2019

An Open Letter to the President of the United States by Kemal Silay

An Open Letter to the President of the United States

Mr. Donald J. Trump,

I am not a social media person like you are but today I had to join one, due to your arrogant, aggressive and ungrateful comments on Turkey.

Your own State Department designates PKK as a terrorist organization. YPG, etc. are the same. Just different names with slightly improved terrorist "uniforms." Please know that conducting proxy wars overseas using terrorist organizations (PKK/YPG) against other terrorists (such as ISIS) will not bring any success to the United States or to humanity. It will only bring more pain to the millions of innocent people of the world.

Just the other day, you confessed by saying in front of cameras that the United States has been "working with PKK." What kind of hypocrisy is this, Mr. President? How do you sleep at night? You either work with PKK or remove its name from your list of terrorist organizations!

And please Mr. President, do not write and post such nonsensical sentences as, "Turkey is attacking the Kurds." Turkey is NOT attacking the Kurds, Turkey is destroying the members of a blood-thirsty terrorist organization called PKK/YPG! Instead of threatening the Republic of Turkey with some despicable words, you should order your military and intelligence to stop all associations with a terrorist organization. Such threats cannot possibly defeat a powerful and independent country called the Republic of Turkey! If you need any evidence, do some basic reading about the Turkish War of Independence and enlighten yourself a bit.

It seems like you are confusing Turkey with some banana republics. I realize that you are severely in trouble at home these days because of your behavioral problems but please do not use Turkey as a vehicle to cover up your questionable dealings. One bright political result of your disgraceful comments on Turkey is the fact that after you satisfied yourself with another tweet, the Turkish people (regardless of their political affiliations) have unified against arrogance and imperialism!

One last thing Mr. President, please ask your White House linguists to translate the following for you: "Geldikleri gibi giderler!" —Mustafa Kemal Atatürk

Kemal Silay
Professor of Turkish Studies 
Indiana University, Bloomington 
USA

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