It turns out that the capital of Turkey, formerly known as Angora, has given its name to a variety of domestic rabbit. I learned this while snooping around the internet preparing this article, seeking some way to convey the utter ridiculousness of the latest developments in Ankara.
Take a good look at the rabbit’s face. Don’t you see a resemblance to Turkish President Recep TayyipErdogan? Now remember that pouty-looking Angora rabbit as you read this article. That’s the level of silly inanity Ankara, Erdogan, and Turkey’s Foreign Ministry have stooped to.
When I read that Turkey’s foreign ministry had summoned the U.S. Ambassador to convey its dissatisfaction with issuance of arrest warrants for the thugs who beat up protestors on May 16 across from the residence of Turkey’s Ambassador to the U.S., I was flummoxed. Really, I didn’t know how to verbalize my bemused astonishment. When the incident first occurred, we heard ranting about how it was the protesters’ and local police’ fault! But now, it’s formal. The Turkish government has used official diplomatic channels to accuse the victims and law enforcement of being culpable.
Erdogan himself has already made his typical, blustering, declarations about the situation, with The Guardian reporting he said, “They have incarcerated our citizens. How is that possible? … What type of legislation is this? What type of law?” This is Erdogan, the “wanna-be sultan”, preaching about law… Think of the rabbit’s face…
Imagine, something as obvious as what is visible in the videos of the brutal attack by Erdogan’s bodyguards is now being described as defensive action. All we have to do is take a look at Erdogan’s words, again as reported by The Guardian: “Why would I take my guards to the United States if not to protect myself?” Think of the rabbit’s face…
Turkey’s governmental leaders may be many things, but stupid and blind they are not. So what are they thinking. Why this roaring attack? Is it the “best defense is a good offense” approach? If so, they’re failing because… it’s not even a good offense. It’s just inscrutable to me, unless it’s a manifestation of how merged the Turkish state and Erdogan’s massive ego have become. Think of the rabbit’s face…
So while we have a rabbit roaring, the good news is that two of the assailants have already been arrested (in New Jersey and Virginia), another two are in Canada if I’ve understood correctly, twelve are actually part of Erdogan’s presidential security detail (and I would guess are) in Turkey, and some others have not yet been identified by the Washington D.C. police department. Pictures of the unidentified thugs are being released in an effort to determine who they are.
While I don’t have much hope that the goons in Turkey will ever be brought to justice, this whole incident is developing well in other ways. Erdogan is burning bridges through his behavior and defense of the indefensible. The world is being treated to a first-hand view of a very minor version of the experiences of Alevis, Arabs, Armenians, Assyrians, Bulgarians, Greeks, Kurds, Yezidis, and anyone else who has had to or still must live under Turkish misrule or confront Turkish aggression. The reputational loss being suffered by Turkey is immense.
Let’s keep pushing for justice and hope for the best. Perhaps a tiny advance in accountability for the May 16 incident will crack ajar the door to larger issues being resolved.
And, think of the rabbit…
Garen Yegparian
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