BY MEHMET BARLAS
SABAH- European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen’s visit to Diyarbakir and his meetings with people having Kurdish origin may naturally cause some reactions from other people. We are used to this. The ‘phobia of being split’ has always been popular in our society, but our society is not the only one with such a phobia. This understanding sees other countries as willing to invade the country. If this nationalism becomes a state ideology, then one could be a suspicious and aggressive country in its international relations.
For example some people in Turkey are stuck in the question that ‘which country would be mostly willing to divide and destroy Turkey?’ instead in the question ‘how could we improve relations with the West and our neighbors?’ As founders of a new civilization in Anatolia, we actually should have a distinct perspective. I’d like to write about a book from Irfan Bingol ‘Societies and States formed in Turkey’ His book is writing about the many civilizations formed here in Turkey.
It would be both irrational and dangerous to provoke hatred among different people and ethnicities, in a country where so many civilizations once existed. We shouldn’t forget that this is a country, which aims to become European, but is a Middle Eastern country at the same time. The destiny of this country would change if we would enter the EU. Therefore Verheugen’s visit should be seen as a door opening the way for a better future. We should be thankful for Verheugen, who came to visit Turkey, despite many other problems in the EU’s agenda.