Photo: Ozan Kose/AFP via Getty Images
[update below]
It’s been two weeks since the Turkish referendum, on which I have not had a single post. I normally would have but (a) have been majorly distracted by the French presidential campaign, (b) find what’s happening in Turkey so tragic—and so personally painful, as Turkey is a country I know and love—that I can hardly bear to even read about it, and (c) have nothing particularly original to say. Whatever commentary I would have to offer has already been offered by numerous others who spend more of their waking hours focusing on Turkey than do I. In commenting on an event or happening like this, I simply refer the reader to analyses by specialists and other observers sur le terrain that I find particularly interesting. I’ve read a few good pieces on the referendum over the past two weeks but will link to just one, by my friend Claire Berlinski, published in The American Interest on April 24th, on Turkey and how democracies die. Claire is a great writer, knows the subject comme sa poche, and what she has to say is 100% on target. C’est tout ce que j’ai à dire.
UPDATE: Claire has a post (May 1st) on the Ricochet blog, “From Turkey: We’re not dead yet,” that is well worth the read.
Massive thank you for the link to “Turkey and how democracy dies” ! I read it slowly with great attention and emotion. I felt really concerned. Europe played a fucked up game with Turkey for a very long time and we all knew it. I was impressed by the sharpness and intensity of your friend Claire Berlinski’s writing. I didn’t care much about Ricochet but I will link to her blog regularly.
Massilian: Take a look at Claire’s article in the update, ICYMI.
Thanks for the update. I read the second piece by Claire. I am not ready for holidays in Turkey yet, I must already go in Tunisia and Egypt before, I believe…
I have a real problem reading stuff on Ricochet. I happened to check a post by one of the founders (Peter Robinson) about yesterday’s Le Pen vs Macron “debate”. This guy writes : “I can’t understand a word of the French, and the simultaneous English translation is slow and crude. But purely at the level of body language and energy, Le Pen is just dominating Macron. Or so I think. You ?”.
Me ? : Even if she was speaking in Marsian (Remember Mars attacks: “Yack-yack, yack-yack…” ?), just from her grinning and gestures I would understand she is filled with hate, contempt and violence. I spare you the following comments on Ricochet, they just love her.
I understand Claire intends to write about the French election. On Ricochet ? Ouch…I’m scared !