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Counterpunch Weekend Edition
June 3 / 5, 2011
Turkey Shoes Israeli Army
Off With Their Boots
By MICHAEL DICKINSON
Late on Monday night as I was getting ready for bed I suddenly
heard angry Late on Monday night as I was getting ready for bed I
suddenly heard angry chanting, shouts and cries echoing in the
air, coming from the direction of nearby Taksim Square in the
heart of Istanbul. It sounded like a huge demonstration, and I
wondered what it was about, surprised that it should be happening
as midnight approached. I stood and listened on my balcony, unable
to quite hear the words of the roared slogans, apart from
"Allahuekber" (God is Great). I wondered if the Turks had suddenly
caught the fever of the rebellious Arab Spring, and were demanding
the overthrow of the government.
My Turkish flatmate appeared a short time later and told me there
were thousands of protestors on the streets, many of them Muslim
Fundamentalists carrying flaming torches, commemorating the
anniversary of the killing by Israeli soldiers of 9 Turks on the
Mavi Marmara, one of the ships in an aid flotilla attempting to
break the blockade of the Gaza Strip last year, and expressing
support for a new convoy of 15 ships, including the Mavi Marmara,
which plans to set off at the end of June carrying medical, school
and construction materials, organised by the Humanitarian Relief
Foundation.
I learned next day that some 30,000 Turks had taken part in the
demonstration, many of them shouting slogans such as "Against the
Zionist blockade stands our Islamic solidarity," and carrying
posters reading, "Cooperation with Israel is a crime against
humanity."
Following the raid on the Mavi Marmara last year Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that "Israel stands to lose its
closest ally in the Middle East if it does not change its mentality."
Meanwhile however, I wonder if the protesters are aware that
business between the two countries is booming. Turkey is currently
Israel's biggest trade partner in the region and its
second-biggest in the world, following the United States. In the
first three months of 2011, Turkey exported products worth $579.3
million to Israel and imported goods worth $397.3 million.
While Turkey purchases high-tech defense-industry equipment from
Israel, amongst the goods they export are military uniforms and
footwear for the Israeli army.
Would the well-meaning protesters who demonstrated on Monday night
not feel dismayed and ashamed if they knew that the boots on the
feet of the Israeli soldiers who tramp through occupied territory
and kick down the doors of Palestinian family homes are labelled
'Made in Turkey'?
To put real pressure on the Israeli government to consider
changing its racist apartheid elitist regime surely trade
sanctions and boycotts would be the most effective measure. Let
Turkey cease its role as cobbler and tailor to the tyrants, and
let a new slogan be added to those chanted by the protesters
demanding an end to cooperation with Israel: "No more in Cahoots!
Off with their Boots!"
(Naturally, it wouldn't sound quite the same in Turkish.)
Michael Dickinson lives in Istanbul. He can be contacted at
http://yabanji.tripod.com/
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