It is hardly a secret that I find the AKP's "advanced democracy" rhetoric nonsensical and think that Turkey is properly described as an authoritarian society with a democratic overlay.

The AKP has made egregious blunders in its policy toward the PKK and the BDP--think IRA and Sinn Fein--that have precipitated this crisis: Above all, it failed to insist that every elected MP enter parliament, hiding behind "judicial independence" rather than using every bit of its considerable power and authority to ensure that everyone elected took his or her seat. This outcome has been predictable since then, and the AKP should be held responsible for it by the electorate, but it won't be.

Yet there is a huge difference between "authoritarian and incompetent" and "violent, primitive Maoist revolutionaries." The argument Jeanne Kirkpatrick made in 1979 is absolutely applicable here. In fact, the entire article is important to revisit.

Traditional autocrats leave in place existing allocations of wealth, power, status, and other resources which in most traditional societies favor an affluent few and maintain masses in poverty. But they worship traditional gods and observe traditional taboos. They do not disturb the habitual rhythms of work and leisure, habitual places of residence, habitual patterns of family and personal relations. Because the miseries of traditional life are familiar, they are bearable to ordinary people who, growing up in the society, learn to cope, as children born to untouchables in India acquire the skills and attitudes necessary for survival in the miserable roles they are destined to fill. Such societies create no refugees.

Civil rights for Kurds? I am all for them. If anyone thinks the PKK will bring them, however, they are out of their minds. 

I know Turkish politics are labyrinthine and confusing. But if you're trying to understand what's going on here--and want to understand it beyond crude slogans--here are a few conversations that took place on my Facebook page in July. I've edited them only to remove a few irrelevant comments from other Facebook acquaintances. "Apo" is a young PKK enthusiast who lives in Finland. Ercan is a friend--my Muay Thai instructor--who lives in Istanbul. I don't know much about Taher Oryan. I let anyone who wants make "friends" with me on Facebook, and have a warning on my page that as far as I'm concerned, it's on the record.

I am deliberately not editing this. I am deliberately not making it easy and simple to digest. That's because this isn't simple and easy to digest, and if the news from Turkey doesn't look at least this complicated, it's not remotely in touch with reality. Frankly, I'll be damned if anyone gets a sound bite out of this: That kind of journalism is clearly serving no one. 

Claire Berlinski Aso, I would like to hear an acknowledgment from you that 13 Turkish soldiers lost their lives in Diyarbakir--an attack for which the PKK has apparently claimed responsibility. Even had they not, the circumstantial evidence reported so far strongly points to PKK authorship. I would like to hear you say that this is a tragedy of unfathomable dimensions for the families of these soldiers--not to mention the soldiers themselves--and to hear you denounce this insane violence and dissociate yourself from it. I would like to hear you say the only purpose served by this attack was to unleash more bloodletting and suffering--for ethnic Turks and ethnic Kurds alike, and that the effect of this attack--clearly the intended effect--will be to condemn more Turkish citizens of every ethnicity to death, not to protect the civil rights of those living there. Then we can talk about the rudeness of booing Aynur. Booing, by the way, is constitutionally protected speech, even if it's rude.

Aso Sîpan Vîyan dear Claire no one is happy for this! we don't want war, but you should know that better than me it is AKP who want war and spend a lot of money for that! there is war dear Claire, and war always has sad news :-s the soldiers are not only Turks, they are Kurds and Turks, the Guerillas also, they are Turks, Kurds and many others! war is between AKP and People not between Kurds and Turks! but unfortunately some civil make this kind of problems. that just helps AKP to live more! dear Claire in this war anyone take a side, some are on people side and some other on AKP (power) side. I am on people side and I know that many Kurds accept PKK as their defenders ...

Aso Sîpan Vîyan Similar to the American citizens who hold guns to protect themselves against “I don’t know what...” the Kurds do hold similar right to protect themselves against the offensives of some of the most violent states of the world namely Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria.

Douglas Pologe Does that mean that Turks are hateful people, or does it mean that the Kurds have brought intense hatred upon themselves?

Aso Sîpan Vîyan I know it is hard to accept the truth! I don't know why some of you hate Kurds ... but Kurd never hate any native!

Aso Sîpan Vîyan first i have to say sorry for my bad English! I would like to have more dialogs with you guys, but unfortunately my English is not enough for that ... really i didn't like your question, because i never talk about natives here ... i see governments and political persons in these kind of problems! •

Aso Sîpan Vîyan AKP can not be powerful in a peaceful Turkey ... so division of Kurds and Turks help many other to rule! that is what I try to say ...

Claire Berlinski Aso, I do not hate Kurds. I live in Istanbul, the world's largest Kurdish city, by population. For years, I have watched Turks and Kurds get along peacefully. I'm as big a critic of the AKP as anyone, I reckon, but I loathe the PKK, which does not speak for Kurds and has an extremely well-documented history of killing them. Some of the blame for these events is properly apportioned to the AKP: It is the party in power, and responsible ultimately for the security and welfare of all Turkish citizens (including ethnic Kurds). But the PKK just knowingly threw a match into kerosene. If you're truly concerned for the welfare of Kurds, divorce yourself as fast as possible from the PKK. Be honest about their history, their means and their goal. This was an incendiary act of insanity.

Aso Sîpan Vîyan I am a Kurd also ... I know many other Kurds who they want PKK more than AKP! I can say 99% of Kurds I know they don't want AKP, and 60-70% are PKK supporter. You can not decide without knowing PKK well. have you ever read any book or document that we wrote? you always reading the AKP version, you should know there is our Kurd people version also. I am reading all the time from both side (PKK and anti PKK) and I like everyday more PKK. because I see they even want peace for all Middle-East. they are anti AKP politics of destroying Kurdish Culture! AKP trying to assimilate Kurds slowly and step by step ... there is an example TRT6 channel, it is in Kurdish language but never they use 2 words "Kurd" and "Kurdistan". they even try to put Turkish words in Kurdish language! for example News in Kurdish is "Nûçe", but in TRT6 they say "Xeber" which is to close to the Turkish word "Haber" we can maybe talk more about that if you want :)

Douglas Pologe So, you must support attacks on soldiers who represent the AKP, right?

Aso Sîpan Vîyan no ... wrong ... PKK didn't attack, Turkish Army attacked them, and I don't think PKK should run away or just stand there without defending!

Aso Sîpan Vîyan I comment before also, that no one is happy that soldiers or guerillas killed ... but AKP spend a lot of money to war while there are many poor people in all around Turkey ... why they just don't choose dialog with PKK to know what they really want? that is the only peaceful solution but they choose war. of course some people who they live in West Turkey they don't know really about East ... i have been there 2 years and I sow how the Police are there :)

Douglas Pologe Now that the situation is what it is, do you think that the PKK would be justified in launching attacks on Turkish troops?

Ercan Gürgöze kurd problem,kurdish patriotism are special, unique problems & concerns and have shown the effects, approaches several times during the history...it is a big fake to mention that "pkk and kurdish nationalizm " are different ...the traces could easily be seen from the "turksih leftist movements" in the history ...when , leftist approaches ,youth movemenets have began during 1970's , even the letfist kurdish origin groups in this global movement have vomitted clues about "kurdish patriotism" ...the reason of such a behaviour was very easy since those people at those days didn't have enough intellectual frame i.e. the end was just only a funny " socialist & nationalisti confusion " ...currently we see that time has shown the proof in this fraem...currently ,here is a war in turkey...this is not just a terrorist approach ...the 1 /5 th of the army is located in this area for this dirty war ...the kurdish people didn't see any reaction of this country till now...however, unfortunately , if the conceits of the kurdish artists will proceed further it seems that big reactions from the people will come to the stage more intensively...(((

Aso Sîpan Vîyan dear Douglas, there is War in east Turkey ... one rule of the war is that when 2 enemies see each other they start to fight! what we want is that AKP stop this war, don't send anymore armies to the east and start to listen Kurds what they really want! if not so ... the Kurds has right to declare "Democratic Autonomy" and they did it on 14 of July ...

Douglas Pologe So now we understand the article in your original post! We are talking about two groups of people who are at war with each other! Exactly what do you expect from them, Aso? Love letters? Boxes of chocolates?

Aso Sîpan Vîyan dear Claire as I said before also, you just see one side of the war ... you just see the version of government ... of course I never expect love letter or a box of chocolate from enemy (AKP) ... i just expect this kind of news which showing some hero and some other terrorist. I expect that AKP wash people brain with the words of "no to nationalism and all we are Muslim!" if so why when someone says I am Turk it is not nationalism? I have seen people who works for AKP in Europe also ... we call them "Fethulla Gulen" supporters. they always try to show that PKK is anti Islam and anyone say that he is a Kurd he is nationalist and anti Islam also. That is what you support dear Claire :)

Claire Berlinski The AKP came to power in 2002. Claire Berlinski Having pointed that out, I'll leave the rest of this argument to someone else.

Aso Sîpan Vîyan we know AKP since 2002 ... but the Turkey government and AKP are more complicated that what they show. when I say AKP i mean the AKP that you know + people who made AKP for some reason that never let come a Kurdish government in any side of the word!

Ercan Gürgöze the main problem and danger is that the kurds have never seen up to now any reaction from the ordinary people of this country ..i remember , 2 yeras ago when i was in a taxi, a kudish taxi driver asked me " where are you from" and with the answer he believed that i am also from them (!) and began to tell about the successes , victories etc... i just told only him : "however, you forget one important point namely ;the kurds didin't get any reaction from the ordinary people till now in big cities !..his face was white like a paper...the main fact is that the kurds always forget the point that turkey is and was the only country where they have & had good conditions if compared to our neighbours ... the situation of them in our neighbours is very clear , an iron fist over them...

Taher Oryan Evrim Demir, 18 years old "terrorist" burn herself for freedom! Evrim Demir was a Kurdish young girl, who was not happy that her land is under control of others (Turks, Persians and Arabs) ... she coudn't even say that she want freedom and peace in Kurdistan, because if she says so people and some "journalist" call her TERRORIST! she was supporter of PKK, she burn herself on 14. of July, anniversary of death of 4 PKK members in Turkey prisons (they announced the death feast)! If she was terrorist because she want freedom and peace, because she want speak, learn and study her mother tounge, because she support PKK and ... then I am terrorist also! and I am proud to be from same native as Evrim Demir. RIP Evrim Demir!

Ercan Gürgöze attacking governemental places at a side ,if you beat the villages ,kill your brothers native kurdish people, even babies ,garndmothers,fathers by saying that they were guilty since they helped to the governement ,of course "terroist mark "will be granted by many authorities ..mostly people make the mistake to compare it with "che guavera & castro" [Claire's note: Not a mistake at all.] and they belive that they are showing the same approach...however, those names have never shown violence over their people at least during war attempts...((

Taher Oryan I think you are talking about what Turkish army did and they said "PKK did it" ... right? :) oh ... of course I am not right, because government made the plan so nice that even they believe it that PKK did everything ... dear Ercan believe me we are not terrorist, if PKK was terrorist hundreds of people doesn't burn her/himself for PKK ... if it is terrorist people they welcome Erdogan when he goes to Diyarbakir and they don't protest him with eggs, stones and fire :)

Ercan Gürgöze ‎(((of course, i am talking about terrorists who killed their kudish people...((...starting 1987 with a sudden changed politics of öcalan ...may be that you are young ...you cannot remember this policy...

Taher Oryan maybe I am young, but I read history, which you study at school plus what I hear from old people experience. old people like grandmoms and grandpaps. all of them they say one thing: "the army of Rome" they burn our village, they killed kids, old, young, women and men, they killed even pregnant women and her kid, they use army and sometimes PKK Gerilla clothes" * note: old people call Turkish Army "Rome Army" i don't know why!

Ercan Gürgöze till 1986- 1987 % 80-90 the region people were supporting government since kurds are conservative people and not like socialist movements i.e. pkk etc ...however, during 1987 the political approach suddenly has been changed by pointing out that the best and shortest effect in short term is "terorr and horror" and "this new page " started...many people ,babies killed ,punished in this frame by their natives ... terror is the shortest , easiest way for a specific approach..however, with short expiry date...(((Ercan Gürgöze so , the effects ,conesequences started ...the people began to be symphatizans since they were afraid...they told , the government punishes us with prison ,however the other side is drilling out our family ...

Taher Oryan you making me laugh! if you were right PKK wouldn't have that much supporter man! you maybe live somewhere in west Turkey and you have no idea how people think in Kurd area. I am from there and I know people from there more, people in Kurdish area mostly are PKK supporter and some for money work for government but they don't hate PKK and even they don't say those what you are saying now, because 30 years ago maybe people believe what you say but not now man, now is more clear for people :) and one question more if PKK did that why PKK is trying to find mass graves around Turkey but the government is not interesting about that?? it is not because government don't want people see their crime which they did in Kurdish area? do you know "Zilan Dere" 30000 people killed same day by army! I know still a old guy alive from that area and he was in that genocide a little kid but hidden somewhere and he is still alive! do you know about "Dersim" ? 200 000 ... 300 000 ... how many people killed there? if holocaust is a genocide, Dersim, Zilan dere, Agiri and many many other Kurdish places are worse than holocaust! but unfortunately history never talk about that, because history is written by people who are on power! if you want know real PKK you shouldn't just read what history or media of Turkey government said, there is PKK still alive in Kurdistan mountains, go and visit them, to know them closely and then compare what you see with what you hear! I did so and now I am sure who I am defending!

Claire Berlinski Of course historians talk about Dersim, Taher. There's a huge literature on the subject. Taher, let me ask you a simple question: What is your goal? And why do you say Western Turkey is not a "Kurd area?" Remember that Istanbul is the world's largest Kurdish city, by Kurdish population.Aso Sîpan Vîyan unfortunately my English is not enough :|

Claire Berlinski Aso, I admire your willingness to talk politely about your ideas. I want to ask you if you'd be willing to read more broadly about what Maoism has meant, in practice, in places where people who have broadly shared the PKK's stated ideals--in their own words, not in the words of their enemies--have come to power. I think that might be a better starting place for this conversation.

Aso Sîpan Vîyan dear Claire it is big mistake to call PKK Maoist or Marxist, because PKK is Apoist, Marxist and Maoist always has been criticized by Apoism ... that is the reason I always recomment you to read more about PKK and know them closely ... not in the web site of anti PKK, never government will publish what real PKK is. be sure of that dear friend ... we can think different about that, but we can also learn to much from each other :)

Ercan Gürgöze i see that "apples and pears " are mixed!...first of all , history is not so easy to be evalluated with today's circumsatnaces,secondly i know the history better than you at least .. what do you expect to do ,let's imagine a new country has been established after a war and kurds rioted several times with the pumps ,support of especialy "uk" ...first seyh sait , then dersim, agrı riots ...and also you have to evaluate the circumsatnces of those days ...what would they have to do ... "sending flowers " ? ( ..furtehrmore , at those times the world governmental regimes were not "democracy" even in well developed, industrialzied countries i.e risng of "hitler, mussolini, franco etc...even , in the usa "negros " were behaved like animals in many states ...unfortunately , the main problem of the kurds is only among them , they like "feodalizm" , they like "leaders,dictators ,power " ...the reason of this is there was no democracy in those restrictions due to the "culture, geographical conditions ,water ,air etc "...

Ercan Gürgöze if the concern is "history" ,then somebody could also argue easily that "armenians have been killed,robbed by kurds " ...starting with the establishment of "hamidiye alayları" which were esatblished by command of sultan abdulhamit...with their self control those troops robbed, killed ,tortured armenians who were rich at that times...later ,during 1 st world war again armeinans who were in immigration have been robbed ,killed by kurds on the roads .. so ,you see that the history is not so easy to ,homogen to say that one side is right , innocent always ...)

Douglas Pologe OK, they're Maoists. How much worse does this make the situation, beyond what I would have thought otherwise?

Aso Sîpan Vîyan I think a good writer should write about what she/he knows :)
I told you before also PKK is not Maoist or Marxist, that is the biggest mistake that some journalist does it also ... if you don't know the main thing (ideology) of an organisation how you can write an article about that?

Aso Sîpan Vîyan btw, you copy your article from government newspapers, could you please sometimes check also other websites? read our version about how 13 soldiers killed, please!

Claire Berlinski It's an excellent idea to encourage people to read the PKK's own sites. I agree with you. People who are confused should start here--would you agree, Aso? For those who want to order his "prison writings," here's a link. 

Aso Sîpan Vîyan BDP ask NATO to research more about that 13 soldiers, but they don't to do, why do you think they don't want to know the truth about what really happened there?

Ercan Gürgöze claire, first of all this is not a "civil war" ...this is a dirty war and there are many external parameters influencing the situation and conditions...in a civil war you react inetsively with all your power and abilities against your opponent ,you destroy the opponent ,take the towns, viaages punish the enemy ,throw away the other side. ..you will do whatever you can...however, due to the external and internal democracy patterns this way is closed here and you have to react only gentle as much as you can since time is communication time and external dynamics are following the subject...if it would be considered as a civil war the problem would have been solved within 1 week easily...,.for example , if turkey would react as the sırbeans or saddam did the subject was closed till now...turkey is strong enough in this concern...and i am afraid since people here are fat up and could begin to show strong reactions with arguing "[expletive deleted] the external & internal policies...and unfortunately, it seems so that this point is very close ...(((Aso Sîpan Vîyan democratic Turkey!!?? I say something in Turkish: "bize fabrika yol, size jandarma karakol" it means "more factory and road for us (West Turkey), more gendarme and police station for you (East Turkey) ... that is the democracy we see in Turkey ... you all guys that always commenting anti me, it is because you live in west, you have no idea about east :) and if you want to know who vote for DTK you should visit there and see people ... because you don't [want to] believe it!

Claire Berlinski Aso, I believe you live in Finland?

Aso Sîpan Vîyan yes because my profile say so :) but i have been in east Turkey dear Claire!

Claire Berlinski Have you been to western Turkey?

Aso Sîpan Vîyan twice Ankara, once Istanbul.

Claire Berlinski You saw, then, that these are not cities in which ethnic Turks and ethic Kurds hate each other?

Aso Sîpan Vîyan I think ethnic Turks and Kurds don't hate each other, there is just some facist groups which can not agree Kurd as an ethnic and they think if someone call her/himself as a Kurd, she/he is separatism and anti Turk. belive me if there was not a party to defend Kurds, Kurds still were unknown in all Turkey and even world, there is still people who call us "Mountain Turks"! but I or better to say we don't hate any ethnic.

Ercan Gürgöze nobody is hating ...however, in turkey there are about 70 races living together in peace ...being turc is just % 6-7 in genetics ,only they believe that they are turcs...however, only claims are coming from south east,others are not blaming ...why?!...did you think about this?..did you investigate the history?..did you see the conditions of this region etc... did you investigate the external politics i.e. uk attepmts especialy in this region ?...coming to the investment point : many attempts have been done ,however most refused by feodalism character of this region ,and then by pkk since "poor,uneducated people crowds "were good materil for them to manupulate easily ...i remember how the "sek, meyan kökü , road ,coal mine ,oil centres,schools "have been attacked several times...((( furthermore , the politic,maneoveur of increasing the popultion much more intensively is also another headache of the kurds and they will sacrifice in the future as other nations paid ..."clevernes in east type" is the headache of this country unfortunately...in short saying: " zengin arabasını dağdan aşırır, fakir düz yolda şaşırır !..."

Aso Sîpan Vîyan dear Ercan, so you think that is right everyone known as Turk? or sout-eastern are wrong because of blaming that? I think totally oposite. Turk, Cherkez, Laz, Arab, Armenian, Kurd and etc... all are different ethnics. specially Kurds and Turks! 2 differents histories (Kurds are in Zagros and Toros for thousends of years, Turks came to here a little over 1000 yeras ago), 2 differenets Languages (Turkish is Oghuz, Kurdish is Indo-European), 2 different race (Kurds are Arian and Turks I think they are "Turkic" or I am not sure) and many other things that make us 2 different ethnics! however I am not trying to seperate Turks and Kurds, because in new world the borders are worthless! we hope all borders will erase someday from all around world! but what I try to say is that we are not Turks and not same ethnic. this is not just blaming, it is a truth. I read History also ... I read history written by Iranian, Greece, Kurds, UK and a little Turks. I see difference between all of them. all talk in different way about Kurds and Kurd history ... but in some cases are close or same.

Ercan Gürgöze if the concern is genetics of today circumstances ,then you we in big trouble since people mixed so much especialy in this regions ,especialy middle east ...if you look to the picture in this frame , then you are very wrong since "the kurd of diyarbakır" has only so little,limited genetic commons with the kurd in ıraq...for example you are "black hair and antropologicaly your head shape seems to be " dolikosefal" ( i.e. asian type) whereas i have seen in ıraq many kurds with blond hair , blue eyes , brakisefal (arian type) head shape...if the concern is "ethnic root ", then it could only be seen ,may be in "germany, africa,polinesia ,ustralia " only... there isn't any similiarity between people who claim that they are "kudish genetics " ....even, they couldn't communicarte eachother...(don't say that this is due to the imperialzim of persians,turcs,arabs !::) even the kurd of diyarbkaır cannot communicate with the people hakkari

Aso Sîpan Vîyan I don't have to much knowlage about thos face shapes (dolikosefal, brakisefal and etc) ... sorry for my ingnorence ... but I know Kurds were 3 different types, Huri, Guti and Loloyi ... and all 3 types they look different than each other, but now they are mixed and no one can guess who is from which type! maybe when I get more information about that I can publish it here for you guys ... about contacting I think different than you, I can contact easily with Kurd from anywhere of the world. maybe some people are different and they are as you said, but not everyone. and I am also with Claire Berlinski Aso, let's go back to the comment "in the new world borders are worthless."

Aso Sîpan Vîyan do you see there what happening in Istanbul? why do you think police hates civil Kurds? 

Claire Berlinski I don't think the police hate civilian Kurds (generally). But I think the YSK's decision is simply wrong and undemocratic and incredibly stupid and has led to this situation. The police are mostly young, scared kids who have to cope with the mess the failed justice system has created.

Aso Sîpan Vîyan And I think you are right those Police don't hate civilian people ... The resean I said that it was because Police that I sow in Eastern Turkey in Kurdish Areas are really different than Istanbul ... they are educated for Kurd protestors and they really hit people with a deep hate! About YSK, really now I think YSK in uder control of AKP, because YSK is doing same thing with MHP and CHP also, at least that what i heared. I hope I am not bothering you to comment always on your articles in differnet way than you think. if so just tell me and I don't comment anymore, I just want to say the secrets which are in Kurdistan and no one talk about them!

Claire Berlinski I believe in debate. I hope the reading the conversation will help people better to understand some elements of what this is about. And I hope that through debate I can convince you that civil liberties for Kurdish people--about which I do care, deeply, as I care about them for everyone--needs to come from a different set of ideas than Apoism. 

Aso Sîpan Vîyan I am glad to hear that it is not bothering you to say my opinions. I beleive in debate also. You know many many years I am hearing all those anti PKK propagandas, and I always didn't want to listen it because I loved PKK from my heart. but now situation is more different, I defend PKK because I know what I am defending, I read Abdullah Ocalan's "How to live" and "Manifesto" books (he has over 200 books right now 5 last books are The Demucratic Manifesto 1-5) and I met Gerillas and see what really Gerilla want, I sow PKK from inside and now my love is became to faith ... for what I beleive I do eveything to tell everyone what is real Apoism and they can decide about it. the important thing here is telling them what I sow and what I know about Apoism, PKK and Gerillas.

Claire Berlinski Aso, I feel a real sense of responsibility here. I want you to keep reading, but I want you to read more broadly. The basics of a "conservative" philosophy--and put away all the shallow things you've heard about that, because as you've learned, slogans and propaganda aren't good enough--is that conservatives look at history and reality and ask themselves, "Which societies have in fact produced the best outcomes, and how did they get there"--not "which Utopia can we imagine." Would you be willing to read more widely if I suggested some of the books that have shaped my understanding of these questions in a broader sense? Apo has a place in the history of political thought. Being able to understand the influences on his thought might be important to you.  Start with the question: Which are the actual societies that human beings have in fact been able to create that you admire--which are the ones that are in fact most democratic, most respectful of human rights, most prosperous and most free? How did they get that way and what were the political ideas that made them that way? Importantly: Ask why you live in Finland, and why it's the way it is. I have no doubt that you want freedom and human rights. But the question, "How do societies get there?" is immensely important.

Aso Sîpan Vîyan Claire, I can read books you are recommenting me, I am not that much close mind that just read what I agree. I read many times books about Kurds that I never beleive them. But I wans same thing from you also, you too as same time that you are reading the books which you think they are right, read wrong books also. read books written by Abdullah Ocalan and know them better.for me the real democracy is a democracy without any RULE! and you know that is dangerous also. even PKK that I support it can not have the democracy I like. because the democracy I want only is possible when human thinks like a Kid, no hate and no money and no power world, everyone like a kid try to love others, try to love nature and see even his shoes and clothes alive and recept them ... I dream to much right? My father was writer and politic activiest, he has been in jail because of his idea and articles that he wrote, so he came to Europpe to live few years more, because in Kurdistan surely life was dangerous for him, and he took all family (us) with him also.

Claire Berlinski  Absolutely, I promise to read any book you suggest if you'll read a book I suggest. 

Apo--I'm going to try again to reach you. I don't know if you read the book I suggested. But please, at least read that article by Jeanne Kirkpatrick. I don't want to see more naive, young people killed.

And for those of you who feel like engaging in a serious way with the Gülen movement and what it means, here's a good article. Those who are interested in my views on Walter Russell Mead and Mustafa Akyol will find a perspective with which I agree.