I Just Ran Into an Egyptian Friend at the Supermarket ...
A very nice woman. Her family is in Cairo. She's terrified. It was a long conversation, but she said something to me that seemed worth reporting. She said that she was shocked to discover that Turkey didn't seem to care much. She told me she'd been trying to send Erdoğan a personal e-mail. She had been sure he would step in on behalf of the Egyptian people and do something. But seeing the way he'd been reacting to this (almost not at all), she was beginning to lose faith in him.
That got a dark laugh out of me. But I think it could be important: How many Egyptians who were pretty taken by Erdoğan's champion-of-the-little-people schtick are looking at Turkey now and wondering--why are the Turks so quiet about this?
I'm not seeing any demonstrations here in support of the oppressed people of Egypt. (This is as opposed to all the demonstrations I've seen on behalf of the oppressed people of Gaza.) Maybe no one in Turkey finds this inconsistent, but I'll bet you quite a number of Egyptians do.
Instability? People getting worked up about corruption? My guess is that Erdoğan wishes all of this would just go away. He's actually not enough of an Islamist to find this situation full of really exciting potential. You'll note that no one in the region who already has power is enough of an Islamist to be loving this situation.
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Jul '10
Re: I Just Ran Into an Egyptian Friend at the Supermarket ...
What I have seen very little of has been the view of these protests by Coptic Christians. Geraldo's show last night interviewed a group of Egyptian Chriatians in America and when asked what they thought, they said they were extremely worried, and were only concerned about religious freedom. As bad as religious liberty has been in Egypt lately, I get the sickening feeling that it will only deteriorate regardless of how this turns out.
Jul '10
Re: I Just Ran Into an Egyptian Friend at the Supermarket ...
Claire Berlinski, Ed.:
Instability? People getting worked up about corruption? My guess is that Erdoğan wishes all of this would just go away. He's actually not enough of an Islamist to find this situation full of really exciting potential. You'll note that no one in the region who already has power is enough of an Islamist to be loving this situation. ·
Maybe not, but I'll bet there are some Egyptian Erdogan wannabes who find it plenty exciting.
May '10
Re: I Just Ran Into an Egyptian Friend at the Supermarket ...
I wonder how many Obama nuts think they can email him with their problems.
Jun '10
Re: I Just Ran Into an Egyptian Friend at the Supermarket ...
If I we're Erdogan, I would be sending some quiet advice to Turkish Cypriots: "Don't you dare! Don't even think about it!"
Jun '10
Re: I Just Ran Into an Egyptian Friend at the Supermarket ...
"Art" about to become rare:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/troels/2499930276/
Jun '10
Re: I Just Ran Into an Egyptian Friend at the Supermarket ...
Byron--I am so glad to see someone finally bring up the issue of the Copts. It seems to me that the chaos currently reigning in Egypt also provides the opportunity for the Copts' enemies to do serious damage to this community. As we saw from the Christmas Eve bombing, the Copts have few friends in the current Egyptian government. I am sure they are not being protected in any official way during this crisis, and as you point out, their situation is sure to become even more tenuous, particularly if the Muslim Brotherhood takes over.
Jul '10
Re: I Just Ran Into an Egyptian Friend at the Supermarket ...
Sorry, Claire, but this kinda sounds like schtick humor: So this Jew and this Muslim meet up in a supermarket in Istanbul and the Muslim says....
Dec '10
Re: I Just Ran Into an Egyptian Friend at the Supermarket ...
These other leaders are probably nervous in the same way a lobster in the tank is nervous as he watches his former rival Pinchy get carried away and tossed in a boil pot of water.
May '10
Re: I Just Ran Into an Egyptian Friend at the Supermarket ...
Claire, there is absolutely no upside in this equation for Turkish "leadership." There is however one significant/huge potential downside - the Egyptian military stepping in and supporting the people, guiding the resolution to a secular ending.Given what has happened in Turkey over the last few years - hero/secular military is not exactly on his dream list.
The only sensible course for Erdogan to take is sit back, shut up and wait & see.
How much empathy do the Turks really have for the Arabs? I can understand the Gaza Cause of the day demonstrations - fashionable and feel good. I never found a lot of true empathy for their Arab brothers when I lived there.
Jan '11
Re: I Just Ran Into an Egyptian Friend at the Supermarket ...
And vice versa? When I lived in Mombasa, my friends were adamant that Turks were "not really Muslims." Although that was a long time ago, when Turkey was more secular.
Nov '10
Re: I Just Ran Into an Egyptian Friend at the Supermarket ...
I’m reading that the Iranian regime is supporting the protestors in Egypt. That is ominous if true.
Jul '10
Re: I Just Ran Into an Egyptian Friend at the Supermarket ...
That's what I've been saying since day one.