Dear Dr. Pipes

Submitted by Debanjan Banerjee (India), Apr 12, 2011 at 21:23

Dear Dr. Pipes,

I consider Turkish influence in the region to be completely positive and for peace. First of all , it is impossible for any freedom loving people to follow the Ameircan model since American or Western models of nation building does not address the problem of economic inequality whereas economic inequality is the main reason behind these uprisings.

What do you really think the Arabs can learn from the West ? Let us be honest the West since 9/11 has done everything possible to humiliate the Arabs so it is impossible for any one to follow it. As per as economic model is concerned , look the USA is already the most indebted nation on the planet and it does not have any initiative whatsoever to teach to the world. The post-9/11 US is barren when it comes to positive ideas.

The Turkish idea of creating a free-trade zone and allowing citizens to cross their borders without passports is a welcome sign. Globalization should have destroyed the Western concept of nation state a long time back. It is only Turkey which is doing any positive thing on that regard. The Turkish , Kurdish , Arabic and Persian peoples all lived together peacefully for centuries before the Western imposition of their nation-state idea on these poor peoples. The only way to bring peace into the middle east region is to do away with these artificial barriers created by the Western colonists. I believe Free movement of goods and peoples always brings prosperity so why do you oppose it ?

When you oppose Turkish model do you have any other model for the Arabs to follow ? I guess not. Or are you fearful that another important Islamic country is willing to go out of Western influence and looking to be independent ?

Dear Dr. Pipes please explain what do you mean by "encouraging opposition parties in the country's June 2011 elections;" and "reconsidering the delicate question of Kurdish civil rights" ? Do you mean direct support of the PKK by the West ? If that is what you say then surely it is a direct intervention against the Turkish people and a move to promote terrorism. Also any overt or covert support of CHP by the West would destroy its any remaining slim chances of that party winning the coming Turkish elections.

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