29th July 1988
 

Dear A

Just a further thought. I wonder if you would feel that there should be posters up here calling for demonstrations against Turkey? That is a militarist regime that is violating human rights in an atrocious way. It is also oppressing the minority Kurdish people, as so the Iraqi and Iranians.

One of the Muslim symbols on the Turkish flag is a crescent moon. Would you consider that an image of a Christian cross in the shape of a sword being thrust into a crescent moon would offend Muslims generally or be seen as being a message concerned with Turkey?

Yours sincerely

D.L.

Manager

3rd. August 1988
 

Dear Mr. L.

I wish to explain that Turkey and Israel are not comparable.

We do not oppose Israel simply because at this moment in time it happens to be practising barbarism on the Palestinians. We oppose it because of the corrupt idealogy it is founded upon. Israel cannot exist without zionism, zionism is the only justification for the existance of Israel. Turkey on the other hand needs no idealogy to justify its existance, the natives of that geographical region constitute its population. (In the case of Israel the native population is suppressed by a colonial element, zionism being its justification). It is not possible to have a just system of government in Israel because of the racist ideology it is founded upon, justice can only be achieved after Israel is dismantled and a Palestine is created in its place. In the case of Turkey, it is possible to have a just system, although as you have pointed out one does not exist at present. So in this sense the two countries are incomparable.

Please do not misunderstand, I do not in anyway support the atrocious violations of human rights the secular regime in Turkey commits upon its Muslim population. Ever since Turkey 'turned west'  (the western initiated coup which installed Attaturk) it has done its utmost to supress its Muslims who wish to retain their Muslim identity. These oppressive measures included forcing the people to use roman script to write Turkish in while forbidding the use of Arabic script, the script Turkish was originally written in. Recent measures including forbidding Muslim women from wearing hijab (modest head covering) in government controlled institutes such as universities.

The crescent moon in the Turkish flag is a remanant from its Muslim past. As such it is an embarrassment for the regime which professes secularism. If one wishes to show support for the turkish people in their struggle against this militarist regime, one should attack those who brought this secular regime to power rather than a crescent moon.

Yours sincerely

AP