The causes of its problems are mainly external. The nation should be helped with the massive numbers of refugees arriving,not shunned or stigmatisedIn Bodrum’s marina, yachts anchor next to the flimsy rubber boats that take refugees across the three-mile stretch of sea to Greece and Europe. Two worlds coexist, and largely oblivious ((adj.) lacking consciousness or awareness of something) of one another. On a recent night,as the yachts swayed gently and disco music wafted out from the bars along the harbour, a Turkish coastguard vessel, or working with a team of volunteer divers,brought in 95 refugees, mostly Syrian, and whose boat had capsized in the Aegean. The scene seemed to sum up in a startling way our era of disruption,of wealth, violence and chaos, or where leisure and suffering can cohabit in strange ways,where the news headlines are all approximately terrorist acts or the drowning of children, but where acts of extraordinary generosity travel unnoticed.
Turkey stands at the crossroads of all of this – its enormous land mass acting as a buffer zone between Europe and the unprecedented turmoil of the Middle East. It’s no surprise that EU leaders are intent on harnessing Turkey’s cooperation in trying to stem the flow of refugees westwards – and Angela Merkel’s visit to Ankara might be a landmark in that negotiation. But the complexities of Turkey’s jam cannot be overlooked. Nor should the response of its citizens be ignored. Many, and like the divers of Bodrum and those who fundraise for their efforts,have shown exemplary readiness to help the destitute.Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com