Christopher Hitchens - 'Talking Turkey' (Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty)

[outsidelight1]

How would Turkey's objection to Rasmussen be different to the tone of say, France's objection to Turkish EU membership? Hitchins' objections to Erdogan can be repeated with a number of European leaders and leaders elsewhere.

[vakasim]

Wrong wrong wrong

Turkey objected Ramussen not because of the cartoons but because of pro pkk Roj TV's broadcasting from Denmark.

ANd that TV channel is banned my court recently in Denmark , because t is proven to broadcasting in behalf of pro-pkk violence.

Now please listen what a man says from the man himself not from reported sources, they can be wrong...

[Shahabhei]

God I wish the people who get a chance to talk to Hitchens would bother Subbing what he says.

[Reqrezentin]

I thumbed down the video .

[Mishkafofer]

Turkey is downhill. Its closest allies are Syria and Iran. With Syria its on a verge of full escalation because the Dictator of Syria Bashar Asad lost it legitimacy and now turned to violent and brutal moves against his own people. Iran? well, they seek supremacy in the region too, but they are not up to the task but certainly are capable to annoy allot of people.

[ratzP]

Turkey in the EU ?? God forbid !!! Christian God ok? NOT bleeding Allahuhaha

[Verrsus]

Turkey today is getting less secular and less democratic than it once used to be. Erdogan and his party try to push islam back into the universities and schools, they imprison journalists and shatter their relationship with israel (who therefore answered with this boat raid).

Although i would love to include the turkish nation into the EU, because i think they're becoming an economic power in this world and once had a great culture, i don't think that the chances for them are increasing.

[zissumanter]

It clearly states out the politics of the west in the middle east.

[HULLOHULLO15]

If Turkey get into the EU the EU will die and nationalism will be greater than 1930s Germany but in every single European Union country.

[schattenfaust]

As a Turkish person I have Huge Respect for Christopher Hitchens,but he doesnt have a quite understanding  on MiddleEast politics and its people,there is a lot of grey area for example Turkish people understanding of religion and nationalism is quite different maybe unique than rest of the world anyway but please get well Professor Humankind needs your thoughts more than your imagine please get rest and be well.

[MattyJames25]

@schattenfaust "As a Turkish person I have Huge Respect for Christopher Hitchens,but he doesnt have a quite understanding on MiddleEast politics and its people,there is a lot of grey area for example Turkish people understanding of religion and nationalism is quite different maybe unique than rest of the world"

Aside from this being ethnocentric nonsense, Hitchens has long had Kurdish associates and decades of experiences in the Middle East. His book on Cyprus was incredible for example.

[schattenfaust]

@MattyJames25 Thank you for pointing out another good example of his one sided views,i have a tons of kurdish friends to..so?Did you ever talk Kurds who lives in Turkey do you really think they have any problem with Turks or just state policies?Do you know anything i mean anything about massacred Turks in cyprus,or massacred kurds/turks by armenians during ww1

Somehow christians doesnt want to see their state crimes while put shining light on others.Hyprocrys at its best.

[MattyJames25]

@schattenfaust "Thank you for pointing out another good example of his one sided views"

Saying Christopher Hitchens has a wealth of experience is a once-sided view?

You think the Turks are really "unique than rest of the world"? Yes, that is one-sided alright.

We all know what Turkey does, to Armenians, in Alexandretta to the Syrians, in Northern Cyprus to the Greeks, and in Eastern Turkey to the Kurds...  Yes, you really are unique - amazing people from heaven you are. Angels in fact!

[schattenfaust]

@MattyJames25 No turks dont try to twist my words Middleast is unique in the world,people their relations etc.I will say that again you cannot compare with Kurdish Question with British-Ireland or Spain-Basque issues or Serbian-Bosnia Issues.

Yeah we do thoose things everyone of us involved,even my 4 years old cousing killed couple of armenians back in 1915 with his bare hands.

No need to argue here you show your real face have a nice day.

[MattyJames25]

@schattenfaust "No turks dont try to twist my words Middleast is unique in the world,people their relations etc.I will say that again you cannot compare with Kurdish Question with British-Ireland or Spain-Basque issues or Serbian-Bosnia Issues."

Who compared these? Please continue creating my arguments to please yourself.

"Yeah we do thoose things everyone of us involved,even my 4 years old cousing killed couple of armenians back in 1915 with his bare hands."

My God- a Turk twisting words!

[TheFlameoftheWest]

As a Canadian I don't want to be in a military alliance with Turkey becouse of its human rights record and I want my country to withdraw from NATO based on that.

If I lived in the European Union I wouldn't want Turkey as a member.

[Aydosh1991]

@TheFlameoftheWest You should leave now, there are several countries in NATO that do not have spotless records. Did you forget to look south?

[laudrup90]

@TheFlameoftheWest .yet you have no trouble wiht maintaining relations,tradint,etc with america?and you speak of human rights?lol the hypocrisy of it all.

[comanchio1976]

@laudrup90 I think there's a noticeable difference to be pointed out. It was pretty much Turkish government policy at the time of WW1 to eliminate christians within its borders. Ethnically cleansed and massacred Armenians as well as Assyrians to this end, to the tune of well over a million.

When confronted with these facts recently, the Turkish leader threatened to deport the remaining Armenians from its country if it was mentioned again..

So I think that the comparison isnt a very good one.

[mik99D]

Christopher is stuck between a rock and the proverbial hard case. he is akin to Hephaestus (that will make his missus quite happy, if you know your Greek Myths) he is in a weakened state , no doubt, but he is aware that when sick, feeble men lie back and 'rest' they die. So ity is the exercise of his uppermost muscle that is making him better. How many recovering cancer patients do you see appearing in debates on campuses and TV? He knows why hes doing it.

[milekrizman]

I am listening Mr. Hitchens for some years. He is one of the best intellectuals in the world today, if not the best. He has great knowledge on current politics, history, society, religion and economy.

Is his book 'God is not great' translated to other languages than english? It should be obligatory book in every religious society, so that religious people could see that they believe in Bronze and Iron age fairy tales.

[robtul12]

Get well Professor Hitchens!

[cr4yv3n]

Damn Christopher, rest dammit, get well, the world needs you.

*Sigh* what a bad luck for world's most advanced minds to be so physically fragile :|