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

Christopher Hitchens is one of the most prolific and controversial writers in the English-speaking world. A prominent atheist, he is the author of "God is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything," which became an international best-seller in 2007. He has also written books on topics ranging from the partition of Cyprus to Thomas Jefferson and the Anglo-American relationship; his most recent is the memoir "Hitch 22."

RFE/RL writer at large James Kirchick recently interviewed Hitchens at his home in Washington about his left-wing revolutionary past, his views on America, Iran's nuclear program, Turkey's Islamist turn, Putin's Russia, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and sampled his views on a variety of international figures.

Hitchens' first book was a history of Cyprus, the Mediterranean island invaded by Turkey in 1974. He has closely followed Turkey's internal politics and here discusses the debate over whether it should join the European Union.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Hitchens
• politics
• Turkey
• EU

[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.

[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.

[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 .

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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!