Monday, February 28, 2005

Turkish Daily News - Rising nationalism by Dogu Ergil

Turkish Daily News - Rising nationalism: "Rising nationalism
Monday, February 28, 2005
Opinion by DOGU ERGIL


DOGU ERGIL
Anyone who has been educated in Turkey has been raised and trained to be a nationalist rather than a citizen equal in legal status, free in choice and empowered by the will to participate in public policy. In fact, citizenship is acquired or paid for by being an obedient subject to the national state. Hence the perception of the nation is larger than life and, until recently, has been labeled a �sacred entity� in the preamble of the Turkish Constitution. The wording has been changed but the ideological baggage still lingers, just as it does in nationalistic behavior. "