The Kurds and the Quake
Posted by Jenna Krajeski
Last Saturday was Republic Day in Turkey, but the celebration was muted. A 7.2 magnitude earthquake had ravaged the southeastern city of Van—already poor and a center for violent activity by the P.K.K., the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party—and the death toll was nearing six hundred. Ritual fireworks, normally ignited from a barge in the middle of the Bosporus, were cancelled, as were parades. I watched from a friend’s balcony while Chinese lanterns floated calmly over the water—a pensive, sensitive acknowledgment that was somewhat out of character. Usually, there is no need for a holiday to bring out the bright red-and-white Turkish flags. Offices, classrooms, and stores display framed portraits of Ataturk in various poses—riding a horse, seated behind a desk, gazing at an off-frame light—above their blackboards or behind their counters, always the highest thing in the room. Turkey loves Turkey.
More:News Desk: The Kurds and the Quake : The New Yorker
