Source: Haluk Temel, “Are you the one booing? First he was slapped, then they said he was GAY”, (“Sen misin yuh çeken: Hem tokadı yedi hem de GAY oldu”), Radikal Blog, 18 May 2014, http://blog.radikal.com.tr/Sayfa/sen-misin-yuh-ceken-hem-tokadi-yedi-hem-de-gay-oldu-60183
Two days ago in my blog I wrote that the real catastrophe would involve what we would go through after the blast. I still think so.
Yes, it is true that a massive catastrophe took place under that mine [Soma].
But what about the things that happened above the mine? Were those normal? Kicks, slaps, declarations such as “do not push your politics through the dead”, which were only followed by more politics.
Let us accept the fact that what we have witnessed in the past four days have been as saddening as what happened inside the mine, in terms of social significance. How sad is it that we are split even during a moment of disaster!
All of us are, to some extent, able to vocalize our thoughts and feelings in relation to this accident and the more than 300 hundred people who died. But what about the ugliness that ensued? Are we fully capable of expressing our thoughts on those? No. Even as you try to collect the sentences you are about to form, you experience strain in the creases of your brain. You are unable to form sentences. Because it is harder to talk about a humanity that is dead – or on the verge of dying – than it is to talk about dead bodies!
You may find it easier to comprehend what I am saying when I explain below the last deeds of those who accused us of “involving politics in the matter” when we criticized the prime minister’s slap and his adviser’s kicks.
That group’s most recent accomplishment was to declare that the citizen slapped by the prime minister is “GAY.” They came up with fake photos and spread this news online. One of the people involved in this disgusting scheme is not just a layperson. He is the CEO of ANAR, the main social research company that serves the AK Party, İbrahim Uslu. The infamous puppets of AK Party set out to denigrate the young man who was slapped by the prime minister. For this, they found an image on Google, made a sloppy modification to it and made him look like he was “gay.” The puppets engaged in this deceit in order to motivate supporters of the AK Party. The CEO of ANAR, İbrahim Uslu, offered his support by sharing the photo online. When Uslu saw the fake photo, he added a flashy caption that read, “See who the person is who claims that the prime minister slapped him? Pay attention to the logo on the microphone. They are now in a position to need these people’s help” and he shared the photo on Twitter. He thought he was pleasing the crowds as he did this. Perhaps he wanted to appear to be the man who provided a sneak peak backstage. Who knows?
Tweet by ANAR Research CEO Ibrahim Uslu: “Look who the man who claimed that the Prime Minister slapped him? Look at the logo on the microphone! [referring to TV channel Kanal D owned by Aydın Doğan] They are now in need of these people’s help.”
Headline reads: “The man who claims that the Prime Minister punched him: Both Taksim and Soma?”
The banner on the left reads: “Even if we are gay,” a widespread slogan for Turkey’s LGBTI community.
It did not take very long for the truth of the matter to surface but it was already too late. The photo was circulated on Twitter and Facebook with cheesy notices like “news flash!” until the truth came out. What they did was outright deceit. The person whose photo was circulated by the AKP puppets as if he was the one slapped by Erdoğan is called Yasin Keskin. The young man who was slapped by Erdoğan is Taner Kurucan who is known for his interview on Women magazine during the Gezi protests. Also, what if that person was GAY? Why is this anyone’s business?
A careful inspection shows that there is no resemblance between the two men. But, the puppets presented Taner Kurucan next to a photo of Yasin Keskin and said he was “Gay.” Some people may have noticed the difference between the two photos when they first saw the image. But there are some who live not by what they see or know but by what they are being told. And is this not one of our largest problems anyway?
I do not know how it is possible to become so disgusting. I am at a loss for words in the face of such despicable actions. But you see, they are, indeed, so disgusting. Moreover, the people who engaged in this and who circulated the photo are the very people who have been accusing everyone (who criticized the prime minister and the government) with the charge of “involving politics in the matter” since the first days of the catastrophe. What a great contradiction.
If you look closely, the ones who are doing this pretend to be conservative.
Let’s say that it was wrong to boo the prime minister. But what about being slapped in return and later being announced as GAY?
If there is pain that we are dealing with, and if we are to deal with that pain by respecting the dead and the people of Soma, then why would anyone try to slander a person from Soma? And in such a vile manner!
Also, are these not the very people, then, who use Soma as an instrument to push their politics?
Can anybody possibly describe these people?
I would be too lenient if I called them “blatantly shameless and deprived of dignity.”
It would too little if I called them “vulgar slanderers.”
Should one engage in an effort to describe these people, or should one try to get used to living among them? That is yet another dilemma.
Try and find an appropriate thing to say to put these people in their places!
Let God chasten them. What else can I say?
I wish they would learn, before they died, that it is a breach of rightful dues to slander.
Post scriptum:
1-Some people may take offense at the “GAY” claim. Being GAY is a personal affiliation. Moreover, it is a right. Also, the Gay identity is just like any other identity. The person who was slapped by the prime minister was attacked through the use of “sexual identity perception”. This piece aims to critique that. Please evaluate this action taking into consideration the intention of its perpetrators in order not to misunderstand me.
2-Also, some people may say, “The AK puppets do this but don’t the others as well?” Fine, they do. We do come across such incidents every now and then. But that does not mean that we approve. What they are doing is wrong too. And if there is slandering, it is just vulgar. But if people are personally attacking a citizen to make politicians, and especially the prime minister appear innocent, then the situation is truly grave.