With AKP's (ruling party in Turkey) real steps to join EU, the military Junta
and the elite class woke up with the thought that they someday have to leave the
throne they are occupying for over 80 years. Leaving the throne was one thing,
exposing the mess they amassed on that throne was the real mess (corruption).
They panicked. They ordered attacks on everyone. For awhile, it appeared that
AKP was determined and fended off their attacks. AKP finally was able to have
Mr. Gul elected as the president of Turkey. However, this resolve and common
sensical posture suddenly changed when the Junta arranged a fight with Kurds.
They knew that if the issue is the Kurd, Turks are blind.
Joseph LeDoux, a neuroscientist at New York University, discovered the role of
the amygdala, a part of the limbic system of the brain is important for
perceiving emotional behaviors and feelings (emotional brain). Daniel Coleman
synthesizes LeDoux's work in his book, Emotional Intelligence, as following:
"… the architecture of the brain gives the amygdala a privileged position as an
emotional sentinel, able to hijack the brain. His research has shown that
sensory signals from eye to ear travel first in the brain to the thalamus,and
then--across a single synapse--to the amygdala; a second signal from the
thalamus is routed to the neocortex--the thinking brain. This branching allows
the amygdala to begin to respond before the neocortex, which mulls information
through several levels of brain circuits before it fully perceives and finally
initiates its more finely tailored response."
In simple words, the emotional brain, amygdale may initiate a response for
emotionally charged events before we make a conscious response in our thinking
brain, neocortex. As we know, emotionally charged events are life-threatening,
high-arousal and high-stress situations. It is evident that for the last 80
years, the word "Kurd" is imprinted in the emotional memory of Turks. There
cannot be more emotionally charged issue in a country where the culture is
denied and the language is forbidden (Nearly 20 million Kurds in Turkey cannot
educate their kids in Kurdish. They are forced to learn Turkish). Once the Junta
elite charged the nation with Kurdish fear, the common sense was hijacked and
the neocortex was overruled.
Isn't it interesting that the Junta first started with the anti Islamic marches
instilling fears that Islam will rule the country, Turkey? Unfortunately, that
trick was used too many times for last 80 years. So, it didn't charge a big
segment of the society as whole. At the end, it was not effective as they
wished.
Bush's decision to enter Iraq was a turning point for the Kurds. A part of
Kurdistan was finally about to be free. With its parliament, schools in Kurdish
and universities, it resembled an independent country. So, the Turkish public
was initially charged with emotions mostly directed to Americans. But, hidden
within that emotion was the fear that Kurds may become independent soon.
Nonetheless, this emotion was mixed with hate for foreigners, specifically
Americans and Europeans.
It is then not a surprise that the famous Armenian journalist, Hirant Dink was
murdered by government mafia-mostly connected to military and police force. It
was also not a surprise that several missionaries were murdered in the same way
in the city of Malatya. However, all along the neocortex (thinking brain) was
still in charge. AKP was promising bold democratic steps to join EU and
rehabilitating the country.
However, one of their advisors, Michael Rubin of American Enterprise Institute
kept providing alternative emotions. Kurdish issue was the last straw that they
could pull; to charge the whole nation with emotions so that they can keep their
seats. The mess they amassed under their seat started to smell bad because some
of them eventually were leaving their seats. So, the military Junta started a
plan with first killing (or have them killed) 12 Kurdish villagers, mostly
village paramilitary guards who help military to fight PKK. They set the stage
by alleging that PKK killed these villagers. Then, they started bombing and
burning Kurdish mountains and villages. In those fights, several soldiers were
killed by PKK. The big media in Turkey fed the frenzy. Especially, Hurriyet
newspapers played a pivotal role by emotionally charging the public with a
rhetoric likened to Nazi's
rhetoric.
The Armenian Genocide Bill that was discussed in US House for Congressional
recognition was also not a coincidence since the Armenian issue is imprinted in
Turkish emotional memory next to Kurdish issue. Then, it is not surprise that
both issues were invoked at the same time to bring about a better outcome.
It was this moment that they finally hijacked the neocortex. Amygdala was in
charge. Intellectuals within AKP or in Turkey were suddenly all blind. The
response that was initiated by amygdale was "No Kurds." All of the sudden, Turks
handed guns to their kids and proudly displayed them in the media. Turkish flags
covered the whole country. Their chants were "kill, kill, kill." The elected
government was hijacked. The military Junta was finally sitting relaxed in the
throne.
In summary, Amygdala may not explain all types of the social craziness of the
masses. Nonetheless, Amygdala is the military junta when the society is in fear
and emotionally charged. As long as Kurdish issue is imprinted in the emotional
brains of Turks and it is not resolved consciously, the Junta will find ways to
keep the throne.
