Let them prove that the ‘divide-and-rule era’ is over!

BY: SAADET ORUÇ*

Protection provided by any Western state for the FETÖ network will be considered in Turkish public opinion as part of the ‘divide and rule game.’

Participating in the 71st General Assembly of the United Nations, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a historic speech in which he criticized the existing system of the United Nations.

The structure of the U.N. Security Council and the lack of representation of other states was the main criticism from the Turkish leader.

Repeating the motto “The world is bigger than five,” Erdoğan proposed the inclusion of oppressed nations in the world leadership system, namely the U.N. Security Council.

The U.N. meeting was taking place in the aftermath of the July 15 coup attempt by the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) to invade Turkey. Erdoğan used the opportunity to clearly explain the July 15 coup/invasion attempt by the FETÖ network.

The G20 summit in Hangzhou, China, two weeks ago enabled President Erdoğan to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama and many Western leaders to disclose the facts about July 15.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden also met with Erdoğan in New York during the summit.

In these various meetings with U.S. leaders, Turkey repeated its demand for the extradition of Fethullah Gülen, the head of the Gülenist terrorist cult.

It is obvious that Washington is dragging its feet in the extradition process of the FETÖ leader.

No clear step has been taken by the United States regarding the FETÖ file.

The Turkish public feels that the terrorist network, which bombarded Parliament, killed civilians and attempted to assassinate the Turkish leader, was officially provided shelter by the United States.

Washington has a duty to change this assumption, if it really wants to cooperate with Turkey. Moreover, the presence of the FETÖ leader in the United States, which is a free society according to U.S. intellectuals, is perceived as clear support for coup plotters.

In the era of modern history, one would like to assume that the time of a “divide-and-rule” policy has passed.

July 15 was understood to be an attempt to divide Turkey in order to change the borders of the region, more than a classical coup d’état. Protection provided by any Western state for the FETÖ network will be considered in Turkish public opinion as part of the “divide and rule game.”

So, the question is simple, as well as the answer.

OUR CHILDHOOD AND NEW YORK

This was the first time I visited New York, as a part of President Erdoğan’s delegation to the 71st U.N. General Assembly.

During my journalistic career of 21 years, I have had the chance to follow events in various countries in Europe and the Middle East in addition to my 11 years residing in France.

However, for the first time in a foreign country I felt the sentiment of “being at home” or perhaps “being in my childhood hometown.”

Every gesture by Americans despite the translation of the original sound, every street, even the fire exits of the buildings were familiar to me and certainly would be familiar for anyone in the world.

Is this normal? I think, no! Just imagine that you’re walking on a street you haven’t even heard of before, and you feel as if you had walked on it.

Well, let’s try to find the reason lying behind my deja vu in the New York streets.

Of course, no need to go back to my childhood. There is an easier way to find the reason for this weird feeling, such as just looking at the Hollywood cliché manipulations.

Yes! The reason must be inarguably lying behind the great success of the American film industry, which has brought every corner of U.S. cities to our cinemas and TV screens for years.

Considering that we haven’t woken up even for a day without a Hollywood movie on our screens, my feeling of “being at home” in New York is quite understandable.

I would say from here to moviemakers in Hollywood that their mission has been completed: Our subconscious are filled by Hollywood effects.

To sum up my experience in New York, I can simply say the 21st century way of cultural imperialism has achieved great success in penetrating our brain cells.

*SAADET ORUÇ is a Turkish journalist. She writes columns for Daily Sabah Turkish newspaper

(Published in Daily Sabah on Monday, Sept. 26, 2016)