Turkey Greece and aporia
by
HERKÜL MİLLAS*

An “aporia” in this sense is a word used in postmodern philosophy to denote a puzzle in thinking, a surprise in inquiry, a perplexed situation due to inconsistent assumptions. For some scholars, aporia is the best starting point in thinking, in investigating and in reaching new conclusions. Aporia wipes away all preconceived notions and triggers fresh curiosity. Here are some of my latest cases of aporia.

In Greece, especially the leftist political parties and groups oppose the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other financial institutions through demonstrations and strikes. On the other hand, the Greek state is unable to pay wages and pensions unless it receives the required cash from the said financial centers. Thus the aporia: What do the protesters want? Can it be that they do not want to get their salaries? On my part, I do not want to die but I do not demonstrate with ineffective slogans such as “Angel of Death, go home!” But the government too, especially the prime minister, seem so extraordinarily calm! The prime minister talks in international fora on global climatic changes and suggests new economic models for our planet. At the same time the expected economic changes -- privatizations, the reorganization of the state, etc. -- wait.

Coup d’état and conspiracies against the civilians

In Turkey aporia is related to the discussions of coup d’états and conspiracies against civilians. All are against these criminal acts but so many accept them in submission. The excuses are various. The investigation which is presently being carried out on the coup d’état conspiracy known as “Ergenekon,” for instance, is opposed by some because “innocent people are kept in custody before the trial.” But how else could that take place? Before a trial and a verdict, all are innocent by definition. Do the protesters mean that nobody should be imprisoned before trials, irrespective of signs of guilt? These objections are raised and the sensitivities exist, however, only for “our people,” for the suspects of this particular trial. Do they want the verdict to precede the arrest?

Especially aporetic is the controversy related to the sex scandal that caused the resignation of Deniz Baykal, the former head of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). True, the video that was circulated was a product of a violation of privacy, an intrigue and an illegal act. Adultery is not penalized in Turkey, so legally there was not a crime and the ethical aspect is relative: some condemn it, some feel indifferent and some may see it even as macho superiority. However, and to my surprise, the main issue is overlooked. A political leader may be under severe pressure and blackmail if he/she keeps secrets about his/her personal life. The problem is not the personal life per se but its secrecy and the related “shame” that one may (or may not) feel. This shame makes one extremely vulnerable and receptive to blackmail. Who cares about the sex life of a politician to whom one endows his hopes, his present and his future, unless the politician proves exposed and helpless due to his choices and his sense of guilt? Civil servants are free to have private lives of their liking but they are not supposed to have secrets that can be exploited as Achilles’ heels. Thus transparency, i.e., the basis of real independence and freedom, is required from all who look after the interests of the public.

Aporia was felt in Greek-Turkish relations too, especially after the visit of the Turkish prime minister to Athens. Following the friendly declarations of the two prime ministers and various approving articles in the papers, some insinuated that complaints against the “other” generated questions. The Greek side does not seem to have gone beyond the old and persisting fears vis-à-vis the other. As for the fact that some Turkish publications of the kind “why don’t you control your prejudices and mature [like us]?” are open to evaluation, are the two parties closer to a new balanced relationship or closer to the notorious past?

My sense of aporia may be due to my character. I have been all along at a bit of a loss, facing my environment with surprise and trying to understand it. Each answer gave birth to new questions. I am constantly in aporia with so many around me at ease and having accomplished a harmonious conformity. They look to be in such comfort! But still, I do not want to change.