Last week I wrote about the shoe-throwing incident at an IMF panel discussion at İstanbul Bilgi University, suggesting that picking up the microphone makes more sense instead of throwing objects onto the podium; today I can introduce a member of the younger generation who has decided that words speak louder than action.I try to meet with as many present and, in particular, future decision makers as possible to better understand their viewpoints vis-à-vis Turkey. I put great faith in Europe's upcoming generation of leaders hoping they will become more cosmopolitan, are less chauvinistically inclined and practice more tolerance. I try to give them column space, too, whenever I feel someone special merits added publicity in the interest of our readers. Yannick Dekeukelaere (22) has already achieved much, climbed the extracurricular career ladder and is at present the editor of the University of Antwerp's student magazine, Dwars. Dwars is the Dutch word for “across” and besides editing his paper, Yannick is in charge of writing a number of articles, too, one such series aptly titled “Across Europe.” He himself had visited İstanbul three weeks ago and I took the opportunity to ask him a few questions once he had arrived back home in Antwerp, Belgium.
Linguistically split into three parts, Belgium is probably Europe's most underrated country. It plays host to NATO, the EU and many multinational companies. It is small, has Europe's best rail network and gastro critics argue its food is better than in Paris. Besides, Belgian citizens know a thing or two about the EU and are a good indicator of what goes on and perhaps wrong in Europe.
Yannick's first impressions? He made reference to Ilija Trojanow, a Bulgarian-German writer in residence in Brussels' international house of literature, Passa Porta. Trojanow says that while a culture is named after its main influence, there are many more influences. The metaphor he uses is the one of a river: There is one main source but there are many more sources before the river flows into the sea. Blocking of other sources than the main source is unnatural and dangerous. Yannick then said that taking this view into account he does not like to speak of İstanbul as a bridge as the metaphor of the bridge emphasizes some kind of distance between the two parts this bridge is supposed to connect. To him İstanbul is a melting pot in the blurry region between two continents where it is unclear where Europe stops and where Asia begins. In contrast to a blasé Europe the city on the Bosporus is vibrant. Yannick told me that according to him the energy as can be found in İstanbul is the result of dualities: East–West; history–future; Ottoman state-Republic of Turkey; melancholic-enterprising.
Talking about Orhan Pamuk's book “İstanbul: Memories of a City,” published in English in 2005, he said: “In the eyes of the author, the melancholic picture he draws might be very realistic. In the book I read he focuses more on the grandeur of the past and the potential in the past than on the present potential. I think he does so because he tries to link the downfall of Constantinople and its culture to his family's loss of prestige as described in ‘İstanbul.' This technique results in a melancholic book and although I like the book, I believe melancholic is only one way of seeing İstanbul.”
On the city's potential, he told me: “I do not think many Europeans are aware of what a city like İstanbul has to offer them. I hope İstanbul will be able to promote itself when the city is European Capital of Culture in 2010. Why not invite leading European creative minds in film, theatre, music, art, fashion, television [and] advertising to the city and make them ambassadors for a year? Those elements of a modern Turkey should be more visible.”
Young leaders may not conform to how certain circles, including some Turkish media outlets, wish to portray them in Turkey, namely that Europeans and Americans are anti-Turkey. Bluntly speaking, this is warmongering rhetoric! These circles hope that their comments become a self-fulfilling prophecy and that “in retaliation” Turkish citizens turn away from Europe, creating an isolated nation state without being part of our globalized community. People like Yannick are educated and well-versed members of the vast majority, not the minority of Europeans, similar to the vast majority of Turkish citizens. If only those two groups would finally come together -- where else than in a common European house?
By the way, Yannick commented very wisely about the IMF incident by saying that “these events are normal and may be even necessary in Turkey's evolution towards a ‘Western' country, nothing to worry about. By the way, the anti-globalist's shoe was reported to have been made by Nike.” I rest my case.
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