From Reuters:
An official in Turkey’s ruling party has been arrested for chewing gum while laying a wreath at a monument to the country’s revered founder Kemal Ataturk, the state Anatolian news agency said on Monday.
Veysel Dalci, head of the local branch of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the Black Sea town of Fatsa, was charged with insulting Ataturk’s memory during Sunday’s ceremony marking Turkey’s National Sovereignty Day.
CNN Turk television quoted Dalci, a 38-year-old pharmacist and father of two, as saying he chewed gum to hide the smell of garlic which he had eaten the previous evening.
“After laying a wreath at the monument, I noticed I had gum in my mouth. I am very sorry,” CNN Turk quoted him as saying.
Ordinarily, I would point out the absurdity of government overreach here, and suggest that there is no “cultural difference” excuse that suffices to justify arresting a man for chewing gum—just as government overreach here at home led to the arrest of a 12-year-old girl for eating a french fry on a subway platform, another absurdity that wound up being roundly ridiculed.
In this case, however, I am going to resist making those arguments, given that it is a little-known fact that Kemal Ataturk was a fierce opponent of spearmint.
Which means that this so-called pharmacist and father of two may as well have taken a dump on ol’ Kemal’s grave.
So, y’know—BURN HIM! BUUURNNNNN HIM!
(h/t Craig C)
SCALLLLLIIIIIIIITTTTOOOOO!!!
Doesn’t this moron know about Tic-Tacs?
Anyway, arrests for trivial offenses only gum up the system.
Wait until the Turks find THAT quote. They’re famous for having zero sense of humor about Ataturk.
I’m on the side of teaching lawless Turks a lesson.
Turkish authorities are very strict about bringing enough for everyone.
He turned me into a newt!
SB: second
hand joke
Tic Tacs don’t work either. When I was in Sarajevo in 1997, I saw a Turkish NCO beaten half to death for accepting a spearmint Tic Tac from an American Marine. Man, that was harsh.
Well, there’s your first problem. These idiots don’t even know how to form acronyms.
I know. I know.
Is there a limit on how often someone can post a comment referencing They Might Be Giants?
Try imagining the Wrigley doublemint twins in a Muslim country. Imagine if you can.
Guess you’ll have to ask the Turks, McGehee.
Apparently Bubblelicious is not halal.
Yeah McGehee, that’s nobody’s business but the Turks.
“Try imagining the Wrigley doublemint twins in a Muslim country.”
Well, I’m imagining that the girls, just like here, would dress and style their hair exactly alike. With the only difference being that they’d look just like 1,985,000 other black shrouded women in their Muslim country.
At least nobody’d know they were chewing gum at Ataturk’s monument.
Chewing gum on line, eh? I hope he had enough for everybody…
SB: money
shot
Boy, he’s strict!
Chewing gum on line, eh? I hope he had enough for everybody…
Calvin: *Pulls gum from mouth and examines it* “Probably, but do you really think they’d want it?”
Er, the “Chewing gum on line…” was meant to be in blockquote.
…apparently not.
Back when I was in the USN, a man from the USN got 5 years for being drunk and climbing upon a statue of Ataturk. It took no less than a US Senator to get him out.
I don’t remember more details but it was true as the captain warned us to not do that while we were in port.
Another precious thing was that we were told that if we visited any brothels while in this particular city that we would be court martialed as all the prostitutes were practicing the art due to the sins of their fathers or husbands. In other words, daddy steals? Well if you are a girl then you spend alot of time getting raped to pay for his sins by complete strangers.
I wonder if Turkey still has such a policy?
I dunno, but the Tribal Areas of Pakistan follow that policy.
I just can’t take somebody seriously whose name sounds like little-league chatter.
“Heyyyy ataturk, ataturk, ataturk, swing!”
I lived in Turkey for 3 years. I personally wish another Attaturk would appear in Iraq. He was quite a progressive thinker for the age and region. Because of him, islamic extremism is against the law in Turkey. I don’t agree with their policy against the Kurds, but you have to remember they are still muslim which we all know is a form of mental illness. While Turkey isn’t perfect, for a muslim country, it’s the closest thing to a “democracy” in that shit stain called the middle east. Iraq could do worse for a model.
My sister-in-law (COL, USAF) lived in Turkey for a couple of years, as well. And every day for a couple of years she cursed the 5AM call to worship loudly emanating a few yards from her apartment.
You’re right about Ataturk, Theresa. But even Turkey could use another one just about now. Turkish secularism is slowly being eroded, one bomb, veil, and alJazeera broadcast at a time.
BTW, thanks for your service!