IMMIGRANT CRISIS IN BOSNIA AND HYPOCRICY OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

(Original text: January 21, 2021)

What happened to hundreds of transit migrants struggling to survive in the open air in the difficult Balkan winter conditions for about a month is not only a new story of corruption and incompetence in Bosnia's record, but a document of shame that tells the West's hypocrisy and dishonour in "humanitarian aid".

When the route of the refugee influx to Europe shifted to the Balkans, Bosnia was excluded from this route for a while, and this situation was interpreted in Sarajevo, where sarcasm is a part of daily life, that Bosnia is not the country which is not desired to live in even by the refugees.

Human traffickers, who exploit the refugees, soon discovered the mountainous topographic structure of Bosnia and the fact that the control of Bosnia's borders under these geographical conditions is not done very tightly. Especially the refugees who entered Bosnia from Serbia and Montenegro thought that they could pass to EU member Croatia easier and Bosnia was included in the refugee route.

But things are not that much easy.

Croatia, new member of the EU, famous of promoting racism, is doing its best to prevent refugees from Bosnia from entering Croatia. They beat the refugees which they catch and steal belongings of them: Their wallets, cell phones and even their shoes and release them back to absolutely not doing this in a formal and decent way.

There are currently around 9000 refugees in Bosnia, and only three percent have applied for asylum in Bosnia. The remaining thousands are "transit" refugees. The vast majority of refugees are those who have been returned to Bosnia by the Croatian police with human rights violations.

Currently, only 6000 of the 9000 refugees in Bosnia stay in "reception centres". About 3000 refugees are outside the camps cannot meet their basic needs. A tragedy has been going on since the end of December.

Since the fire at the Lipa Camp in Bihac, in the canton of Una-Sava in western Bosnia, on the Croatian border, 1,700 transit migrants in the camp have been struggling to survive in the harsh Balkan Winter conditions. After the fire, the Bosnian Army has set up 20 tents that can accommodate about 500 people, but the remaining migrants have been struggling for weeks in the forest without basic needs.

The fire in the Lipa Camp contains an enigma. It is suspected that the fire was caused by immigrants or by local residents. But why? The answer to this question tells us a new story about the hypocrisy and dishonour of the West regarding "humanitarian aid".

The local canton administration was responsible for the basic needs of the Lipa Camp, which was established last April with the COVID-19 outbreak. IOM (International Organization Migration), which constantly warned the local government to meet these needs of the camp, which lacked basic infrastructure, electricity and heating, announced that it had finally left the camp on December 23, 2020.

You did not read wrong: IOM was not ashamed to show its pride against the local government over the lives of 1,700 immigrants!

The local government claims that resources to improve camp conditions are not covered by the central government. The central government states that they lack resources for this. IOM asks that a total of 88 million Euros has been transferred to Bosnia since 2018: "We gave that much money, you couldn't take care of 1700 refugees!"

Looking at it this way, IOM seems quite right. Bosnia and Herzegovina is already a corrupt country. Bosnia, dominated by ethnocracy, is one of Europe's leading countries in corruption and poverty. So it deserves these preaches.

But reality is not like that: IOM is not an angel, not clean as a whistle preaching Bosnia.

If there are those among the readers who have taken part in projects of international institutions, they might know the corruption and incompetence within these institutions, which appear to be very reliable and very serious from outside. IOM in Bosnia is also part of this scene.

IOM, who has been preaching Bosnia by saying; "We gave you 88 million Euros, you are incapable of meeting the basic needs of those poor immigrants," misses one thing: 77 million of this 88 million Euros have been transferred to Bosnia via IOM. Unsurprisingly, this money was mostly spent on technical and administrative improvements in Bosnia during the transition to the EU. We are sure that some of these technical and administrative expenses are paid as daily fees to the experts who reside in London and New York, stay in Bosnia for a day or two and work a daily wage of at least 1000 Euros. Or it was spent on "very high quality" technical equipment “produced according to solid standards.” Of course, by paying a “high quality” price...

IOM, which took 77 million of the 88 million Euro payment, does not account for this, but asks Bosnia to give account for it and brutally withdraws from the camp without hesitating to leave 1700 people, children, elder and women exposed to harsh winter conditions.

They cannot increase their voice against Croatia who tortures and robs immigrants, or they cannot increase their voice against EU countries that close their gates to the refugees.

Besides all they cannot oppose Republika Srpska of Bosnia whose government simply says; "We do not want a single immigrant in my region", or to the cantonal administrations under the Bosnian Croat rulers who exempt them from the migrant crisis.

The power of IOM, benefitting from millions of Euros, is only brave against Bosnia. Can we say that Bosnian politicians, who are busy with exploiting Bosnia's resources more, are uncomfortable with this? No. As the corruption wheels spin, they don't even speak out!

“LET ERDOĞAN ORGANIZE HIS PRE-ELECTION MEETING IN BELGRADE?”

(Original text: Published in May 19, 2018)

Once he was prohibited to hold pre-election meetings in European countries, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (RTE) by-passed this problem with a meeting in Sarajevo. When this clever idea appeared in newspapers almost a month ago, neither MoFA of Republic of Turkey, nor Embassy of Turkey in Sarajevo, nor Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina made a statement about the issue. Later on when the posters of the meeting were published in social media, we became aware that it was officially not a pre-election meeting, but RTE was just to participate in the general assembly of Union of European Turkish Democrats. It was a clever act for official legitimization of the meeting but disputes continued in Bosnia since then, becoming fiercer everyday.

RTE, who is a professional in polarizing a society showed his talent in Bosnia as well.

While the disputes are going on, AKP supporters flowed in Sarajevo. Some Bosnians are fine with it. Tens of thousands of Turks will make shop keepers happy. But those who are thinking more about the long term outcomes of this rally in Sarajevo are more cautious.

Bosnian public is almost divided into two camps regarding RTE’s rally in Sarajevo. The disputes are going on. In the meantime RTE’s manipulative tactics are in duty in Bosnia as well. (See:

Discourse of hatred became dominant on the discussions about RTE’s rally in Sarajevo. People began to insult each other heavily in social media. Seems that what we call “vindictive generation” in Turkey, signifying the new typology of youngsters of post-truth society have well thought strategies of manipulation to their Bosnian comrades.

İzetbegoviç seems to have learnt a lot from his master as well. Last week, during the youth meeting of SDA in Sarajevo/Ilidza, the member of presidency of the country which is stuck in corruption and poverty, where hundreds of thousands of people escaped from country since the war, who has nothing to offer to his citizens more than a discourse of being a member of EU claimed: “West does not like our friend. A lot of Bosnians with complexes do not like him as well”.

According to Izetbegoviç, those who oppose RTE’s pre-election rally in Bosnia are people with complexes.

Bosnia was under Ottoman domination for 425 years and even those viziers, who were assigned by the Ottoman Empire to Bosnian Vilayet were not that much devoted to sultan. The viziers would stay not more than a day in Sarajevo on their way to Travnik or Banja Luka paying attention not to disturb locals. Member of presidency of the independent and sovereign state of Bosnia and Hercegovina seems to be more loyal to sultan than the viziers of old times!

Surely, RTE’s Sarajevo rally will have effects in internal and foreign politics of Bosnia. The most important internal effect will be on right-wing SDA and the leader Bakir İzetbegoviç. For some time RTE have overt support for SDA despite the objection of other parties on involvement of Turkey in the internal politics of Bosnia. In SDA congress on May 26, it is expected that Bakir İzetbegoviç will announce his wife Sebija İzetbegoviç’s candidacy for presidency and surely RTE’s visit will be a valuable support for Izetbegoviç.

Probably, most serious impact of Erdoğan’s rally will be on EU-Bosnia relations. There will certainly be some implications since Bosnia has accepted the political action of a leader that is not allowed in European countries.

Most probably, RTE’s Sarajevo rally will have the most serious negative impact on post-Dayton politics of Bosnia, which is already in crisis. RTE’s political involvement in Bosnia is very much in favour for the Bosnian Serb nationalist leader Milorad Dodik. Recently, Dodik by-passes Belgrade and have direct contact with Putin, which was highly criticised by Bosnian presidency. Now thanks to RTE he has legitimate reasons for that. If Izetbegoviç allows RTE to have rally in Sarajevo, Dodik may invite Putin to Banja Luka for his own pre-election campaign. It is RTE’s pre-election rally which serves basis for Milorad Dodik’s irresponsible political actions as well.

As it is known, Putin’s reply to NATO’s enlargement in Balkans is destabilization of Balkans. His message is clear: If NATO enlargement in Balkans continue, the region will be destabilized. A strategy which opens path for armed conflicts in the region, respectively in Bosnia. A strategy similar to how Putin implied in Ukraine and what RTE -Putin’s buddy- does is an act supporting this strategy.

Another issue is that, something which would never be expected happens in Bosnia: A will against Turkey is rising in Bosnia as well, despite the cultural and historical ties between Bosnia and Turkey. In social media, it is quite often to read comments like; “In fact Turkey is not that much close friend of us”. It is very often expressed that for Turkey Bosnia is taken for granted, while political and economic relations of Turkey with Serbia is more densed. It is also expressed widely that Turkish investments in Bosnia are more “procurement” than new investments in order to create more jobs and support production.

It is also taken attention by many that TİKA’s (Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency) often uttered 300 million USD investment in Bosnia is mostly spent for the renovation of historical Ottoman sites, but not for projects aiming to reduce poverty or unemployment.

In addition to all of those, after Vuçiç’s visit to Turkey two weeks ago when he was welcome with flashy ceremonies in Ankara, that İzetbegoviç was never welcome like that, some Bosnians ask: “If Erdoğan gives so much importance to his relations with Vuçiç and Serbia, why does not he organize his pre-election rally in Belgrade?”

AK-BOTS ARE IN DUTY IN BOSNIA AS WELL

(Original text: Published in May 18, 2018)

Well-known public manipulative methods of AK-bots in Turkey which are in increase in Turkey especially during election period seems to be active in Bosnia as well before Erdoğan’s disputable pre-election rally in Sarajevo.

When European countries have declared that they will not allow Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (RTE) to organize pre-election rallies in their countries, AKP found a solution to this by giving a decision to organize a rally in Sarajevo at May 20 by involvement of Turkish AKP supporters. This created reactions in Bosnia since then.

Bosnian community is polarized into two groups between those who support RTE’s rally in Bosnia and those who oppose it since the news on rally appeared in Bosnian media. Part of Bosnian society is affirmative for RTE’s rally, while some others who think that RTE exploits positive stance of Bosnian prole towards Turkey and RTE while they also know that RTE collaborates well with conservative government in Bosnia.

Three days ago a survey was launched in Klix.ba, one of the most popular web portals in Bosnia and some strange things occurred yesterday. Following the moment that survey was launched, the “no” replies for “Do you support Erdoğan’s pre-election rally in Sarajevo” was far more than “yes” votes. However, with the manipulation of AK-bots, the “yes” votes suddenly exceeded “no” votes, [which is a very well-known tactic of AKP in Turkey].

The screenshots photos below Show how it happened:

WILL THERE BE A NEW WAR IN BOSNIA?

(Original text: Published in May 16, 2016)

Recent developments in Balkans, like admission of Kosovo first to UEFA and to FIFA, re-opening of Ferhadija Mosque in Banja Luka, the capital city of the Serbian entity, which was demolished during the Bosnian War and lastly the demonstrations in Banja Luka by March 14, 2016 were all enough to warm up Bosnian politics. Some talk about an armed conflict or even a new war likely to happen in Bosnia? How realistic is this?

The rise of the ultra-right politics was the focus of the previous article. One of the points that we took attention was the fact that, those political parties who were responsible from the breakup of Yugoslavia are again currently holding the power in ex-Yugoslav republics. The main actors of the nationalist monsters are again in the power. Even Seselj, from whom even Milosevic was discontent of his extreme “practices” is again in the Serbian parliament

Like a nightmare! Those who transformed Yugoslavia into a blood lake are governing the countries again.

Moreover, the recent developments in May 2016 made Bosnia to be more in political tension.

If it winds in Kosovo, Bosnia catches cold. It was in Kosovo where the first crisis in Yugoslavia occurred, and followed by devastation of Bosnia. Since some time Bosnian Serb Republic (Republika Srpska – RS) claims independency referring to the independency of Kosovo. In May 2016, despite 24 votes against, with 28 votes Kosovo became member of UEFA and followed by membership to FIFA after a meeting in Mexico in May 13 where membership of Gibraltar was also confirmed.

This was like a cold shower for Serbia who still defines Kosovo as part of Serbia. However, having no other political vision than EU membership, Serbia has not other choice than accepting the bitter reality. Yet, last week (May 2016) the deputy director of European Parliament and Kosovo Reporter Ulrike Lunacek warned once Serbia again that Serbia cannot be member of EU without recognition of Kosovo as a sovereign state.

Serbia is politically locked in that sense, but the naughty brother, RS was not late to use this opportunity and claimed that if UEFA and FIFA recognizes Kosovo, than they have to accept membership of RS as well. Indeed, this is not so easy, since Dayton Peace Accord does not allow such a thing.

Two weeks ago (May 2016) Bosnia probably faced with one of the biggest political crisis since the end of the war.

Ferhadija Mosque in Banja Luka (capital city of RS), built in Ottoman Era and being demolished with 16 more mosques at May 6-7, 1993 despite being under protection of UNESCO, was restored and re-opened in May 7, 2016. When the reconstruction of the mosque have started in 2001, the start-up ceremony was attacked by about a thousand Cetniks (Serbian nationalists) firing the vehicles around and besieged the building of Bosnian Islamic Union where 250 Bosnian Muslims as well as Jacques Klein, the representative of UN in Bosnia and ambassadors of England, Sweden and Pakistan were also inside. One Bosnian Muslim was killed and 30 people were injured.

Nothing feared happened in May 7, 2016 in the opening ceremony of Ferhadija Mosque where highest security measures were taken and EUFOR battalions were ready to involve in a possible conflict.

This is partly due to the fact that Serbian nationalists have a bit of trouble nowadays. Since the bully tempered RS president Milorad Dodik's SNSD lost 2014 elections, RS is in a serious political crisis. There were two demonstrations last Sunday in Banja Luka organized by Dodik's supporters and opponents. Until the elections in October 2016, it is expected that the political tension will be tightened and may have serious implications in a country stuck into corruption and poverty.

Since the founder of RS; Radovan Karadzic is subjected as committing genocide in Bosnia, the legitimacy of RS as a state founded on genocide, is more under question. No doubt that this issue is well exploited by Bosnian Muslim and Bosnian Croat politicians who cannot offer anything to their people than a corrupted state and poor citizens. That is what they do the best for 20 years.

All those events and facts that are mentioned above brings one question: Can there be a war in Bosnia as a result of all of those political crises? The Western political analysts are very likely to speak about war in any part of the world. However, the dynamics of contemporary Bosnia is not the same as it was 20 years ago. Those nationalist leaders who took advantage of the war, know very well that in case of a war, they can easily lose their positions. Moreover, Bosnia with a disfunctional state very far away of being a threat to imperialism. Thus, a change in status quo in Bosnia is not favoured by imperialism. In addition to that, neither Croatia, who is just accepted in EU would risk to arm Bosnian Croats, nor Serbia who is just domesticated on the path to EU would prefer to risk the journey to EU by falling into the adventure of “Greater Serbia“. Bosnian Muslim politicians on the other side are very much busy with exploiting the limited resources of the country.

If a war in Bosnia will happen, this might be a war against all of those blood sucking current politicians!

8th of MARCH: MOTHERS' DAY!

(Original text: Published in March 7, 2015)

It is not a joke! Similar to the international mothers’ day, which is celebrated by the second Sunday of May every year, 8th of March is celebrated in a similar way in ex-Yugoslav countries. 8 of March is still defined as “Women’s Day” not as “mothers’ day, but it is normatively accepted as the day for mothers. Kids buy presents to their mothers, and it is very common that women arrange entertaining activities.

For those who have experienced any Mayday in any ex-Yugoslav country, this is not an interesting situation. In fact, where 8th of March is Women’s Day, Mayday is “spring festival”. Usually the days prior or after Mayday become free day and a holiday of a couple of days is arranged. If you see smoke over Beograd, Zagreb or Sarajevo, be sure it is not the tear gas thrown by police to Mayday demonstrators, but it is the smoke coming from barbecue parties. It does not matter if the unemployment rate is breaking new records or it does not matter if the real salaries continue to drop; Mayday is spring festival.

Yugoslav Hedonism

I do not think that the readers of this article favour an ascetic political struggle, avoiding profane joys. At least I am not. At least neither I nor my comrades would not like to have a political vision ignoring the joy of spending time together, having a dinner or a coffee or a drink together or playing football together etc. … Consequently we are all struggling to enjoy life altogether and in those “great days” we will be dancing in the city centres until the dawn.

However, we also cannot think something which is more absurd than transformation of 8th of March into a day where consumerism is boosted, where we in fact commemorate 159 women textile workers at March 8, 1857 in New York. Moreover, it is not only absurdity, nor a disrespect, but it also has to be perceived as an aggression towards the struggle of women.

What means lockouting a strike for workers means the same to celebrate “8 of March” within the conceptualization of it as a day boosting consumerism.

It is very common that especially white electronic companies make special sales in 8th of March. What a paradox! Strengthening the domestic division of labour, defining women in her natural place as “kitchen” in 8th of March, in the day symbolizing the equality and freedom struggle of women!

It becomes even weirder in Yugoslavia where Maydays are transformed into “spring festival” and “8th of March” is considered as “mothers’ day”. At the end, Yugoslavia was a socialist country having an experience of socialist values for 45 years! It is quite difficult to understand how those dates of struggle became the ritualistic carnivals of capitalism.

Considering the theoretical background and practices of “self-management” in Yugoslavia, it is a fact that this absurdity is just a visible scene of a chain of nonsense which is not only limited to 8th of March or Mayday, but an expected consequence of politics of self-management. Briefly, with an anti-Soviet claim, Yugoslav “market socialism” widely enjoyed an artificial welfare society thanks to the financial credits donated by West who were content about that anti-Soviet stance. The most essential part of this hallucination was the culture of hedonism especially at the end of 1960’s that was connected with the hallucination that the “working class was holding the means of production” where in fact the system was exploiting not only the financial credits of Western imperialism, but also socialist values dissolving the pillars of a socialist country like class consciousness and class struggle.

Transformation of Mayday into spring festival and 8th of March into “mothers’ day” is part of this systematic hallucination.

Politicising 8th of March!

Leftist political struggle is not a hobby.

It is a rebellion against pressure which takes place in everyday life, against a very political repression! The system which does not allow women’s political existence, is a political system and the reply should be political as well!

Not only within its historical context, but also regarding the current political situation, women’s day is a political fact. It is not like that only in countries like Turkey where fundamentalist religious politics restrain women in every single sphere in public life, but also in countries like Yugoslavia with a serious experience of socialism where women enjoyed progressive rights and social representation in every sphere of the society.

In this context, no one can claim that 8th March shall be “celebrated” free of its political meaning! In ex-Yugoslav countries, 8th of March shall even be commemorated in a more political concept where the heritage of self-management shall be questioned as well.

No wonder that, in this land, in Yugoslavia, 8th of March will again be the date symbolizing the struggle of women for freedom and equality, following the path of Marija Bursac and her martyr comrades in the struggle against fascism under the banner of Communist Party of Yugoslavia.

FOOTSTEPS OF FASCISM IN CENTRAL EUROPE

(Original text: Published in May 2, 2016)

The extreme right wing, neo-Nazi parties are getting stronger. Not yet in power, but more effective in government policies. Liberals are without honour by throwing the blame on immigrants and even to the communists. They ignore the failure of neoliberalism.

The success of AfD (Alternative for Germany) leaded by Frauke Petry which is known by anti-immigrant rhetoric, have shown how the extremist nationalism became closer to power during the local elections in Germany by March 2016. It is especially noteworthy that the AfD could get the 24% of the votes in Lower Saxony, part of ex-GDR. A similar case is also visible for Marine Le Pen's National Party in France. Not only in Germany and France, extreme right wing parties in Denmark, Switzerland and Italy are in a serious rise.

In Eastern and Central Europe, extreme right also became important figure of daily politics, not because they came to power, but because their political ideas became popular among ruling political parties.

The latest elections in Slovakia in March 2016 was under discussion widely in the European politics. People's Party – Our Slovakia leaded by Marian Kotleba performed a serious success by getting 8% of the votes. Kotleba is recognized with his boldness in dressing the symbols of Nazi puppet state of Slovakia (1939-1945) in public places.

The real success of Kotleba and his party is not getting 8% of the votes, but his anti-immigrant discourse found positive reflections in the ruling so-called Social Democratic Party. Even more important is that Kotleba got significant support from youngsters. It also has to be noted that when compared with other European countries, less immigrants exist in Slovakia.

A similar case is valid for Czechia. Currently social democrats hold the power in Czechia and extreme right wing DSSS (Worker's Party for Social Justice) was banned in 2010. Currently, there is not any neo-Nazi party in political arena, but there is also not any political party in Czechia confronting nationalism as well. Since 2010 numerous conservative organizations were established in the country. Although none of them do not have any neo-Nazi names or any neo-Nazi expressions in the discourse, everybody knows that if any opportunity will exist they will show off in city centres chanting „Sieg Heil“. Thanks to communists in Czechia, who are relatively powerful, they do not give any opportunity to neo-Nazis to exist in public space.

PiS (Law and Justice) in Poland is a great trouble. Poland is currently like the stronghold of conservatism in Europe. Even those liberals, who usually do not have problems with conservative values, religion, etc began to feel discontent with conservative politics. The misogynist discourse of anti-abortion law in Poland began to trouble some Poles. Last month (February 2016) number of Poles attending street protests confronting PiS and its politics have shown a rise. However, the ever increasing political strength and political effect of neo-Nazis must not be underestimated. It may sound a bit weird that neo-Nazis would be existing in a country like Poland which have experienced such a huge devastation because of Nazi invasion in World War II. However, during the last ten years numerous nationalist, extreme religious organizations are established and get significant support from youngsters. Their actions even sometimes trouble PiS government.

There are those who sympathize Viktor Orban in Hungary since he is following a balanced politics between Russia and USA/EU. Orban and his government have sometimes even important political problems with EU and USA because of that. This should not mislead us: Orban is not that much different from Erdoğan: Vulgar, arrogant and aggressive... and fascist! On the other side, Orban and his Fidesz are even sometimes not enough to conform racists and conservatists. Jobbik (which has got sympathy to Turkish nationalists) has a clear racist political programme.

When we come to ex-Yugoslavia... Those who are governing ex-Yugoslav republics are either the same ones who drove Yugoslavia to bloody warfarein 1990’s or their kids and successors.

Immigrants are seen as the basic reason behind the empowerment of nationalism and racism in the political arena in Central Europe. On the other side, empirical evidence shows that, number of immigrants in those countries are just a few thousands in each. According to an average European politician, the basic reason behind the rise of nationalism and racism is the fear from immigrants and moreover „antidemocratic legacy of half century long communism“. Solution for them is easy: Ban communism, deport immigrants! This is what the liberal right wing politicians cannot utter clearly, but what exactly is done by extreme right wing bullies without any confrontation with those who defend liberal values.

What is ignored is the ongoing effects of global economic crisis of 2009, which caused tens of thousands to be unemployed. Those people had lost their jobs long before the flow of immigrants!

Those shameless right wing politicians, those idiot analysts who easily blame immigrants and even communists turn a blind eye to 2009 crisis, the crisis of neoliberalism.

The near future of Central Europe is dark. But no need to darken the neck. There are those who struggle. We will continue to be the voice of those who struggle in East and Central Europe.

ALEPPO AND SREBRENICA

(Original text: Published in December 19, 2016)

In Turkish language we have a proverb that any comparison is free of any failure. Indeed, most of the comparisons are likely to have conceptual or factual failures. Especially, in contemporary political milieu when it is in the hands of political Islamists who are famous of deceit and exploitation of emotions, especially the religious sentiments. Even to a degree that they would not feel ashamed of exploiting the tearful memory of Srebrenica genocide.

Political Islamists have huge track of creating false stories, hoax news which requires pages of documentations. No doubt, Chetniks (Serbian nationalists) like any other ultra-right wing political group are quite competitive with the political Islamists. Those fake news created during the Bosnian War in 1992-95 by Serbian nationalists broadcasted through TV channels were quite competitive with those actual ones of our age distributed through social media. Some fantastic fictive stories were remarkable. For example, that one about sterilization of Serbian women by vaccines in Prijedor, Bosnia, or like the those about the Serbian babies who are used as food for the lions in the Sarajevo Zoo. Those and similar fake news found quite a large place in Serbian media just before the war, which provided a huge advantage against the anti-war opposition. An average citizen of Serbia would easily believe that an Islamic fundamentalist government was formed in Sarajevo and started to slaughter Serbs.

After almost a quarter century, hypocrisy and deceitfulness have reached to another stage with the new era of internet. Formerly, the fake news were constructed by those disrespectful journalists who would be easily bought by money or offering some other privileges. Today, it is done voluntarily by millions of social media users even usually without being aware of it.

“Social media illiteracy” is a destructive sickness of our society.

I use “social media illiteracy” in quotation marks since it is different than “illiteracy” and does not have any contextual relationship with diplomas gathered through formal education. I think I do not need to give examples on how it is does not. Since you are reading this article (in web) probably most of your news resources are web portals. It is also probably that from time time you get mad by those awkward social media sharings even by those who have PhD degrees. In the beginning of December 2016, we faced with a similar situation during the operation of Syrian Arab Army which ended with liberation of Aleppo from Islamist opposition.

The pro-government media became crazy when it became obvious that jihadists were losing the battle and they –once again- proved that there is no limit in fictive fake journalism. We witnessed how Al Jazeera, which was the address of true journalism during the Iraq War, became a machine to distribute fake news. Later on it was proved that all those photos and stories from “besieged Aleppo” were fake but who cares? The photos were already in circulation in social media.

On the other side, things are not as easy as it was quarter a century ago. It does not take long for a lie to come to light since “fact checking” is right there. In fact “fact checking” is a technical term of journalism, which refers to confirm a news from other resources. However, in contemporary society, or better to say in “post-truth” era, we use this term to confirm those shared information and news in social media. Those fact-checking web pages become more widespread. Even Facebook decided to imply fact-checking tools in struggle against information pollution. In our contemporary society, in post-truth society, the search for the truth is becomes a more virtuous and a more revolutionary action. The more we search for truth, the more we feel as human. It is not a coincidence that the motto of İleri Portal is “Truth is Revolutionary” –where the original Turkish version of this article is published.

Once we began to reveal Aleppo lies, than we found ourselves in another galaxy of accusations: We are Essadist, Russophile. In fact, this is not alien to us. Weren’t we occupier in Afghanistan, Saddamist in Iraq, Qaddafi supporter in Libya? The most surprising fact was that, those or similar accusations were directed to us even by those intellectually developed people, whom we thought that they believed in truth. There is really a serious epistemological problem: It does not mean that you propagate one side when you are revealing the lies of the other side, when you point the false claims of other side. If we did so, instead of revealing the lies, we would be sharing the footages on how “People of Aleppo welcome Syrian Army with tears” or “People of Aleppo greeted Syrian Army with fireworks”. Above all, it is very much clear that, especially after the experience in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, statements like “Opposition jihadists slaughters people but Essad is also not a democrat” or “Neither FSA nor Essad” are nothing but just saucy foolishness.

As lies are revealed, then we face with exploitation of facts and events which symbolize the evil, which aches every heart like Srebrenica genocide. In social media, it was commonly emphasized that Aleppo was new Srebrenica, without paying attention to factual, historical and even political irrelevancies between the two. Is it the limit of idiocy? Those thousands of disarmed civilians who were slaughtered in Srebrenica were considered to be equal with those barbarians who exploited civilians as human shields, who enjoyed cutting throats and selling women in slave markets for four years!

In 2011, RTS, the State Television of Serbia declared apology for those fake news which were broadcasted in 90’s on War in Bosnia. The documentary film titled “Godine koje su pojeli lavovi” (The year which was eaten by the lions) directed by Sarajevo journalist Boro Kontiç and projected in Sarajevo Film Festival in 2011 is like a lesson by including interviews made with those journalists who produced those fake news. Those who watched the documentary could see how wretched a journalist can become. Surely they were all regretful of what they did and they all apologized. But some were still defending the evil, still defending the fake news they reported. (1)

It would be a bit naïve to expect that those jihadists who turned Aleppo into hell will apologize. It is even a bit naïve dream that those pathologically stubborn “social media illiterates” who do not hesitate to share hoax news to make a self-criticism and to apologize for what they did. However, those who are searching for the truth should never give up their struggle. Our most effective weapon against that illiteracy is the “truth”. Truth is revolutionary and revolutionaries are fearless fighters for the search of the truth.

(1)    For the trailer of the documentary film of Boro Kontiç: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY10R7l_1Cw