First of all, when Jarasi was composing the correction on the headscarf wearing character in Snow, (s)he was talking about the comment by NoWeepingWillow, not Serda Kaya. Apparantly Jarasi was got confused with the title and wrote Serdar Kaya instead. Funny how Serdar Kaya failed to see this.

What Jarasi says about Ipek and the headscarf issue is absolutely correct. I also agree with Jarasi on the fact that NoWeepingWillow seems to have confused the two most influential characters in the book - which makes me think his/her fanaticism regarding Turkey seems to be blinding him/her. Knowing so much about Turkey to hate it so much yet failing to understand the book that he/she is commenting on is funny, to say the least.

As for Serdar Kaya on AKP and whether they are islamists or not, I can only remind him of the laws AKP tried to pass such as the no alcohol zone law, the religous imam hatip school laws, the adultery law and AKP's ambitious efforts to bring a head of the central bank whose most important quality seemed to be the headscarf worn by his wife (including a candidate who was working in a islamic "no interest" bank to head the central bank whose main job is to adjust interest rates!) There are numerous other examples of the islamic character of AKP please do tell me if you want me to name a few others.

As for AKP's love of freedoms, anyone can easily read the latest comments on legislation 301 by the minister of law - who also happens to be the goverment spokesperson.

Serdar Kaya is right in his critique of this newsstory by Michelle Goldberg. It is a good read, but Mrs. Goldberg seems to have got a wrong picture of the AKP government. When compared to the secularist/nationalist state establishment, the Muslim -- not Islamist -- AKP is much more liberal. That's why many liberals in Turkey sympathize with AKP today, while the nationalists depict it as "a collaborator of Western imperalism." Intellectuals like Pamuk are attacked by that nationalist circle, not by AKP.

As Hitler said, "Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?"

By all means, read the novels if they make you feel enlightened, but to really know Turkey you have to read some actual history as well.

Dear Turkish Guy,

Thank you for the warm response.

I was taught from an early age to hate Turks by my grand parents, but my American father countered some of their anger with a plea for peace.

My mother told me these stories from a very early age. I remeber my mother refusing to buy anything from Turkey. I saw a Turkish dentist a few weeks ago. She was afraid he'd hurt me if he knew I was Armenian. I hadn't realized how fearful she still was. She is an intelligent woman, but her fear is deeply rooted.

I look at Turks and I see my cousins. We are so much alike. Food, culture and even some values. I hope for peace.

Hello Heavy Heart,

Sorry to hear the sad family story.

The stance of the Turkish people in regards to the Armenian killings during WW1 has changed a lot - especially recently.

It is today widely acknowledged in Turkey that many Armenians lost their lives at the time. According to the Turkish reports, death toll accounts to 300K. Armenians insist that the figure is above 1,5M. My personal contention is that it has to be some place in between - as is the case on most of such conflicts.

The widely debated aspect of this issue today is whether the killings point to a genocide or not.

Although I personally do not think that the killings were seen as some sort of a 'final solution', how the killings are named may be quite irrelavant to a lot of people who suffered from it.

What gives me hope from your message is that you do not let the memories of the past affect your present judgments. I do not know whether I could do the same if I grew up with a similar family story. However, if people on both sides try not to hold grandchildren of the other party responsible for their grandparents' mistakes, it may be possible to leave the past behind, and live once-again together in peace.

This article saddens me. My grandparents left Turkey in the 1920s after their famillies were ruthlessly killed in a religious genocide. Armenians are usually Christian, whereas Turks are Muslum. My great-grandmother was run through because she couldn't keep up with the relocation march. My grandfather witnessed his mother's murder. She was very pregnant at the time.

Turkey denies any killing of Armenians. The United States and Europe conviently overlook this while boasting what a wonderful place Turkey is. Turkish people and Armmenians share many things, but their interpretation of their shared history isn't one of them.

I harbor no hostility towards Turks, but I know there is moe to Turkey than great food and picturesque vistas. I had a cousin who went there in the 1960s. He never returned.

Thank you for an extremely thoughtful and descriptive article. I spent a year in Turkey from 2002-2003, and before I left, friends and family cautioned me to dye my hair dark and bring things like toilet paper from home. Needless to say, Turkey is an extremely complicated and hugely misunderstood nation (particularly by Americans)-- it is the most captivating and enriching place one could visit, and it is simultaneously one of the most cosmopolitan and underdeveloped societies on earth. Turkey has suffered a lot as a result of the conflicts in the Middle East, and the more people read about it and travel there, the better we will understand not just Turkey but the entire region.

Michelle Goldberg asserts that Istanbul "is a rare Muslim city that retains a Jewish community". Apparently she hasn't visited Tehran.

Hello Jarasi,

Let me start off by saying that it is hard to figure out what exactly in my article your response corrects.

FIRST

You are quoting 'Snow', which is a novel. I do not know what for... Is it because you are trying to show that Turkey is composed of different factions? Who said it is not?

SECOND

I have no objections to the fact that the author knows more about Turkey than the average Joe on an American street. However, 'relatively' higher knowledge is most of the time is just not good enough. (This is especially true if this relativity is to a nation whose average citizens know next to nothing about what goes on behind the national borders.)

Let me translate you a phrase that we refer to a lot in Turkish: "He who knows a little is more dangerous than he who knows nothing at all.'

THIRD

If you have any evidence that AKP silences or tortures writers, or if you have any evidence that the Army is trying to protect the freedoms from AKP, please produce it. However, if you cannot do it, please stop setting forth irrelevant points to correct my corrections which are already correct.