In Turkey, you witness a sudden   transformation in people who see themselves as “modern, enlightened, and pioneering” and who may indeed be ahead of society in many respects at   the moment the topic turns to east of Turkey. According to them, our Kurdish, Eastern, separatism and autonomy issues have no parallel anywhere in the world. No other country has experienced what the Republic of Turkey has gone through on this matter. They challenge the official narrative in almost every field, but when it comes to this topic, they don’t even tolarate their own father’s son ( a Turkish proverb) for the red line drawn with a thick marker. I call this “the great success of the Cold War”. The Cold War managed to etch an “othering” template into the minds of even those under 40 — passed down from their fathers — that leaves no room for doubt among those over 40. The Cold War was the peak of othering and enemy-making. In Turkey, the fairy tale “This Winter Commun...