Whatsa mattah Turkey? Chicken?
The country that refuses to acknowledge its past is now refusing to acknowledge the future, too. A court in Istanbul has issued an order blocking access to YouTube following several months of disputes between Greek and Turkish members on the site.
Greek and Turkish YouTube users have been trading video insults over the past few months, attracting much coverage in the Turkish press. Greek videos reportedly accused the founding president of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, of homosexuality; a Turkish user responded by calling Greece the birthplace of homosexuality.
Turkish law forbids any criticisms of Turkey or Turkishness. But the law apparently doesn't forbid sticking your head in the sand. Kudos.
A quick browse through YouTube reveals a few of the videos in question. The first one, below, apparently accuses Kemal Ataturk of being a limp-wristed nancypants.
The Turkish reposte: An exploration of Greek homesexuality throughout history.
If nothing else, the sheer dedication of both countries to pillorying each other with complicated, history-based homophobia puts the glib invective of our own resident hatemonger to shame:
