Bear in mind, political incorrectness is different than hate speech: instead of inciting violence against a particular group, it serves to remind everyone why that group can’t seem to do anything right.
For a population whose desire to be accepted by Europe is hindered by Europeans’ own prejudices, Turkish insensitivity might seem ironic. It is not that Turkish insensitivity is universal: a pop star was once taken to court for popping a balloon bearing a Turkish flag by an overly concerned citizen (link Turkish).
But the tolerance and respect afforded balloons is often lost on many non-Turks, at least according to the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance’s Third Report on Turkey:
“...intolerant remarks are sometimes made in public, including by political leaders and prominent public figures. The targets of these remarks vary according to the circumstances but recently, Armenians, Jews, Greeks and Kurds have attracted intolerant comments…”
Jewish cowardice, Christian horniness, Kurdish backwardness or Arabic stupidity come up often in day-to-day phrases, but one doesn't create international controversy by limiting oneself to making just your own minorities feel uncomfortable.
No, Turkey has had to branch out, from films about Chinese investors who stir up small towns to black footballers (or people of African decent in general) who supposedly practice cannibalism, or even this video of an announcer taking the Turkish phrase “isteyenin bir yüzü, vermeyenin iki yüzü kara” (Asking darkens ones face once, not giving darkens it twice) a bit too far:
The reporter here is calling for mutual respect from Obama. In his defense,
Of course, political correctness is often criticized in the West for hindering free speech, and if anything, Turks prove daily they are the freest speakers of all.
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