VOA标准英语2008年-Facebook Impacts Turkish Politics

Facebook is a way for people around the world to network and keep in touch with friends. But in Turkey, Facebook has taken on a new dimension as a political pulpit. Dorian Jones reports for VOA from Istanbul on the growing political power of Facebook in Turkish politics.

"Well this is my Facebook profile actually my first purpose was to reach friends I have not seen for a while. But like everyone I have received invitations to some groups. And I have accepted especially the groups against the current government, especially regarding the secular¹ system," said Melten Col, who is one of two million Facebook members in Turkey.

Col is a young woman living a secular life in an overwhelmingly Muslim country. She fears the right to a life without religious pressure is threatened by the government. But her generation grew up in the 1980s in the time of military rule, in Turkey with zero tolerance² to traditional platforms of civic³ society. Facebook, Col says, is now enabling people to overcome that legacy⁴.

"In democracy, I believe civil society is a big need and they must be very active," she says. "But you know we don't have this feeling of going and becoming a member of such groups. But people are now acting⁵ as individuals and creating such groups.

And how useful is it to her?

"It is good to know that you are not alone," she says.

But it is not just opponents of the government who are fighting it out on Facebook.

A demonstration⁶ last July in the heart of Istanbul against attempts by Turkey's constitutional court to close down the ruling AK party. It was organized by the civil rights group, Young Civilians⁷. The demonstration along with most of the group's other activities was organized through Facebook. In fact, the whole movement was born on Facebook, says Ceran Kener, one of the founding members of the group.

"Actually before we had an office we had an Internet group, so I believe the Internet and different tools of the Internet, they serve this young people in a very positive way, because we don't have assets we don't have capital. But we have a tool for free, and we can reach people through this tool," said Kener. "Some people know Young Civilians but they were not interested in activities they just wanted to be a member of Facebook. Then they started to participate in activities, so Facebook is a very important tool for us."

But this Facebook revolution is not only confined to the city's well-educated youth. Berke Bas, who teaches media studies at Istanbul's Bilgi University, says all of society is now getting connected.

"With this transmission of information, maybe it will help Turkey to be a more democratic society, but there is also the danger that it will create more division within society, because nobody wants to listen to the other," said Bas. "When you create your group your Facebook, when you refuse and you deny all the others , with other political points of views then we cannot talk about democratization but we can only witness a divided country taking shape even on the internet."

But Kener doesn't share such concerns. She sees Facebook and other social Internet groups as a powerful tool to challenge the growing threat of political apathy⁸ among Turkey's youth.

"Political apathy among young people is much related to how young people perceive politics as a job of old men. But I think Internet is based on mutual⁹ relationship. In Facebook people are using their initiatives , they are writing comments they can talk with people. You cannot write comments when the president is talking on the television," added Kener. "But you find a way to express yourself. We have a mail group and it is so vivid. So many people are making comments about so many issues. These people have some ideas when they find a way to express it they do express it so Internet is an important thing.

Facebook along with other social networking groups is set to play a key role in the next chapter in Turkey's struggle for democracy and human rights. The government has committed itself to replacing the constitution, which was written by the military. Already the discussion about what that constitution should be is proving deeply divisive. For now at least the jury is out on the question of whether Facebook groups are empowering the people, or adding to the polarization of Turkish society.

1 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

2 tolerance   

n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差

参考例句：

• Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
• Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。

3 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

4 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

5 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

6 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

7 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

8 apathy   

n.漠不关心，无动于衷；冷淡

参考例句：

• He was sunk in apathy after his failure.他失败后心恢意冷。
• She heard the story with apathy.她听了这个故事无动于衷。

9 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。