Christian and Muslim Dreams Of Empire: Turkey and Holland 08.03 [EN]

Thanks to Google Reader, I found this post in the Fistful Of Euros Blog:

Dreams of empire (plus bleg for our Turkish readers)
from A Fistful Of Euros by Guy La Roche
Via Dutch weblog Sargasso.
Somebody in Turkey [?, HR] posted the following video to YouTube:

This was picked up by Sargasso and one of their Dutch readers posted the following response:

Totally inane, of course, but I think it is rather amusing.
And now my bleg for our Turkish readers. Is the YouTube video Great Türkic State
a spoof or is there something more serious, as in juvenile fantasies,
behind it?
Unfortunately, I cannot read the comments to the vid, hence
the question.
I know of Turkish nationalism, but I cannot believe this
would extend to… China.

Well, Guy, the 15 comments on Sargasso by Dutch readers (updated up to 08.03.08, 18:06) are as reserved, ironic and humoristic as your comment is. #03 "Bismarck" says (07.03.08, 22:01) [translation]: "When I was 10 years old, I had the same kind of fantasies. I extended our territories and made a forceful power (or powers) occupy all territories available." 26 Minutes later (#04), he points to a similar imperial fantasy on YouTube, this time Serbo-Russian.
For readers who are interested in subconscious and half-conscious Dutch imperial dreams, I submit some explanations to the second YouTube video you show. It was submitted to Sargasso by "Ini" (#08) at 8:17 in the morning of the following day (8.3). I presume, Ini has spent the night at its' conception.
During the first 12 seconds of the 30-seconds video, the orange Dutch appropriation of the world starts with Indonesia (until 1949 a Dutch colony). Australia is next. It was discovered by Dutch sailors, notably Abel Tasman (who gave his name to Tasmania), during the 17th century, before the British took possession of it. The same applies to New Zealand (named after the Dutch province of "Zeeland"). Manhattan (New York) was a Dutch trade post that was given to the British at the peace treaty of 1662 in exchange for Surinam. The Caribbean Dutch isles of Curaçao etc. also figure on the map. South Africa and parts of Madagascar and the Dutch possessions in West Africa: The latter became English during the Napoleonic wars. The former, populated with Dutch banned criminals and some shiploads of poor Dutch orphan girls, plus German refugees and French Protestants, were incorporated into the British Commonwealth at the turn of the former centuries, thanks to the "Boer" wars. At the Berlin conference of 1878, Madagascar, with its Indonesian immigrants, was incorporated into the French sphere of influence.
So far for more or less understandable Dutch claims.
The other 18 seconds of the video make the whole European Union Dutch and fill the rest of the whole world with orange. Why orange? - Because of the colours of the Dutch royal family, who was (amongst others) nominally heriditary of the French County named "Orange" in the Rhone valley, until the French Revolution (1789-1791).
The author of the video doesn't explain him(her)self. I presume, that he/she followed the same fantasy as the young princess Wilhelmina (born 1880) did during the nineties of the 19th century, when she drew a Dutch imperium over most of Northern Europe, and adding all (former) Dutch possessions in the world (see above).
The commenters on Sargasso appreciate the little video. They understand that the Turkish claims to (former) Turk or Turkmene territories are as empty as supposedly English claims to Anglian an Saxonic territories on the continent would be.
I liked most a comment on Sargasso (#15, at 08.03.08, 18h06), that said:
"Toch geeft zo’n filmpje een mooi alternatief voor de opname van Turkije in de EU: De opname van de EU in Turkije!"
[Translation: "A little video like that provides a nice alternative for the incorporation of Turkey into the EU: An incorporation of the EU into Turkey!"]
Because of a (temporary?) problem at the Fistful site, I couldn't insert this text into the comments rubrique over there. I'll insert a reference as soon as technically possible.

Technorati Tags: Turkey, Europe, Netherlands, UK, YouTube

Comments

[Guy]

Hi, Huib, thanks for the background article. AFOE is back online and I have added a link to it in the body of the mentioned post.

Cheers,

Guy