Balyoz | Varyos

The arrest of dozens of high-ranking military figures in Turkey over an alleged coup plan dating back seven years marks the latest episode of a power struggle. Until recently, such tough action was inconceivable against the military which has toppled four governments in 50 years and exercised significant clout in politics. In a massive swoop, anti-terror police Monday detained more than 40 people, including the former air force and navy chiefs, over a purported plan drawn up in 2003 to oust the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Recent reforms to align the country with the European Union, spearheaded by the AKP government, has reduced the influence of the once-mighty military and constitute a "breaking point" in Turkish political history, The alleged coup plan code-named "Balyoz Operasyonu/Operation Sledgehammer" was exposed last month.

What better occasion to do some digging into the word "Balyoz"

Mavi Boncuk
Balyoz: TR from varyos(vareos) GR Straight pane sledgehammer EN
Hammer: O.E. hamor, from P.Gmc. *khamur. The O.N. cognate hamarr meant "stone, crag" (it's common in Eng. place names), and suggests an original sense of "tool with a stone head," from PIE *komor- "hammer," from base *akm- "sharp (stone)," cf. Slav. kamy, Rus. kameni "stone." The verb is first attested early 15c.
Sledge: "heavy hammer," O.E. slecg, from P.Gmc. *slagj- (cf. O.N. sleggja, M.Swed. sleggia "sledgehammer"), to slean "to strike". Related to
Slay: O.E. slean "to smite," also "to kill with a weapon" (class VI strong verb; past tense sloh, slog, pp. slagen), from P.Gmc. *slakhanan, from base *slog- "to hit" (cf. O.N., O.Fris. sla, Dan. slaa, M.Du. slaen, Du. slaan, O.H.G. slahan, Ger. schlagen, Goth. slahan "to strike"), from PIE base from base *slak- "to strike" (cf. M.Ir. pp. slactha "struck," slacc "sword"). Modern Ger. cognate schlagen maintains the original sense of "to strike." Meaning "overwhelm with delight" (1340) preserves some of the wider rangeof meanings that the word once had, including also "to strike a spark" (O.E.).

Samples from Turkish literature.

“Gene oradan gelen çekiç ve balyoz sesleri, ta kapılarında sandallar -uslu ehli mahluklar gibi bağlı ve uyuklar-duran eski boyalı dere yalılarının önünde bile...” -Ruşen Eşref Ünaydın, Hatıralar I, 308.

“... ve İngilizlerin “yumurtayı balyozla kırmak” dedikleri lüzumsuz gayretlerden biri sayıyor.” -Peyami Safa, Doğu-Batı Sentezi, 194.

“… hani adamlar durup durup da, bekleyip edip de balyoz kafamıza iner inmez Aysel’i de o masum çekiçle defettiler hani?” -Adalet Ağaoğlu, Bir Düğün Gecesi, 42.

“Tam o anda ensemde, balyozla vurulmuş gibi bir ses duyuyorum.” -Necip Fazıl Kısakürek, O ve Ben, 96.

“Belinin ortasına zaman zaman ağır bir balyoz gibi inen ağrı kasıklarına doğru yayılıyor.” -Nazım Hikmet Ran, Kan Konuşmaz, 79.

“İskender’in aynası bir balyoz darbesiyle kırılıp…” Elif Şafak, Şehrin Aynaları, 19.

balta TR hache FR Ax EN
çekiç TR Marteau FR Hammer EN
kazma TR Pick EN (slang) Kaba, görgüsüz TR uncouth , uncivilized, EN
keser TR Adz(e), hatchet EN From Old English adesa, of obscure origin, perhaps somehow related to O.Fr. aisse, L. ascia "axe." Similar to an ax with an arched blade. Sape, (H)erminette FR

"...if I wanted a board, I had no other way but to cut down a tree, set it on an edge before me, and hew it flat on either side with my axe, till I brought it to be thin as a plank, and then dub it smooth with my adze." 1719, Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe
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