26 November 2008
2660) The Fallacious Armenian Genocide Speeches In The Australian Parliament
From: Ataman Atlas
To: J.Hockey.MP at aph.gov.au ; senator.ellison at aph.gov.au ; maxinemckewmp ; Malcolm.Turnbull.MP at aph.gov.au ; Bronwyn.Bishop.MP at aph.gov.au ; S.Crean.MP at aph.gov.au ; Julia.Gillard.MP at aph.gov.au ; Bob.Katter.MP at aph.gov.au ; senator.coonan at aph.gov.au ; senator.sterle at aph.gov.au ; senator.faulkner at aph.gov.au; Turkish Embassy; Turkish Media;.. Sent: Thursday, November 27, 2008
Dear Messers, Hockey, and Ellison,
I write to you as an Australian Citizen and a grandchild of a survivor of the Turkish Genocide, perpetrated by traitorous sections of the Armenian community and citizens of the former Ottoman Empire during the First World War.I note both of you have made speeches (in relatively recent times) in relation to the outrageous, fallacious and highly inflammatory Armenian “Genocide” allegations.
From the outset, I call both of you liars, dishonest, deceitful, cowards and men of ill - repute. I will make sure this letter and it’s contents are circulated far and wide over the internet and I would challenge you to sue me for defamation for what I am about to say.
You have misled the Australian Parliament and therefore the Australian people, in a cowardly manner, hiding behind parliamentary privilege, and in fact defaming dead men whom as we all know under law can not file suit nor seek a remedy against your outrageous lies.I need not go through both your speeches and detail each and every lie you have told the Australian people through your position of trust and responsibility via the Australian Parliament.
However, I will touch upon certain aspects of each speech, and attach copies of transcripts to this letter at the end.Starting with Mr Hockey’s speech initially where by he stated (which is also a reference made by Mr Ellison and that other disgraceful cowardly liar Mr Bob Carr under NSW Parliamentary privilege), “In 1939, Adolf Hitler addressed his battle commanders at Obersalzberg with these chilling words:I put ready my Death’s Head Units the order to kill without pity or mercy all men, women and children of the Polish race or language. Only thus will we gain the living space that we need.
Who still talks nowadays of the extermination of the Armenians?”
That entire quote is a lie and has been proven to be a lie for many many years now. In fact the person who established that as a lie and forgery, himself is an honest decent Armenian person by the name of Dr Robert John.
Details of that fact are attached at the end of this letter
....Mr Hockey goes on to state the following,“
….On the basis of the worldwide apathy to the plight of an entire generation of Armenians who were rounded up and systematically slaughtered, Hitler embarked on his own diabolical plan of extermination. Some 70 years after Hitler’s words, the Armenian community is still struggling to achieve recognition for their own genocide at the hands of the Ottoman military during World War I.
……..This is now recognised as the beginning of an official attempt by the Turkish government to exterminate its Armenian population.”First and foremost, this one paragraph is beautifully choreographed to gain maximum damage against the Turkish Government and the Turkish people, in short it is an incitement to racial hatred.
I ask Mr Hockey (who hiding behind parliamentary privilege accuses and then goes on to convict the Turkish Government and therefore it’s people of a heinous crime, the Crime of Genocide) just exactly where is the conviction against the Turkish Government or in fact against the Ottoman Government? (Which is more appropriate of course considering the Republic of Turkey was not in existence until 1923) Albeit the crime of Genocide did not exist at that time and it came into being after World War II, where exactly are the convictions against the Ottoman Government for any offence akin to Crimes Against Humanity no matter what the wording of the indictment ?
You see Mr Hockey well knows and so did Mr Carr and I would assume by now that Senator Ellison would also know, the Ottoman Empire ceased to exist after World War I and the British occupied its former capital Istanbul for approximately 3 years.
During that time, with their Armenian assistants, searched far and wide all the Ottoman Archives, Government Departments and any place they thought might hold evidence of Crimes against the Armenians.
The British had full and unfettered access to all Ottoman Government Departments and documents.The British in fact caused the arrest “WITHOUT CHARGE” of approximately 144 Ottoman officials from the leadership with a view of having them put on trial for “Outrages Against the Armenians”.
However, after searching far and wide, and asking for any evidence the French, Russians and Americans might have been holding, the British could not even reach the most basic level of proof prima facie.
All persons were released after approximately two and half years in custody from the island of Malta, WITHOUT ANY CHARGE BEING PREFERRED AGAINST ANY OF THE OTTOMAN LEADERSHIP. Now all these men are dead and can not speak for themselves. People of ill repute, such as Mr Hockey, Mr Ellison and Mr Carr can safely defame them because, and I reiterate, as we all know “DEAD MEN” cannot sue.
They cannot defend themselves against such outrageous criminal allegations without ever being afforded the Natural Justice any Civilised society would afford them, like the British did.This is Historical FACT, commonly referred to as the Malta Tribunals, (although there were no hearings conducted, and I reiterate, NOT ONE CHARGE of Outrages Against the Armenians preferred against any Ottoman Official).
This is the reason why consecutive British Governments (and dare I say in this regard Honourable) have never passed such a spurious, unjust and fallacious resolution as recognising something that never was, the alleged Armenian “Genocide”.What certain dishonest, traitorous, deceitful, criminal SECTIONS (NOT ALL) of the Armenian community could not achieve (Their fantasy of a Greater Armenia from Sea to Sea) via acts of betrayal and war against their own Government. Then later acts of terrorism they are now trying to use the deaths of thousands of innocent Armenians and TURKS in a despicable political manner, using unscrupulous, narcissistic, sociopathic politicians, the likes of Mr Hockey, Mr Ellison, and Mr Carr.
Dare I also say Ms Maxine McKew who played the “Genocide” card to defeat the former Prime Minister Mr Howard. BUT FOR her underhanded deceitful and dishonest claims of the alleged “Armenian Genocide” she WOULD NOT have won her seat, and the numbers establish that FACT.No matter what flaws Mr Howard may or may not have had he will go down in History as an Honourable politician and person who never pandered to the treacherous section of the Armenian Diaspora for a political win at ANY COST, unlike the grubby Ms Mckew.There are many more FACTUAL ERRORS in Mr Hockey’s speech where by he has misled Parliament and therefore the Australian people which can be pointed out but I doubt any of you would be interested in that and I do not intend on re producing major works just to re – establish HISTORICAL FACT. I will address one last issue, which Mr Hockey touched upon and that is section 301 of the Turkish Penal Code.
The Republic of Turkey is a sovereign nation, which won it’s sovereignty after a long and hard war at great cost in Turkish lives.
The laws of the Republic of Turkey are for the TURKS themselves to decide upon not dishonest, deceitful, narcissistic, sociopathic politicians from other nations such as Mr Hockey to dictate. All nations have various laws relating to defamation and although far from perfect that Section 301 is similar in terms of defamation laws found in the vast majority of nations throughout the world. In fact this is what the United Nations had to say about this issue;-"(The) United Nations has not approved or endorsed a report labelling the Armenian experience as Genocide." Farhan Haq, U.N. spokesman, October 5th, 2000. On June 4-7, 2005, at a Florida Atlantic University genocide conference, Juan Mendez, Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide to the Secretary General of the United Nations, was criticized for calling the Armenians' genocide an "event." This article tells us that the Argentinian "responded that since the UN has not officially recognized the genocide, he was not allowed to call it that."
As reader Conan put it: "The UN is the organ that has established the Genocide Convention. If even such an institution doesn’t recognize the Armenian genocide, Turkey has the right to punish the so called Armenian genocide as libel. That is the right of every nation." I would ask Mr Hockey and others of his ilk that would sell their souls to the devil for personal gain to prove his allegations that, “
……Around 1½ million Armenians were murdered during the Armenian genocide out of an estimated total Armenian population of just 2½ million people….
The intention of the Ottomans was the complete obliteration of not only the Armenian nation but any memory of the Armenian people as well
……….The mere existence of Armenians in Turkey was officially denied
…..But there is simply no other word for what happened to the Armenian people of Turkey. They were indeed the victims of an act designed to destroy an entire race…”
What is in fact “divisive and offensive” is the lies told by such dishonest politicians the likes of My Hockey and his ilk. “Australian people [do in fact, my addition to Mr Hockey’s words] deplore this sort of racism and barbarity” that Mr Hockey has perpetrated under the protection of Parliamentary privilege abusing his position of trust and responsibility given to him by the entire Australian Nation not just a certain Criminal section of the Armenian community.
“This country [Australia] has [indeed] prospered though the immigration of people from countless nations, including Armenia” [AND TURKEY].
I would urge Mr Hockey, Mr Ellison, Mr Carr, Ms McKew and others of their ilk, to prove, that “It was the intentional attempted obliteration of an entire people” by the Ottoman Government. Otherwise, I call them dishonest and deceitful liars. Or in the alternative forget passing a resolution but actually take the Republic of Turkey to an International Tribunal to determine this matter ONCE and FOR ALL.
Why is there no Government in the world brave enough to take the Republic of Turkey to an International Tribunal over this issue. The Republic of Turkey has formally stated that it would accept any such attempt with favour and waive the rights of standing, whereby they would stand in the steed of the former Ottoman Government as the Successor State and further still waive the right of retrospectivity in relation to the offence of “Genocide”. If dishonest Politicians such as Mr Hockey, Mr Ellison, Mr Carr and Ms McKew are genuinely interested in the fate of some thousands of innocent Armenian and TURKISH victims why not pursue a proper and fair hearing on the matter and seek restitution for what few survivors of this alleged “genocide” and their families that are left ?You see the reason behind that is quite clear the British established it some 80 odd years ago, because THERE IS NO EVIDENCE of any sort of pre planned, predetermined, executed plan by the central Ottoman Government to murder, exterminate, or wipe out, the entire or even a section of it’s former Armenian citizens.I would put the challenge to all those dishonest politicians to either prove their fallacious allegations or APOLOGISE to the Australian Nation for misleading them, and further still, apologise to the Republic of Turkey and all the Turkish people around the world, some of whom (approximately 150,000 odd) living right here in Australia.
There is much more that I could say in relation to this matter. However as per usual, I much like the dead men of the Ottoman leadership have no right of reply. Further still, there is NOT ONE HONEST politician in the whole of Australia that will stand up and put forward the WHOLE body of evidence in relation to this issue.
Any evidence that the Turkish side would like to put forward will be stifled, ignored, and brushed aside; I would inquire as to the reason or motivation for this?Could it stem all the way back to Pope Urban and his call for the first Crusades against the Seljuk Turks?
When Pope Urban in a more honest and open manner stated,“Urban II's sermon proved the most effective single speech in European history, as he summoned the attending nobility and the people to wrestle the Holy Land from the hands of the Seljuk Turks:
I, or rather the Lord, beseech you as Christ's heralds to publish this everywhere and to persuade all people of whatever rank, foot-soldiers and knights, poor and rich, to carry aid promptly to those Christians and to destroy that vile race from the lands of our friends. I say this to those who are present, it meant also for those who are absent.
Moreover, Christ commands it. [1]The chronicler Robert the Monk, quotes Urban II as saying that[...] this land which you inhabit, shut in on all sides by the seas and surrounded by the mountain peaks, is too narrow for your large population; nor does it abound in wealth; and it furnishes scarcely food enough for its cultivators. Hence it is that you murder one another, that you wage war, and that frequently you perish by mutual wounds. Let therefore hatred depart from among you, let your quarrels end, let wars cease, and let all dissensions and controversies slumber.
Enter upon the road to the Holy Sepulchre; wrest that land from the wicked race, and subject it to yourselves. [...] God has conferred upon you above all nations great glory in arms. Accordingly undertake this journey for the remission of your sins, with the assurance of the imperishable glory of the Kingdom of Heaven.Within Fulcher of Chartres account of pope Urban’s speech, there was a promise of remission of sins for who ever took part in the crusade.
All who die by the way, whether by land or by sea, or in battle against the pagans, shall have immediate remission of sins. This I grant them through the power of God with which I am invested. O what a disgrace if such a despised and base race, which worships demons, should conquer a people which has the faith of omnipotent God and is made glorious with the name of Christ! With what reproaches will the Lord overwhelm us if you do not aid those who, with us, profess the Christian religion!
Let those who have been accustomed unjustly to wage private warfare against the faithful now go against the infidels and end with victory this war which should have been begun long ago.
Let those who for a long time, have been robbers, now become knights.
Let those who have been fighting against their brothers and relatives now fight in a proper way against the barbarians.
Let those who have been serving as mercenaries for small pay now obtain the eternal reward.
Let those who have been wearing themselves out in both body and soul now work for a double honor. Behold! on this side will be the sorrowful and poor, on that, the rich; on this side, the enemies of the Lord, on that, his friends.
Let those who go not put off the journey, but rent their lands and collect money for their expenses; and as soon as winter is over and spring comes, let hem eagerly set out on the way with God as their guide.[3]
1. Fulcher of Chartres' account of Urban's speech, Urban II: Speech at Council of Clermont, 1095, Five versions of the Speech (available as part of the Internet Medieval Sourcebook).
2. Robert the Monk's account of Urban's speech, Urban II: Speech at Council of Clermont, 1095, Five versions of the Speech (available as part of the Internet Medieval Sourcebook).
3. Fulcher of Chartres account of Urban's speech, Urban II: Speech at Council of Clermont, 1095, Five versions of the Speech (available as part of the Internet Medieval Sourcebook).
At least Pope Urban did not hide his innate hatred of the Turks like the dishonest Politicians Mr Hockey, Mr Ellison, Mr Carr, and Ms McKew he was honourable enough to let everyone know how he felt.
What Mr Hockey and his rag tag band of alleged “Genocide” cronies are doing is in fact an underhanded way of continuing the Crusades by stealth, it is little wonder that Turks and in fact most Muslims feel marginalised and disenfranchised here in Australia.For far too long the innate politeness and courtesy of the Turkish race has stopped them from putting forward their case in strong terms. Even to this very day, the ineffective, apathetic Turkish Government does very little if at all anything to set right this outrageous fallacious allegation of the “Armenian Genocide”.
Other than some Turkish Politicians which are no better then their Australian or US counterparts beat their chests, make a few rhetorical statements in the Turkish Parliament that achieve nothing. Successive Turkish Governments have been the laughing stock of both Europe and it’s own people. Yet again, successive Turkish Governments have not been able to look after it’s own people in Turkey let alone orchestrate some grand conspiracy to hide and deny historical facts. The Turkish Government has a lot to learn from Israel, in particular the former valiant and courageous Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir and her orders to commence Operation “Wrath of God.” I commend and admire her courage and dedication to her own people, if successive Turkish Governments had taken any note or any sort of example from her Government many more innocent Turkish lives could have been saved.
Therefore, regardless of what the likes of Mr Hockey may try to allude to it is not the Turkish Government that denies this heinous allegation, which would be akin to me calling Mr Hockey a paedophile without the requisite evidence; it is the Turkish people and race.We will no longer stand by whilst our collective race is accused and convicted of such a heinous crime in political forums without us ever having the opportunity to reply. Perhaps it is time that the Turks throughout the world take a page out of the Armenian terrorists’ handbook.
Of course I talk about the Murders of Mr Sarik Arayak and Mr Engin Sever the Consul General and his Security Attaché in Sydney (December 1980) and the bombing of the Turkish Consulate in Melbourne (Monday, 24 November, 1986).
Clearly, those events have drawn the attention of politicians, or was it the case that they were only Muslim Turks so it doesn’t really matter. Much like the hundreds and thousands if not millions of Turks murdered by the Armenians during the material times in the Eastern part of Turkey.
NOT ONCE are those innocent victims of Armenian atrocities ever mentioned by any WESTERN POLITICIAN. Clearly, two wrongs don’t make a right but two wrongs don’t make a “genocide” either.If the Turks were to carry out acts of terrorism in this nation it would be expected and immediately labelled Muslim Terrorists quite conveniently by the biased western media before the smoke had disappeared from the rubble. Much innocent blood has been spilt and will continue to spill over this issue, whilst people in positions of power and trust like Mr Hockey continue to lie and perpetrate pure and utter propaganda.
Dishonest politicians like Mr Hockey, Mr Ellison, Mr Carr, and Ms McKew would be better off concentrating on the woes of the Australian people first and foremost before meddling in conflicts dating back decades if not centuries, that occurred in places some thousands of kilometres away and which they know very little, if at all anything about.If Australian politicians want to talk about genocide, they should first recognise the fact that WHITE AUSTRALIA committed genocide on the Indigenous people of Australia first and foremost.
In fact, continuing all the way up and including the 1970’s well after the offence of Genocide came into International Law. A simple sorry to the “Stolen Generation” is far from adequate. If the facts of what WHITE AUSTRALIA did to the indigenous population were to be applied to the elements of the offence for genocide in my very humble opinion it could well be established unlike the fallacious Armenian “Genocide” allegations.
The successive Australian Governments did in fact have the intention to destroy the Aboriginal culture and society. I ask you all when were Aboriginal people recognised as human beings here in Australia and allowed to vote on a National level? (The answer of course is the last two states to give Aboriginals the basic human right to vote was Western Australia in 1962 and Queensland in 1965).
Compare the positions Armenians held within the Ottoman Government and Military and compare how WHITE AUSTRALIA has and continues to treat it’s Aboriginal population? The established fact that Western Australia jails far more Black people than what the Apartheid regime in South Africa ever did during it’s term. The fact that Aboriginal people could go and fight and die in World Wars I and II for King and Country yet they weren’t even recognised as citizens and could not vote ?
These are FACTS, which white Australian politicians conveniently forget to mention. I reiterate we will no longer sit back and be spectators to this “Genocide” circus our case will be heard, and the likes of Mr Hockey and his cronies will go down in historical infamy.I will end my letter by quoting from their Honours of the Victorian Supreme Court of Criminal Appeal in R v Demirian [1989] VR 97 at 123-124;In a joint judgment, McGarvie and O'Bryan JJ said:"The type of activity engaged in by the applicant and others is rare in this country but terrorist acts are commonplace in the country from whence the applicant emigrated to Australia. Unless courts in this country are vigilant in imposing condign sentences for such conduct evil-minded persons might seek to emulate this conduct. The conduct of the applicant in conspiring with others to endanger life and cause serious injury to property by detonating an explosive substance beneath the Consulate brought shame to this country when the bomb exploded.
The Turkish nation is a friendly power and members of the Turkish community now assimilated into Australian society were affronted by this evil deed. The heinousness of the crime is accentuated by the fact that the applicant abused the sanctuary this country offered him.
When a crime of such notoriety and heinousness is committed in the name of a political cause this Court is not required to fix a minimum term.
The political nature of the offence and its seriousness render the fixing of such a term inappropriate.
A sentence imposed in these circumstances should be exceptional to mark the seriousness with which the crime is viewed and therefore no minimum term should be fixed." (1988 33 A Crim R at p 474)58 Tadgell J agreed, in relation to that aspect of the appeal (at p 481).I borrow from their Honours comments in suggesting after the speeches made by Mr Bob Carr, Ms Maxine Mckew, Mr Hockey and Mr Ellison, it has “brought shame to this country” on each and every occasion.
Especially when these speeches are made “in the name of a political cause” where criminal, allegations are made without any proof and without the Turkish case ever being heard, or the Turkish people ever being afforded any natural justice whatsoever.
Ataman AtlasAustralian CitizenGrandchild of a Survivor of the Turkish Genocide
Related Posts:
Letter To Hon Joe Hockey MP, Australia: Armenian Claim
Australia To Recognise Armenian Genocide
Letter To Hon. Joe Hockey, Federal MP, Australia: Genocide Allegations
Editor's Note:Published location of this letter has also been separately forwarded to:J.Hockey.MP at aph.gov.au ; senator.ellison at aph.gov.au ; maxinemckewmp ; Malcolm.Turnbull.MP at aph.gov.au ; Bronwyn.Bishop.MP at aph.gov.au ; S.Crean.MP at aph.gov.au ; Julia.Gillard.MP at aph.gov.au ; Bob.Katter.MP at aph.gov.au ; senator.coonan at aph.gov.au ; senator.sterle at aph.gov.au ; senator.faulkner at aph.gov.au Dear Members Of Parliament, AustraliaPlease also feel free to email the copy of your responses to me directly at and I'll be happy to publish them here, in full, as soon as I receive them.Kind RegardsSeda Goulizar (Editor)UK http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com
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Labels: Ataman ATLAS, Australia
2 comments:
A Turkish Accountant From Sydney said...
Armenia: 1 Turkey: 0Well Done To Armenians who produced a Lawyer and a Member of Australian Parliament, Joe has also served as a Minister 4 times.Joe Hockey (Hokeidonian) is an Australian Member of Parliament with an Armenian descent.This should tell a lot about the consequences of high number of Turks in Turkish Coffee Houses in Auburn, Redfern, Eskinville, and the other high number of Turkish dole bludgers in Sydney or Australia(IP Addess Logged)
01 December, 2008
Perth, WA, Australia said...
Majority of Australian Public do have more faith in used car salesman than politicians. So do I.Hockey and Ellison all have hidden agendas, means personal benefits than the public or the nation in general.You remember what Ex US President Harry Truman says: *****************************"Piano Playing To Be Much More Honorable Than Current Politicians" *****************************'It doesn't matter how big a ranch ya' own, or how many cows ya' brand, the size of your funeral is still gonna depend on the weather.' - Harry Truman.When President Truman retired from office in 1952, his income was substantially a U.S. Army pension reported to have been $13,507.72 a year.Congress, noting that he was paying for his stamps and personally licking them, granted him an 'allowance' and, later, a retroactive pension of $25,000 per year.When offered corporate positions at large salaries, he declined, stating, 'You don't want me. You want the office of the President, and that doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the American people and it's not for sale.'Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was preparing to award him the Medal of Honor on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept it, writing, 'I don't consider that I have done anything which should be the reason for any award, Congressional or otherwise.'We now see past presidents, have found a new level of success in cashing in on the presidency, resulting in untold wealth. Today, many in Congress also have found a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying the fruits of their offices. Political offices are now for sale.I think good old Harry Truman was correct when he observed, 'My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference. I, for one, believe the piano player job to be much more honorable than current politicians.'
03 December, 2008
http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com/2008/11/2660-fallacious-armenian-genocide.html
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED in 1915 TURKS WHO HAD THE MASS KİLLİNGS THAN ANY OTHERS...
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Bu topraklar sizin! Siz, Malazgirt Savasi’ndan bu yana degil, tam 10 bin yildir bu topraklardasiniz.
"Kuklalar, guclu kukla oynaticilarin ellerinde, ancak iplerini kendi kendilerine cekerek oynamalari gulunc bir trajedidir.."
...............
Nasilsa ekonomik kriz ezmek uzere, hazir Turk halkinin ilgisi de ekonomiye odaklanmisken bir acele Ermenilerden ozur dileyiverelim firsatciligi ile bugun aydinliklari (!) ancak kendilerinden menkul bildik (!) bir takim kollari sivadi.
Tarihi inkar ederek mi ozur diliyorlar?
Avusturya Cumhurbaskanligi, tarafindan 1984’te Bilim ve Sanat Onur Madalyasi ile birlikte profesorluk payesi verilen PROF. DR. ERICH FEIGL artik yok (d.1931 - o.27.01.2007).
Asagida kitabinin on sozunun tercumesini (bir kez daha) gonderiyorum. Zamaninda, milletce "Uluslararasi arenada BIZE BIZI VE HAKLARIMIZI" anlatan Prof. Dr. Erich Feigl'e (Bu baglamda Prof. Justin McCarthy'e, tarihci Norman Stone ve tarihci Stanford Shaw gibi uluslararasi akademisyenlere) gereken ilgiyi gosterseydik, bu ucuz kuklalar bugun "ozur dileyelim" diyerek ortalara dusemezdi.
Kimileri bu listeye cok iyi Turkce konusan Andrew Mango'yu da ekler, ancak 'bana gore' Mango sadece Turk degil baska kaynaklara (!) da hizmetle mukelleftir. Bu arada kendi tarihcilerimize bile ne kadar sahip ciktigimiz da tartisilir ya neyse.
Bize, bizi anlatan Prof. Dr. Erich Feigl bir konusmasinda su carpici oneriyi dile getirmis:‘Soykirim konusunda tartisma olmaz. Bu kabul edilemez. Ermenilerin iddialarini bir kez tanidiniz mi arkasindan tazminat ve toprak talepleri gelir. Bunu kesinlikle yapmayin. Soykirimi sakin tartismayin!’
sozlerini soyle surdurmustur:‘Rica ediyorum, Avrupa Birligi’ne teslim olmayin. Son gelisimden sonra sunu gordum ki gelismeniz gercekten muhtesem. Inanin Avusturya’da bizim boyle bir universitemiz yok.’ (Prof. Feigl, panelin yapildigi Istanbul Teknik Universitesi’ni kastediyor.)
Turk toplumunu ‘Mahcup davranmayin’ diye dostca uyaran Prof. Feigl, 1915 olaylarini derinlemesine arastiran ve konuyu en ufak ayrintisina kadar bilen bir insanin guveni icinde konusmasini su carpici sozlerle noktalamisti:
‘Bu topraklar sizin! Siz, Malazgirt Savasi’ndan bu yana degil, tam 10 bin yildir bu topraklardasiniz. Unutmayin ki bu, Catalhoyuk’teki kazilarda elde edilen bulgularla kanitlandi.’
VE kimsenin 'ilgilenmedigi' O kitabin onsozu..(*)Saygilarimla
Caglayan
Ozel bir onsoz I
Prof.Dr. Erich Feigel
Ein Mythos des Terrors : armenischer Extremismus: seine Ursachen und Hintergrunde
(A Myth of Terror - Armenian Extremism: Its causes and its historical context)Freilassing : Ed. Zeitgeschichte, 1986.
"Deliriyor musun" - "Yasamaktan yorgun mu dustun?"
Bu sozler, Ermeni terorizminin tarihsel kosullari ve nedenlerine iliskin bir kitap yazmaya calistigimi duyan arkadas ve dostlarimin sozleridir.
Nicin boyle tehlikeli bir konu secmistim?
Bu Turklerle Ermenilerin kendi aralarinda (uzerinde) calismalari gereken bir konu degil miydi? Tum dostlarim, projemi tehlikeli hatta tehditkar bulmustu ve anladim ki, bu korku ve dusunceler, Ermeni terorizminin arkasindaki tarihsel gercegin simdiye kadar tarafsiz bir gozle incelenmesini engellemisti.
Insanlar, misilleme yapilmasindan korktuklari ve bu nedenle, meydani tumu ile bu konuya iliskin yazini eylemsel olarak denetimleri almis 'vahsetin pervasiz avukatlarina' birakmislardi. Gercekte, Ermeni sorununu veya Ermeni terorizmini tartisan yazarlar, terore karsi anlayisli olunmasini istemekteydiler. Bu, tipki yaptiklari bir saldiridan sonra, sorumlulugu ustlenen terorist orgutlerin iddialarina benzemektedir.
Bu "sorumluluk" ile (veya daha dogrusu, bu soylu kavramin saptirilmasi ile) onlar, bir tur "Adalet" buyusu yaratarak guc kazanmakta gibi gorunmektedirler. Bu yasallastirma ile Azrail rolu oynamakta ve kendilerini desteklemekten kacinanlari vurmakta, suphede olanlara tehdit mektuplari gondermektedirler.
Azrail rolu oynayan sadece insanlar degildir, keza filmler ve yayinlar da vardir. Terentius Maurus I.S. 200'lu yillarda HABENT SUA FATA LIBELLI "Kitaplar Azrail rolu oynar" adli siirini yazmistir. Yukaridaki bahsi gecen siirinde, acikca "PRO CAPTU LECTORIS" yani "Okuyucunun anlayisina gore" demektedir.
Bu kitabin Almanca basimindan sonra, bu baglamda iki anahtar deneyime sahip oldum. Bunlardan birincisi, Orta Avrupa'nin Ermeni Ortodoks (Gregorian) Kilisesinin cok yuksek rutbeli bir temsilcisi Katolikler (Mekhitaristler) ile yapilan bir toplantida yuzume karsi, "Kitabinizda, olen Ermenilere karsi degersiz Turkleri savunmaya nasil cesaret ettiniz!!" demisti. Ben dehsete kapilip, sozunu dogru anlayip anlamadigimi sordugumda, daha siddetli bir ifade ile "Evet, degersiz Turkler!" diye karsilik verdi.
Ikinci soru bana, 14 Nisan 1987 tarihinde, Sosyalist Partinin (AZ) Avusturya Merkez Organinda (daha cok bir dergi duzeyinde) Anette Hoss adli bir kadin tarafindan soruldu: "Hristiyan olarak, Muslumanlari mi savunmaktaydim?" (Bu kitabin odak savlari ile ilgili tek bir soz etmedigi uzun tartismasinin daha baslangicinda) kesin bir anlatimla sunlari soylemekteydi: "I. Dunya Savasi sirasinda, Turkiye'de yasayan Ermenilere soykirim uygulandigi bir cok kitapta resimlendirilmis ve dunya kamuoyu tarafindan kabul edilmistir"
Simdi anliyoruz ki dunya kamuoyu tarafindan kabul edilen her sey "dogru" olmalidir.
Insanlik, bu "kamuoyunun" ne oldugunu, en azindan Kopernick'in "Dunyanin Gunesin cevresinde dondugunu" kanitlamasindan beri bilinmektedir. Yoksa, "Dunya kamuoyu bu gercegi anlamamis midir? Bununla birlikte, soylenti uzun bir surecte gercege aykiri olsa da, hatta soylenti cok yaniltici da olsa gerceklerden ustun olamaz. Bu kitabin Almanca basimindan sonra ortaya cikan deneyimler, bazi diger gelismeler, dost ve arkadaslarimin gorusleri beni, kitabin yeni bir nushasini, son olaylarin zorunlu kildigi kimi ekler ve onemsiz degisIkliklerle Ingilizce olarak yeniden yayimlamaya yoneltti.
Karsilastigim ilk Turk/Ermeni gerilimi, uzun yillar once Orta ve Uzakdogu dinsel topluluklarina iliskin belgesel filmlerden birini cekerken ortaya cikti. Antelias'in sIk Beyrut varoslarinda yasayan Katolik Sis Ermenilerinin onde gelenlerinden biri ile bulusmustuk. Kendisi buyuk bir ciddiyetle, Turklerin iki milyon Ermeni'yi dogradigini soyledi. Ve ben bu kutsal adamin sozlerini cok ciddi olarak kabul ettim ve uzun yillar dusuncelerimi onun sozlerine dayandirdim.
Zaman gectikce giderek dunyanin pek cok yerini gordum. Kendime cok iyi egitim gormus Ermeni ve Turk arkadaslar edindim.
Uzerinde calistigim konular asla 'Ermeni sorunu' ile dogrudan ilintili degildi, ancak Anadolu'da, tum Yakindogu'da sayisiz film projelerimde, Istanbul'da Van'da, Bagdat'ta, Tahran'da ve hatta ABD'de bu sorunla karsilasmam da kacinilmazdi. Hemen ayirdina vardim ki, Turkiye'den (nispeten) uzaklastikca sozcuklerin ve argumanlarin siddeti artmaktaydi. Turkiye'de yasayan veya zamanin bir bolumu Istanbul ve Avrupa arasinda gecirenler(Ermeniler) daha ilimli ve anlayisli konusuyorlardi. Rio veya Los Angeles'te yasayan ve yasamlari boyunca hic Turk gormemis olanlar (Ermeniler) daha ofkeli ve tek-yanli idiler.
Benim ise konuya iliskin ilgim, her saniye degismekte idi. Viyana'da Prinz Eugen Caddesindeki Turk Elciliginin onunde bir bomba patladigini duydum. Bu patlamada Turk Calisma ve Sosyal Isler Atasesi Erdogan Ozen yasamini yitirmisti. Erdogan Ozen'i (*2) cok yakinda taniyordum.
Caliskan ve kendini isine adamis bir isciydi. Onun isi, Avusturya'daki Turk iscilerine yardimci olmak ve onlarin sorunlari ile ilgilenmekti. O bu gorevlerini ustaca ve bilincli olarak yerine getirdi. Fakat, bundan baska bir sey daha vardi: O gunlerde onbir, oniki yasinda olan oglu Murat ile konusurken gorurdum onu cogu kez. Gozlerinde onu cocuguna ve esi Monika'ya baglayan (buyuk) bir sevgi vardi.
Erdogan Ozen, I. Dunya savasindan cok sonra dunyaya gelmisti ve dolayisiyla kendisinin 1915'deki bir cok Ermeni ve Musluman'in yasamina mal olan trajik olaylarla ilgisi yoktu.
Bunun otesinde, kendisi ile olan arkadasligima ve yaptigi her seyi bildigime dayanarak, sunu kesinlikle soyleyebilirim ki Erdogan Ozen yasadigi gunlerde, kendisinden yardim isteyen veya baskiya ugrayan Ermenilere de yardim etmisti.
Olumu ile ilgili haberleri duydugum anda, olanaklarim dahilinde bir seyler yapmaya karar vermistim. Konuyu iyice arastirip, cok sayida kisiyle konustuktan sonra, bu "Teror Efsanesi" (Myth of Terror) ile ilgili bir dizi film yaptim ve bu kitabi yazdim. Bu kitabin buyuk bir bolumu, film calismalarimdan alinan resimlerden olusmaktadir.
Bu kitabin konusu sozcugun tam anlami ile gercek bir "efsanedir..". Bunun icindeki kimi seyler kurgu ve duslem urunudur, kimi seyler ise oykulestirilmistir. Ayni zamanda da teror eylemlerinden ve sonuclarindan goreceginiz canli,etkin dehset verici sonuclaridir.
Gunumuzde, tarihciler ve yorumcular, Ermenileri 1915 yilindaki trajik sIkintilara ugramak zorunda birakan ve ayni bicimde bir cok Musluman'i da hastalik, sIkinti ve olume goturen kosullari anlamak icin ya cok az , ya da hic caba harcamamaktadirlar. Hic kimse en az Ermeni kardesleri kadar aci ceken Turklerden soz etmemektedir.
(devam edecek..)
*1 2005 yilinda tarafimdan tercume edilmistir.)
*2 Cevirenin notu:
Erdogan OZEN20 Haziran 1984Viyana / Avusturya
Turkiye'nin Viyana Buyukelciligi Calisma Atasesi Erdogan OZEN, otomobiline yerlestirilen bombanin patlamasi sonucu oldu. Olayi, "Ermeni Devrimci Ordusu" adli orgut ustlendi.
http://www.akilcagi.com/2008/12/16/ozur-dileme-heveslilerine-i/
...............
Nasilsa ekonomik kriz ezmek uzere, hazir Turk halkinin ilgisi de ekonomiye odaklanmisken bir acele Ermenilerden ozur dileyiverelim firsatciligi ile bugun aydinliklari (!) ancak kendilerinden menkul bildik (!) bir takim kollari sivadi.
Tarihi inkar ederek mi ozur diliyorlar?
Avusturya Cumhurbaskanligi, tarafindan 1984’te Bilim ve Sanat Onur Madalyasi ile birlikte profesorluk payesi verilen PROF. DR. ERICH FEIGL artik yok (d.1931 - o.27.01.2007).
Asagida kitabinin on sozunun tercumesini (bir kez daha) gonderiyorum. Zamaninda, milletce "Uluslararasi arenada BIZE BIZI VE HAKLARIMIZI" anlatan Prof. Dr. Erich Feigl'e (Bu baglamda Prof. Justin McCarthy'e, tarihci Norman Stone ve tarihci Stanford Shaw gibi uluslararasi akademisyenlere) gereken ilgiyi gosterseydik, bu ucuz kuklalar bugun "ozur dileyelim" diyerek ortalara dusemezdi.
Kimileri bu listeye cok iyi Turkce konusan Andrew Mango'yu da ekler, ancak 'bana gore' Mango sadece Turk degil baska kaynaklara (!) da hizmetle mukelleftir. Bu arada kendi tarihcilerimize bile ne kadar sahip ciktigimiz da tartisilir ya neyse.
Bize, bizi anlatan Prof. Dr. Erich Feigl bir konusmasinda su carpici oneriyi dile getirmis:‘Soykirim konusunda tartisma olmaz. Bu kabul edilemez. Ermenilerin iddialarini bir kez tanidiniz mi arkasindan tazminat ve toprak talepleri gelir. Bunu kesinlikle yapmayin. Soykirimi sakin tartismayin!’
sozlerini soyle surdurmustur:‘Rica ediyorum, Avrupa Birligi’ne teslim olmayin. Son gelisimden sonra sunu gordum ki gelismeniz gercekten muhtesem. Inanin Avusturya’da bizim boyle bir universitemiz yok.’ (Prof. Feigl, panelin yapildigi Istanbul Teknik Universitesi’ni kastediyor.)
Turk toplumunu ‘Mahcup davranmayin’ diye dostca uyaran Prof. Feigl, 1915 olaylarini derinlemesine arastiran ve konuyu en ufak ayrintisina kadar bilen bir insanin guveni icinde konusmasini su carpici sozlerle noktalamisti:
‘Bu topraklar sizin! Siz, Malazgirt Savasi’ndan bu yana degil, tam 10 bin yildir bu topraklardasiniz. Unutmayin ki bu, Catalhoyuk’teki kazilarda elde edilen bulgularla kanitlandi.’
VE kimsenin 'ilgilenmedigi' O kitabin onsozu..(*)Saygilarimla
Caglayan
Ozel bir onsoz I
Prof.Dr. Erich Feigel
Ein Mythos des Terrors : armenischer Extremismus: seine Ursachen und Hintergrunde
(A Myth of Terror - Armenian Extremism: Its causes and its historical context)Freilassing : Ed. Zeitgeschichte, 1986.
"Deliriyor musun" - "Yasamaktan yorgun mu dustun?"
Bu sozler, Ermeni terorizminin tarihsel kosullari ve nedenlerine iliskin bir kitap yazmaya calistigimi duyan arkadas ve dostlarimin sozleridir.
Nicin boyle tehlikeli bir konu secmistim?
Bu Turklerle Ermenilerin kendi aralarinda (uzerinde) calismalari gereken bir konu degil miydi? Tum dostlarim, projemi tehlikeli hatta tehditkar bulmustu ve anladim ki, bu korku ve dusunceler, Ermeni terorizminin arkasindaki tarihsel gercegin simdiye kadar tarafsiz bir gozle incelenmesini engellemisti.
Insanlar, misilleme yapilmasindan korktuklari ve bu nedenle, meydani tumu ile bu konuya iliskin yazini eylemsel olarak denetimleri almis 'vahsetin pervasiz avukatlarina' birakmislardi. Gercekte, Ermeni sorununu veya Ermeni terorizmini tartisan yazarlar, terore karsi anlayisli olunmasini istemekteydiler. Bu, tipki yaptiklari bir saldiridan sonra, sorumlulugu ustlenen terorist orgutlerin iddialarina benzemektedir.
Bu "sorumluluk" ile (veya daha dogrusu, bu soylu kavramin saptirilmasi ile) onlar, bir tur "Adalet" buyusu yaratarak guc kazanmakta gibi gorunmektedirler. Bu yasallastirma ile Azrail rolu oynamakta ve kendilerini desteklemekten kacinanlari vurmakta, suphede olanlara tehdit mektuplari gondermektedirler.
Azrail rolu oynayan sadece insanlar degildir, keza filmler ve yayinlar da vardir. Terentius Maurus I.S. 200'lu yillarda HABENT SUA FATA LIBELLI "Kitaplar Azrail rolu oynar" adli siirini yazmistir. Yukaridaki bahsi gecen siirinde, acikca "PRO CAPTU LECTORIS" yani "Okuyucunun anlayisina gore" demektedir.
Bu kitabin Almanca basimindan sonra, bu baglamda iki anahtar deneyime sahip oldum. Bunlardan birincisi, Orta Avrupa'nin Ermeni Ortodoks (Gregorian) Kilisesinin cok yuksek rutbeli bir temsilcisi Katolikler (Mekhitaristler) ile yapilan bir toplantida yuzume karsi, "Kitabinizda, olen Ermenilere karsi degersiz Turkleri savunmaya nasil cesaret ettiniz!!" demisti. Ben dehsete kapilip, sozunu dogru anlayip anlamadigimi sordugumda, daha siddetli bir ifade ile "Evet, degersiz Turkler!" diye karsilik verdi.
Ikinci soru bana, 14 Nisan 1987 tarihinde, Sosyalist Partinin (AZ) Avusturya Merkez Organinda (daha cok bir dergi duzeyinde) Anette Hoss adli bir kadin tarafindan soruldu: "Hristiyan olarak, Muslumanlari mi savunmaktaydim?" (Bu kitabin odak savlari ile ilgili tek bir soz etmedigi uzun tartismasinin daha baslangicinda) kesin bir anlatimla sunlari soylemekteydi: "I. Dunya Savasi sirasinda, Turkiye'de yasayan Ermenilere soykirim uygulandigi bir cok kitapta resimlendirilmis ve dunya kamuoyu tarafindan kabul edilmistir"
Simdi anliyoruz ki dunya kamuoyu tarafindan kabul edilen her sey "dogru" olmalidir.
Insanlik, bu "kamuoyunun" ne oldugunu, en azindan Kopernick'in "Dunyanin Gunesin cevresinde dondugunu" kanitlamasindan beri bilinmektedir. Yoksa, "Dunya kamuoyu bu gercegi anlamamis midir? Bununla birlikte, soylenti uzun bir surecte gercege aykiri olsa da, hatta soylenti cok yaniltici da olsa gerceklerden ustun olamaz. Bu kitabin Almanca basimindan sonra ortaya cikan deneyimler, bazi diger gelismeler, dost ve arkadaslarimin gorusleri beni, kitabin yeni bir nushasini, son olaylarin zorunlu kildigi kimi ekler ve onemsiz degisIkliklerle Ingilizce olarak yeniden yayimlamaya yoneltti.
Karsilastigim ilk Turk/Ermeni gerilimi, uzun yillar once Orta ve Uzakdogu dinsel topluluklarina iliskin belgesel filmlerden birini cekerken ortaya cikti. Antelias'in sIk Beyrut varoslarinda yasayan Katolik Sis Ermenilerinin onde gelenlerinden biri ile bulusmustuk. Kendisi buyuk bir ciddiyetle, Turklerin iki milyon Ermeni'yi dogradigini soyledi. Ve ben bu kutsal adamin sozlerini cok ciddi olarak kabul ettim ve uzun yillar dusuncelerimi onun sozlerine dayandirdim.
Zaman gectikce giderek dunyanin pek cok yerini gordum. Kendime cok iyi egitim gormus Ermeni ve Turk arkadaslar edindim.
Uzerinde calistigim konular asla 'Ermeni sorunu' ile dogrudan ilintili degildi, ancak Anadolu'da, tum Yakindogu'da sayisiz film projelerimde, Istanbul'da Van'da, Bagdat'ta, Tahran'da ve hatta ABD'de bu sorunla karsilasmam da kacinilmazdi. Hemen ayirdina vardim ki, Turkiye'den (nispeten) uzaklastikca sozcuklerin ve argumanlarin siddeti artmaktaydi. Turkiye'de yasayan veya zamanin bir bolumu Istanbul ve Avrupa arasinda gecirenler(Ermeniler) daha ilimli ve anlayisli konusuyorlardi. Rio veya Los Angeles'te yasayan ve yasamlari boyunca hic Turk gormemis olanlar (Ermeniler) daha ofkeli ve tek-yanli idiler.
Benim ise konuya iliskin ilgim, her saniye degismekte idi. Viyana'da Prinz Eugen Caddesindeki Turk Elciliginin onunde bir bomba patladigini duydum. Bu patlamada Turk Calisma ve Sosyal Isler Atasesi Erdogan Ozen yasamini yitirmisti. Erdogan Ozen'i (*2) cok yakinda taniyordum.
Caliskan ve kendini isine adamis bir isciydi. Onun isi, Avusturya'daki Turk iscilerine yardimci olmak ve onlarin sorunlari ile ilgilenmekti. O bu gorevlerini ustaca ve bilincli olarak yerine getirdi. Fakat, bundan baska bir sey daha vardi: O gunlerde onbir, oniki yasinda olan oglu Murat ile konusurken gorurdum onu cogu kez. Gozlerinde onu cocuguna ve esi Monika'ya baglayan (buyuk) bir sevgi vardi.
Erdogan Ozen, I. Dunya savasindan cok sonra dunyaya gelmisti ve dolayisiyla kendisinin 1915'deki bir cok Ermeni ve Musluman'in yasamina mal olan trajik olaylarla ilgisi yoktu.
Bunun otesinde, kendisi ile olan arkadasligima ve yaptigi her seyi bildigime dayanarak, sunu kesinlikle soyleyebilirim ki Erdogan Ozen yasadigi gunlerde, kendisinden yardim isteyen veya baskiya ugrayan Ermenilere de yardim etmisti.
Olumu ile ilgili haberleri duydugum anda, olanaklarim dahilinde bir seyler yapmaya karar vermistim. Konuyu iyice arastirip, cok sayida kisiyle konustuktan sonra, bu "Teror Efsanesi" (Myth of Terror) ile ilgili bir dizi film yaptim ve bu kitabi yazdim. Bu kitabin buyuk bir bolumu, film calismalarimdan alinan resimlerden olusmaktadir.
Bu kitabin konusu sozcugun tam anlami ile gercek bir "efsanedir..". Bunun icindeki kimi seyler kurgu ve duslem urunudur, kimi seyler ise oykulestirilmistir. Ayni zamanda da teror eylemlerinden ve sonuclarindan goreceginiz canli,etkin dehset verici sonuclaridir.
Gunumuzde, tarihciler ve yorumcular, Ermenileri 1915 yilindaki trajik sIkintilara ugramak zorunda birakan ve ayni bicimde bir cok Musluman'i da hastalik, sIkinti ve olume goturen kosullari anlamak icin ya cok az , ya da hic caba harcamamaktadirlar. Hic kimse en az Ermeni kardesleri kadar aci ceken Turklerden soz etmemektedir.
(devam edecek..)
*1 2005 yilinda tarafimdan tercume edilmistir.)
*2 Cevirenin notu:
Erdogan OZEN20 Haziran 1984Viyana / Avusturya
Turkiye'nin Viyana Buyukelciligi Calisma Atasesi Erdogan OZEN, otomobiline yerlestirilen bombanin patlamasi sonucu oldu. Olayi, "Ermeni Devrimci Ordusu" adli orgut ustlendi.
http://www.akilcagi.com/2008/12/16/ozur-dileme-heveslilerine-i/
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Armenians walk over Turkish Flag!
A NATION SHOULD SHAME ON!
Turks never walk over any flag such as shown on the left in Erivan/Armenia at the formal event..
Türk Bayrağına Çirkin Saldırı
Ermenistan’ın başkenti Erivan’da sözde Ermeni soykırımı resmi törenlerle anıldı. Resmi törende bu kez Erivan yönetimi bir değişiklik yaptı:
Tören alanınaTürk bayrağı serildi. 10 binlerce Ermeni Ay yıldızlı bayrağımızın üzerine basarak geçti.
Ermenistan’ın başkenti Erivan’da sözde Ermeni soykırımı resmi törenlerle anıldı. Resmi törende bu kez Erivan yönetimi bir değişiklik yaptı:
Tören alanınaTürk bayrağı serildi. 10 binlerce Ermeni Ay yıldızlı bayrağımızın üzerine basarak geçti.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
...meeting with ambassador of the Republic of Turkey in Australia, His Excellency N. Murat Ersavci...,
by: http://ayfaustralia.org/news.php?extend.256 ( Armenian youth of Australia)
"...the Armenian National Committee of Australia declared that:‘The meeting was a success. Although the Ambassador rejected our letter, it was clear to the Turkish representative that the Armenian Diaspora is united in its outrage at Dink’s murder and the continued denial of the Armenian Genocide."
on Saturday 27 January 2007 - 14:47:23
A delegation of Armenian-Australian community leaders including His Eminence Archbishop Aghan Baliozian Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church, representatives of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia and Mr. Varant Meguerditchian, of the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC of Australia) recently met with Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey in Australia, His Excellency N. Murat Ersavci, to convey the Armenian-Australian community's outrage at the recent murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Mr Hrant Dink.
Editor of the Istanbul based ‘Agos’ newspaper, Dink was an advocate for freedom of speech, having repeatedly criticised Turkey for its mistreatment of ethnic minorities and Turkey’s continued denial of the Armenian Genocide.
After countless death threats, Dink was gunned down as a result of extremist behaviour fostered by Turkey’s political system.Ambassador Murat Ersavci refused to accept, after reading, a letter presented to him by the Armenian community delegation condemning article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code [defined as insulting Turkishness].
The Ambassador stated that article 301 was an internal matter which did not concern the Armenian Diaspora and further suggested that the Armenian Diaspora abandon its fight for recognition of the Armenian Genocide as it was harming relations between the neighbour nations.
In response, the Armenian-Australian community leaders emphasised to the Ambassador, that Turkey’s political system had moulded its society into one that encouraged racism and nationalistic behaviour ultimately leading to Hrant Dink’s murder.
The Armenian community representatives reiterated their demand that Turkey abolish article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, bring the conspirators behind the murder to justice and to accept responsibility for the Genocide of the Armenians in order to normalise relations between Turkey and Armenia.In a joint statement after the meeting, the Diocese of the Armenian Church in Australia and the Armenian National Committee of Australia declared that:‘The meeting was a success. Although the Ambassador rejected our letter, it was clear to the Turkish representative that the Armenian Diaspora is united in its outrage at Dink’s murder and the continued denial of the Armenian Genocide.’
During the last days of the Ottoman Empire the ‘Young Turk’ Government implemented a policy of Genocide upon its Christian Armenian population. As a result, up to 1.5million Armenian men, women and children lost their lives between 1915 and 1922.
The Republic of Turkey continues to deny responsibility of the Armenian Genocide. "
http://ayfaustralia.org/news.php?extend.256
"...the Armenian National Committee of Australia declared that:‘The meeting was a success. Although the Ambassador rejected our letter, it was clear to the Turkish representative that the Armenian Diaspora is united in its outrage at Dink’s murder and the continued denial of the Armenian Genocide."
on Saturday 27 January 2007 - 14:47:23
A delegation of Armenian-Australian community leaders including His Eminence Archbishop Aghan Baliozian Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church, representatives of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia and Mr. Varant Meguerditchian, of the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC of Australia) recently met with Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey in Australia, His Excellency N. Murat Ersavci, to convey the Armenian-Australian community's outrage at the recent murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Mr Hrant Dink.
Editor of the Istanbul based ‘Agos’ newspaper, Dink was an advocate for freedom of speech, having repeatedly criticised Turkey for its mistreatment of ethnic minorities and Turkey’s continued denial of the Armenian Genocide.
After countless death threats, Dink was gunned down as a result of extremist behaviour fostered by Turkey’s political system.Ambassador Murat Ersavci refused to accept, after reading, a letter presented to him by the Armenian community delegation condemning article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code [defined as insulting Turkishness].
The Ambassador stated that article 301 was an internal matter which did not concern the Armenian Diaspora and further suggested that the Armenian Diaspora abandon its fight for recognition of the Armenian Genocide as it was harming relations between the neighbour nations.
In response, the Armenian-Australian community leaders emphasised to the Ambassador, that Turkey’s political system had moulded its society into one that encouraged racism and nationalistic behaviour ultimately leading to Hrant Dink’s murder.
The Armenian community representatives reiterated their demand that Turkey abolish article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, bring the conspirators behind the murder to justice and to accept responsibility for the Genocide of the Armenians in order to normalise relations between Turkey and Armenia.In a joint statement after the meeting, the Diocese of the Armenian Church in Australia and the Armenian National Committee of Australia declared that:‘The meeting was a success. Although the Ambassador rejected our letter, it was clear to the Turkish representative that the Armenian Diaspora is united in its outrage at Dink’s murder and the continued denial of the Armenian Genocide.’
During the last days of the Ottoman Empire the ‘Young Turk’ Government implemented a policy of Genocide upon its Christian Armenian population. As a result, up to 1.5million Armenian men, women and children lost their lives between 1915 and 1922.
The Republic of Turkey continues to deny responsibility of the Armenian Genocide. "
http://ayfaustralia.org/news.php?extend.256
ALLEGATION AGAIN....Our Armenian friends never stop!
ARMENIAN ALLEGATIONS CONTINUES in AUSTRALIA !!!...
(Details also:
http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com/2008/11/2647-turkish-australians-no-need-to.html )
Sydney Commemorates Armenian Genocide
http://ayfaustralia.org/news.php?extend.261
on Thursday 26 April 2007 - 11:17:16
SYDNEY: An overflowing Willoughby Town Hall witnessed keynote speaker Dr. Panayiotis Diamadis reveal the historic humanitarian deeds of Australians during the Armenian Genocide of 1915, at Sydney’s Armenian Genocide Commemoration Evening on Tuesday 24 April.
Dr. Diamadis, a Doctor of Philosophy in the Political Study of Genocide Studies, exposed to the 1000 guests, including Genocide survivors, in attendance, eyewitness accounts of the Armenian Genocide by Australian Prisoners Of War in Turkey, and the subsequent Australian relief effort for victims of the Genocide.“The eyewitness accounts of Australian World War I POWs stored at the Australian National Archives remains as undeniable evidence of the Armenian Genocide and the crimes committed by the Young Turk Government,” Mr. Varant Meguerditchian, President of the Armenian National Committee of Australia, commented.
“The humanitarian efforts of charitable Australians, as part of the Armenian Relief Fund lay testament to the kind generosity of the Australian public,” he added. “We must never allow for this generosity and goodwill to be forgotten.”Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Australia and New Zealand, Archbishop Aghan Baliozian led a long list of dignitaries who attended the evening to help commemorate the 92nd Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide; when during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, the ‘Young Turk’ Government implemented a policy of Genocide upon its Christian Armenian population. As a result, up to 1.5million Armenian men, women and children lost their lives between 1915 and 1922.
The Republic of Turkey continues to deny responsibility of the Armenian Genocide.Federal Parliamentary representatives in attendance included Senator Maurice Payne, who represented the Prime Minster of Australia, the Honourable John Howard; and Ms Maxine McKew, who was representing the Leader of the Federal Opposition, Mr. Kevin Rudd.
The Premier of New South Wales, the Honourable Morris Iemma was represented by his Deputy, the Honourable John Watkins MP; while the Leader of the Opposition of New South Wales, Mr. Barry O’Farrell was present, flanked by colleagues including Ms Jillian Skinner and Ms Gladys Berejiklian; the latter being the first Australian parliamentarian of Armenian heritage.Mr. Watkins and Mr. O’Farrell were unanimous in their appeal to the Australian Federal Government to follow their lead at State level in New South Wales, by properly recognising the atrocities committed against the Armenians in 1915 as Genocide, and calling on Turkey’s modern day leadership to do similarly by facing up to their past.The Honourable Joe Hockey MP stated in his address to the gathered: “My commitment to have Australia to properly recognise the Armenian Genocide is unwavering.”
He added: “We cannot let 100 years pass without true global recognition; without Turkish government recognition.”ANC Australia Communications Officer, Mr. Haig Kayserian, said the community was “encouraged” by the support shown by Mr. Hockey and his parliamentary colleagues in advancing the Armenian Genocide recognition efforts at Federal level.
“The Australian Federal Government must properly and emphatically condemn acts such as the Armenian Genocide to ensure they are not repeated in the future,” said Mr. Kayserian.
The 92nd Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide Commemoration Evening included a tribute to the life of Turkey-based Armenian Genocide and human rights advocate, Mr. Hrant Dink, whose 52-year life was tragically cut short in January 2007 when he was murdered outside his Istanbul office.
http://ayfaustralia.org/
ANC AUSTRALIA CONGRATULATES ABCon Thursday 22 February 2007 - 14:38:16
Armenian National Committee of Australia Inc.
The Peak Public Affairs Committee of the Armenian-Australian Community259 Penshurst Street, Willoughby NSW 2068 ~ PO Box 768, Willoughby NSW 2068Tel: (02) 9419 8264 ~ Fax: (02) 9411 8898Email: info@anc.net.au
ANC AUSTRALIA CONGRATULATES ABCSYDNEY: The Armenian National Committee of Australia has congratulated ABC’s Foreign Correspondent program on achieving a Gold World Medal for their 2006 report on outspoken Turkish author and human rights activist, Orhan Pamuk at the New York Television Festival.The report, by Middle East Correspondent David Hardaker, highlighted Turkish national Pamuk’s challenge to his government to face up to the Genocide committed against Armenians in 1915.It was this same challenge for justice, which recently led to the tragic murder of Istanbul-based Armenian journalist, Hrant Dink.Nobel Prize-winner Pamuk, on whom the winning report was based, fled Turkey following Dink’s shooting in fear of his own life.ANC Australia’s letter to ABC Foreign Correspondent read: “ANC Australia is pleased that responsible Australian reporting of Turkey’s denialist regime against the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide has been rewarded on the international stage.”“Anti-Democratic policies, such as the Armenian Genocide Denial of the Turkish State, must be highlighted by the media. On behalf of the Armenian-Australian community, we thank you for fulfilling your ethical responsibility with your award-winning report and extend our collective congratulations.”[end]
To congratulate ABC Foreign Correspondent, please use the following contact details:ABC Foreign CorrespondentGPO Box 9994 Sydney NSW 2001 Australia+61 (0)2 8333 4754mailto:4754foreign2@your.abc.net.au
http://ayfaustralia.org/news.php?extend.258
Diamadis Confirmed As Keynote Speaker for April 24on Monday 16 April 2007 - 12:47:40
SYDNEY: Sydney-born scholar, Dr. Panayiotis Diamadis has been confirmed as the keynote speaker for the Armenian Genocide Commemoration Evening to be held on Tuesday 24 April, 2007 at the Willoughby Town Hall.
The Armenian Genocide Commemorative Committee announced that Dr. Diamadis will present a unique address to the community and attending guests titled; ‘Australians and the Armenian Genocide’.“It is an honour to have a Genocide scholar of Dr. Diamadis’ capacity attending this year’s commemoration ceremony as keynote speaker,” Armenian National Committee of Australia President, Mr. Varant Meguerditchian said.
“His studies linking Australia to the Armenian Genocide relief effort must be experienced by all interested.”Dr. Diamadis was born in 1971 and is a University of Sydney graduate.
He has completed a Bachelor of Arts, a Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary), a Master of Arts and A Doctor of Philosophy in the Political Science of Genocide Studies. Dr. Diamadis has been an educator in the secondary and tertiary sectors for eleven years.He is currently teaching Genocide Studies at the University of Technology, Sydney; Ancient and Modern History at St Andrew's Cathedral School; and Greek Language and Anatolian History at the Workers' Education Association - Sydney.Dr. Diamadis has published extensively on issues in Australian history and Genocide, and has lectured in Australia, Greece and England; the latter as a guest of the Gomidas Institute.
http://ayfaustralia.org/news.php?extend.259
(Details also:
http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com/2008/11/2647-turkish-australians-no-need-to.html )
Sydney Commemorates Armenian Genocide
http://ayfaustralia.org/news.php?extend.261
on Thursday 26 April 2007 - 11:17:16
SYDNEY: An overflowing Willoughby Town Hall witnessed keynote speaker Dr. Panayiotis Diamadis reveal the historic humanitarian deeds of Australians during the Armenian Genocide of 1915, at Sydney’s Armenian Genocide Commemoration Evening on Tuesday 24 April.
Dr. Diamadis, a Doctor of Philosophy in the Political Study of Genocide Studies, exposed to the 1000 guests, including Genocide survivors, in attendance, eyewitness accounts of the Armenian Genocide by Australian Prisoners Of War in Turkey, and the subsequent Australian relief effort for victims of the Genocide.“The eyewitness accounts of Australian World War I POWs stored at the Australian National Archives remains as undeniable evidence of the Armenian Genocide and the crimes committed by the Young Turk Government,” Mr. Varant Meguerditchian, President of the Armenian National Committee of Australia, commented.
“The humanitarian efforts of charitable Australians, as part of the Armenian Relief Fund lay testament to the kind generosity of the Australian public,” he added. “We must never allow for this generosity and goodwill to be forgotten.”Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Australia and New Zealand, Archbishop Aghan Baliozian led a long list of dignitaries who attended the evening to help commemorate the 92nd Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide; when during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, the ‘Young Turk’ Government implemented a policy of Genocide upon its Christian Armenian population. As a result, up to 1.5million Armenian men, women and children lost their lives between 1915 and 1922.
The Republic of Turkey continues to deny responsibility of the Armenian Genocide.Federal Parliamentary representatives in attendance included Senator Maurice Payne, who represented the Prime Minster of Australia, the Honourable John Howard; and Ms Maxine McKew, who was representing the Leader of the Federal Opposition, Mr. Kevin Rudd.
The Premier of New South Wales, the Honourable Morris Iemma was represented by his Deputy, the Honourable John Watkins MP; while the Leader of the Opposition of New South Wales, Mr. Barry O’Farrell was present, flanked by colleagues including Ms Jillian Skinner and Ms Gladys Berejiklian; the latter being the first Australian parliamentarian of Armenian heritage.Mr. Watkins and Mr. O’Farrell were unanimous in their appeal to the Australian Federal Government to follow their lead at State level in New South Wales, by properly recognising the atrocities committed against the Armenians in 1915 as Genocide, and calling on Turkey’s modern day leadership to do similarly by facing up to their past.The Honourable Joe Hockey MP stated in his address to the gathered: “My commitment to have Australia to properly recognise the Armenian Genocide is unwavering.”
He added: “We cannot let 100 years pass without true global recognition; without Turkish government recognition.”ANC Australia Communications Officer, Mr. Haig Kayserian, said the community was “encouraged” by the support shown by Mr. Hockey and his parliamentary colleagues in advancing the Armenian Genocide recognition efforts at Federal level.
“The Australian Federal Government must properly and emphatically condemn acts such as the Armenian Genocide to ensure they are not repeated in the future,” said Mr. Kayserian.
The 92nd Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide Commemoration Evening included a tribute to the life of Turkey-based Armenian Genocide and human rights advocate, Mr. Hrant Dink, whose 52-year life was tragically cut short in January 2007 when he was murdered outside his Istanbul office.
http://ayfaustralia.org/
ANC AUSTRALIA CONGRATULATES ABCon Thursday 22 February 2007 - 14:38:16
Armenian National Committee of Australia Inc.
The Peak Public Affairs Committee of the Armenian-Australian Community259 Penshurst Street, Willoughby NSW 2068 ~ PO Box 768, Willoughby NSW 2068Tel: (02) 9419 8264 ~ Fax: (02) 9411 8898Email: info@anc.net.au
ANC AUSTRALIA CONGRATULATES ABCSYDNEY: The Armenian National Committee of Australia has congratulated ABC’s Foreign Correspondent program on achieving a Gold World Medal for their 2006 report on outspoken Turkish author and human rights activist, Orhan Pamuk at the New York Television Festival.The report, by Middle East Correspondent David Hardaker, highlighted Turkish national Pamuk’s challenge to his government to face up to the Genocide committed against Armenians in 1915.It was this same challenge for justice, which recently led to the tragic murder of Istanbul-based Armenian journalist, Hrant Dink.Nobel Prize-winner Pamuk, on whom the winning report was based, fled Turkey following Dink’s shooting in fear of his own life.ANC Australia’s letter to ABC Foreign Correspondent read: “ANC Australia is pleased that responsible Australian reporting of Turkey’s denialist regime against the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide has been rewarded on the international stage.”“Anti-Democratic policies, such as the Armenian Genocide Denial of the Turkish State, must be highlighted by the media. On behalf of the Armenian-Australian community, we thank you for fulfilling your ethical responsibility with your award-winning report and extend our collective congratulations.”[end]
To congratulate ABC Foreign Correspondent, please use the following contact details:ABC Foreign CorrespondentGPO Box 9994 Sydney NSW 2001 Australia+61 (0)2 8333 4754mailto:4754foreign2@your.abc.net.au
http://ayfaustralia.org/news.php?extend.258
Diamadis Confirmed As Keynote Speaker for April 24on Monday 16 April 2007 - 12:47:40
SYDNEY: Sydney-born scholar, Dr. Panayiotis Diamadis has been confirmed as the keynote speaker for the Armenian Genocide Commemoration Evening to be held on Tuesday 24 April, 2007 at the Willoughby Town Hall.
The Armenian Genocide Commemorative Committee announced that Dr. Diamadis will present a unique address to the community and attending guests titled; ‘Australians and the Armenian Genocide’.“It is an honour to have a Genocide scholar of Dr. Diamadis’ capacity attending this year’s commemoration ceremony as keynote speaker,” Armenian National Committee of Australia President, Mr. Varant Meguerditchian said.
“His studies linking Australia to the Armenian Genocide relief effort must be experienced by all interested.”Dr. Diamadis was born in 1971 and is a University of Sydney graduate.
He has completed a Bachelor of Arts, a Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary), a Master of Arts and A Doctor of Philosophy in the Political Science of Genocide Studies. Dr. Diamadis has been an educator in the secondary and tertiary sectors for eleven years.He is currently teaching Genocide Studies at the University of Technology, Sydney; Ancient and Modern History at St Andrew's Cathedral School; and Greek Language and Anatolian History at the Workers' Education Association - Sydney.Dr. Diamadis has published extensively on issues in Australian history and Genocide, and has lectured in Australia, Greece and England; the latter as a guest of the Gomidas Institute.
http://ayfaustralia.org/news.php?extend.259
Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Pro-Turkish Comments from mainly non- Turkish intellectuals (4) [ for Nancy Pelosi stumbles over Armenian resolution]
Turks and Armenians are old friends: They lived in the same lands for 900 years. They shared the same food, the same land, and even the same songs for centuries.
For the old times' sake, I think the diaspora should think twice before acting with an arrogance and let the centuries old friendship between the peoples rejuvenate.
· How about the Turkish Parliament passing a resolution condemning the genocide perpetrated by the American military and settlers against Native Americans over 100+ year period? As far as I know, the US government has never officially recognized our systematic policies to eradicate the Indians as genocide.
· Armenian Diaspora spent over a billion dollars just to pass this resolution.
· If the Turks have a long ways to go before they are ready to join the European Union, but that also depends on whether the Europeans - who have recently shown disturbingly racist tendencies towards the Turks - ever let them in.
· Let historians decide what happened not lobby groups or politicians whose only interest is re-election.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/soundoff/comment.asp?articleID=335534
Pelosi stumbles over Armenian resolution
For the old times' sake, I think the diaspora should think twice before acting with an arrogance and let the centuries old friendship between the peoples rejuvenate.
· How about the Turkish Parliament passing a resolution condemning the genocide perpetrated by the American military and settlers against Native Americans over 100+ year period? As far as I know, the US government has never officially recognized our systematic policies to eradicate the Indians as genocide.
· Armenian Diaspora spent over a billion dollars just to pass this resolution.
· If the Turks have a long ways to go before they are ready to join the European Union, but that also depends on whether the Europeans - who have recently shown disturbingly racist tendencies towards the Turks - ever let them in.
· Let historians decide what happened not lobby groups or politicians whose only interest is re-election.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/soundoff/comment.asp?articleID=335534
Pelosi stumbles over Armenian resolution
Pro-Turkish Comments from mainly non- Turkish intellectual (3) [ for Nancy Pelosi stumbles over Armenian resolution]
· The Ottoman Empire found itself in WW1 thanks to the idiocy of Enver Pasha, and was under attack from practically all sides. Armenians, influenced by the nationalistic movements of the era, decided they wanted to establish an independent Armenian state and this was a golden opportunity for them to accomplish that dream.
So they collaborated with the Allies, especially the Russians and later with the French, and attacked Ottoman forces from within.
Tashnaks had been a relatively powerful guerilla group and, emboldened by the weakness of the Ottoman Empire, the so-called sick man of Europe, they cooperated with the Russians.
The Ottoman Empire comprised of dozens of nationalities, who co-existed relatively peacefully for centuries. Talat Pasha, the Interior Minister, was understandably furious about the Armenian betrayal, especially because Armenians were long regarded as a "faithful nation." Furious, he ordered a temporary relocation of Armenians to the southern provinces of the empire, away from the Russian border.
Many Armenians were killed on the way by thugs, and many died in the deserts from starvation, poor living conditions, epidemics etc. If one sees only the sufferings of Armenians, one immediately concludes this was genocide, period. But if one also considers the sufferings of the entire population, then one begins to get the real picture. Just to give a sense of how bad the conditions were in the Ottoman Empire at the time, in 1914, 90,000 Ottoman soldiers froze to death in a single night in Sarikamis in northeastern Turkey, because they didn't have winter clothes in mid-December in -30 degree weather.
...And their commander who forced them to march was none other than Enver Pasha, one of the three pashas that ruled the Ottoman Empire at the time. Enver was a total incompetent, a total idiot who put the Ottoman Empire into WW1, eventually causing it to completely collapse. I suppose no one would claim that Enver was performing genocide on his own army.
When asked later how his 90,000 soldiers died, he is rumored to have said, "What difference does it make. They would have died some day wouldn't they" The relocation of the Armenian population to the southern provinces, was, entirely in the spirit of the internment of the Japanese in the US and Canada during WW2.
The big difference was that Ottoman Empire was in ruins, so much so that it could not supply winter clothes to even its army.
So logistics was out of question, and the three Pashas were just too indifferent to the needs of people anyway, be they Turks, soldiers in the Turkish army or Armenians. I think this is the hardest part for Armenians to accept. They think they were systematically murdered, when in fact nothing, nothing in the Ottoman Empire was systematic in those days. There was poverty and chaos everywhere.
Those Armenians, who, despite the odds, were able to make it to Syria, either enlisted in the French army to fight the Ottomans, or left for America or Europe. Some who were able to survive, did indeed come back to Turkey after the war. There is an interesting book titled "The World is enough for all of us" by a Turkish-Armenian writer Sarkis Cerkezyan, who returned to his hometown after the war.
I especially recommend the book, because it conveys a very good sense of the chaos of the time and shows that things are not as black and white as some people are led to believe. There was quite a bit of suffering on the Turkish side as well.
Picture this: Suppose you are a native American living in a reservation, and suppose skinheads, KKK and sick people of that vein from neighboring towns decide to attack the reservation, late at night. The men in the reservation grab their arms and a gunfight begins. They are attacking from every which direction. You begin feeling overwhelmed because they have better guns and they are so many. Suddenly, you see that your neighbor isn't shooting at them but he is shooting at you.
Remember it's a life-and-death fight. So you storm your neighbor's house because this guy is killing your people. But during that fight your traitor neighbor's little babies get killed too.
Obviously you didn't mean to kill the babies, but that's what happened. If somebody calls you a "baby-killer" how do you react?
Technically, the bullet in the baby's head is from your gun so you killed the baby. But are you a "baby-killer" ? You definitely feel sorry that the babies got killed, but then you know that you had to defend yourself. You also know that you'd never kill your neighbor's baby, so you feel you don't deserve that characterization.
It may be very tempting to simplify things to the "good guy bad guy" scheme where madmen like Hitler & Co exterminate defenseless Jews. Add the few hundred thousand votes that could be won/lost in next year's elections, and you have the recent theatrical voting in the US congress. So should those tragic events be labeled genocide? I am not a lawyer and I don't have a sense as to what, technically the word genocide means.
They were certainly tragic events, but seeing only one side of the tragedy and ignoring the rest, is not a stance, that I would characterize as fair and ethical. The Ottoman empire collapsed as a result of WWI, nearly half the territory was lost, millions of Turks died, 250,000 just in Gallipoli, coincidentally enough in 1915 as well. My father was born in 1908 in Saloniki near the Dojran lake, now in Greece, and they too were forcefully emigrated to Asia Minor and lost all their lands in Saloniki. My grandfather fought for nearly 10 years and died penniless. WWI brought disaster to millions of people.
Americans interned some 120,000 Japanese-Americans, Canadians interned 20,000, even though, to my knowledge not a single case of betrayal was documented by these people. After the war, the Japanese-Americans were released of course and returned to their homes.Personally I believe a similar scenario would have taken place for Armenians, had the circumstances been suitable after WWI. But imagine how Americans would have reacted, if the Japanese had invaded mainland US and the Japanese-Americans had joined the Japanese army to establish an independent Japanese state, say in Seattle and California!
Trying to draw a parallel between the Hitler/Jews case and Ottoman/Armenian case is absurd. Turks NEVER thought of Armenians as "inferior" people. On the contrary, Armenians enjoyed the esteemed sympathy of Turks in the Ottoman empire.
Had the purpose of internment of the Armenians been genocide in order to accomplish the "Turkification" of Anatolia, then why wasn't the same internment applied to the Greek and the Jewish populations in Anatolia?
Sometimes a little logic goes a long way.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/soundoff/comment.asp?articleID=335534
So they collaborated with the Allies, especially the Russians and later with the French, and attacked Ottoman forces from within.
Tashnaks had been a relatively powerful guerilla group and, emboldened by the weakness of the Ottoman Empire, the so-called sick man of Europe, they cooperated with the Russians.
The Ottoman Empire comprised of dozens of nationalities, who co-existed relatively peacefully for centuries. Talat Pasha, the Interior Minister, was understandably furious about the Armenian betrayal, especially because Armenians were long regarded as a "faithful nation." Furious, he ordered a temporary relocation of Armenians to the southern provinces of the empire, away from the Russian border.
Many Armenians were killed on the way by thugs, and many died in the deserts from starvation, poor living conditions, epidemics etc. If one sees only the sufferings of Armenians, one immediately concludes this was genocide, period. But if one also considers the sufferings of the entire population, then one begins to get the real picture. Just to give a sense of how bad the conditions were in the Ottoman Empire at the time, in 1914, 90,000 Ottoman soldiers froze to death in a single night in Sarikamis in northeastern Turkey, because they didn't have winter clothes in mid-December in -30 degree weather.
...And their commander who forced them to march was none other than Enver Pasha, one of the three pashas that ruled the Ottoman Empire at the time. Enver was a total incompetent, a total idiot who put the Ottoman Empire into WW1, eventually causing it to completely collapse. I suppose no one would claim that Enver was performing genocide on his own army.
When asked later how his 90,000 soldiers died, he is rumored to have said, "What difference does it make. They would have died some day wouldn't they" The relocation of the Armenian population to the southern provinces, was, entirely in the spirit of the internment of the Japanese in the US and Canada during WW2.
The big difference was that Ottoman Empire was in ruins, so much so that it could not supply winter clothes to even its army.
So logistics was out of question, and the three Pashas were just too indifferent to the needs of people anyway, be they Turks, soldiers in the Turkish army or Armenians. I think this is the hardest part for Armenians to accept. They think they were systematically murdered, when in fact nothing, nothing in the Ottoman Empire was systematic in those days. There was poverty and chaos everywhere.
Those Armenians, who, despite the odds, were able to make it to Syria, either enlisted in the French army to fight the Ottomans, or left for America or Europe. Some who were able to survive, did indeed come back to Turkey after the war. There is an interesting book titled "The World is enough for all of us" by a Turkish-Armenian writer Sarkis Cerkezyan, who returned to his hometown after the war.
I especially recommend the book, because it conveys a very good sense of the chaos of the time and shows that things are not as black and white as some people are led to believe. There was quite a bit of suffering on the Turkish side as well.
Picture this: Suppose you are a native American living in a reservation, and suppose skinheads, KKK and sick people of that vein from neighboring towns decide to attack the reservation, late at night. The men in the reservation grab their arms and a gunfight begins. They are attacking from every which direction. You begin feeling overwhelmed because they have better guns and they are so many. Suddenly, you see that your neighbor isn't shooting at them but he is shooting at you.
Remember it's a life-and-death fight. So you storm your neighbor's house because this guy is killing your people. But during that fight your traitor neighbor's little babies get killed too.
Obviously you didn't mean to kill the babies, but that's what happened. If somebody calls you a "baby-killer" how do you react?
Technically, the bullet in the baby's head is from your gun so you killed the baby. But are you a "baby-killer" ? You definitely feel sorry that the babies got killed, but then you know that you had to defend yourself. You also know that you'd never kill your neighbor's baby, so you feel you don't deserve that characterization.
It may be very tempting to simplify things to the "good guy bad guy" scheme where madmen like Hitler & Co exterminate defenseless Jews. Add the few hundred thousand votes that could be won/lost in next year's elections, and you have the recent theatrical voting in the US congress. So should those tragic events be labeled genocide? I am not a lawyer and I don't have a sense as to what, technically the word genocide means.
They were certainly tragic events, but seeing only one side of the tragedy and ignoring the rest, is not a stance, that I would characterize as fair and ethical. The Ottoman empire collapsed as a result of WWI, nearly half the territory was lost, millions of Turks died, 250,000 just in Gallipoli, coincidentally enough in 1915 as well. My father was born in 1908 in Saloniki near the Dojran lake, now in Greece, and they too were forcefully emigrated to Asia Minor and lost all their lands in Saloniki. My grandfather fought for nearly 10 years and died penniless. WWI brought disaster to millions of people.
Americans interned some 120,000 Japanese-Americans, Canadians interned 20,000, even though, to my knowledge not a single case of betrayal was documented by these people. After the war, the Japanese-Americans were released of course and returned to their homes.Personally I believe a similar scenario would have taken place for Armenians, had the circumstances been suitable after WWI. But imagine how Americans would have reacted, if the Japanese had invaded mainland US and the Japanese-Americans had joined the Japanese army to establish an independent Japanese state, say in Seattle and California!
Trying to draw a parallel between the Hitler/Jews case and Ottoman/Armenian case is absurd. Turks NEVER thought of Armenians as "inferior" people. On the contrary, Armenians enjoyed the esteemed sympathy of Turks in the Ottoman empire.
Had the purpose of internment of the Armenians been genocide in order to accomplish the "Turkification" of Anatolia, then why wasn't the same internment applied to the Greek and the Jewish populations in Anatolia?
Sometimes a little logic goes a long way.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/soundoff/comment.asp?articleID=335534
Pro-Turkish Comments from mainly non- Turkish intellectual (2) [ for Nancy Pelosi stumbles over Armenian resolution]
“ There is no evidence of a decision to massacre. On the contrary, there is considerable evidence of attempts to prevent it, which were not very successful.
Yes there were tremendous massacres, the numbers are very uncertain but a million may well be likely,[24] ...[and] the issue is not whether the massacres happened or not, but rather if these massacres were as a result of a deliberate preconceived decision of the Turkish government... there is no evidence for such a decision.[25] ” Lewis thus believes that "to make [Armenian Genocide], a parallel with the Holocaust in Germany" is "rather absurd."[24]
In an interview with Haaretz he stated: “ The deniers of Holocaust have a purpose: to prolong Nazism and to return to Nazi legislation. Nobody wants the 'Young Turks' back, and nobody wants to have back the Ottoman Law.
What do the Armenians want? The Armenians want to benefit from both worlds.
On the one hand, they speak with pride of their struggle against the Ottoman despotism, while on the other hand, they compare their tragedy to the Jewish Holocaust. I do not accept this. I do not say that the Armenians did not suffer terribly. But I find enough cause for me to contain their attempts to use the Armenian massacres to diminish the worth of the Jewish Holocaust and to relate to it instead as an ethnic dispute.[26] ·
The more idiotic resolutions passed from western countries the farther Armenia and Turkey is gonna be from a real solution.
Turkey has been suffering from a terrible terror problem while it is trying to survive as a secular democracy in the middle of the most problematic geo-politic territory of the world, surrounded by Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Russia the countries that US considers threat from 7,000 miles away! Turkish public is full of anger and frustration than ever. And western world keeps pushing Turkey to the dark side of the divide everyday.
If US and Europe lose Turkey to Iran-Russia Inc this will not be the best interests of US, Turkey and Armenia. · the events in 1915 were tragic events, both for Turks and Armenians living in Turkey at the time.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/soundoff/comment.asp?articleID=335534
Pelosi stumbles over Armenian resolution
Yes there were tremendous massacres, the numbers are very uncertain but a million may well be likely,[24] ...[and] the issue is not whether the massacres happened or not, but rather if these massacres were as a result of a deliberate preconceived decision of the Turkish government... there is no evidence for such a decision.[25] ” Lewis thus believes that "to make [Armenian Genocide], a parallel with the Holocaust in Germany" is "rather absurd."[24]
In an interview with Haaretz he stated: “ The deniers of Holocaust have a purpose: to prolong Nazism and to return to Nazi legislation. Nobody wants the 'Young Turks' back, and nobody wants to have back the Ottoman Law.
What do the Armenians want? The Armenians want to benefit from both worlds.
On the one hand, they speak with pride of their struggle against the Ottoman despotism, while on the other hand, they compare their tragedy to the Jewish Holocaust. I do not accept this. I do not say that the Armenians did not suffer terribly. But I find enough cause for me to contain their attempts to use the Armenian massacres to diminish the worth of the Jewish Holocaust and to relate to it instead as an ethnic dispute.[26] ·
The more idiotic resolutions passed from western countries the farther Armenia and Turkey is gonna be from a real solution.
Turkey has been suffering from a terrible terror problem while it is trying to survive as a secular democracy in the middle of the most problematic geo-politic territory of the world, surrounded by Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Russia the countries that US considers threat from 7,000 miles away! Turkish public is full of anger and frustration than ever. And western world keeps pushing Turkey to the dark side of the divide everyday.
If US and Europe lose Turkey to Iran-Russia Inc this will not be the best interests of US, Turkey and Armenia. · the events in 1915 were tragic events, both for Turks and Armenians living in Turkey at the time.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/soundoff/comment.asp?articleID=335534
Pelosi stumbles over Armenian resolution
Greeks and even the Colombians were remembered but not Turks.
· I am a United States veteran and served in The US Air Force. I still have friends in Iraq fighting for our freedom. I can tell you that I have never known a nation more underrepresented and discredited more than Turkey. Turkish troops were clearly the heroes of the Korean War, ask any Korean veteran but yet when the 50th anniversary of Korean War was being celebrated noone heard Turks getting credit for their bravery.
Greeks and even the Colombians were remembered but not Turks. Why not? I tell you why. Armenians and Greeks have done a wonderful job on preventing any positive image of Turkey in The United States. I am an Irish-American who happened to dig deep since I have noticed what Turks have been facing due to having some close Turkish friends.
Once I started digging and conducting a lengthy research I was shocked to find out how well Armenians have been playing that Christian card. Anyways, this resolution shouldn't pass because there was no government-ordered genocide. I am not denying that Armenians didn't suffer as a result of the war but also many Turks suffered, too. Also did anyone know why Antonio Banderas planned on playing Ataturk in a Hollywood movie and backed out in the last minute? Well, research it like I did. It will open your eyes and give you an idea what Turks face.
I can recommend a website which i would call a one-stop shop with full of unbiased information. http://www.tallarmeniantale.com/ Yes Pelosi indeed puts her personal interests above American interests by pushing for the passing of this resolution just like Armenian-Americans who I think are Armenians first and Americans second unfortunately.. · Hrat Dink wasn't the only one who defended the genocide allegations there are tens of journalists and historians in Turkey taking Armenian side very openly. They write their books, and articles, they organize conferences in Turkish universities.
Hrat Dink got killed, god knows by whom, because he was all for dialogue.
That's why Diaspora hated him more than Turks. That's why Armenian and Turkish graduate students in Rhode Island tried to organize a joint concert dedicated to Dink but Diaspora prevented it at the last moment using every possible way including threatening the musicians and Armenian students who involved. What I know is that murder of Hrat Dink made Diaspora Armenians go "yessss" and I'll never make sure who was behind the curtain!!! · just because he was proud of his Turkish citizenship. During Mr Dink's funeral there were thousands of Turks chanting "We are all Hrank Dink". Of course there are extremist Fascists present in Turkey - similar to every other country but that is another problem. ·
PS: Orhan Pamuk was never thrown in jail, never claimed that there was a "genocide" - his suggestion being Turkey should not be afraid to openly debate the issue- and lastly he is not exiled out of the country. His books are still among the best sellers in Turkey.
· Some questions:
1. Why won't the Armenians (Armenian Diaspora) join the Turkish government in a fact-finding committee so they can examine ALL the facts?
2. Why have the Armenians actually REFUSED outright every offer the Turkish government has made for an examination of all the records?
3. Who is the "recent US Ambassador to Turkey" who used the word "genocide" and then was fired and had to "recant" his/her words? · http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Lewis
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/soundoff/comment.asp?articleID=335534
Pelosi stumbles over Armenian resolution
Greeks and even the Colombians were remembered but not Turks. Why not? I tell you why. Armenians and Greeks have done a wonderful job on preventing any positive image of Turkey in The United States. I am an Irish-American who happened to dig deep since I have noticed what Turks have been facing due to having some close Turkish friends.
Once I started digging and conducting a lengthy research I was shocked to find out how well Armenians have been playing that Christian card. Anyways, this resolution shouldn't pass because there was no government-ordered genocide. I am not denying that Armenians didn't suffer as a result of the war but also many Turks suffered, too. Also did anyone know why Antonio Banderas planned on playing Ataturk in a Hollywood movie and backed out in the last minute? Well, research it like I did. It will open your eyes and give you an idea what Turks face.
I can recommend a website which i would call a one-stop shop with full of unbiased information. http://www.tallarmeniantale.com/ Yes Pelosi indeed puts her personal interests above American interests by pushing for the passing of this resolution just like Armenian-Americans who I think are Armenians first and Americans second unfortunately.. · Hrat Dink wasn't the only one who defended the genocide allegations there are tens of journalists and historians in Turkey taking Armenian side very openly. They write their books, and articles, they organize conferences in Turkish universities.
Hrat Dink got killed, god knows by whom, because he was all for dialogue.
That's why Diaspora hated him more than Turks. That's why Armenian and Turkish graduate students in Rhode Island tried to organize a joint concert dedicated to Dink but Diaspora prevented it at the last moment using every possible way including threatening the musicians and Armenian students who involved. What I know is that murder of Hrat Dink made Diaspora Armenians go "yessss" and I'll never make sure who was behind the curtain!!! · just because he was proud of his Turkish citizenship. During Mr Dink's funeral there were thousands of Turks chanting "We are all Hrank Dink". Of course there are extremist Fascists present in Turkey - similar to every other country but that is another problem. ·
PS: Orhan Pamuk was never thrown in jail, never claimed that there was a "genocide" - his suggestion being Turkey should not be afraid to openly debate the issue- and lastly he is not exiled out of the country. His books are still among the best sellers in Turkey.
· Some questions:
1. Why won't the Armenians (Armenian Diaspora) join the Turkish government in a fact-finding committee so they can examine ALL the facts?
2. Why have the Armenians actually REFUSED outright every offer the Turkish government has made for an examination of all the records?
3. Who is the "recent US Ambassador to Turkey" who used the word "genocide" and then was fired and had to "recant" his/her words? · http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Lewis
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/soundoff/comment.asp?articleID=335534
Pelosi stumbles over Armenian resolution
Pro-Turkish Comments from mainly non-Turkish intellectuals - [ for Nancy Pelosi stumbles over Armenian resolution]
· It would be a real shame if the US and the Europeans turn their backs on 70 million moderate, democratic and secular-minded Muslims. Turkey has been a stalwart ally to the US, sending troops to fight with UN forces in Korea, allowing the US to station nuclear missiles on Turkish soil during the Cold War, and use Turkish air bases.
· Congress screwed Turkey when they did not have the guts to stand up to President Bush and instead allowed a war that brought chaos and terrorism to Turkey's long southern border with Iraq. It would be adding insult to injury if Congress now passes this resolution on the Armenian genocide.
· This is one country which, albeit its shortcomings, is a beacon of democracy and secularism in the Balkans and the Middle East (look at the rest of them!) and an ally who has stood with us ever since the Korean War. The rest of the countries in the region already hate us and we were simply dying to have the only remaining ally (except Israel) hostile to us, weren't we?
· The fact that every single time the Turks have invited the Armenians to work with them to go through all the records (as the Turks have already done) is also problematic. But it is only problematic for the Armenians, because they have resolutely refused every offer the Turkish government has made at such a collaboration. · Yes, there was a calculated effort by the Ottoman Empire to rid itself of Armenians. Not because they were CHRISTIANS, but because they were separatists who were trying to get a slice of what we now call Turkey.
· That's the rub... The Armenians want it to be a CHRISTIAN genocide, and they want it to be the Republic of Turkey who was solely responsible in the end. Those are not the fact.
· This is a very old issue, here in Europe. Nothing "suddenly" about it. Turkey is having its membership to the EU blocked by this, as well as the Cyprus problemm.It is racism against Turks which is blocking EU-Turkey accession process.
· There are 10 times as many Muslims as Armenians. · These atrocities occurred during the Ottoman Empire, not The Turkish Republic. Blaming Turkey is like blaming Spanish Empire for wiping out the Aztecs..
· All major papers clearly ran editorials talking up how this was a tactic to keep Turkey out of the EU in France. The head of Sarkozy's party is an ethnic Armenian and Sarkozy and him don't want Turkey in the EU even if Turkey said it was responsible for the great potato famine in Ireland. · France is still in denial about what it truly did in Algeria.
· Frankly, I don't buy the argument that politicians were pandering to half a million Armenians - besides, there are 10 times as many Muslims as Armenians."
· Do you know that Sarkozy called Erdogan before the initial vote and said that, in return for some concessions, he would withdraw the text. (Such as opening the border with Armenia. However that border is closed because Armenia invaded and occupied neighboring Azerbaijan 15 years ago, not because of what happened in 1915) Isn't that political?
· Armenian groups went even so far as to sue the Turkish ambassador! Not to mention the fact that they also sued Bernard Lewis, emeritus professor at Princeton, who doesn't agree with the genocide thesis.
· Maybe there needs to be more empathizing the other way around. Did you know that half of Turkey's current population are the descendants of Turks and other Muslims who were driven off from the "Christian lands" between 1820-1924? (an attitude which continued until the 90s in Bosnia and Albania and Nagarno Karabagh) All the Turks see are double-standards.
· US Invasion of Iraq kills 600K+ people but whaam, this bill comes along from the very committee whose bills led to those deaths and says "oh btw, never mind Iraq or Palestine, but you Turks were such baaaad boys a century ago" ·
2. The Soviet Union: 1929 to 1953, 20 million dissidents rounded up and killed during Uncle "Joe" Stalin's purge trials. Never met a "refusnik" (sp?) he didn't like (to wack).
3. Germany: 1939 to 1945, over 13 million Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, mentally ill, union leaders, Catholics and others rounded up by Hilter's SS and killed.
Did you know that Uncle "Adolph" was an animal rights guy? He cried when he saw films of lions and elephants being shot in Africa. Sort of took it out on everyone else, as it were.
4. China: 1948 to 1952, between 20-23 million potential dissenters rounded up by Marxist Mao Zedone and executed. Imagine Nancy, over half the Lieutenant Governors in the United States said they thought this was a good, effective, constituency control policy.
5. Cambodia: 1975 to 1977, over one millon "educated" people rounded up under the Pol Pot regime and executed. Really didn't pay to get a "higher" education over there. Like, no "educator" left behind
. 6. Guatemala: 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians rounded up and killed because they were on the wrong side of Marxism. Think about that one over your next cup of Latte. I think they also "popped" Jaun Valdez and his mule too, he should have stayed in Columbia! 7. Uganda: 1970 to 1975, 300,000 Christians rounded up and executed under Marxist Dictator Idi Amin. Hollywood made a movie, "Last King of Scotland" in honor of this poor, mis-understood maniac buffoon. Of course, as far as Hollywood was concerned, it was only the Christians that got "wacked," and they had it coming. Hollywood seems to forget that we all got it coming!
· Turkey has opened their archives to the world long time ago and called Armenia to do the same thing. I wonder why they deny it. Armenian population was 1,294,851 in 1915 based in Boghos Nubar (Armenian)'s letter to France Department of Foreign. And relocated Armenians are only half of it, 600,000. IF all of them were died, do you think dead people gave birth and now they are talking about 1,800,000 Armenian dead?
Please, a little logic!!! Armenians in the east at that time were relocated, nobody touched any Armenian in the west. Because they were the only ones who co-operated with Russians to stub Ottoman Empire on the back.
Didn't USA put Japaneese people in the camps in WWII? History is Historian's job bot the politician's. Turkey is ready to face a serious study of historians?
· Diaspora Armenian should help starving Armenia with those money not the politicians in USA. Turkey is ready to open the border with Armenia IF this comes to a peaceful intention.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/soundoff/comment.asp?articleID=335534
· Congress screwed Turkey when they did not have the guts to stand up to President Bush and instead allowed a war that brought chaos and terrorism to Turkey's long southern border with Iraq. It would be adding insult to injury if Congress now passes this resolution on the Armenian genocide.
· This is one country which, albeit its shortcomings, is a beacon of democracy and secularism in the Balkans and the Middle East (look at the rest of them!) and an ally who has stood with us ever since the Korean War. The rest of the countries in the region already hate us and we were simply dying to have the only remaining ally (except Israel) hostile to us, weren't we?
· The fact that every single time the Turks have invited the Armenians to work with them to go through all the records (as the Turks have already done) is also problematic. But it is only problematic for the Armenians, because they have resolutely refused every offer the Turkish government has made at such a collaboration. · Yes, there was a calculated effort by the Ottoman Empire to rid itself of Armenians. Not because they were CHRISTIANS, but because they were separatists who were trying to get a slice of what we now call Turkey.
· That's the rub... The Armenians want it to be a CHRISTIAN genocide, and they want it to be the Republic of Turkey who was solely responsible in the end. Those are not the fact.
· This is a very old issue, here in Europe. Nothing "suddenly" about it. Turkey is having its membership to the EU blocked by this, as well as the Cyprus problemm.It is racism against Turks which is blocking EU-Turkey accession process.
· There are 10 times as many Muslims as Armenians. · These atrocities occurred during the Ottoman Empire, not The Turkish Republic. Blaming Turkey is like blaming Spanish Empire for wiping out the Aztecs..
· All major papers clearly ran editorials talking up how this was a tactic to keep Turkey out of the EU in France. The head of Sarkozy's party is an ethnic Armenian and Sarkozy and him don't want Turkey in the EU even if Turkey said it was responsible for the great potato famine in Ireland. · France is still in denial about what it truly did in Algeria.
· Frankly, I don't buy the argument that politicians were pandering to half a million Armenians - besides, there are 10 times as many Muslims as Armenians."
· Do you know that Sarkozy called Erdogan before the initial vote and said that, in return for some concessions, he would withdraw the text. (Such as opening the border with Armenia. However that border is closed because Armenia invaded and occupied neighboring Azerbaijan 15 years ago, not because of what happened in 1915) Isn't that political?
· Armenian groups went even so far as to sue the Turkish ambassador! Not to mention the fact that they also sued Bernard Lewis, emeritus professor at Princeton, who doesn't agree with the genocide thesis.
· Maybe there needs to be more empathizing the other way around. Did you know that half of Turkey's current population are the descendants of Turks and other Muslims who were driven off from the "Christian lands" between 1820-1924? (an attitude which continued until the 90s in Bosnia and Albania and Nagarno Karabagh) All the Turks see are double-standards.
· US Invasion of Iraq kills 600K+ people but whaam, this bill comes along from the very committee whose bills led to those deaths and says "oh btw, never mind Iraq or Palestine, but you Turks were such baaaad boys a century ago" ·
2. The Soviet Union: 1929 to 1953, 20 million dissidents rounded up and killed during Uncle "Joe" Stalin's purge trials. Never met a "refusnik" (sp?) he didn't like (to wack).
3. Germany: 1939 to 1945, over 13 million Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, mentally ill, union leaders, Catholics and others rounded up by Hilter's SS and killed.
Did you know that Uncle "Adolph" was an animal rights guy? He cried when he saw films of lions and elephants being shot in Africa. Sort of took it out on everyone else, as it were.
4. China: 1948 to 1952, between 20-23 million potential dissenters rounded up by Marxist Mao Zedone and executed. Imagine Nancy, over half the Lieutenant Governors in the United States said they thought this was a good, effective, constituency control policy.
5. Cambodia: 1975 to 1977, over one millon "educated" people rounded up under the Pol Pot regime and executed. Really didn't pay to get a "higher" education over there. Like, no "educator" left behind
. 6. Guatemala: 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians rounded up and killed because they were on the wrong side of Marxism. Think about that one over your next cup of Latte. I think they also "popped" Jaun Valdez and his mule too, he should have stayed in Columbia! 7. Uganda: 1970 to 1975, 300,000 Christians rounded up and executed under Marxist Dictator Idi Amin. Hollywood made a movie, "Last King of Scotland" in honor of this poor, mis-understood maniac buffoon. Of course, as far as Hollywood was concerned, it was only the Christians that got "wacked," and they had it coming. Hollywood seems to forget that we all got it coming!
· Turkey has opened their archives to the world long time ago and called Armenia to do the same thing. I wonder why they deny it. Armenian population was 1,294,851 in 1915 based in Boghos Nubar (Armenian)'s letter to France Department of Foreign. And relocated Armenians are only half of it, 600,000. IF all of them were died, do you think dead people gave birth and now they are talking about 1,800,000 Armenian dead?
Please, a little logic!!! Armenians in the east at that time were relocated, nobody touched any Armenian in the west. Because they were the only ones who co-operated with Russians to stub Ottoman Empire on the back.
Didn't USA put Japaneese people in the camps in WWII? History is Historian's job bot the politician's. Turkey is ready to face a serious study of historians?
· Diaspora Armenian should help starving Armenia with those money not the politicians in USA. Turkey is ready to open the border with Armenia IF this comes to a peaceful intention.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/soundoff/comment.asp?articleID=335534
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Armenians were belligerents
Letters Blog May 03, 2008 7
by Prof.Dr. Turkkaya Ataov (Emeritus of international relations)
Comments
VICKEN Babkenian (Armenia’s angels’’, Opinion, 25/4) states that “at the time the Australian troops landed at Gallipoli another event of historical importance was taking place in Turkey’’.
It’s true that a tragedy occurred in Turkey then, but in a way much different than the one stressed by Babkenian.
British authors Stephen Pope and Elizabeth-Anne Wheal, in their joint military classic Dictionary of the First World War, state that between 1 and 1.5 million Armenians were living in Turkey in 1914, that the Armenian nationalists ``slaughtered an estimated 120,000 non-Armenians while the Turkish Army was preoccupied with mobilisation’’, that ``2500 rebels took (the city of) Van in April 1915 and proclaimed a provisional government’’, and that armed Armenians ``resumed control in late 1917 killing perhaps another 50,000 non-Armenians’’.
The commanders of the Armenians, such as Armen Garo Pasdermadjian, confess in their published memoirs that they bore arms, organised large forces and fought against the Turks in several fronts. The title of Pasdermadjian’s book proudly asserts thatArmenian participation was ``A Leading Factor in the Winning of the War’’ by the Allies.
Published documents prove, beyond reasonable doubt, that Armenians committed violent assaults, armed terrorism, destruction, rape, assassinations and wholesale murder of various Muslim groups. Such misdeeds were condemned as contrary to the rules of war even by the Tsarist Russian and French officers who had provided them with uniforms,weapons and all kinds of support.
Many Armenian, British, US, French, Russian and Turkish sources indicate that the Armenians were not as helpless,
unprotected, un-armed and non-belligerent as mainstream opinion claims them to have been.
Turkkaya Ataov
Professor emeritus of international relations
Ankara University, Turkey
Copyright 2007 News Limited. All times AEST (GMT +10).
http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/letters/index.php/theaustralian/comments/armenians_were_belligerents
Vicken Babkenian
April 25, 2008
AT the same time as Australian troops landed at Gallipoli on April 25, 1915, another event of historical importance was taking place in Turkey: the Armenian genocide. The Gallipoli landing took place one day after the mass arrest of Armenian leaders in Istanbul, which is known as the beginning of the genocide. "Who, after all, remembers the annihilation of the Armenians?" were Adolf Hitler's famous words before he embarked on his heinous crime of the Holocaust.
One group who remember the Armenians are a handful of Australians who were at the forefront of the relief effort, yet their stories have been largely hidden. Not one Australian historian has devoted any attention to these remarkable Australians, who have been forgotten along with the "forgotten genocide". For example, Edith Glanville from Haberfield, Sydney, lost her son Leigh, from the 1st Battalion, who died in battle at Gallipoli. Thus began her extraordinary journey with the Armenian people.
Glanville was the first woman justice of the peace in NSW and founded both the Quota and Soroptimist clubs in Australia. Most notably she was honorary secretary of the Armenian Relief Fund of NSW from 1922, and became a driving force in raising more than $100,000 worth of supplies (about $19 million in today's value) within months. Other members of the relief fund included Charles Lloyd Jones, the first chairman of the ABC; and Oscar Lines, the general manager of the Bank of NSW. Glanville was so concerned about the plight of the Armenians that she ended up adopting an Armenian orphan. Former Menzies cabinet minister and British high commissioner Thomas White was a prisoner of war during World War I in Turkey. As a witness to the Armenian genocide, he later returned home and joined the Armenian relief effort. Another prominent Australian, the Rev J.E.Cresswell from Adelaide's Congregational Church (now the Uniting Church), was national secretary of the Armenian Relief Fund of Australasia in the 1920s. Witnessing the plight of Armenian refugees in Syria in 1923, Cresswell said: "Over 6000 are here. The sights within these caves are beyond words. No words seem adequate to describe the misery that must be the portion of these poor people." He oversaw relief programs from port to destination, including setting up an Australian-funded orphanage for 1700 children who survived the genocide in Antelias, Lebanon. That site is now one of the holiest for Armenians, the Catholicosate of Cilicia. In 1918, Sydney mayor James Joynton Smith set up the Armenian Relief Fund, which included prominent philanthropists and business people such as the Griffith brothers, one of the largest suppliers of tea and coffee in Australia, and the Elliot brothers, one of the nation's biggest pharmaceutical groups. This fund, with the help of many Sydneysiders, raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to help the Armenians, all when Australians were already sacrificing so much during World War I.
Even prime minister Billy Hughes promised that free freight would be provided by commonwealth steamers for any contribution to the fund. These are just some of the hundreds of Australian stories of generosity, hope and moral decency that have been unearthed. In the words of Robert Manne: "In world history there is an intimate connection between the Dardanelles campaign and the Armenian genocide." So, as we reflect on the sacrifices of brave Australians who landed on those distant shores, let's also remember those Australians who lost loved ones and, through the kindness of their hearts, were able to save others. Vicken Babkenian is director of the Australian Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies.' http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23594423-21147,00.html
by Prof.Dr. Turkkaya Ataov (Emeritus of international relations)
Comments
VICKEN Babkenian (Armenia’s angels’’, Opinion, 25/4) states that “at the time the Australian troops landed at Gallipoli another event of historical importance was taking place in Turkey’’.
It’s true that a tragedy occurred in Turkey then, but in a way much different than the one stressed by Babkenian.
British authors Stephen Pope and Elizabeth-Anne Wheal, in their joint military classic Dictionary of the First World War, state that between 1 and 1.5 million Armenians were living in Turkey in 1914, that the Armenian nationalists ``slaughtered an estimated 120,000 non-Armenians while the Turkish Army was preoccupied with mobilisation’’, that ``2500 rebels took (the city of) Van in April 1915 and proclaimed a provisional government’’, and that armed Armenians ``resumed control in late 1917 killing perhaps another 50,000 non-Armenians’’.
The commanders of the Armenians, such as Armen Garo Pasdermadjian, confess in their published memoirs that they bore arms, organised large forces and fought against the Turks in several fronts. The title of Pasdermadjian’s book proudly asserts thatArmenian participation was ``A Leading Factor in the Winning of the War’’ by the Allies.
Published documents prove, beyond reasonable doubt, that Armenians committed violent assaults, armed terrorism, destruction, rape, assassinations and wholesale murder of various Muslim groups. Such misdeeds were condemned as contrary to the rules of war even by the Tsarist Russian and French officers who had provided them with uniforms,weapons and all kinds of support.
Many Armenian, British, US, French, Russian and Turkish sources indicate that the Armenians were not as helpless,
unprotected, un-armed and non-belligerent as mainstream opinion claims them to have been.
Turkkaya Ataov
Professor emeritus of international relations
Ankara University, Turkey
Copyright 2007 News Limited. All times AEST (GMT +10).
http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/letters/index.php/theaustralian/comments/armenians_were_belligerents
Vicken Babkenian
April 25, 2008
AT the same time as Australian troops landed at Gallipoli on April 25, 1915, another event of historical importance was taking place in Turkey: the Armenian genocide. The Gallipoli landing took place one day after the mass arrest of Armenian leaders in Istanbul, which is known as the beginning of the genocide. "Who, after all, remembers the annihilation of the Armenians?" were Adolf Hitler's famous words before he embarked on his heinous crime of the Holocaust.
One group who remember the Armenians are a handful of Australians who were at the forefront of the relief effort, yet their stories have been largely hidden. Not one Australian historian has devoted any attention to these remarkable Australians, who have been forgotten along with the "forgotten genocide". For example, Edith Glanville from Haberfield, Sydney, lost her son Leigh, from the 1st Battalion, who died in battle at Gallipoli. Thus began her extraordinary journey with the Armenian people.
Glanville was the first woman justice of the peace in NSW and founded both the Quota and Soroptimist clubs in Australia. Most notably she was honorary secretary of the Armenian Relief Fund of NSW from 1922, and became a driving force in raising more than $100,000 worth of supplies (about $19 million in today's value) within months. Other members of the relief fund included Charles Lloyd Jones, the first chairman of the ABC; and Oscar Lines, the general manager of the Bank of NSW. Glanville was so concerned about the plight of the Armenians that she ended up adopting an Armenian orphan. Former Menzies cabinet minister and British high commissioner Thomas White was a prisoner of war during World War I in Turkey. As a witness to the Armenian genocide, he later returned home and joined the Armenian relief effort. Another prominent Australian, the Rev J.E.Cresswell from Adelaide's Congregational Church (now the Uniting Church), was national secretary of the Armenian Relief Fund of Australasia in the 1920s. Witnessing the plight of Armenian refugees in Syria in 1923, Cresswell said: "Over 6000 are here. The sights within these caves are beyond words. No words seem adequate to describe the misery that must be the portion of these poor people." He oversaw relief programs from port to destination, including setting up an Australian-funded orphanage for 1700 children who survived the genocide in Antelias, Lebanon. That site is now one of the holiest for Armenians, the Catholicosate of Cilicia. In 1918, Sydney mayor James Joynton Smith set up the Armenian Relief Fund, which included prominent philanthropists and business people such as the Griffith brothers, one of the largest suppliers of tea and coffee in Australia, and the Elliot brothers, one of the nation's biggest pharmaceutical groups. This fund, with the help of many Sydneysiders, raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to help the Armenians, all when Australians were already sacrificing so much during World War I.
Even prime minister Billy Hughes promised that free freight would be provided by commonwealth steamers for any contribution to the fund. These are just some of the hundreds of Australian stories of generosity, hope and moral decency that have been unearthed. In the words of Robert Manne: "In world history there is an intimate connection between the Dardanelles campaign and the Armenian genocide." So, as we reflect on the sacrifices of brave Australians who landed on those distant shores, let's also remember those Australians who lost loved ones and, through the kindness of their hearts, were able to save others. Vicken Babkenian is director of the Australian Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies.' http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23594423-21147,00.html
Saturday, May 3, 2008
"We considered the Azerbaijani Turks as Tatars, yet they were a good people. Armenians on the other hand, are provocateurs in a single word." Frunze, Red Army commander
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"I have yet to meet a foreigner living in this part of the world and unbiased by politics, religion or pecuniary benefits from condemning the Turks, who has not most empathically stated that of all the races represented in the population of the old Turkish Empire, the Turks by far are the best people." E. Alexander Powell, American journalist and author,"The Struggle for Power in Moslem Asia," 1923
...................................................................................................................
"Nearly everyone who touches upon the kernel of the nation learns to respect and love Turks, to humiliate Greeks, to hate and despise Armenians... Everywhere justifies the proverb, that the Greek defrauds 2 Jews, but the Armenian defrauds 2 Greeks. Certainly, if you have been defrauded in Anatolia, so you had a business with an Armenian"
"When I had business with Turks, I didn't need a written document, because his vow was enough. When I had business with Greeks, I was in need to sign the written document, because it is important for them. But when I had business with Armenians, I didn't sign any documents, because even the written document can't provide a barrier for their mendacity and intrigue"
German traveler, from the book "Outlines of Anatolia," p..6, p.188-191
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"I have yet to meet a foreigner living in this part of the world and unbiased by politics, religion or pecuniary benefits from condemning the Turks, who has not most empathically stated that of all the races represented in the population of the old Turkish Empire, the Turks by far are the best people." E. Alexander Powell, American journalist and author,"The Struggle for Power in Moslem Asia," 1923
...................................................................................................................
"Nearly everyone who touches upon the kernel of the nation learns to respect and love Turks, to humiliate Greeks, to hate and despise Armenians... Everywhere justifies the proverb, that the Greek defrauds 2 Jews, but the Armenian defrauds 2 Greeks. Certainly, if you have been defrauded in Anatolia, so you had a business with an Armenian"
"When I had business with Turks, I didn't need a written document, because his vow was enough. When I had business with Greeks, I was in need to sign the written document, because it is important for them. But when I had business with Armenians, I didn't sign any documents, because even the written document can't provide a barrier for their mendacity and intrigue"
German traveler, from the book "Outlines of Anatolia," p..6, p.188-191
"The tolerance shown to foreign beliefs and hostile faiths by the Ottoman law and Ottoman officials which enabled them to establish their own religious institutions and to shape their own education was such that the thousand year old liberty reigning in France in the field of sects and beliefs, dating from the times of the ancient Gaul, could not be compared with it." Talcot Williams, Turkey, A World Problem of Today, New York, 1922, p. 194
....................................................................................................................
"In the interest of truth I will also affirm that you saw little of the cruelty you fasten upon the Turks. Besides that you have killed more Armenians than ever lived in the districts of the uprising. The fate of those people was sad enough without having to be exaggerated as you have done."
"Apart from that he (Enver Pasha) was in no respect what you picture him. Of course, if we are to take it for granted that we of the West are saints, then the Turk is any good. You will agree with me, no doubt, that the Turks count among the few gentlemen still in existence....
Ultimately truth will prevail." George A. Schreiner, distinguished war and political correspondent having served in Turkey from February through the end of 1915, in a no-holds-barred, extremely critical December 11,1918 letter to ex-Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, regarding the latter's unethically falsified, ghostwritten book (Ambassador Morgenthau's Story)
............................................................................
"...In the absence of unequivocal evidence that the Ottoman administration took a specific decision to eliminate the Armenians under their control at that time, British governments have not recognized those events as indications of genocide... Nor do we believe it is the business of governments of today to review events of over 80 years ago, with a view to pronouncing on them..." Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale, Foreign Office spokesperson, on April 14, 1999; the PA News from London... reporting on yet another Armenian bid to get the British Government to recognize its "genocide."
....................................................................................................................
"In the interest of truth I will also affirm that you saw little of the cruelty you fasten upon the Turks. Besides that you have killed more Armenians than ever lived in the districts of the uprising. The fate of those people was sad enough without having to be exaggerated as you have done."
"Apart from that he (Enver Pasha) was in no respect what you picture him. Of course, if we are to take it for granted that we of the West are saints, then the Turk is any good. You will agree with me, no doubt, that the Turks count among the few gentlemen still in existence....
Ultimately truth will prevail." George A. Schreiner, distinguished war and political correspondent having served in Turkey from February through the end of 1915, in a no-holds-barred, extremely critical December 11,1918 letter to ex-Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, regarding the latter's unethically falsified, ghostwritten book (Ambassador Morgenthau's Story)
..................................................................................................................
"The Osmanli (Ottoman) has yet to be heard." (The English have) "heard stories ad nauseam of massacres, of pillages, of the ravishing of women, but none of these stories have been corroborated by a single European eyewitness." Captain Charles Boswell Norman, "The Armenians Unmasked" (1895)
............................................................................
"...In the absence of unequivocal evidence that the Ottoman administration took a specific decision to eliminate the Armenians under their control at that time, British governments have not recognized those events as indications of genocide... Nor do we believe it is the business of governments of today to review events of over 80 years ago, with a view to pronouncing on them..." Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale, Foreign Office spokesperson, on April 14, 1999; the PA News from London... reporting on yet another Armenian bid to get the British Government to recognize its "genocide."
"Neither political nor legal or material claims against present-day Turkey can be derived from the recognition of this historical event as an act of genocide." European Parliament, 1987 Resolution
"It is only fair to acknowledge that, judged from a humane point of view, the methods of warfare pursued by the Turks are vastly superior to those which have disgraced their German masters."
Lord Kitchener, Official Report on Gallipoli as Minister of War, August 9, 1915.
...................................................................................................................
"Ottoman Armenians were completely free in the Ottoman Empire and the Turks were the Armenians' only shelter against Russia guaranteeing their traditions, religion, culture and language in comparison to Russian oppression under the Czars."
Vartanian, Armenian historian, "History of the Armenian Movement
....................................................................................................................
"Few Europeans realized that the Turkish Ottoman Sultan Suleiman was the head of the most democratic government of their time."
Harold Lamb, American historian and novelist, noted for his biographies of Genghis Khan, Alexander, and Hannibal
"It is only fair to acknowledge that, judged from a humane point of view, the methods of warfare pursued by the Turks are vastly superior to those which have disgraced their German masters."
Lord Kitchener, Official Report on Gallipoli as Minister of War, August 9, 1915.
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"Ottoman Armenians were completely free in the Ottoman Empire and the Turks were the Armenians' only shelter against Russia guaranteeing their traditions, religion, culture and language in comparison to Russian oppression under the Czars."
Vartanian, Armenian historian, "History of the Armenian Movement
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"Few Europeans realized that the Turkish Ottoman Sultan Suleiman was the head of the most democratic government of their time."
Harold Lamb, American historian and novelist, noted for his biographies of Genghis Khan, Alexander, and Hannibal
"The Turk is the brother of the Armenian and they know it." William Saroyan, Antranik of Armenia, From "Inhale and Exhale," 1935; the "they" refers to forces... likely the great powers... that beg the question Saroyan goes on to ask: Why do they want them to kill one another?
What good does it do anybody? "America should feed the half million Turks whose hinterland was willfully demolished by the retreating Greeks, instead of aiding the Greeks and Armenians who are sitting around waiting for America to give them their next meal.
The stories of Turk atrocities circulated among American churches are a mess of lies. I believe that the Greeks and not the Turks are barbarians."
Colonel William Haskell, the American Red Cross; returning from a tour of investigation in the Near East. Source: The Turkish Myth, 1923. Here is what the colonel thought of the Armenians, according to Dr. Richard Hovannisian
What good does it do anybody? "America should feed the half million Turks whose hinterland was willfully demolished by the retreating Greeks, instead of aiding the Greeks and Armenians who are sitting around waiting for America to give them their next meal.
The stories of Turk atrocities circulated among American churches are a mess of lies. I believe that the Greeks and not the Turks are barbarians."
Colonel William Haskell, the American Red Cross; returning from a tour of investigation in the Near East. Source: The Turkish Myth, 1923. Here is what the colonel thought of the Armenians, according to Dr. Richard Hovannisian
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
ATTACKS ON ARMENIAN CONVOYS AND MEASURES TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT
RELOCATION
Some Armenians have died as the result of the attacks made to some companies during the movement of Armenians towards their new settlement regions, especially by the Arabic tribes between Aleppo - Zor and Armenian committee member Urban.
As understood from a coded telegraph dated January 8th 1916, the attacks on the roads between Aleppo and Meskene resulted in the death of many Armenians, (1)
and that approximately 2.000 of the Armenians moving from Diyarbekir to Zor and from Saruc to Halep through Menbic road were robbed by the Urban tribes (2).
Again in Diyarbakir region, it has been notified that the gangs and the bandits killed almost 2.000 people including Armenians and Non - Muslims. Upon this event, it has been notified severely that such events should be immediately stopped and peace should be absolutely provided on the route of the companies, otherwise that province would be held responsible for the actions of the bandits. (3)
A coded telegraph sent to Diyarbekir, Mamuretülaziz and Bitlis provinces on June 14th 1915 informing that another company of 500 people were killed as the result of the Kurd attacks between Erzurum — Erzincan road. Upon this event, the use of any kind of instruments against the attacks of the villagers and the tribes and severe punishment of the ones attempting murder and usurpation had been ordered. (4)
The Ottoman government has shown extra ordinary efforts for providing food and the security of the companies while fighting against the enemy. It has shown great sensitivity about the murders and robberies, to which Armenians have been subjected to and tried to provide the safe performance of this transportation. With the instructions written to the administrations in the provinces, to which the transportation was made, the ones attacking the Armenian companies have been punished. The government, following up the precautions taken about this issue, has asked how many were punished harmed to the Armenian convoys, in the coded telegram it sent to Erzurum, Adana, Ankara, Halep, Hüdavendigar, Diyarbekir, Sivas, Trabzon, Konya, Mamoretülaziz provinces and Urfa, Izmit, Zor, Karesi, Kayseri, Kütahya, Maras, Karahisar administrators on September 5 1915. (5)
On the other hand, Investigation Commissions have been established for determining the officers, who showed reluctance or unlawful actions during the transportation of the Armenian companies. A commission consisting of Muhtar Bey, Ankara Province civil service investigator, and Kaymakam Muhiddin Bey, Izmir Gendarme Regional Investigator under the chairmanship of Asim Bey, first chief of Interrogation Court has been sent to Adana, Halep, Suriye, Urfa, Zor and Maras regions (6)
and a commission to which Ismail Hakki Bey, member of State Council has also participated, under the chairmanship of Hulusi Bey, chairman of Court of Appeal has been sent to Hüdavendigar, Ankara, Izmit, Karasi, Kütahya, Eskisehir, Kayseri, Karahisar-i sahib and Nigde regions. (7)
A third commission consisting of Nihad, Public Prosecutor of Istanbul Court of First Instance and Ali Naki Bey, a Gendarme Major under the chairmanship of Mazhar Bey, former governor of Bitlis has been appointed in Sivas, Trabzon, Erzurum, Mamuretülaziz, Diyarbekir, Bitlis and Canik regions. In a coded confidential telegraph sent to Mazhar Bey, who was the chairman of this commission and was in Sivas at that time, the commission has been requested to carry out the necessary investigations at the locations they visited and then to report the results of such investigations continuously to the center. (8)I
n accordance with the instructions given to the commissions, gendarme, police officers or directors would be sent to the Court Martial in accordance with the result of the investigation to be carried out about them. A list of the ones sent to the Court Martial would be given to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The results of the investigations to be carried out about the governors and district governors would be first submitted to the Ministry of Internal affairs and the transactions would be carried out in accordance with the order given.
If there occurred any misuse among the Court Martial chairmen or members and military officers, those people would be notified to the related army commanderships.
In the light of the reports given by the investigation commissions, many officers misusing their duties (stealing money and goods from the companies, causing the companies be subject to violation because of not performing their protection duties as required, acting in violation of the transportation order) have been discharged. Some of them have been judged at the Court Martial and have been sentenced to heavy punishments. (9)
REFERENCE:Halacoglu, Prof. Dr. Yusuf, Facts Relating to the Armenian Displacement (1915), TTK Publication, Ankara, 2001
FOOTNOTES1) Coding Office, no. 59/2442) Coding Office, no. 56/140; 55 — A/1443) Coding Office, no. 54/406; no 54 — A/73; no 54 — A/2484) Coding Office, no 54/9; no 54/1625) Coding Office, no 55-A/846) Coding Office; no 56/1867) Coding Office; no 56/355; no 58/388) Coding Office, no 56/2679) Coding Office, no 58/278; no 58/141; no. 55-A/156; no. 55-A/157; no 61/165; no 57/116; no 57/416; no 57/105; no 59/235; no 54-A/326; no 59/196
ARMENIANS NOT SUBJECTED TO RELOCATION
Saturday, 10. February 2007, 13:33:20
The relocation decision has not been applied to all Armenians. At the beginning, a part of the Armenians living in the regions (In Urfa, Germis and Birecik, Erzurum, Aydin, Trabzon, Edirne, Canik, Cannakkale, Adapazari, Halep, Bolu, Kastamonu, Tekirdag, Konya and Karahisar-i sahib) have been kept out of the scope of migration. (1)
But, thereafter, when it has been certain that these people were also involved in various severity events, majority of them been subjected to migration. (2)
The ill and the blind were not subjected to relocation and the Catholic and the Protestant ones, the soldiers and their families, the officers, merchants, some workers and masters were not subject to migration, either. Likewise, in the telegraphs sent to the provinces, it is requested not to move the ill, the blind, the disabled and the old and to settle them in the city centers. (3)
With the telegraphs sent to the related provinces on August 2, 1915 and August 15th 1915, it has been ordered not to subject the Armenians from the Catholic and Protestant sects to migration and to settle them in the cities they were currently in and to notify the number of their population. (5)
[note by JGArslan: Only Gregorian Armnenians were subjected to relocation.The reason of this discrimination must be clearfied.]
The ones that have been subjected to migration by mistake have been settled in the cities they were currently in. (6).
But among the ones that were kept out of the scope of migration, the ones that were observed to have harmful actions have been sent to new settlement regions regardless of their being Catholic or Protestant. (7)
In the coded telegraph sent to the provinces on August 15 1915, the Armenians providing service as officers and health personnel in the Ottoman army and their families have not been subjected to migration and left at their locations. (8)
Besides this, the Armenians working in the branches of Ottoman Bank, in the Turkish Tobacco Monopoly and in some consulates have not been subjected to relocation, either, as long as they remained loyal to the government and their good behavior continued. Furthermore, orphans and widowed women have not been subjected to migration and have been taken under protection in the villages and orphanages. (10)
The children, who became orphans during the transportation have been sent to Sivas and settled in the orphanages there. (11)
A general order was issued on April 30, 1916 about the Armenian families needing protection. With this order, the families with no guardians, whose male members either were transported or were in military service, were settled in the villages and towns, where there were no Armenians and their catering were met from the Immigrants’ Allowance. The children up to 12 were given to Muslim families at locations, where the orphanages were not sufficient and their education and development have been provided. 30 kurush was paid to the poor Muslim families to meet the expenses of the children from the Immigrants’ Allowance. Young and widowed women were permitted to marry Muslim men with their own will. (12)
REFERENCE:Halacoglu, Prof. Dr. Yusuf, Facts Relating to the Armenian Displacement (1915), TTK Publication, Ankara, 2001FOOTNOTES1) Coding Office, no 54-A/155; no 56/ 114; no 56/ 225; no 56/ 226; no 57/89; no 57/177; no 59/ 2182) Coding Office, no 54-A/271; no 54-A / 272 (July 22nd 1331/ August 4th 1915)3) Coding Office, no 56/27; no 67/1864) Coding Office, no. 54-A/ 251; no 55/205) Coding Office, no. 56/112 (September 6th 1331/ September 19th 1915, to Konya province)6) About this issue, orders have been sent via telegraph to Sivas (Coding Office 56/176), Mamuretülaziz and Diyarbekir provinces (Coding Office no 56/172) on September 14th 1331 / September 26th 1915; to Konya (Coding Office, no 58/2) and Ankara (Coding Office, no 58/159) provinces on 1 Tesrinisani 1331 / November 14th 1915.7) A telegraph in this way has been sent to Adana province on August 1331 / September 2nd 1915 (Coding Office, no. 55-A/23).8) Coding Office, no. 55/189) Coding Office, no 56/36 (September 3rd 1331 / September 16th 1915); no 56/243 (September 17th 1331 / September 30th 1915); no 56/360 (September 28th 1331 / October 11th 1915).10) Coding Office, no 54/411; no 54/450; no 54-A / 32511) Coding Office, no 61/18-2012) This order has been sent to Adana, Erzurum, Edirne, Halep, Hüdavendigar, Sivas, Diyarbekir, Mamuretülaziz, Konya, Kastamonu, Trabzon provinces and Izmit, Canik, Eskisehir, Karahisar-i sahib, Maras, Urfa, Kaysri, Nigde possessorships (Coding Office, no 63/147) and to Ankara province on May 17th 1332 / May 30th 1916 (Coding Office no 64/162).
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