29.12.10

3194) Turkish-Armenian Conflict: What Now? Exclusive Interview With ERGÜN KIRLIKOVALI, President-Elect, ATAA

Washington DC, USA, December 28, 2010

Ergun Kirlikovali © This content Mirrored From  http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com We asked all the controversial questions on our readers’ minds and received pretty candid, informative, and stimulating responses from the president-elect of ATAA (the Assembly of Turkish American Associations.) You can find his bio at the organization’s official and sole website: www.ataa.org.

ATAA is a non-profit, non-governmental organization established in Washington DC, USA, in 1979, as an umbrella for the local and regional Turkish-American non-profit organizations coast-to-coast, representing about half a million Turkish American citizens on matters important to Turkey-USA relations. The ATAA does not own, operate or moderate any other information sharing sites or chat groups, although some groups use the acronym ATAA without consent or approval of the ATAA.

It has been generally observed that the ATAA has been quite vocal in the recent years in media, academia, and politics , with concerted efforts to educate public. In fact, the ATAA was instrumental in defeating the H.Res. 252 last week. This interview should give our readers some insight into the minds behind the ATAA’s success.


 question © This content Mirrored From  http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com: There is much to cover, so let’s start with the most recent events. There has been yet another attempt to resuscitate H.Res. 252 in the U.S. Congress on the eleventh hour. Knowing full well that the Republic of Turkey and the Turkish people would put up a fierce resistance to stop the resolution and would probably succeed, too, why do you think Pelosi resorted to such a risky political move in the last few hours of the 111th Congress?

 answer © This content Mirrored From  http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com: I cannot speak for Pelosi but I suppose she’s got her own calculations that showed another outcome. If that’s the case, she is misinformed... again. Democrats, as you know, took a beating in the November elections which caused Pelosi to lose her title as the speaker of the House. I am not sure if Pelosi would have been in the mood for a second major defeat so quickly and so close to high holidays. It was almost like pointing at your chin and say “Hit me right here!” (smiles.)

It could also be for show. Even if she lost, Pelosi would be able to say to her Armenian voters “Look, I tried. I kept my promise.” This way, Armenian support would continue./ What Pelosi et al failed to consider was high powered demands coming from the executive and legislative branches not to pursue H.Res. 252 and similar requests and advises from the business, industry, and voter community groups. Such intense and instant pressure burst Pelosi’s bubble. Even Pelosi could not ignore the serious destruction she would cause to American interests if she brought this ill-informed and malicious resolution to a vote.

 question © This content Mirrored From  http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com: You think HR 252 would lose, though, if came to a floor vote?

answer © This content Mirrored From  http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com: The vote would probably be close but no cigar. It would definitely lose, that much I can say. And I say this because most of those who oppose this racist and dishonest resolution would put America’s interests before Armenia’s interest as soon as they are informed as much. At the end of the day, the patriotic feelings in these people would rise and dictate that H.Res. 252 be categorically rejected. After all, H.Res. is not only anti-Turkish and anti-truth, but it is also downright anti-American.

 question © This content Mirrored From  http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com: Can you expand on that?

answer © This content Mirrored From  http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com: I would be delighted to. For instance, check this poster out.

Ergun Kirlikovali © This content Mirrored From  http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com
This photo is straight from Armenian literature . [1]

It shows the personnel and students of the ARF Military Academy in Bulgaria, 1907-1907 class. Military academy? In Bulgaria? In 1906? Yes, yes, and yes. Welcome to the real Armenian problem. As you can see, Armenian revolts and acts of treason and terrorism did not start in 1915 as commonly misrepresented by pseudo scholars who call themselves genocide scholars. They started decades ago. According to a reputable British source, 120,000 Muslims, mostly Turkish, were killed by Armenian nationalists in 1914 [2a]. And that does not even take into account the infamous Van Rebellion by Armenians in April of 1915. [2b][2c] Where are the Muslim, mostly Turkish, victims of these trained, armed, uniformed Armenian insurgents? You cannot find a single word about these Armenian hate crimes and war crimes in that biased and ill-informed H.Res. 252. This is a racist attitude on the part of the Armenians and their self-serving allies.


How important is this? Well, consider this: The U.S. crossed oceans and continents to wage a trillion dollar global war on terrorism because 3,000 of its citizens were killed on American soil. Why is it, then, so difficult to understand that the Ottoman Empire, having lost more than 160,000 of its citizens in the 12 month period running from May 1914 , resorted to similar, but much lesser, self-defence measure of TERESET (Temporary Resettlement) of the perpetrators? Rephrased, how can 3,000 victims in 2001 justify a international, global war, but 120,000 victims in 1914 (and many more in 1915) do not justify even a domestic, local TERESET ?

The Armenian lobby point to the women and children in the Armenian groups temporarily relocated, but the same fail to point out that there were Muslim women and children forced to flee by the Russian-Armenian forces from the Caucasus into Eastern Anatolia. So, same suffering, same numbers, same area, same era, same wartime conditions... But just because other sufferers are Muslim, mostly Turkish, you don’t get to read about them in evil resolutions like H.Res. 252. This is the kind of selective conscience the racist Armenian falsifiers and their fellow Turk-haters who push H.Res. 252 have. We say if we are all to grieve about human suffering and man’s inhumanity to man, then let’s do that without discriminating on the basis of ethnicity, religion. Let’s grieve for both Armenian and Turk... and Arab, and Jew, and Greek, and Kurd, and Laz, and Circassian, and Albanian, and Bosnian, and Pomak and many others...

Why cherry-pick Armenians from the lot and ignore or dismiss the rest? Who gives anyone such power to classify and rank human beings? Only the evil Armenian lobby and their fellow Turk-haters commit such overtly hate-based resolutions, year after year, with absolutely no shame or remorse... Why is my dead lesser than your dead? Why should we grieve your dead and disregard my dead? Who the hell are you? That’s how I feel about the H.Res. 252. Those who want empathy from others should learn to give empathy to others.

Then there is the oft misrepresented issue of April 24th. What is the significance of 24th of April, 1915? The AFATH lobby [5] would have you believe it is the beginning of a so called genocide. But is it? What really happened that day? . On that day, some 237 Armenian terror and/or treason suspects (not thousands as claimed) were arrested by the Ottoman police and sent to central Anatolia, to places like Corum, Cankiri, Ankara, etc., and subjected to house arrest. This meant they could roam around during the day, even conduct business which some of them did, but had to check into a designated house at night. Not exactly genocide, is it? Not even Guantanamo, wouldn’t you agree? All of these suspects were returned in the end, except two. Those two were, indeed, murdered but on unrelated disputes of money and trade. No matter how one slices it, none of this sounds like genocide, does it? So, 24th of April is the beginning of OTTOMAN GUANTANAMO, not a bogus genocide as promoted in H.Res. 252.

Turks and Armenians had lived in a relatively harmonious cohabitation in Anatolia for nearly a millennium before the Armenian took up arms against their own government towards the end of that millennium (i.e. 1893-1915). Had the Armenians (and others) not taken up arms against their own neighbors, co-citizens, and government, they would have still been living in Anatolia today, just like the Armenians of Istanbul who mostly stayed loyal to the Ottoman Empire. Since when, then, defending one’s home a genocide? Would America behave differently today if three million Americans (roughly equivalent of 120,000 Ottomans killed by Armenians in 1914 alone) were mercilessly killed by some insurgent groups who then enthusiastically joined the enemy armies invading America?


Take a look at this other photo, also from Armenian sources. [Houshamatyan book, page 45] [3]. Here you can see the Armenian gangs, para military hoodlums, armed to the teeth, with mostly Russian deadly Mosin rifles given to the Armenian Revolutionary Federation terrorists by Russia starting from 1893 [4].
Ergun Kirlikovali © This content Mirrored From  http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com
Armenian militia, just as deadly as the Armenian uniformed forces pictured above. Can you imagine? All of these thugs, murderers, and terrorists were presented to the unsuspecting Western readers as “poor, starving Armenians” murdered by barbaric Turks. Such narrative fit their bias perfectly. Never mind that it was fake, false, and untrue. Armenian archives must be full of these photos, letters, documents, and “smoking guns”, which helps explain why Armenian archives in the hands of Armenian government, churches, and parties remain closed to scholarly study to this date. Turks have opened their archives more than two decades ago and scholars from 80 countries have already studied them. We have nothing to fear from the truth, but Armenians tremble when we suggest that a “committee of historians” study all the archives.


When you see the meaningless Armenian resistance to scholarly fact-finding, it makes you think, what are Armenians hiding? Of course, looking at those photos above, and thousands like them, we have slight idea (smiles.)

Where are the Turks killed by these blood-thirsty Armenian terrorists? Where? Do not look for them in that malicious H.Res. 252 because you will not find them there. That is what both angers and frustrates, but also energizes and motivates me, and tens of thousands of Turkish Americans like me. We are the voice of those silent masses who cannot speak out to defend themselves against slanders and lies. Those nameless, faceless, voiceless Turkish victims find a voice in us. Many of those Turkish victims were in my father’s extended family in Kirlikova and my mother’s family in Skopje. Every Turkish family has similar stories of suffering and loss. And where is all that? You cannot find them in the narratives of the AFATH community. [5]

It is exactly because of these reasons, I have invented a new word, "Ethocide", a companion and supplementary term to “Genocide”, at exactly at 8:58 am, on Wednesday, May 7, 2003, after being frustrated by the incredibly biased coverage of Turkish-Armenian issue in the American press. [6]

Ethocide, my humble gift to the English language, is coined from the words "ethics" and "cide". Its companion term in Turkish, Ahlakkirim, is also my invention and modest gift to the Turkish language. They both mean one and the same thing with the short definition: "systematic extermination of ethics via deliberate and malicious mass deception for political and/or other benefits. For a longer and proper definition you can go to www.ethocide.com. [7] I want the newer generations to be able to fight the bogus Armenian genocide effortlessly with proper tools like this new term. So called genocide scholars are committing this crime of conscience, ethocide, every time they ignore or dismiss the “six T’s of the Turkish Armenian conflict. [8] Anyone who wishes to learn more about the falsifications, misrepresentations, lies, and fabrications embodied in the H.Res. 252 should go to reference [9].





question © This content Mirrored From  http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com: What do you think about this image of Turks persistently promoted by the Armenians as barbaric, ruthless overlords, even in the H.Res. 252 and pretty much everywhere else?

 answer © This content Mirrored From  http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com: I think will ask my friend Voltaire , the famous 18th Century French philosopher, to come to my aid here (smiles.) You see, Voltaire was a campaigner against tyranny and bigotry, which is probably why he could not keep out of trouble. Voltaire, the Renaissance man of the Enlightenment, always struck back with bitter, mocking, poignant sarcasm whenever he was attacked. Voltaire often scrutinized the political and philosophical controversies of the 18th century and fought tirelessly for the oppressed. And Voltaire did comment on Turks, too, and here is what he said: “ The great Turk is governing in peace twenty nations from different religions. Turks have taught the Christians how to be moderate in peace and gentle in victory." Enough said, I presume?

 question © This content Mirrored From  http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com: Considering the “Aid Raid” fallout between Israel and Turkey, do you think HR 252 would fail a floor vote without the usual stiff resistance from the Jewish lobby?

answer © This content Mirrored From  http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com: The amicable Jewish Turkish relations go back further in history than the history of the United States. Turkey is a home, just like Israel, for every Jew, to come live, prosper, build a community, and feel safe. Both Israel and the Jewish lobby know this well which may be why they were measured in their comments after the “Aid Raid” last June, save a few extremists on Jewish and Turkish sides. Turkish-Jewish friendship predates even 1492 Spanish Inquisitions, when Jews found a home in Turkish lands after being expelled under the well documented threats of "convert to Christianity or die... or leave Spain." When European countries would not allow expelled Jews in for fear of retaliation from Catholic Rome, the Ottoman Empire not only invited the homeless Jews but also sent the Ottoman Navy to bring them to Turkish lands. Jews prospered there as loyal Ottoman citizens. Such history cannot be exchanged for a few Armenian votes or campaign dollars, although some ignorant ones still do. There is that aspect.

At issue are not Israel, the Jewish lobby or even Armenian interests; at issue are American interests. Plain and simple. Passing HR 252 would cause irreparable harm to Turkey-USA relations which may manifest themselves in the US policies in Iraq and Afghanistan, not to mention Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and many others. The question in front of the 111th US Congress people would be “Do Armenian interests trump American interests?” When that happens, you can pretty much guess the outcome.

If your readers wish to know more about Turkish-Jewish relations and how Armenian gangs murdered Turks and Jews during WWI, they should refer to reference [10].

In summary, H.Res. 252 was Bad for national security as it negatively affected the use of Incirlik Airbase in Turkey; partnership in Afghanistan; cooperation in Iraq, energy security, and a whole host of other issues. It also would devastate the U.S. policy in the Balkans, Caucasus, Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa, where Turkey continues to work with the U.S. on moderation, development, and peace. H.Res. 252 was anti-business as it sought to limit and punish bilateral commercial relationships where the U.S. had a huge surplus with multibillion dollars in commercial aviation, aerospace, and defence sales. These mean American jobs. Nothing remotely comparable comes from tiny, land-locked, poverty-stricken, aggressive, violent, and corrupt Armenia whose top export is illegal aliens and crooks and top import is foreign aid from American taxpayers and donations from Armenian Americans. One should be insane to support crooks and terrorists, especially in the face of insulting and angering a bulwark of Western defence alliance, and island of peace, stability and progress, a driving force in moderation, and a reliable friend in the troubled Middle East. Forces of reason and moderation reigned, thankfully, as the Obama Administration opposed the bringing of this contentious issue to a floor vote with both the Defense and State Departments playing active roles on Capitol Hill in opposition to H.Res. 252. If you look back, you will see that this deceptive and dishonest resolution was passed by the HFAC by the narrowest of margins: a single vote, thanks to the under-handed tactics of Congressman Berman. The American people and American interests deserve better than these shady politicians like Pelosi, Berman, Schiff, Pallone, Radanovich, and other prominent members of the AFATH community. [5]

The Armenian American National Committee (ANCA), the U.S. representative of a political party in Armenia called the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, or ARF for short, demanded that the United States Congress take H.Res. 252 to a floor vote. Their proxies named above obliged. Last March, H.Res. 252 had controversially passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee 23-22, severely harming the U.S. policy to support a Joint Historical Commission to address the Armenian allegation of genocide, and causing serious disruption in U.S. - Turkish relations. H.Res. 252 is an anti-Turkish, anti-Muslim racist measure that erroneously defines the Armenian case as genocide, a contention with which the vast majority of experts on WWI Middle East history and the Ottoman Empire disagree. [11]

H.Res. 252 unfairly accuses, judges and convicts people of Turkish heritage with this high crime without due process. On the other hand, Armenian community in the U.S. is exposed with yet another cycle of massive fraud, stealing American taxpayers’ money to the tune of $163 million. [12] And as Wikileaks revealed, the Armenian Republic sells arms to Iran, promoting an aggressive policy in the Caucuses and Middle East, and causing U.S. soldiers in Iraq to be killed by those weapons. [13] The Armenian Republic currently occupies western Azerbaijan, by the massacres and forced migration of nearly one million Azeris. [14] How can any reasonable politician support the Armenian crooks and terrorists, especially in the face of serious threat to American interests?

When Saddam crossed the line in to Kuwait in 1991, we reversed aggression using military might. When Milosevic resorted to ethnic cleansing and genocide, we bombed Yugoslavia in 1998 to smithereens. But when Armenia committed all of these crimes against humanity, namely aggression, ethnic cleansing, and genocide in Karabagh, some unscrupulous politicians like Pelosi, Berman, Schiff, Pallone, Radanovich, Menendez and others tried shamelessly to reward the rogue state of Armenia and its murderous leaders. These kinds of blatant double standards, bias, and bigotry are neither helping America’s image nor America’s global interests. Here we have the most powerful nation on earth, represented by political pygmies! We shall continue to educate the American public to this sad picture.

 question © This content Mirrored From  http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com: I know we cannot cover all aspects of this 100 year old controversy in one interview, but I thank you for your time and the insight you provided.

 answer © This content Mirrored From  http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com: It was my pleasure. May I please leave your readers with the following quote from 1923, food for thought so to speak, so that when they see the H.Res. 252 reincarnated under yet other number next year, they will at least have a baseline to which to compare the baseless Armenian allegations: "…In some towns containing ten Armenian houses and thirty Turkish houses, it was reported that 40,000 people were killed, about 10,000 women were taken to the harem, and thousands of children left destitute; and the city university destroyed, and the bishop killed. It is a well- known fact that even in the last war the native Christians, despite the Turkish cautions, armed themselves and fought on the side of the Allies. In these conflicts, they were not idle, but they were well supplied with artillery, machine guns and inflicted heavy losses on their enemies…." [15]

Invoking the visionary leader Ataturk, who so aptly put it for the rest of us, may there be in the new year and beyond

”Peace At Home, Peace In The World”


Notes & References:

[1] Houshamatyan of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, Centennial, Album-Atlas, Volume I, Epic Battles, 1890-1914, The Next Day Color Printing, Inc., Glendale, CA, U.S.A., 2006, page 186.

[2a] The Dictionary of WWI, Stephen Pope & Elizabeth-Anne Wheal, 2003, ISBN 0 85052 979-4, page 34

[2b] The Armenian Rebellion at Van, Justin McCarthy, Esat Arslan, Cemaletting Taskiran, Omer Turan (The University of Utah Press, Salt lake City, USA, 2006)

[2c] Free E-Book : "Genocide Of Truth" by Sukru Server Aya, Based On Neutral or Anti-Turkish Sources ( Istanbul Commerce University, Turkey, 2008) For a copy: Armenians-1915.blogspot.com/2008/04/2429-new-e-book-genocide-of-truth-based.html

[3] Houshamatyan of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, Centennial, Album-Atlas, Volume I, Epic Battles, 1890-1914, The Next Day Color Printing, Inc., Glendale, CA, U.S.A., 2006, page 45.

[4] Houshamatyan of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, Centennial, Album-Atlas, Volume I, Epic Battles, 1890-1914, The Next Day Color Printing, Inc., Glendale, CA, U.S.A., 2006, page 241.

[5] AFATH : Armenian Falsifiers and Turk -Haters.

[6] www.ethocide.com : Ethocide, Not Genocide: www.turkiye.net:bbasol:sonyazi.htm
Soykirim Degil, Ahlakkirim : www.turkla.com/yazar.php?mid=323&yid=4

[7] ethocide.com:news.html : Ethocide: A new term coined by Ergun Kirlikovali, a Turkish-American student and researcher in history, on May 7, 2003, as a long needed companion term and an antonym for the term "genocide" created by Lemkin in 1943 (Turkish counterpart also coined: "AHLAKKIRIM")"Systematic extermination of ethics via malicious and deliberate mass deception for political, personal, economic, social, moral, religious, ethnic, national, regional, and other gain." Ethocide is a crime of conscience, committed by biased and bigoted individuals who subscribe to racist and dishonest interpretation of history and are intolerant of dissent. Called "ethociders", such people will openly resort to censorship of dissenting views and intimidation of dissenters.

[8] The Six Apologies Turks Have Been Waiting For Since WW1 : www.turkla.com/yazar.php?mid=302&yid=4

[9] If Facts Matter To You, Then Read This Analysis On H.Res. 252: www.historyoftruth.com:authors:ergun-kirlikovali:8393-if-facts-matter-to-you-then-read-this-analysis-on-hres-252

[10] Israeli & Jewish Sources That Refute The Alleged Armenian Genocide : www.turkla.com/yazar.php?mid=462&yid=4
[11] Declaration Signed By 69 Prominent American Academicians : http://www.turkla.com/yazar.php?mid=338&yid=4

[12] Massive Armenian Fraud Exposed … Again!: www.turkla.com/2010/10/15/massive-armenian-fraud-exposed-B€ -again

[13] Wikileaks Bombshell: Armenian Arms Sold To Iran Used In Killing Us Soldiers In Iraq: www.turkla.com/2010/11/29/wikileaks-bombshell-armenian-arms-sold-to-iran-used-in-killing-us-soldiers-in-iraq:
[14] Why Turkey is right in demanding the end to occupation in Karabakh:
news.az/articles/turkey/29003

[15] The Secret of the Near East, Lamsa, George M., a missionary well known for his research on Christianity, The Ideal Press, Philadelphia 1923, p 133

More References (which are not listed in the text above:)
[16] Bernard Lewis Speaking on Armenian Allegations, 3 min 29 sec - Oct 11, 2007: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG70UWESfu4
[17] http://www.tallarmeniantale.com : Tall Armenian Tale - TAT : Supports the case against the Armenian Genocide Myth with mostly impartial evidence.
[18] www.turkishcoalition.org : The Turkish Coalition of America - TCA : Established in 2007, The Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) is working on matters related to Turkish American issues and Turkish Heritage.

[19] www.taldf.org : Turkish American Legal Defense Fund : TALDF is established in order to educate and advise Turkish Americans regarding their constitutionally guaranteed right to free expression. TALDF successfully defended rights of individuals harassed and slandered by Armenian(s) for rejecting bogus Armenian claims of genocide.

[20] www.ermenisorunu.gen.tr : Ermeni Sorunu means The Armenian Problem in Turkish. This site provides a detailed account of the problem and has extensive archive database. Also in French, German and Turkish.

[21] www.eraren.org : Institute For Armenian Research : ERAREN.org is the web site of Institute for Armenian Research where scholarly studies based on primary sources elucidate Armenian claims and falsifications.

[22] www.devletarsivleri.gov.tr : Turkish State Archives : One of the most comprehensive archives in the world and with all its massive references, it only give truth seekers a glimpse of what the Western scholars prejudicially ignored and Armenians falsifiers censored since 1915 and prior.

[23] www.turkla.com : comments on timely issues concerning the Turkish-Armenian conflict and provides a databank on sources and materials frequently censored by Armenian falsifiers and Turk haters.
[25] www.historyoftruth.com : comments on timely issues concerning the Turkish-Armenian conflict and provides a databank on sources and materials frequently censored by Armenian falsifiers and Turk haters

[26] www.turkishjournal.com : comments on timely issues concerning the art, culture, heritage, economy, industry, sports, and many other issues concerning Turkey and America.

[27] www.turkishny.com : comments on timely issues concerning the art, culture, heritage, economy, industry, sports, and many other issues concerning Turkey and America.

[28] www.mediawatchnow.com : comments on timely issues concerning the Turkish-Armenian conflict and provides talking points to refute articles that unfairly, unjustifiably, deliberately, and in an unprovoked manner defame and demonize Turkish heritage, Turkish Americans, Turks, Turkics, and Turkey.

[29] www.turkishalert.com : comments on timely issues concerning the Turkish-Armenian conflict and provides talking points to refute articles that unfairly, unjustifiably, deliberately, and in an unprovoked manner defame and demonize Turkish heritage, Turkish Americans, Turks, Turkics, and Turkey.
[30] History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey, Vol I & II, Stanford Shaw (Cambridge University Press, London, New York, Melbourne, 1976)

[31] The Story Behind Ambassador Morgenthau’s Story, Heath W. Lowry ( The Isis Press, Istanbul, Turkey, 1990)

[32] The Ottoman Peoples and the End of Empire, Justin McCarthy (Arnold, London, U.K., 2001

[33] Declaration Signed by 69 Prominent North American Academicians, New York Times and Washington Post, may 19, 1985 (for a copy: www.turkla.com/yazar.php?mid=338&yid=4

[34] Ermeniler: Sürgün ve Göç, Türk Tarih Kurumu (Ankara, Turkey, 2004)

[35] The Armenian File, Kamuran Gurun (Rustem Bookshop, Mersin, Turkey, 1985)

[36] The Armenians in History and the Armenian Question, Esat Uras (Documentary Publications, Istanbul, Turkey, 1988)

[37] “Pursuing the Just Cause of Their People”, Michael M. Gunter (Greenwood Press, New York, USA, 1986)

[38] “Ermenilerin Zorunlu Göçü, 1915-1917, Kemal Cicek (Turk tarih Kurumu, Ankara, Turkey, 2005)

[39] Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, Adopted by Resolution 260 (III) A of the United Nations General Assembly on 9 December 1948: www.hrweb.org/legal/genocide.html (See how the AFATH community always invoke articles 1-3 which define genocide , but completely ignore articles 4-9 which dictate how the genocide verdict shall be reached: via “competent tribunal, not political resolutions! )

[40] Ergun KIRLIKOVALI, 2003, “It Was Not ‘Genocide’; It was - and still is – ‘Ethocide’ “, www.turkiye.net/bbasol/gorusler27.htm ;

[41] Ergun KIRLIKOVALI, 2003, “SOYKIRIM DEGIL, AHLAKKIRIM ”
( www.turkla.com/yazar.php?mid=323&yid=4 )

.

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26.12.10

3193) Reconstruction in Turkey -1918- Compiled For The American Committee for Armenian & Syrian Relief

© This content Mirrored From  http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com
Free E-Book:
Reconstruction in Turkey: A Series of Reports Compiled for the American Committee of Armenian and Syrian Relief (1918)
William H. Hall (Editor)
. .


Download The Book
Reconstruction in Turkey,1918, Compiled For The American Committee for Armenian & Syrian Relief


.

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23.12.10

3192) Everything Nancy Did For Armenians Is Forgotten And She Became The New Prey

Failure of Political Benefits in Armenian Genocide Resolution H Res.252
Image Credit: TruckTurkey


Updated Very last ANCA order to their followers:

Now, "Everything Nancy Did For Them" is forgotten and she became their new prey. James Barton, head of the Relief Organization and their long time father and president Woodrow Wilson had experienced an equal hatred and open insult when the ARF-Dashnak dreams could not materialize!


Don't doubt that they will find new actors to push these resolutions, as long as no one does anything to blow up their balloon of lies and fabrications!


Name Withheld upon permission


ANCA PRESS RELEASE / For Immediate Release, December 22, 2010, Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian, Tel: (202) 775-1918

Tell Speaker Pelosi what YOU think about her decision NOT TO schedule a vote on the Armenian Genocide Resolution

PELOSI FAILS TO SCHEDULE VOTE ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION
-- House Democratic Leadership Blocks Bipartisan Majority from Voting on Genocide-Prevention Measure

WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. House Democratic Leadership failed today to schedule a vote on the Armenian Genocide Resolution, H,Res.252, despite support for this human rights measure from a broad bipartisan majority, killing the prospects for the passage of this legislation during this session of Congress, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian issued the following statement in response to U.S. House Democratic Leadership's decision:

“Armenian Americans are angered and disappointed by the failure of Speaker Pelosi and the House Democratic leadership to honor their commitment to allow a bipartisan majority to vote for passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution.”

“Speaker Pelosi clearly had the majority, the authority, and the opportunity to pass the Armenian Genocide Resolution, yet refused to allow a vote on this human rights measure.”
. .

"The Speaker chose not to move forward, in the face of broad bipartisan backing for this human rights measure, including from the current House leadership and the incoming Majority Leader and Majority Whip, and despite both the relatively muted opposition from the White House, and the fact that Turkey's effectiveness in opposing its adoption was seriously undermined by controversial policies on the part of Ankara toward Iran, Israel, and Sudan that have angered lawmakers."

“Her decision to not move this legislation forward during her four years as Speaker represents a failure of Congressional leadership on human rights and, sadly, a setback to America's standing in the struggle to end the cycle of genocide.”

“Coming in the wake of President Obama's string of broken promises to recognize the Armenian Genocide, Speaker Pelosi's refusal to schedule a vote on the Armenian Genocide Resolution represents a major breach of trust with Armenian American voters.”

“Although sharply disappointed by the Speaker's unwillingness to schedule a vote on the Armenian Genocide Resolution, we were, throughout this session of Congress, tremendously encouraged by the scope and depth of support for the Armenian Genocide Resolution, not only from a bipartisan majority of Congress but also from a growing cross-section of American civil society. We look forward to building on our progress and to continuing the work of the Armenian American community for a strong U.S. moral stand on the Armenian Genocide, an end to Turkey's campaign of denial, and a truthful and just resolution of this still unpunished crime against the Armenian nation.”


House Democratic Leadership Blocks Bipartisan Majority from Voting on Genocide-Prevention Measure Asbarez

WASHINGTON – The U.S. House Democratic Leadership failed today to schedule a vote on the Armenian Genocide Resolution, H,Res.252, despite support for this human rights measure from a broad bipartisan majority, killing the prospects for the passage of this legislation during this session of Congress, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian issued the following statement in response to U.S. House Democratic Leadership’s decision:

“Armenian Americans are angered and disappointed by the failure of Speaker Pelosi and the House Democratic leadership to honor their commitment to allow a bipartisan majority to vote for passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution.”

“Speaker Pelosi clearly had the majority, the authority, and the opportunity to pass the Armenian Genocide Resolution, yet refused to allow a vote on this human rights measure.”

“The Speaker chose not to move forward, in the face of broad bipartisan backing for this human rights measure, including from the current House leadership and the incoming Majority Leader and Majority Whip, and despite both the relatively muted opposition from the White House, and the fact that Turkey’s effectiveness in opposing its adoption was seriously undermined by controversial policies on the part of Ankara toward Iran, Israel, and Sudan that have angered lawmakers.”

“Her decision to not move this legislation forward during her four years as Speaker represents a failure of Congressional leadership on human rights and, sadly, a setback to America’s standing in the struggle to end the cycle of genocide.”

“Coming in the wake of President Obama’s string of broken promises to recognize the Armenian Genocide, Speaker Pelosi’s refusal to schedule a vote on the Armenian Genocide Resolution represents a major breach of trust with Armenian American voters.”

“Although sharply disappointed by the Speaker’s unwillingness to schedule a vote on the Armenian Genocide Resolution, we were, throughout this session of Congress, tremendously encouraged by the scope and depth of support for the Armenian Genocide Resolution, not only from a bipartisan majority of Congress but also from a growing cross-section of American civil society. We look forward to building on our progress and to continuing the work of the Armenian American community for a strong U.S. moral stand on the Armenian Genocide, an end to Turkey’s campaign of denial, and a truthful and just resolution of this still unpunished crime against the Armenian nation.”

The 111th Congress came to a close without a vote on the so-called "Armenian Genocide Resolution" (H.Res. 252).

Last Friday, Turkish Americans were alerted to the possibility of a vote under Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s leadership during the final hours of the 111th Congress. A rapid action alert set-up by the TCA enabled Turkish American constituents and friends of Turkey to voice their opposition to Members of Congress, as well as the Democratic Leadership. The ATAA, FTAA and TCA joint nationwide campaign drew thousands of letters and calls from Turkish Americans. Leading members of the Congressional Caucus on US Turkish Relations and Turkish Americans called attention to the negative consequences of passage of H.Res. 252 on U.S.-Turkish relations and played a major role in the outcome.

“TCA applauds the leadership of the Congressional Turkish Caucus, its membership and above all the Turkish American community that came together as never before. We thank all Turkish American national and local organizations across the country, as well as our friends in the Azerbaijani community, for moving quickly and in unity on this issue. Our combined efforts have added the Turkish American voice, stronger than ever, to this important debate,” said G. Lincoln McCurdy, TCA president.
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21.12.10

3191) Disclaimer Letters from Prof Cemil Koçak: Ref: Ataturk

© This content Mirrored From  http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com Disclaimer Letter No: 1 from Cemil Koçak

The news article written by Kemal Baytaş as published on Nov 14, 2010 of Sözcü Newspaper which claims to reflect my statements given at a conference in Sabancı University is completely untrue. Those statements or similar expressions were not used, during the two and a half hour long conference that I held regarding the causes of World War-I, the war itself and the Ottoman battlefields while also touching upon the Çanakkale and Gelibolu battles. It is unfortunate that one of the spectators interpreted the things spoken the way he wished to hear them and attributed his interpretation to me. What is more saddening is that the media sometimes takes such slanderous interpretations which are untrue and publishes them without the necessary investigation. Unfortunately my speech has been distorted and shaped into a violent assault to my personality.

During my long conference I
. . . had mentioned the following:

During the last section of my long speech where I was touching upon the Gelibolu land battles, I spoke of Yarbay Mustafa Kemal Bey which was his official title at the time. Do I need to explain that historians need to use the official titles of the spoken time?

While describing the story of Atatürk’s re-assignment to Gelibolu, I also mentioned how much effort he had to exert to get back to active military duty, because Enver Paşa politically opposed such assignments as the Commander in Chief and a leading figure in the İttihad and Terakki Organization. At the end of my speech, I mentioned how he arrived there eventually and described how he was “rewarded” with a small token of commander title.

Following these, I also mentioned, how he won the admiration of German Army Commander Sanders as a result of his performance during the April 24 battles, how he was promoted from the rear field commanding position following the first battles and that it was Sanders who watched over and protected him. I also mentioned that if it was left to Enver Paşa’s decision, he could have been forced to retire from the army and possibly spend the rest of his life as a civilian. During my speech, I had sufficed to convey the evaluation of Enver Paşa at the time. I had expressed the importance of these facts while evaluating the political competition between the two, during the political phase ehich ensued the battles and drew attention to how an unfortunate situation this has been, politically and militarily. So, the expression of (un)qualified does not belong to me, but to Enver Paşa.

I also explained, how we started to commemorate the anniversary of Çanakkale battles during the 1930’s, following the diplomatic crisis which broke out between the two countries when the Germans started to assume credit for the Çanakkale Victory. I also mentioned that this was not the only battlefront for the Turks, during World War-I and many losses occurred in various battlefronts, and that we even started to commemorate Sarıkamış losses in recent years, as well as my desire that other losses should also be mentioned in commemoration ceremonies.

I consider it a duty and ethical responsibility to inform the readers.

Respectfully,

Prof. Dr. Cemil Koçak
Sabancı University
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences




Disclaimer Letter No: 2 from Cemil Koçak
ckocak at sabanciuniv dot edu wrote on December 17, 2010


I used my right for reply and declared that none of the items attributed to me in the internet sites belong to me.

I sent my official declaration signed in front of a notary public to these web sites.
My first denial came on Wednesday night during live televised interview with Habertürk TV Program.

My denial letter will be published in the Radikal newspaper this Sunday.
I will continue to deny the news in all TV channels that I am invited.

In the meantime, I am including below a note that I received from Dear Ms. Muazzez İlmiye Çığ:

“Thanks for your denial. I think, it should also be sent to the newspaper as well. It is too late to undo the damage, but it is still better than none. From what you describe, you went into great details of the war while addressing the parents of the student as if you are talking to historians. For this reason you must have been forced to skip the basics or they were lost among these minute details. A two and a haşf hour conference must be difficult on listeners as well as the lecturer.

Congratulations.

Muazzez”


I wrote a special e-mail to her thanking for her nice thoughts. Upon my request she accepted a gift of my books to her.

I hope that Muazzez Hanım’s polite manners, kind thoughtfulness will be an inspiration to all who sent me messages of insult and threat.

I thank all of those who called or e-mailed me to check the veracity of the news for their inquisitive life philosophy.

Those who are ready to believe rumors and make believe stories at all times, and sent me ill mannered e-mails addressing with slanders should know that such words belong to those who utter them. I wish a long life to those who sent me threat letters. Just like the poet said; I am not saying that I wish you turn blind; on the contrary do not turn blind, so that you can see me…

As an academician who has been publishing for over 30 years, my personal feelings about the Gelibolu battles are contained in the article of Toplumsal Tarih Journal, June 2005 which can be obtained from libraries, the internet or Tarih Vakfı. It is obvious that 5 years ago I had dispelled such false news reports written about me.

For those who are curious, let me mention that I organized this trip(?) 10 times.

I am giving a partial list of my publications.

This list displays my honor of my scholarly view as an academician. No false news report can take them away from me!

I wish to live in a world cleansed of ill attitude.

You would greatly, contribute to dispelling of the bad news regarding me, if you would distribute this message of mine to the mail groups which contain the slanderous news about me.

Respectfully,
Prof. Dr. Cemil Koçak

Kindly Provided By Sukru Server Aya
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16.12.10

3190) Unreconciled Differences: Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan

© This content Mirrored From  http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com


By Former professional soldier, Scott Taylor, editor and publisher of Esprit de Corps


Written by former Canadian Soldier turned war correspondent Scott Taylor, this book is based both on in depth historical research and on Taylor's personal findings on reporting trips to the area speaking with followers leaders and everything in between on both sides of the conflict.


During the Past century, there have been two major clashes in the Anatolia-Caucasus region, both resulting in the widespread slaughter and forced expulsion of innocent civilians from all sides. The first occurred when the strain of the Great War caused the collapse of both the Ottoman Empire and Czarist Russia.

The second conflict erupted between 1988 - 1994, when the disintegration of the Soviet Union left a temporary power vacuum in the Caucasus, and the new republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia battled over the sovereignty of Nagorno-Karabakh.

What these two confilcts also share is that few in the West have observed, chronicled, or been able to fully understand the complexity of the situation. Those existing accounts are rife with partisan propaganda and widely divergent assessments

Unfortunately, the unreconciled differences of their shared history continue to negatively impact the lives of the Turks, Armenians and Azeris in the present. If left unresolved, this will prevent their progress towards a peaceful and mutually beneficial coexistence in the future.



Unreconciled Differences: Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan
Scott Taylor - Publisher

Throughout the mid-1990s, this little independent magazine embarked on a campaign to expose crime and corruption in the upper echelons of the Canadian Forces. After exposing a number of top-level cover-ups and scandals while defending the rights of the rank and file soldiers, Scott was dubbed the “Voice of the Grunts” by the Globe and Mail, a “Bone in the Brass’ Throats” by the Toronto Star, and a “One Man Army” by the Toronto Sun.

Since the inception of Esprit de Corps, Scott has logged over one million air miles as a war correspondent reporting from such global hot spots as the Persian Gulf, Cambodia, Western Sahara, Croatia, Bosnia, Iraq, Turkey, Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Macedonia, South Ossetia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Afghanistan.

© This content Mirrored From  http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com

Since August 2000, Scott has made a total of 21 trips into Iraq to report on the effects of the UN sanctions, the ravages of depleted uranium following the 1991 Gulf War, and the heightening tensions with the United States. In March 2003, during his last trip prior to the United States’ intervention, Scott Taylor was asked to leave Iraq for fear of his being a spy for the Israeli Mossad. Following the swift U.S. victory, Scott returned frequently to Iraq to view first-hand the ongoing humanitarian crisis plaguing this still embattled country. Then, for five harrowing days in September 2004, he experienced the rare occasion when "getting the story becomes the story." Held captive by Ansar al-Islam mujahedeen in northern Iraq, his release generated a wave of international media coverage. He then returned to Iraq in 2005 in order to brief the U.S. soldiers on the Turkmen people of the country.

Scott regularly appears in the Canadian media as a military analyst, and is the recipient of the 1996 Quill Award for outstanding work in the field of Canadian communications. That same year, he also won the Alexander MacKenzie Award for journalistic excellence.

A weekly columnist for the Halifax Chronicle-Herald, he is also a columnist for Embassy Magazine and has contributed to the Ottawa Citizen, Maclean’s magazine, the Globe and Mail, Toronto Sun, Reader’s Digest, and the Global television network as well as several international publications which include the Magyar Nemzet, Indian Defense Review and Al Jazeera. He also serves as an advisor to the CBC Radio play "Afghanada." Scott also gives presentations to The Executive Committee (TEC) and was named their 2006 Speaker of the Year. In 2008, London based Press TV declared Taylor to be the 'unembedded journalist of the year'



During the Past century, ther have been two major clashes in the Anatolia-Caucasus region, both resulting in the widespread slaughter and forced expulsion of innocent civilians from all sides. The first ocurred when the strain of the Great War caused the collapse of both the Ottoman Empire and Czarist Russia. The second conflict erupted between 1988 - 1994, when the disintegration of the Soviet Union left a temporary power vacuum in the Caucasus, and the new republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia battled over the sovereignty of Nagorno-Karabakh. What these two confilcts also share is that few in the West have observed, chronicled, or been able to fully understand the complexity of the situation. Those existing accounts are rife with partisan propaganda and widely divergent assessments. Unfortunately, the unreconciled differences of their shared history continue to negatively impact the lives of the Turks, Armenians and Azeris in the present. If left unresolved, this will prevent their progress towards a peaceful and mutually beneficial coexistence in the future. This book draws from historical research and personal investigation conducted by author/journalist Scott Taylor in order to better understand the contextual realities of these conflicts as well as why so little about them is known in the west.

About the Author
A former professional soldier, Scott Taylor has been editor and publisher of Esprit de Corps since 1988. Throughout the mid-1990s, this little independent magazine embarked on a campaign to expose crime and corruption in the upper echelons of the Canadian Forces. After exposing a number of top-level cover-ups and scandals while defending the rights of the rank and file soldiers, Scott was dubbed the Voice of the Grunts by the Globe and Mail, a Bone in the Brass Throats by the Toronto Star, and a One Man Army by the Toronto Sun. Since the inception of Esprit de Corps, Scott has logged over one million air miles as a war correspondent reporting from such global hot spots as the Persian Gulf, Cambodia, Western Sahara, Croatia, Bosnia, Iraq, Turkey, Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Azerbaijan and Afghanistan. Since August 2000, Scott has made a total of 21 trips into Iraq to report on the effects of the UN sanctions, the ravages of depleted uranium following the 1991 Gulf War, and the heightening tensions with the United States. In March 2003, during his last trip prior to the United States intervention, Scott Taylor was asked to leave Iraq for fear of his being a spy for the Israeli Mossad. Following the swift U.S. victory, Scott returned frequently to Iraq to view first-hand the ongoing humanitarian crisis plaguing this still embattled country. Then, for five harrowing days in September 2004, he experienced the rare occasion when 'getting the story becomes the story.' Held captive by Ansar al-Islam mujahedeen in northern Iraq, his release generated a wave of international media coverage. He then returned to Iraq in 2005 in order to brief the U.S. soldiers on the Turkmen people of the country.



Scott regularly appears in the Canadian media as a military analyst, and is the recipient of the 1996 Quill Award for outstanding work in the field of Canadian communications. That same year, he also won the Alexander MacKenzie Award for journalistic excellence. A weekly columnist for the Halifax Chronicle-Herald, he is also a columnist for the Osprey newspaper chain and has contributed to the Ottawa Citizen, Maclean s magazine, the Globe and Mail, Toronto Sun, Reader s Digest, and the Global television network as well as several international publications. He also serves as an advisor to the CBC Radio play "Afghanada." Scott also gives presentations to The Executive Committee (TEC) and was named their 2006 Speaker of the Year. Taylor is the author of five best-sellers Tarnished Brass: Crime and Corruption in the Canadian Military, Tested Mettle: Canada s Peacekeepers at War (both with Brian Nolan), Inat: Images of Serbia, Diary of an Uncivil War: The Violent Aftermath of the Kosovo Conflict and Spinning on the Axis of Evil: America's War against Iraq. He is the author of Among the 'Others': the forgotten Turkmen of Iraq which deals with his experiences in northern Iraq, published in October 2004 by Esprit de Corps Books. In the spring of 2009 Douglas and MacIntyre published his first memoir entitled Unembedded: Two decades of Maverick War Reporting.

Canadian war journalist Scott Taylor: Armenia can't move on forward with closed borders 09 February 2010

Exclusive interview with former professional soldier, Canadian war correspondent, and editor and publisher of the Esprit de Corps magazine, Scott Taylor.

Scott Taylor has been editor and publisher of Esprit de Corps since 1988. Since the inception of Esprit de Corps, Scott has logged over one million air miles as a war correspondent reporting from such global hot spots as the Persian Gulf, Cambodia, Western Sahara, Croatia, Bosnia, Iraq, Turkey, Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Azerbaijan and Afghanistan.

Since August 2000, Taylor has made a total of 21 trips into Iraq to report on the effects of the UN sanctions, the ravages of depleted uranium following the 1991 Gulf War, and the heightening tensions with the United States. In March 2003, during his last trip prior to the United States’ intervention, Scott Taylor was asked to leave Iraq for fear of his being a spy for the Israeli Mossad. Following the swift U.S. victory, Scott returned frequently to Iraq to view first-hand the ongoing humanitarian crisis plaguing this still embattled country. Then, for five harrowing days in September 2004, he experienced the rare occasion when "getting the story becomes the story." Held captive by Ansar al-Islam mujahedeen in northern Iraq, his release generated a wave of international media coverage.

In an exclusive interview, Mr. Taylor speaks about the infamous Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and other issues.

As far as I know, this is not your first visit to Azerbaijan. What was the main purpose of you writing the book “Unreconciled Differences”?

The main purpose I think, is to readdress what I believe is an inbound on reporting on the region, mostly on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh region, between Azerbaijan and Armenia. In every conflict situation I’ve covered in the past, there’s always the other side of the story. Each side has their own story, and truth is somewhere in between. For us, in the West, most of what we hear about the incidents and events between Azerbaijan and Armenia, comes from Armenian side. And looking closely at it, I realized, that there was a vacuum of information, that it was not the full story. The book is of course a small void, but I thought, I’d at least make people realize that this is not the full story of what happened.

Now, from your point of view, how at the present time do you assess the possibility of a military action between Armenia and Azerbaijan? Lets put it like this – if you had the last call, would you even consider this option?

In this particular case, Azerbaijan has the right to claim their own territory.

As far as I am concerned, just a couple of days ago, you were hosted by the International Strategic Research Organization (USAK), and you touched a number of topics during your lecture, including the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. The opinions of the foreign experts differ, some say that the conflict problem is directly connected with the possible opening of the Turkish-Armenian border, some say the opposite. What is your opinion on this?

Well, I think they are connected. Originally, shutting the borders happened because of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, for Nagorno-Karabakh. And as a result, it became clear, that there won’t be any movements on the border opening, until Armenia leaves the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Now that there’s a softening, Azerbaijan has the right to be somewhat fearful that the pressure on Armenia will become lesser. At the same time, Armenia has got its own issues, with Turkey.

Both parties have to abandon some of their hardline, I am not sure that either party can do that, given their domestic political issues. The fact, that they are trying to move forward, is a good sign, but as I mention in my book, the past has to be reconsidered, and it will require far more admission on the Armenian side. In order to find this historical truth about the events of 1915, both Turkey and Armenia have to be able to share the information.

During the same lecture, you mentioned the so called Armenian “genocide”, and what you said was “History should be decided by historians and not by foreign governments”...

I mean, if you pull back from the hardliners, the Turks have made far more headway, because they are being accused of something so extreme. As you know, Armenians all over the world are claiming that this was “genocide”, and to be honest, being a Canadian, I am ashamed that the Canadian parliament recognized the “genocide”, without knowing all the needed details. In fact, the Canadians have gone even further ahead that the Armenians, which are still, in theory, prepared to make the re-approachment with the protocols, with Turkey. Canadian government monitors Caucasus from Moscow and Turkey, they don’t have any representation in the Caucasus at all. This is a situation, where I can just state the obvious – we don’t know a thing about Caucasus. The same can be said about Russia and Georgia, you cant just state that this player is good, and this one is bad, it is a lot more difficult than that.

Even with Armenia, and Nagorno-Karabakh, when I interviewed them, the people in Karabakh are a lot different from people in Yerevan. Most people from the elite of Yerevan are formally from Nagorno-Karabakh, and they have their own independent mindsets, but some other, more pragmatic Armenians from Yerevan do understand, that it’s time to move on forward, and you cant do that with closed borders, and its impossible to rely forever on the cash donations from diaspora. But, if you offend the diaspora by making a reapproachment with Turkey and Azerbaijan, they will simply turn their back on you. And then, what are you going to replace the incoming money with? In long term, including pipelines and the normalized neighborly relations it can turn out well, but until that the country will be in big debts, poverty and such for the next 20 years. And no one is prepared for that.

While we are on the subject, what can, in your opinion, happen close to the date of 24th of April, which is considered the “genocide” date for Armenians? Should any major movements on Armenian-Turkish relations be expected?

I don’t think there has been any movement so far, on the Armenian side. So far it’s too soon to state anything. The protocols were a step forward, but this is going to be a game of inches, because in Caucasus, everyone has a gun pointed at someone else’s head. Everyone wants to lower that gun down, but they can't.

Russia is considered one of the major players in the SC region, and so is Turkey. With all the other problems to deal with (such as AFG, IRAQ), it seems like US began to lose its power in the South Caucasus region. Do you believe it is so?

Up until now, the America has been the only real superpower. Until the Cold War. Now, the US are far too stretched – they have to deal with Afghanistan, they have to deal with Iraq, and Iran for example is not even afraid of being attacked by the US, since, they are too stretched thin to mount any new operation. At this particular time everyone realized, that America is vulnerable. They can simply keep printing money, but it doesn’t solve all the problems. Again, if your interests include to get to the Caspian oil, then you better understand Caucasus. And the more research I do, the less I realize I know. Caucasus is a real minefield.

In your opinion, can we think of some kind of pressure coming from the West towards Turkey, in order to open the borders with Armenia?

It is possible. How Armenia is able to hold on to good relations with America, when they are friends with Iran, and Russia? Normally, when you are friends with either Russia or Iran, to US you are on a blacklist. Armenia is friends with all of them, because of the diaspora in the US. By itself, Armenia is basically resourceless, and here you have Azerbaijan, which is oil rich, and has his ways with the pipelines through Georgia, etc. How does Armenia manage to keep this in the balance, it’s all diaspora’s work. So, yes, I believe there might be some pressure coming from the US towards Turkey on the opening of the borders matter.

How do you assess the current negotiation process on the Karabakh conflict between Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents?

There’s always talks. There is no movement. If something happens quickly – It will come with violence. But, let’s put it like this – as long as there are talks, at least people aren’t dying. It is in Armenia’s interest to delay the negotiation process, because the longer they do that, the longer they keep the occupied territories empty. And I’ve seen them – they destroyed all, for them it’s better to keep it this way, so the people of Azerbaijan, will not come back, and try to rebuild everything from scratch. Armenians are trying to populate the region, which the Azeris should be concerned about. Right now, the time is on the side of Armenians.

T. Teymur

Copyright © 2005-2010 Today.Az



17 March 2011 Update

Scott Taylor: Armenians threatened me with death for not saying 'Armenian genocide'

Seminar “Azerbaijan-Armenia-Turkey, Unreconciled Differences” organized by Azerbaijani Federation in Sweden and the Union of Turkish Federations in Sweden was held in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, press service of the State Committee for Diaspora told.

Scott Taylor, Canadian journalist, who covered a number of military operations, was the main guest and speaker of the seminar. The previews of the documentaries made by Scott Taylor about Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa and former Yugoslavia were screened at the outset of the event. Following this, detailed information will be given about the book “Unreconciled Differences: Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan”. Scott Taylor said he faced difficulties for writing this book and said the Armenian communities became angry and threatened him because he did not say “Armenian genocide”. Canadian journalist said the Armenian community threatened him with dismissal, then with death, and even threatened his family.

Scott Taylor said recognition of the “Armenian genocide” by the parliaments of Canada and Sweden was connected with the domestic policy factors.

“The French population of Canada underwent genocide by the English in 1837, thousands of people were killed, there is censor concerning this genocide in the English literature and sources in Canada, while the country’s parliament recognizes the “Armenian genocide”, which has not been confirmed by a number of scientists. This is a double standard and can not be accepted,” he said.

The Canadian journalist said the Armenian Diaspora abroad is much more nationalist than the Armenians living in Armenia. According to him, Karabakh and the surrounding regions of Azerbaijan were occupied by Armenia due to the financial aid of the Armenian Diaspora.

“If the UN imposes sanctions on financial aids to Armenia, this occupation may finish soon,” he said.

Scott Taylor said his next book will be about South Azerbaijan.

APA

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15.12.10

3189) An 81-Year Old Chevalier: Şükrü Server Aya: A One-man Army Wrestling Armenian Fanatics

  1. Summary Of New Book Release Meeting At Turksam For The Genocide Of Truth Continues Authored By Sükrü Server Aya
  2. An 81-Year Old Chevalier by Tufan Türenç, Translated from Hurriyet, December 13, 2010
  3. Sükrü Server Aya: A One-man Army Wrestling Armenian Fanatics
  4. Book on Armenian falsifications presented in Ankara
  5. BOOK Presentation Speech - TURKSAM - Ankara
  6. Open Acknowledgment and Thanks
  7. Presentation Slide Show
  8. Book Presentation Review By Yuksel Oktay-2 - The Genocide of Truth Continues..But Facts Tell the Real Story – By Sükrü Server Aya, Published by Derin Yayinevi. 2010, 16 January 2011, Bizim Tepe I.stanbul
  9. Book Presentation Review By Yuksel Oktay 1- The Genocide of Truth Continues..But Facts Tell the Real Story – By Sükrü Server Aya, Published by Derin Yayinevi. 15 December 2010, Ankara
Updated © This content Mirrored From  http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com
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11.12.10

3188) Istanbul Gomidas Concert 2010 / Armenian Architects of Istanbul in the Era of Westernization

Gomidas © This content Mirrored From  http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com Gomidas © This content Mirrored From  http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com Kütahya-born Armenian musician Gomidas Vartabed commemorated on his 140th birthday throughout Armenia, the diaspora and Turkey. Thursday’s free concert presented the Kusan 2010 Choir’s rendition of the great composer’s ‘Badarak’ (Divine Liturgy)

The Kusen 2010 Choir performed a concert to commemorate a milestone in Armenian music, the birth of Gomidas Vartabed.

Groups in both Turkey and Armenia hold a series of free concerts to mark the 140th birthday of Kütahya-born Gomidas Vartabed, who is widely recognized as the father of modern Armenian classical music.


2010 Concert Video not available yet. Here's a short clip from 2007 Concert, Istanbul Lutfi Kirdar
. .

“We want to commemorate Gomidas in the land where he was born,” said Istanbul University Radio and Television Department student Sayat Dagliyan, 23, who helped form the Gomidas Platform.

The commemoratory “Gomidas Liturgical Music” concerts, which were made possible by a grant from the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency, will be held Thursday at 9 p.m. at the Surp Yerortutyum Armenian Church (Üç Horan Armenian Church) in Beyoglu’s Balikpazari and on Nov. 26 at Istanbul Kültür University’s Akingüç Oditorium free of charge.

The music performed by the Kusan 2010 Choir, the descendent of the original Kusan Choir that Vartabed formed himself over a century ago, and will be conducted by two Armenian maestros, including the conductor of Istanbul’s Lusavoriç Armenian Choir, Hagop Mamgonyan, and the conductor of the Karasunmangazs Armenian Choir, Edvin Galipoglu.

Mamigonyan said the Kusan 2010 Choir would perform a capella and be composed only of men, as it was in the past.

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Galipoglu, meanwhile, said the choir members were made up of 30 amateurs from different age groups that were all educated in Istanbul’s Armenian choirs.

The choir performed Vartabed’s polyphonic “Badarak” (Divine Liturgy), which the maestro composed for the Armenian Apostolic Church but was not completed until its notation by his student in 1933 in Paris.

Turkish and Armenian youth together

One of the founding members of the Gomidas Platform, Sona Mentese, said realizing the project was akin to making a dream come true.
Gomidas © This content Mirrored From  http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com
“We learned that the 2010 Istanbul Agency invited an orchestra from Armenia for Gomidas’ birthday but the orchestra was unable to come. Later, we presented the project and it was accepted. We thank the agency on behalf of Istanbul’s Armenians,” Mentese said.

At the end of last year Dagliyan made a short film on Vartabed, titled “Incu/Neden.” With the other members of the platform, he has been organizing the “Blind Photographers Project” since the beginning of the year for the performance of Vartabed’s works.

There are also young Turkish people among the team members. “We experience the pleasure of doing something together,” Dagliyan said. “In this way, we share the universal language of music and love like Gomidas showed us.”

Mamigonyan and Galipoglu said they had accelerated their rehearsals since August.

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Noting that there had been disagreements among Armenian choirs, Mamigonyan said: “Some did not believe us that we would be able to make it properly. But we, a handful people, wanted to give life to Vartabed again.”

Galipoglu agreed with Mamigonyan and said the Armenian Patriarchate had provided great support to them.

Istanbul’s Armenians, who have closed themselves in the past because of their small numbers and a variety of other problems, have increasingly started to engage with the wider society. “It is true that we have opened to society in the cultural field. Some of our members are interested in politics, too,” said platform member Misak Hergel. “But the assassination of [Armenian-Turkish journalist] Hrant Dink discouraged us.”

Ethnomusicologist, composer and maestro Gomidas Vartabed was born in the Aegean province of Kütahya, which is famous for its tiles, in the middle of the 1800s. Born Sogomon Sogomonyan, Vartabed (which means priest) was an orphan and was sent to the Armenian Apostolic Central Church in Armenia to receive a religious education.

Later, he studied music at Berlin University and organized important conferences there. He is especially known for researching Armenian, Anatolian and Transcaucasian music, as well as Turkish, Kurdish, Azeri and Iranian musical forms.

When he recorded Armenian religious music at the beginning of 1900s, he had problems with Etchmiadzin and the Turkish Armenian Patriarchate.

He was also one of 230 Armenian intellectuals who were arrested in Istanbul and deported on April 24, 1915. After witnessing the murder of a number of friends during the deportation, Vartabed lost his mental health. He died in 1935 in Paris.

Text used from Hürriyet Daily News November 2010, VERCIHAN ZIFLIOGLU, ISTANBUL


Armenian Architects of Istanbul in the Era of Westernization

Last night, Istanbul Modern Museum was host to the Armenian-Turkish community and an exhibition on Armenian Architects of Istanbul. This event must have been an afterthought as it was not in the published list of exhibitions for December 2010, the final month of the 2010 Istanbul European Capıital of Culture Program and was held in the entrance hall and cocktails were served in the area beneath the hanging books at the Istanbul Modern Museum, where an exhibition by Kutlug Ataman is also taking place. I attended the opening ceremonies and viewed 100 large photographs of works by 40 Armenian architects with an architect friend, Beyhan Turer, who used to work in the States and was one of the founding members of the Society of Turkish-American Architects, Engineers and Scientists, in April 1970, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

The exhibition was evidently organized by the Hrant Dink Foundation and the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency. I believe it is a useful exhibition although crammed in a small area, which made it difficult to view the excellent photographs. Many buildings that we see around Istanbul were designed by Armenian Turkish architects, from palaces to mosques to villas, all wonderful buildings, even a dam and many towers and the entrance to Dolmabahce Palace and the Palace itself...

There were also two short video on the subject matter. A book featuring articles on the architects and architecture of the period and the photographs of buildings included in the exhibition is also available (60 TL.) In addition, within the scope of the exhibition, a panel on ''The Armenian Architects of Istanbul'' will be presented on December 14.

Several people spoke including Rachel Dink, wife of the late Hrant Dink who was murdered 3 years ago, first in Turkish than in Armenian. However, an earlier speaker mentioned the tragedy and stated that they will never forget, which I thought was inappropriate. Everyone was there, Cengiz Aktar, Cengiz Candar, many Armenian authors and writers, President of Istanbul Modern Mrs. Eczacıbası and many others.

An Armenian who was wearing a hat complained about several things, stating that may be 10 of the attendees numbering 300 were true.. In fact I never saw an opening with so many people before..

Yuksel Oktay


Istanbul’s Armenian Architects Remembered In Exhibition
December 9, 2010, ISTANBUL - AA

Armenian architects, who have built many well-known structures in Istanbul, are remembered in an exhibition that opened Wednesday at the Istanbul Modern. The exhibition displays photos of 100 buildings constructed by 40 Armenian architects who lived in Istanbul in the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century

The exhibition at the Istanbul Modern, displaying photos of Istanbul's well-known structures constructed by Armenian architects, also sheds light on the city's recent history.

An exhibition titled “Armenian Architects of Istanbul in the Era of Westernization,” featuring photos of 100 buildings constructed by 40 Armenian architects who lived in Istanbul at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, opened Wednesday at the Istanbul Modern.

The exhibition is organized in collaboration with the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency, Istanbul Modern, International Hrant Dink Foundation and Architects and Engineers Solidarity Association, or HAYCAR.

At a press conference for the opening of the exhibition, chief curator Levent Çalikoglu said the exhibition featured more than 100 works by 40 Armenian architects whose names had been forgotten, adding that the educational event would also shed light on Istanbul’s recent history. Çalikoglu said architect Hasan Kuruyazici visually documented the buildings on every street in Kurtulus, Pangalti, Taksim, Cihangir, Tarlabasi, Tünel, Galata, Eminönü and Mahmutpasa.

“There will also be two short films screened during the exhibition and visitors will learn about the buildings thanks to the sound system in the exhibition area. In parallel with the exhibition, designed by Erkal Levi, a panel discussion on Istanbul’s Armenian architects will be organized and visitors will see the buildings accompanied by guides.”

Istanbul Capital of Culture Agency Deputy Secretary-General Mehmet Gürkan said the modernization period that started during the Tanzimat reform era brought innovations in cultural fields and resulted in changes to physical structures. He said settlement areas were also developed during that period and the city needed architects.

Gürkan said Armenian architects made many works during that period. “Among the ones working for the palace, the Balyan brothers left their mark on many structures including the Çiragan, Beylerbeyi and Dolmabahçe palaces.”

Raising awareness

Speaking on behalf of the Hrant Dink Foundation, Sibel Asna said the exhibition reminded Istanbul residents of forgotten Armenian architects and their structures, and had a mission to raise awareness about the protection of those structures that are creating the silhouette of the city.

Asna said a book prepared within the scope of the exhibition, city tours and conferences would also contribute to the issue. She said many renowned structures like Kuleli Military School, Harbiye Military Museum, the Ortaköy Mosque, Büyükada Port, Beyazit Tower and Kadiköy Süreyya Theater were built by Armenian architects.

The curator of the exhibition, Hasan Kuruyazici, said they attached importance to visual features of the exhibition during the preparation process. He said he carried out a 15-year study about the works of Armenian architects in Istanbul and the photography took one year.

The exhibition will run until Jan. 2. Hurriyet


Armenian Architects To Be Immortalized In New Book, Exhibition
07 July 2010, / TODAY’S ZAMAN
Curiosity, as the proverb goes, might kill the cat, but more often than not, it yields pleasant results. The curiosity in architect Hasan Kuruyazici has done just that -- in the form of a book project.

Curious about the architects of awe-inspiring old buildings in Istanbul’s historic quarters such as Galata, Cihangir and Tarlabasi, Kuruyazici set out to document the contributions Armenian architects of Istanbul made to the city’s urban landscape. The outcome is a book and exhibition project, titled “Armenian Architects of Istanbul and Their Contributions in Istanbul’s Architecture.”

The project, which is co-financed by the Istanbul-based Hrant Dink Foundation and HAYCAR, a solidarity group of Turkish architects and civil engineers, seeks to highlight the role of forgotten Armenian architects in shaping Istanbul’s urban architecture during the 19th and 20th centuries.

The project will conclude in November with the publication of the book and a parallel exhibition, both coming as part of the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture program.

Having conducted a similar project earlier with Greek architects in Istanbul, Kuruyazici describes the motive behind his study. “Today there is a huge stock of buildings dating from the 19th century [in Istanbul]. Although many of them had been ravaged, these are ones that managed to survive. The question of ‘Who built all these buildings?’ has brought me to conduct such research,” he said.

The list of architects Kuruyazici came up with after long trips around the streets of Kurtulus-Tatavla, Pangalti, Taksim, Cihangir, Tarlabasi, Tünel, Galata, Eminönü and Mahmutpasa will be mentioned in the upcoming exhibition and book.

The Hrant Dink Foundation says work is still under way to uncover information about Armenian architects in Istanbul and their works, particularly the life stories of those who lived and built in Istanbul in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
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