2688) Free E-Book: Armenian Allegations: The Truth Must be Told by Edward Tashji

Armenian Allegations - The Truth Must he Told by Edward Tashji. December. 26. 2000

"... We aim to bridge the gaps Mankind is wont to create... From Keltia to Anatolia, Do Not Let the Light Go Out!" . . . .

Read Full Post !

2056) Turkey and the United States: Trading Places?

Dear Erju Bey

I do not want to argue with totally ignorant writers, who have not even read their own historians or PM Kachaznuni’s manifest.

In the very short time left just before I close for Ramadan Holidays until Monday, I have just picked some excerpts from my study, which I attach and suggest that you read and shove to whoever deserves to learn their own history and betrayal of their greatest benefactors James Barton, and Woodrow Wilson.

After reading the enclosures, you will certainly admit that guys like Jabarian or Molano, are nothing than mambo-jumbo street salesmen. To answer just the last very wrong paragraph, I clarify that

a. Treaty of Sevres (August 10, 1920) was not ratified by any office and the Allies did not have troops or

intentions to fulfill it.

b. If they had read their own historian Akaby Nassibian, they could have learned that Armenians attack shortly after Sevres was repulsed, and on Nov.7th and 18th they had asked ceasefire twice and on

Dec.3, 1920 with the Treaty of Gumru they dropped all their claims under Sevres, which was later ratified by Soviets with the Treaty of Moscow and a third time with Kars agreement. Sevres was a dead born baby and was buried long before Lausanne.

c. The reason why Lausanne was not ratified by USA, was again due to lobby tactics operated by a lawyer Chardishian, which is clear from the excerpts.

Trust that attachments will give you enough for the moment. For more you have to wait for my book, to shut up such big empty mouths of absolute ignorance of even their own historians.

You may consider the annex as my box of candy for the bayram.

Take care and rest assured that we are damn damn right and have nothing to be ashamed of with our forefathers. They should be ashamed of what they did and are still doing…until their LIES, LIES MORE LIES come to end even sometime late.

Best regards

S.S.Aya

---

From: Erju Ackman
Subject: Turkey and the United States: Trading Places?

What Appo glosses over was the fact that US was not a party to Lausanne. The unratified document was a side traty. Interesting and ambitious tirade...

Turkey and the United States: Trading Places?
By Appo Jabarian
Executive Publisher/Managing Editor
USA Armenian Life Magazine

appojabarian@

On the eve of the voting on the Armenian Genocide resolution by the House Foreign Relations Committee, Turkey's president Abdullah Gul "warned the U.S. government that their longtime ties will be harmed if Congress passes a resolution putting the genocide label on the mass killings of ethnic Armenians in Ottoman Turk lands during World War I," reported the Associated Press.

On the same day, Turkey's top-selling Hurriyet daily quoted the AK Party deputy leader Egemen Bagis as saying , "Don't accept this bill (HR106). If you do, we will be obliged to do many things we do not want to do."
Nowadays, Turkey is trying hard to convince the American government and the American public that they need Turkey more than Turkey needs them. However, it is blatantly obvious that it is Turkey, which is dependent on the United States.

By now, it is universal knowledge that any minor public discussion in official international circles about the Armenian Genocide causes serious loss of sleep in Ankara.

Why? There is an Armenian popular saying "kogh, sirdeh togh" which means, "The thief knows that he is a thief and constantly worries about being caught anytime." How does that apply to Turkey? The Turkish state apparatus puts on the best poker face vis-à-vis the Free World. But deep down, it knows that the time is running out. Eventually, the world community will muster enough courage and righteousness to demand Turkey to come to terms with its genocidal past and make amends to the victims, the Armenians.

Even the non-binding nature of the now-pending Armenian Resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate sends shivers down the collective political spine of the occupationist and denialist Turkish state.

In an October 10 letter sent to the Glendale News Press and the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles county resident and activist Herbert Molano lambasted the self-serving special interest groups' misguiding lobbying activities:" For decades, politicians claimed Turkey was too important an ally in our conflict with the Soviet Union, and now Turkey is too important an ally in our conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Maybe the day that the U.S. stops getting into conflicts we will be in a position to demand Turkish recognition of the human atrocities during the Armenian Genocide."

Molano unmasked the Turkish lies: "Turkey has continually justified the massive loss of Armenians as the result of ethnic strife. But if that's true, then why would only one ethnicity be decimated? They also claim that the loss of life is attributable to the Great War (WW I). But if that is true, how could they account for the massacres of 300,000 Armenians from 1894 to 1896 during the repeated pogroms dictated by the Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid?"

Molano added: "It seems that recognizing the Genocide is too big an atrocity for Turkey to accept. Why not approach the denial by having them accept the more gradual atrocities that took place during the Young Turks formative years?

Congress has an opportunity today (Wednesday) to place moral values ahead of political practicalities."

What would it take for Turkey to come clean and start a new page in its history?
The answer is clear: the return of the territories in Western Armenia to their rightful owners, the Armenians, just as if it was demanded in 1918 by President Woodrow Wilson of the United States and later officially introduced and mandated by the Peace Treaty of Sèvres of August 10, 1920. Turkey may contend that the Treaty of Sèvres was derailed by the Treaty of Lausanne of July 24, 1923. Turkey must be reminded that although the Treaty of Lausanne has obstructed the Treaty of Sèvres, the U.S. Congress has never ratified it. Now you see why Turkey is deeply dependent on the United States but works hard to misrepresent the United States as being the "dependent" party. By obstinately trying to trade places with the United States, as it is the "party in charge," Turkey becomes the laughing stock of the international community.
Attachment:

---

“In 1919, drunk with victory, the Allies were about to impose a vindictive peace on the Central Powers, and to remodel Europe on nationalistic lines. The defeat of the Ottoman Empire was so total that some Allied statesmen hoped to inflict worse terms on the Ottoman Empire than on Germany, including the loss of Constantinople. The British Prime Minister Lloyd George was a believer in Mazzinian nationalism, passionately pro-Greek and an intimate of Sir Basil Zaharoff. In 1918 he had promised that Constantinople would remain Ottoman; in 1919 he declared ‘Stamboul in the hands of the Turks has been not only the hotbed of every sort of Eastern vice but it has been the source from which the poison of corruption and intrigue has spread far and wide into Europe itself…Constantinople was not Turk and the majority of the population was not Turkish’. In the disruption that followed the war, statistics were particularly hard to compile. However, according to an estimate from British officers on the spot, the population in 1920 consisted of 560,000 Moslems, 206,000 Greeks and 83,000 Armenians. Of approximately 150,000 foreigners, a large number were Greeks with Hellenic, rather than Ottoman nationality. Nevertheless, the city had a Moslem, Turkish-speaking majority. Above all, in 1919 more than ever, Turks, Greeks and Armenians each wanted a state of their own, not a shared city. Curzon’s fixation about this ‘plague spot’ led him into a militant Christianity which, when governing India, he had rejected. An essay on the Emperor Justinian had won him a prize at Oxford…”
Philip Mansel, Constantinople, St. Martin’s Press, NY, pg.382

“Yet Barton went ahead with a case against Bristol, in which in March, 1922 he presented to Secretary Hughes. The theme was that Bristol had not protected American interests in the Near East. Commending the Admiral for zeal and ability, Barton declared that Bristol ‘inclined to take the word of a Turk as more value than the word of an American’, and to defend the Turks more than the minorities. But attacking a fairly perceptive Bristol was trying to remove a symptom. The missionaries needed to think about coming to terms with the Kemalists. Relying on a West determined to behave irresponsibly about Asia Minor was not producing security for the Armenians or for the Protestants from the U.S.…Barton and other friends of Armenia could not obtain a State Dept. endorsement of the proposed dismissal of Bristol or of the Rogers Resolution. As the Allies in February and March, 1922 postponed scrapping the Sevres Treaty and reaffirmed a national home for Armenians, the American Government remained aloof. In April, 1922, the Secretary wrote Barton at length: ‘I am very sorry to say that I see no way in which this Government can, in existing circumstances, act to the advantage of the Ottoman Greeks or of the Armenians’… Then, another flicker of hope. Barton acted vigorously when in May, 1922 the British ambassador to Washington proposed a Western investigation of alleged Turkish atrocities. There had been reports of new deportations attending the Kemalist-Greek war. The executive committee of Near East Relief directed its chairman to ask Hughes to appoint a representative for the investigation.”
Joseph L. Grabill, Protestant Diplomacy & the Near East, U. of Minn. Press 1991, pg.261

“In August, 1920, the Ankara Government reached an agreement with Soviet Russia on the establishment of diplomatic relations, and seven months later signed a bilateral Treaty of Friendship with Moscow. Within this framework, the Soviets accepted the National Pact in its totality, including delimitation of Turkey’s frontiers, repudiated all treaties concluded between the Ottoman Empire and Czarist Russia (including the Capitulations, which had been restored by the Treaty of Sevres), and promised to extend military aid to Nationalist Turkey in its struggle against ‘imperialism’. Having secured his northern front, Kemal could concentrate his efforts on the Armenian problem. In the Treaty of Sevres Turkey had recognized the independence of Armenia, created on the ruins of the Russian, Empire. But in late-October, 1920, as Wilson was about to announce the award of large tracts of Turkish territory to Armenia, Kemal’s forces invaded the country, defeated the Armenian army, and advanced as far as Alexandropol. The following month, Russian forces invaded northern Armenia and declared the formation of a Soviet Government there. In the ensuing Treaty of Gumru (also known as Leninakan), concluded on Dec. 3rd, 1920, Armenia surrendered all its territorial gains to Turkey, including the strategic fortress of Kars and Ardahan and repudiated all claims on Turkish territories.”
Efraim & Inari Karsh, Empires of the Sand, Harvard U.Press pg. 335

“In September, 1920, less than a month after the Treaty of Sevres had promised an independent Armenia incorporating part of Turkey, Ataturk’s forces attacked from the south. Despite their best efforts and the attacks of their tiny air force of three planes, the Armenians were gradually forced back. When Aharonian, the Armenian poet who had spoken for his country in Paris, tried to see Curzon in London, he was brushed off with a letter. ‘What we want to see now is concrete evidence of some constructive and administrative ability at home, instead of purely external policy based on propaganda and mendicancy’, wrote Curzon. On Nov. 17th, the Armenian Government signed an Armistice with Turkey which left only a tiny scrap of country still free. Five days later, a message arrived from President Wilson. Under the Sevres Treaty, he had been asked to draw Armenia’s boundaries; he decided it should have 42,000 km² of Turkish territory. With a nation abandoned by the world and crushed between two enemies, the Armenian prime minister said, ‘Nothing remains for the Armenians to do but choose the lesser of two evils’. In December, Armenia became a Soviet republic; the Bolshevik commissar for nationalities, Joseph Stalin, was active in bringing it to heel. The following March, the Treaty of Moscow between Turkey and the Soviet Union confirmed the return of the Turkish provinces of Kars and Ardahan to Turkey. The border has lasted to this day. Kurdistan was finished, too. By March, 1921, the Allies had backed away from the vague promises in the Treaty of Sevres. The ‘existing facts’ were that Ataturk had denounced the whole treaty; he had successfully kept part of the Armenian territories within Turkey; and he was about to sign a treaty giving the rest to the Soviet Union. Kurdish nationalists might protest, but the Allies no longer had any interest in an independent Kurdish state.”
Margaret MacMillan, Paris 1919, Random House, New York, pg. 449

“Kemal ‘gladly’ accepted the offer of mediation. He added that the Turkish Government had postponed military operations in the provinces of Kars, Ardahan and Batumi on receipt of Chicherin’s note. In 1920, Armenian troops moved into Olti, a district rich in coal, on the Russian side of the pre-war Russo-Turkish frontier, as a preliminary step towards the Treaty of Sevres. Bekir Sami claimed that Olti formed part of the Ottoman Empire under the Treaties of Brest-Litvosk and Batumi. He therefore requested the withdrawal of the Armenian troops ‘without any delay’. The Armenian Government however, rejected both treaties as bases for the relations between the two countries. The district was an incontestable part of the Armenian republic. Having signed the Peace Treaty with Turkey, Armenia would await the decision of the President of the U.S. and was not crossing the former Russo-Turkish frontier. Thus, in the summer of 1920, Armenia based her claims on the Treaty of Sevres; Kemalist Turkey on the Treaties of Brest-Litvosk and Batumi although Brest-Litvosk had been renounced by Soviet Russia in the autumn of 1918. In September, 1920, Commander Luke reported to the Foreign Office that at least four battalions of Kazım Karabekir’s troops crossed the 1914 Russo-Turkish frontier, and by a surprise attack had driven the Armenians back 30 versts east of Oltu. The Armenians had suffered heavily. Having captured Olti, the Turks were advancing in large numbers towards Kars with the object of seizing the district. Armenia was certainly being squeezed by anti-Allied powers: Turks attacking on the west, Bolsheviks pressing on the north and hostile Azerbaijan maneuvering on the east.”
Akaby Nassibian, Britain & the Armenian Question 1915-23, Croom Helm, London, pg.209

“It seems that by making excessive territorial claims and by using delaying tactics, the Armenian Government was naively -and dangerously- playing for time. Encouraged by the British, the Armenian leadership was following a frightening policy of illusion. Within the next 20 days Armenia lost everything to the Turks. On Nov. 7th, an Armistice was signed between the Armenian Government and Kazım Karabekir on the latter’s terms. Karabekir perceived that since 1919, British power was ebbing in the Caucasus, and had argued, with chilling realism, that no assistance whatever would come to Armenia.”
Akaby Nassibian, Britain & the Armenian Question 1915-23, Croom Helm, London, pg.217

“… the Armenian Government had finally to sue for a fresh Armistice on Nov. 18th, Alexander Khatisian was appointed to negotiate peace with the Kemalists. The Armenian Government realized that it was obliged to make peace either with Turks or Bolsheviks. The Bolsheviks assured the Armenians that they could settle the Turkish trouble immediately if Armenia ‘will denounce’(?) the Turkish Peace Treaty. The Armenian Government wanted to adopt a course which would, so far as possible, meet with the ‘approval of Britain’. Replying, Curzon stated that Britain could not be a party to a treaty with the Nationalists, but considered that the alternative of a treaty with Soviet Russia was ‘doubtless worse’. Earlier two members of the Foreign Office had similarly indicated that a peace with the Turks was ‘clearly preferable’. The offer was rejected. Armenia finally agreed to the ‘half loaf’ left by Turkey as she believed that the ‘whole loaf’ offered by Bolshevik Russia would mean ‘the loss of all sympathy in Europe’.”
Akaby Nassibian, Britain & the Armenian Question 1915-23, Croom Helm, London, pg.218

“The crushing Treaty of Alexandropol left Armenia with a territory of 27,000 km²: Kars and Surmalu, including Mount Ararat would go to Turkey; Nakhichevan and Zangezur would become Azerbaijani protectorates; Armenia would be permitted to have a detachment of only 1 500 soldiers equipped with 20 machine-guns and eight cannons; compulsory military service forbidden. Turkey would have the right to supervise goods entering Armenia. Finally, Armenia would declare the Treaty of Sevres null and void; the representatives of the Allies should leave. The only Armenian state permitted by Karabekir was a tiny protectorate wholly dependent on Turkish goodwill. The renunciation of the Treaty of Sevres by Armenia had been the pre-condition for Turkish negotiations. But it had also been the only major condition asked by Soviet Russia in return for her mediation in securing the pre-war Russian frontier. She had in addition agreed to recognize her independence. The offer was rejected. Had it been accepted, Kars and Surmalu might have been within Armenian territory, the war might have ended earlier and Karabekir’s troops would not have wrought death and destruction as thoroughly as if they were committed to annihilation.”
Akaby Nassibian, Britain & the Armenian Question 1915-23, Croom Helm, London, pg.219

“Thus it failed to draw on the support of all sections and classes and especially could not attract Armenian capital from the Diaspora… they had no resources in men or money, a member of the Foreign Office minuted. Moreover, although there was often much provocation on the part of the Tatar population within the frontiers of Armenia, the administration at times unable to prevent Armenian bands from committing excesses in Moslem villages. The result was their alienation and an increase in the hostility of both Azerbaijan and Turkey. Significantly, Baldwin twice characterized this faith as ‘blind’: Armenia …held a blind strange faith in Great Britain, who had made so many promises to help her and who had once beaten the Turks. And again, that Armenia ‘had a blind faith in England and anyone English’.”
Akaby Nassibian, Britain & the Armenian Question 1915-23, Croom Helm, London, pg.221

“I was surprised to see Dr. McCallum send through a report along this line from Constantinople. When I called attention to the report, it was stated that it came from the Armenians but the telegram did not state this, nor did it state that the Armenian reports were not confirmed by our own reports. I may be all wrong; but I can’t help feeling that I am not, because so many people out here who know the conditions agree with me that the Armenians and ourselves who lend ourselves to such exaggerated reports are doing the worst thing we possibly can for the Armenians. Why not tell the truth about the Armenians in every way? Let us come out and tell just what the Armenians are and then show our sympathy and do everything we can to make the future of these people what it should be for human beings…As long ago as last July I reported officially to the Department that there were strong Bolshevik feelings amongst the Armenians and that many of the Army officers were Bolshevik in sentiment. I stated then it was only a question of time when Armenia would go Bolshevik. Armenia did turn Bolshevik and was not compelled to do so by the Russians, although they may have been influenced by Russian propaganda. The Bolshevik leaders represent one party, the Dashnak represent another, and the National Democratic Party of Armenia represents another party. As far as I am concerned I can find very little difference between the party leaders of these different parties…I am not disgusted with the Armenians, and I pity them; but I cannot believe in the idea of the establishment of an independent Armenia in a country where not 25% of the people are Armenians. I do not believe the Armenians are able to govern themselves, and especially should not be allowed to govern other people; and certainly, if any of the other races here in this part of the country are under the Armenians, they are going to be submitted to oppression and outrage. I believe in helping the Armenians, but not in this way. I believe that if we come out and state all the facts regarding the Armenian question, and all combine, we can get the U.S. to help them. However, so long as we proceed along the present line I do not believe we will succeed because I don’t believe it is right…

In regard to loaning the Armenians money without Armenia being under a mandate, I believe this is an unjustifiable waste of money. For two years we have expended money in relief work for the Armenians and we supplied them flour on a loan covering over $50,000,000. What is there to show for all this vast expenditure? There is nothing to show except ingratitude, and when an emergency arose one of the greatest friends Armenia ever had, and the one that had been working and giving his best efforts for relief work amongst them had to depend upon the Turks for his own personal protection. It is a well known fact that in the beginning of our relief work flour and provisions turned over to the Armenian Government for the starving were taken by the high officials of the Government and sold for their own benefit. Then finally Armenia turned Bolshevik and repudiated all her debts; and one of these debts was for the flour we had furnished on their word of honor to repay, because they certainly had no security to offer. It was a sentimental loan based on faith in a people, and they have gone back on us…In regard to the policy of the Near East Relief, I am sure that the workers in the field do not understand the instructions that there should not be any discrimination in matters of religion in applying relief. At the assembly of workers here in Constantinople last Autumn this question was taken up and was very heatedly discussed. Mr. Vickrey himself told me that you had changed your policy, but that is neither here nor there. There is no doubt whatever a policy was carried out of giving relief only to Armenians, except in cases like Miss Cushman and Miss Graffam and Miss Allen, and some others that I might mention who know the way to establish good will in the country and therefore assist the Turks. The charge made by the Armenians in their papers that our relief organization was using 80% of all the receipts for work with the Turks and Kurds, is, I am sure you will admit, in keeping with the accuracy of the statements that the Armenians are given to making.”
(*Quick note: Unfortunately, Admiral Bristol's noble intention to lend a hand to all suffering parties was rarely given serious thought among American humanitarians. ‘Edward Fox, the American District Commander at Kars, in a telegram, dated Oct. 31st, 1920, to Admiral Bristol, the U.S. High Commissioner in Istanbul, wrote that the Americans were continuing their work of looking after the Armenian children as before, that the Turkish soldiers were well-disciplined and that there had not been any massacres. Such missionary and philanthropic establishments protected only the children of Armenians, and never the thousands of Turkish children, who had become orphans mainly on account of Armenian massacres of their parents and families.’ Here's the source.)

The reply of Dr. Barton, head of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions in Istanbul, dated May 6th, 1921 to Admiral Bristol. (Some lines only):
“With reference to the false reports that come through reporting massacres of the Armenians by the Turks, there is no one who can deprecate this more than I do. But there is a situation over here which is hard to describe. There is a brilliant young Armenian, a graduate of Yale University, by the name of Cardashian. He is a lawyer, with office down in Wall Street, I believe. He has organized a committee, so-called, which has never met and is never consulted, with Mr. Gerard as Chairman. Cardashian is the whole thing. He has set up what he calls an Armenian publicity bureau or something of that kind, and has a letterhead printed. Gerard signs anything that Cardashian writes. He told me this himself one time, Cardashian is out with his own people and with everybody else, except Gerard and perhaps one other leading Armenian who was in London a month ago, Pasdermadjian. Not long since Cardashian came out with a pamphlet in which he charged the Near East Relief and the American missionaries as being the greatest enemies Armenia has ever had, claiming that they, in cooperation with President Wilson, had crucified Armenia, and a lot of other matter of this character. He claims to have the latest and fullest information out from Armenia and keeps in pretty close touch with Senator Lodge, the President, the State Department, and others in Washington. He has Gerard’s backing. We have had many a conference with Armenian leaders as to what can be done to stop this vicious propaganda carried on by Cardashian. He is constantly reporting atrocities which never occurred and giving endless misinformation with regard to the situation in Armenia and in Turkey. We do not like to come out and attack him in public….When I was in London a little over a month ago, several of the leaders like Lord Bryce expressed their conviction that if the U.S. would be willing to loan money that some European nation would step in and take a mandate over some section of the Turkish Empire into which the Armenians could be gathered and thus establish a safety zone. There is no doubt that now with the temper of the Turk stirred up by the fact that the Armenians fought with the French in Cilicia against the Turk is a very severe threat to the Armenians. Many of the Armenians are still full of revolutionary spirit and I cannot but believe that in Cilicia we have all of the elements which might precipitate another series of atrocities on both sides, for I know that the Armenians have not refrained from acts of atrocity when they had the power in their hands, and that is one of the reasons why the Turks are so incensed at the present time. Dr. Martin in Antep has recently written that the Turks in the market place have threatened that when they come back into power, as they expect soon to do, they will rebuild the destroyed mosques and minarets with Armenian skulls. I fear that while we are waiting to get the U.S. to take a large view of the Near Eastern situation and a large part in its solution the Armenian element may be largely, if not wholly, eliminated…(Armenians) are a peculiar people. They have a great faculty of making themselves disliked wherever they go...I probably have suffered as much from the lack of appreciation on the part of Armenians as anyone. For 25 years I have worked for them, I doubt if there is anyone in the country that has been more frequently attacked than have I, from Cardashian down.

Some — and this number is not a few — have remained absolutely loyal and appreciative. But they are a peculiar people... Yet we must remember they are human beings with capacity for education, development and reform. I feel intensely sorry for them and am ready to work on. I would not be in favor of putting the Armenians into power anywhere without having some restraining influence among them that would prevent their ill treatment of any subject races under them…In my previous letter to you I spoke of Armenia at the time when the loan was considered an established fact. I referred of course only to the Armenia in Russia which had been recognized in Washington to the extent that it was willing to accept the signature of its officials as guarantee for the repayment of a loan, I think the same was true in England. I was not, of course, referring to any Armenia in Turkey outlined by the President…”
The following notes of a U.S. citizen researcher added:

“You refer again to the subject of caring for the children and of giving relief to others than Armenians. In the reports that I see from all over the field that seems to be what is being done. The Red Cross people have seemed to be fully satisfied with the way their contributions have been used in this respect. The most dissatisfied people we deal with are the Armenians who say that we are diverting money intended for them…”

“The pride of race brings about many singularities and prompts the Armenians to prey on missionaries, Jesuits, consuls and European traveler with rapacity and ingratitude. The poor Armenians will demand assistance in a loud tone, yet will seldom give thanks for a donation. Abuse of Consular officers and missionaries is only a part of the stock-in-trade of the extra-Armenian press.’ — Mark Sykes, ‘The Caliph’s Last Heritage’ (London, 1915)”

“Loyalty is a foreign concept to Armenians... recorded as early as the days of ancient Rome. Ara Baliozian has written: ‘... Our past is filled with countless instances of betrayal and treachery...’ Edward Tashji, who is half-Armenian, comments: ‘This last quotation, like no other statement is an inescapable and irrefutable commentary of the Armenians, not only of Ottoman Turkey, but to this very day in the U.S.’ ”

“Armenians even attacked their greatest friend, President Woodrow Wilson, for not going to bat all the way for them…All the Armenians do is take. Look at the $50,000,000 America lent them on good faith (which Admiral Bristol somewhat bitterly reports on, above), and they just turned their backs on their responsibilities. (This was in addition to the 50,000,000 they received from charitable organizations.) A people with honor would have repaid their debts... and that should have been the first order of business, once Armenia regained her freedom after the fall of the Soviet Union. Instead of giving, their lobby in the U.S. has been at work to take more money from American taxpayers... more than a billion bucks, to date. Peter Balakian speaks of a ‘ double killing‘... As a Turkish-American, I now introduce the concept of a double enraging. I am mad at the Armenians for their lies and slanders against Turkey.... but I am also mad as an American for the way Armenians have totally used my country, with the help of condescending American politicians, such as (R) James E. Rogan.”

http://www.tallarmeniantale.com/bristol-barton.htm

“On Oct. 20th, 1921, an agreement was signed between the Turkish Government and M. Franklin-Bouillon, representing France. It called the unconditional withdrawal of the French troops. The overwhelming majority of the Armenian population, which had just moved back to Cilicia in 1918, joined the French in their withdrawal. This happened in spite of the fact that the Armenians in the South of Turkey were a valuable part of the Turkish community and would have been just as welcome as the Armenians were everywhere else in Anatolia. All the facts indicate that the emigration en masse of the Armenians from Cilicia was planned and programmed with a single goal in mind. Someone wanted to prove to the ‘dumb, incompetent Turks’ that things ‘simply would not work’ without the Armenian element. Trade especially international trade - would surely fall apart permanently.

But what happened was just the opposite. The tremendously capable Armenians settled by the hundreds of thousands in all the nations that were founded out of the old Ottoman Empire. (They had not been moved out in 1915; they had just been moved around!) None of these other nations, however, could possibly stand comparison with the progress made in Turkey. Only Turkey has managed to build the road to a safe, peaceful present, with a virtually certain option on an even better, peaceful future. The other states, Syria and Lebanon in particular, have meanwhile sunk into a sea of blood and terror (of which no small part is contributed by Armenian terrorists).
Speaking of Lebanon:..The French Supreme Commander in Cilicia, General Dufieux, was a notorious Turk-hater. Right up to the last moment, he avoided making contact with even a single Turk. He left Adana on Nov. 24th, 1921. Just before his departure, he visited the French war cemetery, and as he laid down the obligatory wreath he said sadly: ‘To the French soldiers who sacrificed their blood in vain.’..He could almost have been saying those words vicariously for all the French people who wish to remember the victims of terror in Lebanon and the victims of the Lebanese disaster. The incomprehensible waves of terrorism from Lebanon have in the meantime reached France and Paris, claiming countless innocent victims. They are in fact all exclusively victims of a French policy that held that France could win power and influence in the Ottoman Empire (and thus in Syria and Lebanon as well) by tolerating and even supporting Armenian terrorism...Meanwhile, countless Armenian bombs have gone off in Paris, killing many innocent French citizens. For the most part, these bombs came from Lebanon, a country which was once propped up artificially by France in order to gain influence in the Ottoman Empire.“

Erich Feigl, A Myth of Terror, Edition Zeitgeschichte Freilassing, Salzburg, Austria pg.110-111

“The Armenian terrorists and their Shiite accomplices regard this slaughter of the French people of today, who had absolutely nothing to do with the tragedy of Lebanon, as their ‘legitimate’ contribution to a belated campaign of vengeance. The Turks of today, however, had even less to do with the events for which they must ‘pay’. They are much less guilty than the French for the present situation in the Middle East. The French did, after all, at one time help the Russians and the British and the American missionaries drive the unfortunate Armenians into the inferno of rebellion and civil war...On Wednesday, Dec. 1st, 1921, Turkish troops advanced to the coast, and the solemn transfer of authority from the French to the Turks took place in Adana. This meant that the unfortunate civil war on the southern front, which had flared up again so cruelly after the French intervention, was finally over. There was still the Turkish western front, however. Since the beginning of their invasion on May 15th, 1919, the Greeks had managed to capture half of western Anatolia and were now preparing for the conquest of Ankara.

“The Peace of Gumru (Alexandropol; Today Leninakan) of Dec. 2nd, 1920:
The severe fighting between the troops of Kazim Karabekir and the Republic of Armenia brought heavy losses. The fighting first ended with the truce of Nov. 6th, which the Armenians had requested after the Turks had taken Kars and advanced to Gumru... After some tough preliminary negotiations and renewed Armenian attacks, the most modernly-equipped Armenian Army was defeated near Shahtahti on Nov. 15th. The Armenians now appealed once again for a truce. The peace negotiations of Gumru began ten days later. On Dec. 2nd, 1920, these negotiations produced a peace treaty between Turkey and the Republic of Armenia which is still valid and binding today. (Shortly thereafter, on March 16th, 1921, the Turks signed the Treaty of Moscow, since Armenia was, as it had almost always been in its history, not a sovereign state itself, but rather under Russian sovereignty. Armenia had already made an agreement on Oct. 11th, 1920 with the Soviet-Russian representative Legrand, saying that ‘Armenia accepts the mediation of Russia in solving its territorial problems.’ In other words, Armenia had signed away its sovereignty in foreign policy matters to Moscow).The Treaty of Alexandropol-Gumru establishes the borders between Turkey and its Armenian neighbor quite clearly, including of course the border north-east of Mount Ararat. Ararat is the highest peak in Turkey. Nevertheless, the Soviet Republic of Armenia still includes Ararat in its coat of arms. This is nearly as absurd as it would be for the British to include Kilimanjaro in their coat of arms, simply because they once held sovereignty there. “
Erich Feigl, A Myth of Terror, Edition Zeitgeschichte Freilassing, Salzburg, Austria pg.112

“Armenia and the one from the Armenian diaspora were outbidding each other in the same way. As mentioned above, their ‘common memorandum’ claimed not only the ‘six provinces’ of Van, Bitlis, Diyarbakır, Harput, Sivas, and Erzurum (in which the Armenians had never in history had a majority), it also laid claim to Trabzon, Karabagh (where virtually no Armenians had ever lived), Sansegur, and large parts of Georgia, as well as Cilicia. At the same time, the reputation of the Armenians as a nation of peace-loving victims who had been defenselessly and helplessly murdered (or rather exterminated) by the bloodthirsty Ottomans was shaken. The reason: The young, autonomous Armenian Republic could not think of anything better to do than start a whole series of wars of conquest...The president of the ‘Armenian National Delegation’ sums up, in a letter to French Foreign Minister Stephen Pichon, why the Ottomans, who were fighting on five fronts at the same time and were also confronted with internal Armenian rebellions, had to defend themselves by moving the Armenian population out of the endangered areas:

Monsieur le Ministre,
I have the honor, in the name of the Armenian National Delegation, of submitting to Your Excellency the following declaration, at the same time reminding him:

That the Armenians have been, since the beginning of the war, de facto belligerents, as you yourself have acknowledged, since they have fought alongside the Allies on all fronts, enduring heavy sacrifices and great suffering for the sake of their unshakable attachment to the cause of the Entente:

In France, through their volunteers, who started joining the Foreign Legion in the first days and covered themselves with glory under the French flag;
In Palestine and Syria, where the Armenian volunteers, recruited by the National Delegation at the request of the government of the Republic itself, made up more than half of the French contingent and played a large role in the victory of General Allenby, as he himself and his French chiefs have officially declared;

In the Caucasus, where, without mentioning the 150,000 Armenians in the Imperial Russian Army, more than 40,000 of their volunteers contributed to the liberation of a portion of the Armenian provinces, and where, under the command of their leaders, Antranik and Nazerbekoff, they, alone among the peoples of the Caucasus, offered resistance to the Turkish armies, from the beginning of the Bolshevik withdrawal right up to the signing of an armistice.’

(The letter bears the date on which it was received in the French Foreign Office - Dec. 3rd, 1918).

Other than the above letter, another open letter to the editor of the The Times of London, which was printed on January 30, 1919 and signed by Boghos Nubar from Paris on Jan.27th, is a much more detailed account of the services rendered by the Armenians. Due to shortage of space, only below sections are excerpted from the article titled “THE RIGHTS OF ARMENIA:

* The name of Armenia is not on the list of the nations admitted to the (Paris) Peace Conference.
* But I must emphasize the fact happily known to few, that ever since the beginning of the war the
Armenians fought by the side of the Allies on all fronts.
* For Armenians have been belligerents de facto, as they indignantly refused to side with Turkey!
* Our volunteers fought in the French “Legion Estrangere” and covered themselves with glory.
In the Legion d’Orient they numbered over (???) and they made up more than half of the French
contingent in Syria and Palestine, which took part in the decisive victory of General Allenby.
* In the Caucasus, without mentioning the 150.000 Armenians in the Russian armies, about
50.000 volunteers under Andranik, Nazarbekoff and others fought for four years for the cause of
the Entente… Thus they helped the British forces in Mezopotamia by hindering the Germano-
Turks from sending their troops elsewhere.
* In virtue of all these considerations the Armenian National Delegation asked that the Armenian
nation should be recognized as belligerent
* I wish strongly to urge that the Armenians, having of their own free will cast in their lot with the champions of right and justice, the victory of the Allies over their common enemies has secured them a right of independence… Signed Boghos Nubar”

“In this manner, Boghos Nubar explained that the Armenians had waged constant war with the Ottoman Empire from Nov. 1st, 1914 right up to the signing of the Armistice of Mudros on Oct. 30th, 1918 and had thus been, in his eyes, ‘de facto belligerents’. “Erich Feigl, A Myth of Terror, Edition Zeitgeschichte Freilassing, Salzburg, Austria pg.102


“27- The Armenian-Turkish war which broke our back began in the fall of 1920. Would it have been possible to evade it? Probably not. The crushed Turkey of 1918 had recovered during the two years. There came forward patriotic, young officers who formed a new army in Asia Minor. They saw the necessity of attacking in the Northeast, and also in the Southwest against the Greeks which they could not do without first crushing their flank on the Armenian front. One cannot say that the Turks really had such a plan, but it is possible that they did and it was also probable that the war with us was inevitable…Despite these hypotheses there remains an irrefutable fact. That we had not done all that was necessary for us to have done to evade war. We ought to have used peaceful language with the Turks whether we succeeded or not, and we did not do it. We did not do it for the simple reason -no less culpable - that we had no information about the real strength of the Turks and relied on ours. This was the fundamental error. We were not afraid of war because we thought we would win. With the carelessness of inexperienced and ignorant men we did not know what forces Turkey had mustered on our frontiers. When the skirmishes had started the Turks proposed that we meet and confer. We did not do so and defied them.
I should point out that in the autumn of 1920 we were not a quantitie negligable in the eyes of Turks. The terrible incidents of the past years were forgotten. Our people were well rested and our army was well armed with British arms. We had sufficient ammunition. We were holding a very important fortress called Kars in our hands. Finally there was the Sévres Treaty and it was not simply a piece of paper in those days, it was an important gain against Turks. We were not in a similar position to what we were in May, 1918 in Batoum. We could easily believe we could be heard, because Turks were considered the defeated party…We did not make an attempt…If we had accepted their offer what would they have proposed to us? They would probably have started from where we had left at Batoum and Brest and then they would have given further concessions and receded behind the 1814 border lines. They could possibly have withdrawn further and could have handed over Beyazit and Eleshkirt too…Turks would never have given any further concessions than these in September, 1920 and in return, they were going to demand from the Armenian Government that they give up the rights advanced by the Sévres Treaty...How would the Armenian Government have reacted to this? They would certainly have refused the offer. The government would never have agreed to these conditions; they would have preferred fighting…Not only the Dashnak Bureau-Government but any Armenian Government would have acted in the same way. I am calling attention to this fact. And this quite significantly alleviates the crime committed by our party. The government could never have accepted these conditions; because all the political parties and groups, all our diplomats, all the appointed and voluntary patriots… all would have revolted, rejected the government and accused it of treason. The Sévres Treaty had blinded everyone’s eyes…We now see that if we had agreed on a settlement with the Turks directly (in spite of the Sévres Treaty) we might have gained a lot. But we could not see this at that point…All these are possibilities, but they are also the reflections of our thoughts then…War, on the other hand, was a reality…It is also a reality, an unforgivable reality that we did not do anything to avoid war but did just the opposite; we created excuses for it. What is unforgivable is that we had no idea about the military power of Turkey and neither did we know our own army.”
Hovhannes Kattchaznouni, Bucaret 1923, Dashnagtzoutiun has Nothing to do Anymore pg. 67 - 68
Translated by Lale Akalin, Kaynak Yayinlari, Istanbul,

Read Full Post !

301) Sworn Affidavit By Edward Tashji

The following commentary is presented as a sworn affidavit by the undersigned, and Is intended to express explicitly my position on the subject of Turkish-Armenian relations. Being of sound mind and body, fully cognizant of my statements ,free of any coercion and/or any suggestion of any monetary recompense, I do hereby declare the comments in this written material are solely mine and for which I take full responsibility. My signature follows this declaration and It will appear at the conclusion of this commentary.

This is not intended to portray even a semblance of any historical research, nor to create a subterfuge in the _expression of my thinking and sincere feelings on a subject to which I have devoted a lifetime of attention. Simply stated, these pages are intended to reveal my position on a highly emotional issue based upon childhood experiences, an exposure to both the Armenian and Turkish communities, and as a result of long years of effort. The purpose of this life-long effort has been and by the grace of God, will continue to be two-fold:

first, to continue the bond of brotherhood between the Armenian and the Turkish peoples. Secondly, with the continuance of the six centuries of trust and harmony, to eradicate an infectious hatred which has manifested itself in innocent hearts and minds of succeeding generations. To say that my task has been most difficult and potentially dangerous to my life is not an exaggeration, as the content of this commentary will confirm. The average American is unaware that a serious problem between these ancestral brothers even exists.

However, as a result of a blatant anti-Turkish posture on the part of our news media, together with the acceptance by many members of Congress of one version of a tragic story, the Turkish Nation and its God-fearing people are being accused of genocide. The absurdity of the charge is equal only to the mindless hate merchants within the Armenian community. So why should my pro-Turkish position be of interest to anyone outside the Turkish Community?

It should I say, it must I emphasize, because I am not Turkish nor am I of the Moslem faith; In reality I am a Christian and an Armenian!! I was born In Troy, New York In 1932 as the second son of an Armenian mother and a Syrian Orthodox father, who had been eyewitness to the tragic events which took place In Ottoman Turkey during the First World War. In spite of their suffering, in spite of their losses, in our home our parents had taught us not to hate the Turkish people, In fact just the contrary was instilled in our hearts. We learned the realities of those events about which the West has accepted one interpretation as historical fact.



My wifes background is similar to my own, except that both of her parents were Armenian. Her support of my efforts and her endless patience have been my greatest source of encouragement. Do you think, dear reader, any book, any newspaper account, or any politician could outweigh the Influence upon me by my parents who were there!? They had no reason to give me false information, and their greatest gift to me was to love the traditions and culture of our peoples. Because of their wisdom, their compassion and their humanity, I was destined to be FREE of all animosity. Based upon THEIR comments to me, and after years of study and effort, (which cannot be described here), I offer for your consideration the following facts which should be recognized by every member of Congress:

1. That the Armenian people had suffered In Ottoman Turkey during the First World War is beyond dispute. Their suffering was brought about as a result of the ravages of war; they suffered as did the Arab, the Jew, the Syrian Orthodox, the Greek, as well as the Turkish Moslem. The suffering of the Armenians was NOT as a result of a genocide! To this day, the other ethnic and religious groups which had endured those terrible days, HAVE NOT referred to being the victims of genocide In Turkey! But Armenian extremists have used the term genocide as a way of concealing their own crimes:

2. My mother was born in Balikesir, not far from the city of Izmir. In her town she had remembered that there were organized Armenian political factions determined to overthrow the government, and engaged in war activities against Turkish military forces as well as thousands of innocent civilians. These groups were active In Turkey then, as they continue to be to this day IN the United States. These are the names of the infamous groups: the Ramgavar, the Huntchak, and the fanatical Dasnaksakgan, (all spelled phonetically). These armed revolutionaries were headed by a maniacal fringe who had even attacked Armenians who did not support them in their treachery and disloyalty against a country where for seven centuries they had prospered and enjoyed total freedom.

3. As a child my mother had learned a song which had been taught In Armenian school to all the children, The following is a translation, from the Armenian, of the only words I remember:

Let us slaughter the Turks Let us establish our own country... What would be our reaction if any cultural or religious community taught their children to kill Americans?!

4. Many Armenians after leaving their homes were allowed to RETURN and take possession of their homes and properties. My uncle was one who returned to his home, and my wifes aunt, who is still living, was another. Her family had returned to their home in Adlyaman.

5. As a refugee my mother was taken into the home of an Armenian family In the town of Kilis. They lived in a house which they owned, and this was toward the end of 1915!

6. The long list of ethnic Armenians who had attained the highest positions in the Ottoman Government is a matter of record.

7. Armenian fanaticism In Ottoman Turkey spread to our country during those years and It continues to this very day: The Armenian community and church in the United States is torn apart by bitter hatred within its own family. Many Armenians, especially those who came from Turkey in recent years, do not feel any hatred against the Turkish people but dare not make their feelings public, lest they be castigated by church and community leaders. In 1932, while celebrating mass on Christmas morning, the Armenian Archbishop Tourian was assassinated by members of an opposing Armenian group. Today Armenian terrorism has taken the lives of over sixty-five Innocent Turkish Diplomats and family members world-wide.

8. A so-called statement purportedly made by Adolf Huller referring to the plight of the Armenians, was, after extensive research, proven to be FALSE by historian Robert John, who like myself is born of Armenian ancestry!

9. The following is an exact quotation from a pamphlet printed and distributed by The Armenian Revolutionary Federation, here in New York:

...Its History: Struggle for National Liberation. Founded in 1890, as a confederation of various action groups struggling for Armenian national and human rights, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, (ARF), known as Dashnaktsoutioun, carried on this struggle with all available means: political action, propaganda, and at times, armed struggle..

I direct the attention of the reader to the date: 1890! Tuenty-five years BEFORE the Armenians began wIth their theme song: genocide. Im certain you made notice of the words: ...armed struggle....

10. In her book entitled, The Armenian Revolutionary Movement, the author, Louise Nalbandlan, says about her book, In part, the following: This study covers in detail the armed struggle of the Armenian revolutionists against the Ottoman government, beginning with the first major disturbance in 1862 and extending to 1896... And they speak of genocide! It is the Turk who is justified in accusing the Armenian of this heinous crime! There is more, much much more which can refute the allegation made against Turkey.

Once again our Congress considers the so-called Armenian Resolution. How dare they sit in judgment of a nation whose true history is not known by those who would accuse Turkey of genocide?! I say, Mr. Senator and Mr. Congressman, examine your own history and consider the plight of the American Indian!!

Dear reader, these are the words of my beloved mother:

My son, we had everything in Turkey. We owned our own homes, our farm lands, shops, and businesses. We were free in our schools, our churches, and our press. On religious holidays Christians and Muslims would exchange greetings, flowers, and baskets filled with all kinds of foods. After having so much, for so long, WHY should the Turks decide to destroy us?! WE, my son, WE were responsible beyond any doubt, for the misfortune that befell our people! WE, the Armenians, were not loyal to our homeland, Turkey! - Many years later, when several Turkish Naval Officers visited our home In Queens, New York, my mother had said to them, Welcome my children this is your home, welcome... She had become their mother and we their family in the United States.

THIS Is humanity! THIS Is Gods wish for all of us! THIS is the only answer if we are to give our children a world free of hatred! THIS Is what I have found In the Turkish heart; I stand in awe of their compassion, of their warmth, their humanity. I am proud that I have devoted a lifetime of service in behalf of our ancestral brothers and sisters. How we have labored, examples of our efforts, the Identity of the long list of government officials with whom we have met, how we were able to learn to speak Armenian and Turkish, why our home Is called an Ottoman home, and much more, is for another time between two hard covers perhaps. May I offer now my concluding statements:

Dear reader, to the Armenian I am a traitor, one who has committed the greatest sin; to the Turk 1 have come to be known as a, Turk dostu a friend of Turks; ours Is the embrace of brotherhood. I offer the reader my greatest success, that for which I have devoted much of my life, and this you will read on separate pages following my commentary. Read carefully please the writings of an Armenian student who sent me three letters. The most satisfying achievement in my humble life is the third and final letter I received from a young man whom I have never met. Indeed, read his words carefully an~ understand I have not turned against my people, for to do so would be to deny my mother.

I am convinced that hate breeds more hatred, and as we were blessed to have parents who passed on to us their message of love, so have I spoken to all who care to listen, our history, our culture and traditions, begin In Turkey as we have shared with her people the joys and the sorrows of that beautiful land. Today, the Armenians living in Turkey praise us for our efforts. The Syrian Orthodox community shares my position and our children grow free of the cancer of hate. Let the United States Congress honor the sacred memory of ALL the peoples that had suffered, and let not this resolution blemish the honor of a great people. I have dedicated myself to the inseparability of the Turkish and Armenian peoples and no power on earth can deter my resolve. In the name of reason, of universal peace for all mankind, and in the name of the God of all peoples, I remain, yours respectfully,


EDWARD TASHJI
Director of Public Affairs Committee
The Federation of Turkish American Association

---

edwardtashji.org/sworn_affidavit_by_edward_tashji.htm

---

Read Full Post !

241) Did the Turks and the Armenians Share a Common Culture? & Program for a Turkish Course of Action - Edward Tashji

Commentary by Edward Tashji    

It's tragic how many Armenians are so blinded by hatred that they prefer to live in the past, and deny themselves the joys of their roots. Not all Armenians are like that. Some Armenians prefer concentrating on their emotional attachments to the old country. These Armenians know Turkish music, food and language form as much a part of their identities as anything else, and don't appreciate being ostracized by the larger, more hateful Armenian group. They feel they are robbed of their precious past and cherished memories, and resent the domineering attitude of the other group.

 

I'm a big fan of Edward Tashji, who has the guts and the love to come right out and declare where he stands. In his own words, this "Armenian-American has become 'famous,' (he said with all humility), within the Turkish community, while becoming "infamous", (he said with deep regret), within the Armenian community." Also, in his words... he is : "An American born of an Armenian mother and a Syrian-Orthodox father (.) He is the younger son of parents who had been born in Ottoman Turkey, became eye-witness to the conflagration of the First World War in their beloved homeland, and as a result, their destiny brought them to the land where millions had emigrated."

 

 
Did the Turks and the Armenians Share a Common Culture? 

ONE ARMENIAN-AMERICAN’S PERSPECTIVE!

By: Edward Tashji

 

The above heading surely must be a misprint, or it must be an attempt by the editor to attract the attention of the readers of The Turkish Times. “Okay, I’ll take the bait and read this one; where’s the gimmick?� If this describes your initial reaction, read on, for you will find no “gimmicks,� no fraud, no subterfuge. In all its simplicity and honesty, this writer once again reaffirms his lifelong belief by responding to the above question with a resounding and irrevocable, YES!

 

Dear readers, the expressed opinions and years of effort on the part of the undersigned, have been revealed in these pages for many years. Once again I am privileged to have the opportunity of addressing myself to the readers of this newspaper, and I hope after reading these lines, you might extend your comments to The Turkish Times, either in support of or opposition to my stated position.

 

Why should the question above be asked anyway? How is it pertinent to the Turkish-American community in 1996? Fully cognizant of my statements, it is my contention that no other question is so significant and so current in the historical and future history of the Turkish people. Anyone who has even a miniscule knowledge of Turkish-Armenian history and relations, must, most assuredly, be aware of the maniacal and eternal hatred as displayed by the Armenian community in the United States for all things Turkish. From time to time this writer has been politely chided by those whom I proudly serve, for my “negativism� on an issue about which most Americans remain regrettably uninformed.

 

But if negativism reveals irrefutable facts pertaining to Turkish and Armenian relations, it can not be harmful to people of goodwill. It can only hurt those whose fundamental philosophy is based upon hatred and bestows the legacy of hate upon its innocent children.

 

In spite of the totally inaccurate interpretations presented by the Armenians relating to Turkish-Armenian culture and relations, the factual events of the harmonious relationship which has prevailed for over six centuries up to the present times in Turkey, have been described to me by my beloved parents. They were born and lived in Ottoman Turkey and they witnessed the darkest pages of Turkish history; the story is similar to my wife’s parents. Because of the First World War our families had come to the United States, bringing with them the traditions, languages, and culture. Because it serves the interests of the “hate merchants,� their attempt to eradicate our mutual culture continues in the United States. The media, politicians, and the public have for generations been fed a “diet� of falsehoods, such as: Turks and Armenians had no common interests or shared traditions. The Armenians continually describe the Armenians of Ottoman Turkey as well as the Armenians of the Turkish Republic, living as a subjugated and persecuted people. On and on the well orchestrated fraud continues, not the least of all the mythical “genocide.� But in the truth, in reality, in factual documentation, (such refreshing words, are they not?) — we find total harmony and a mutual participation in the administration and working for the prosperity of all the peoples of that land. In reality we find: an Ottoman Foreign Minister of 1912, named Gabriel Nordunkyan; Minister of the Treasury and Counselor to the Foreign Ministry, Ohannes Sakaz Pasa, (Pasha); Minister of Finance, Agop Kazazyan Pasa; Minister of Public Works and Communications, Garabet Artin Davut Pasa; and a long list of Senators and Members of Parliament, and other government officials. That the Armenians contributed to the prosperity of Ottoman Turkey is beyond dispute.

 

To this day classical Ottoman music pays tribute to the art and talent of many composers and musicians who were of Armenian, Jewish, and Syrian-Orthodox, (Süryani, in Turkish), backgrounds. Names like, Asdik Aga, Kemani Tatyos Efendi, and Udi Hrant, are but three masters of Turkish music and compositions. Space prevents the long list of names (in my possession), which were prominent during the Ottoman period up to more recent times. Included are the names of artists who had brought their talents to the United States and made countless recordings of their music: Turkish. Among these in my collection are many recordings of American born who had, and continue to perform in the art of the music they learned from their parents. - From the symphony orchestra to the rock band, the world recognizes the name: Zilciyan, to this day renowned family of cymbal manufacturers. The incomparable and magnificent beauty of Ottoman architecture was due, in part, to the architectural genius of the famous Balyan family. Indeed, the children of the one and the same homeland, in medicine, business, literature, and in every phase of human endeavor our peoples had thrived, and continue to thrive, in peace and harmony. Armenian schools, churches, press, and community functions had prospered for centuries in Ottoman Turkey, and yes, it continues to this day. I have evidence that Armenian braille was printed in Ottoman Turkey around the year 1910! In my possession is a three language dictionary dated 1908! Printed in the respective languages are, English, Osmanlica (Ottoman Turkish), and Armenian; what better example of coexistence between these peoples could there be??

 

There is more evidence that Turks and Armenians share a common culture: idioms. There are countless examples of expressions spoken in Turkish and Armenian having the same meaning but when translated into English, in some instances, it might be difficult to rationalize. Here is one example: “Bas(h)imin üzerine yeriniz var�. This idiom is spoken verbatim in Armenian; its literal translation: You have a place on my head! No, not acrobatics, it is an expression of high esteem held for another person.

 

To the readers of The Turkish Times, as I say to each of you, “You have a place on my head,� I hope you will receive my expression of respect as it is intended to be.

 

Would you be interested in more truths? (Truths, has a nice sound to it, doesn’t it?) —An integral part of any culture is its cuisine; my favorite topic. To this day in the United States, the Armenians when referring to “Armenian� foods, speak and write the words IN TURKISH! To use the Armenian words for, “dolma,� “yalanci sarma,� “imam bayildi,� “s(h)is(h) kebab,� among many others, would create uproarious laughter. Quite humorous indeed, but at the same tine it displays their pathetic hypocrisy. - What is the culture of any people without its religion? In Ottoman Turkey, again, to this very day, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam have been practiced by its respective adherents in harmony and mutual respect. The memories of my beloved mother, as related to me throughout my life, should have its place written in Turkish history. She, the daughter of Armenian parents, was born in the city of Balikesir, these are her words: “My son, in our Turkey during Christian and Muslim religious holidays, neighbors and friends would exchange holiday greetings, offer baskets filled with flowers, fruits, and pastries. We had no major problems, no animosity among the various communities.� This saintly woman who witnessed the ravages of war had no reason to relate untrue events which took place in her early life. It remains therefore, the supreme compassion of my parents, their wisdom and their respect for historical events, which have guided their son on this path which my wife and I have followed for many years. Our peoples remain inseparable!

 

In response to the question found in the heading of this offering, I believe an unequivocal affirmative has been presented. Until next time, the work continues…

 

Edward Tashji

I am Called: "Turk Dostu" — A "Friend of Turks"

The Turkish Times

1996

 

************************************

 

Program for a Turkish Course of Action 

 

MY PROGRAM FOR A COURSE OF ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE TURKISH-AMERICAN COMMUNITY, IN REVEALING ITS POSITION ON THE SUBJECT OF TURKISH-ARMENIAN RELATIONS.

 

As prepared by Edward Tashji

 

Sept. 1982

 

I.

 

INTRODUCTION;

 

My feelings on this subject have been revealed in numerous published articles, coupled with hundreds of letters written by me through many years of effort. My sole intention in undertaking this extremely difficult endeavor has been and will continue to be my fervent desire to maintain my ancestral and cultural bond with the land and the people of Turkey; now and for all time. I say extremely difficult because of the following reasons:

 

1. No one has ever publicly spoken in behalf of Turkish-Armenian brotherhood before.

 

2. My efforts have created deep animosity toward me on the part of my co-religionists, that being the Armenian community.

 

3. Because of my opposition to the illogical attitude of continuous hatred on the part of Armenians toward Turkey — I consider myself severed from the Armenian family.

 

4. Even though I have been received into the heart and soul of the Turkish community, I am by birth outside the Turkish family as well.

 

5. Turkish indifference and silence toward a campaign of terror conducted against them, continues to confound my comprehension.

 

6. Threats trade against me several years ago were not of a serious nature, but Armenian terrorism has taken the lives of 23 innocent Turkish Diplomats. A possible threat on my life is as certain as is the fanaticism of certain Armenian groups.

 

 

   II. PURPOSE

 

My reasons for formulating this program are not intended to conceal any ulterior motives. Let us immediately dispel any thoughts of a desire for prestige or monetary advantage.

 

My writings are testimony to this fact. This “course of action� is just one more effort on my part in search of rational and constructive thinking on a subject which neither has prevailed. As always, this effort is mine alone. It represents no other person or organization, and I would not want it to be construed as such. I claim this work as my own and I am proud to dedicate this program to the memory of my beloved parents, George and Izabel Tashji, who throughout their lifetime bestowed upon me joy, not remorse —compassion, not vengeance - love, not hate.

 

A STATEMENT TO THE TURKISH-AMERICAN COMMUNITY: 

 

 

You will agree and disagree with my program. You will approve and disapprove or my program. Some of my thoughts will please you, and yet you might even be angered by one who loves you. After years of extensive effort in your behalf and after years of close observation, I now, having no alternative, charge you with indifference and ineptitude.

 

You have, with your silence, permitted the accusations made against you to remain unanswered. As a result the Western World for over sixty—five years has heard you described in terms attributable to a sub—human culture. Are you concerned? I say you are not! I say for generations you have not been. Now that your sons are being killed by Armenian assassins, will you begin to pay attention to the demands of justice and civilized behavior? The future is in your hands. The time for action is long overdue.

 

AN OUTLINE OF MY PROGRAM:

 

a. Education — YOUR education. Learn exactly what your adversary is saying about you and your ancestors. Learn who your adversary is, where and under what banner does he function.

 

b. Organization — within the Turkish—American Associations committees should be formed throughout our country, and. contact with these groups should be maintained. The creation of new clubs should not be considered, but working committees can be selected from existing organizations from within the major Associations. Their functions will be discussed later.

 

c. Communication and publicity — Expressing the Turkish point of view to the news media, to other cultural and religious groups, to universities and libraries, to correspondence with members of our government, at all levels. A continuous flow of letters to the above mentioned, letters by the thousands, will in my mind create a positive atmosphere for Turkey, while raising a voice which till now has remained mute.

 

d. Demonstration — The time for peaceful demonstrations is now, and without it your rights will never be recognized. You are facing a Godless enemy whose source of life is hatred, whose only purpose in life is to kill innocent Turks. No other nation or people would display your patience as you have now buried twenty-three of your sons. Armenian terrorism against your nation and people will continue, and. Turks must take action to expose their barbarism to the entire world.

 

e. Dedication - For years I have been trying to tell the Turkish community the only people who can express Turkey’s position and its outrage, is none other than the Turkish people themselves! No one cares certainly, about your representatives or diplomats being killed. In fact we see examples of sympathy for the assassins in certain cities around the world. Their dastardly deeds are compounded by their continuous erosion of the truth, and by their claim that theirs is an act of vengeance; but against whom? It purports to be against a regime and government which disappeared over sixty years ago. I can not emphasize this strongly enough: There must be a commitment on the part of Turks wherever in the world they reside, whatever their position might be to raise their voice in a world where little is known about the Great Turkish People. More than the Turkish Government’s participation, and this is necessary, Turks, Turks of foreign citizenship, and. friends of Turkey, should - must — individually and collectively exert their energies in creating a Turkish voice of resounding impact. Let us now turn to specific information under each of the above titles shown as follows:

 

 

 

A. EDUCATION
B. ORGANIZATION
C. COMMUNICATION AND PUBLICITY
D. DEMONSTRATION WITHOUT A SMILE
E. DEDICATION

 

MY PROGRAM:

 

EDUCATION:

 

The position of the Turkish—American community in creating an effective responsive program, is similar to my entering into competition with a professional boxer. On the one hand we see an opponent with no physical training, lacking the strength and the ability in the technique of self defense. While on the other hand, we have an adversary who for years has trained for and prepared. his strategy for action, while building his strength to achieve a devastating blow. Since Armenians began coming to the United States, there has been within the Armenian Church and its community, a bitter hatred toward Turkey and this philosophy has extended to its youth. The seed of hate has been implanted into young minds and the world is witness to its results: 23 innocent Turkish Diplomats have been murdered in numerous cities around the world by Armenian extremists. Yes your position is difficult indeed, but not impossible!
 

 

In any dispute or argument over a political issue, an effort should be made to concede where possible, in order to gain concession from the other side. Turks must be able to say, quite freely and honestly, that indeed a large number of innocent Armenians lost their lives in Turkey during the First World War period. But this in no way admits to a plan for genocide as the Armenians have accused you of. Suffering and deprivation were not endured only by the Armenians during those terrible years. The Greeks, the Kurds, the Jews, the Suryaniler (Syrians), Arabs, and certainly an entire nation of Turks; all these peoples shared that anguish. By what logic can the Armenians blame the nation of today’s Turkey, for what they regard as crimes committed by a crumbling Ottoman regime? Let us look further into the Armenian community and its church.

 

In America the Armenians are seen as an intelligent and hard working group of people, and above all they are Christians. The latter has been very beneficial to them in their convincing a Christian majority of the brutality of the Turkish people. To the outsider and uninformed they present an image of a righteous minority. Yet in reality, we see a community and church separated by a bitter hatred toward EACH OTHER. There are the Hinchak — Ramgavar —Tashnaksagan groups, its people and. church separate. The hate being so intense, the latter group has created its own church hierarchy. Every religious body has one head, the Armenians have two! We see a monument erected in front of an Armenian old—age house in New Jersey, reminding the elderly every day of old conflicts.

 

 

We see hundreds of Armenians at dock-side in New York City, on their way to Soviet Armenia. Taking with them their wealth and possessions, acquired in this country; in a shameful manner they urged other Armenians to abandon America and go with them to the land of their dreams, Soviet Armenia. — We see in major cities around the world, Armenian demonstrations and protests against Turkey and Turkish cultural activities. — We see Armenian pressure on the news media resulting in extensive time and space in reporting on what they call, “The first genocide of the 20th century�. — We see an ancient church split by the hatred of its followers, and yet this division serves as a weapon against the people of Turkey. —• We see an ever increasing campaign on the part of Armenian churches in perpetuating old wounds, to the extent of recording the voices of elderly people on tape as evidence against Turkey. We see such a hatred, so deep, so ingrained in the Armenian psyche, as to render impossible even the thought of an intelligent discussion between Armenian and Turkish spokesmen. We see much more that the Turkish people should become aware or.

 

Turkish-Americans have never witnessed this animosity between two ancestral brothers, in Turkey. The Armenians of Turkey are loyal and faithful citizens of a free and vibrant nation. As in their history, the children of the one and same motherland shall remain inseparable.

ORGANIZATION: 

 

 

Even though the Turkish community in America is indeed small, we should recognize that numbers alone can not reach and influence world public opinion. In spite of our numbers we have established in a short time, social, cultural, and religious organizations throughout America, and with pride we can look to our achievements in all walks of American life. Our organizations are represented by the Assembly Of Turkish American associations, based in the Washington, D.C. area, and by the Federation of Turkish-American Societies, Inc., with its offices in New York City. Within the framework of these umbrella organizations, committees should be selected in a number of cities comprised of the following: Turkish students, men and women of professional and non-professional backgrounds, Turkish-American businessmen, educators, athletes, and friends of Turkey born in the United States. The participation of our elderly loved ones should not be overlooked, for they are our history.

 

In their respective cities these committees should arrange meetings and conferences with other ethnic and religious groups. No effort for face to face contact with any Armenian organization should be made at this time. To our meetings and cultural activities we should invite politicians, educators, businessmen, religious representatives of all faiths, news broadcasters and writers. Our aim should not be to attack our adversary, but rather coupled with the incomparable Turkish hospitality, we must reveal the greatness of our culture, and make known our position on a subject which has been obscured by a distortion of historical facts, exaggerations, and emotionalism. A line of communication should be opened between the Turkish community and the World Council of Churches, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese, as well as the Syrian Orthodox Church. The latter represents the “Suryaniler� who have always remained faithful to Turkey.

 

It is recognized that the above mentioned umbrella organizations have in recent times publicized Turkey’s position on a number of subjects; but much work remains to be done. Only by a concerted and vigorous campaign of action will we be able to reverse the trend in public opinion. Our clubs and the committees therein must be informed of the activities taking place in other cities with an effort to create a simultaneous action. Those who enter this venture must do so with the realization the righteousness of their cause will be recognized as long as they continue this work with courage, enthusiasm, and above all unity.

COMMUNICATION AND PUBLICITY:

 

Ours is a most difficult task; to turn back the tide of anti-Turkish sentiment will require the efforts and sacrifices of a special people. If you did it while facing monumental obstacles, under the Great Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, then you will do it again under the spirit of this immortal leader.

 

Aside from the influential position Armenians enjoy in our country, there are a few state government officials of Armenian background, which strengthens Armenian propaganda against Turkey. Coupled with the Greek lobby in the Congress, ....it reminds us of the unmatched opponents to which I referred earlier. Advertising — without it nothing will sell. Publicity — without it no one will hear you. Paid newspaper announcements sponsored by our parent organizations should he increased. On national holidays a message extended in the name of the Turkish-American community, expressing best wishes on specific American celebrations will have a positive effect. Together with a writing campaign to the areas mentioned in my Outline section C., congratulatory messages should be sent on the following ethnic and religious holidays: Saint Patrick’s Day — Columbus Day — Pulaski Day — Stubbens Day — Christmas — Hanukkah — among others. Remembering the celebrations of non-Turkish Moslem societies should not be overlooked.

 

It can be argued that friendly greetings will not stop Armenian terrorism. I would not suggest for one minute that it could. But you are living in a nation that knows very little about your culture, and what it does know is based on information which for sixty—five years has been supplied by your enemies. An atmosphere of sympathy in certain countries for the Armenian assassins is reprehensible, and as a result these murderers are walking free, planning their next assault on Turkish Diplomats.

 

The news media — If the American press and news broadcasters do not give full coverage to the Turkish point of view, it is because they believe no one cares to hear it. If our politicians can make speeches before the Congress, commemorating the “Armenian genocide,� it is because their desks are not filled with letters of protest from the Turkish community. A flood of letters, telegrams, and phone calls to CBS, NBC and ABC will eventually make our case known. A constant flow of mail sent to our government officials will indicate to them that ours is a viable and responsible community, and we will demand that our rights be upheld. Since Armenian fanaticism has now taken the form of an organized band of killers, our efforts should extend to an F.B.I.. investigation of Armenian churches with special attention given to the Tashnaksagan group. As a staunch ally of the United States, Turkey must have her people and its facilities protected against this sick element.

 

 DEMONSTRATION WITHOUT A SMILE: 

 

An unusual heading to be sure, but I could not be more serious. How many Americans could truly understand the meaning of “guler yuzlu�? Because I was fortunate to have had parents from Turkey, I learned early in my life the significance of a simple smile. The Turkish people in its totality, display this inherent characteristic endlessly. The Turkish smile is but a symbol of the patience and compassion of an entire nation, that does not strike back at the fanatical group which continues to spill innocent Turkish blood. In my many conversations with Turks, in which I have expressed my vehement outrage for the killing of Turkish Diplomats, the Turkish response is unbelievable: You speak softly, there is no hate or vengeance in your eyes, there is no call for retaliation in your statements, and then that eternal smile — with a gentle smile, you say: “May God protect us....� And the Christians speak of “turning the other cheek.� It might be contrary to your basic ideals, but the time for action is here, and I feel the following is an integral part of my entire program:

 

From the outset let us clearly understand that I do not now, nor have I ever, suggested the only response to Armenian terrorism is physical force. A public area near Armenian churches should be our place for action. Peaceful demonstrations by large numbers of our people carrying posters, expressing our outrage and with loud angry voices, we should condemn Armenian responsibility for the savage attacks on Turkish representatives. NO smiles, NO patience in our attitude, NO tolerance for American indifference. We must reveal our anger, our revulsion, and our demands that the killers be apprehended and punished by the authorities where these crimes occur. With permission from the civil administration our demonstrations should take place in public areas near government offices as well as the Armenian Cathedral in New York City. Participation is everyone’s obligation, men and women, young and old, voices in unison, posters, flags, distributing leaflets to the public — do not underestimate the impact these demonstrations can have. The television cameras, the radio and press reporters, and the general public at large, eventually they all will make themselves available to us. Our demonstrations don’t necessarily have to be of a negative nature:

 

A Turkish parade. Why should we not have a parade in celebration of the founding of the Turkish Republic? As other ethnic groups express their cultural pride, so must we with all segments of our community reveal our feelings of pride in our history, our heritage, and honor the memory of one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known: our Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

  DEDICATION:

The program I have presented and. the opinions I have expressed are all meaning1ess without this one indestructible force: dedication! Can there be any question about the dedication of Armenian terrorists? That he remains faithful to his cause is beyond question. That in order to achieve his goals, he utilizes his resources to their fullest extent, is also beyond question. His one failure, however, and this will commit him to eternal damnation, is that his objectives and his entire philosophy are molded by hatred. You are the victim, and the world is not concerned. What answer will you give the children of our slain diplomats who were not even born during the conflicts of the early part of this century? Will these children and their children also have to worry about another assassin’s bullet? Who will be the next father, son, or husband slain by yet another Armenian terrorist?
 

 

Of top priority is the attitude and behavior of the Turkish-American community in relation to its revealing the feelings of the entire Turkish people. The heretofore activities of some of our organizations, as useful as they have been, fall far short of what our goals should be. These efforts have been isolated, ineffectual, and above all non—repetitive. Only by a network of communication, extensive planning, and mutual cooperation, among our organizations in all parts of the country, can actual deployment of our activities become a reality.

 

The first obstacle we must overcome is our own pessimism! Statements such as, “You cannot unite the Turks.“ — “There is discord within our organizations.� — “We are few and they are many.� — “I don’t have the time.� — Let the doctors do it, they are wealthy.� — “In a few years all the elderly of that period will be gone and all this hatred will come to an end.� -- If you adhere to any of the preceding quotations, then you can not consider yourself a true follower of the great Ataturk. There would not be the Republic Of Turkey today, If negative attitudes had crippled the vision and incentive of Ataturk for his people and his nation. You — each of you — must continue his efforts by realizing that indifference and disunity can only weaken your position in the world family of nations, while at the same time encourage the assassins to repeat their deplorable actions.

 

It is incumbent upon you to get involved, to fulfill your obligations toward your people and history, in making an effort to reveal the facts about Turkish-Armenian relations. NO ONE else will do it; you can, you MUST. Let there be a new beginning now, step by step, but always forward, to put forth any program that will continue the proper recognition due the great Turkish People. The success or failure of this mission depends upon YOU!

 

CONCLUSION: 

 

You have spent much time in reading my program and for the time you have given, I express my deep appreciation. But you shouldn’t consider it a complimentary gesture toward me, but rather an effort in behalf of your people.

 

Most of my adult life has been dedicated toward the service of Turkey and her people. That my interest and affection began with my parents is obvious, but the extent of my love for Turkey and her people could never have been foreseen. ‘The difficulties I have faced include the accusations made against me by my own people. I have never denied my ancestry and yet I am an outcast from my own kind. For the goodwill I have created, and for my humble efforts in continuing the brotherhood between the Turkish and Armenian peoples, I am proud and my joy is endless.‘

 

In preparation of this program much time and effort has been consumed, and yet it is merely a beginning. It does not claim to have all the answers, it does not suggest that Turks will accept it in its entirety, it certainly could never affect the course of Turkey’s future. Mine has been an honest effort to eradicate animosity by revealing the futility of it, and its potential for creating an even greater human conflagration. During the weeks spent on preparing this work, we are witnessing once again man’s inhumanity to his fellow man. The fabric of civilization is being torn apart by war in the Middle East and elsewhere. We have exerted our genius to bring us upon the surface of the moon, and yet humans have not learned war has never solved any problems, it only creates new ones. Of what value is our technology if we lack compassion and love?

 

As my program comes to a close, I offer for your consideration an item of major importance to which I have made no reference till now: There is in existence a dossier on Turkey prepared by and in the possession of this writer. I proudly claim it has no equal in the entire United States. The Counselor to the Turkish Embassy in Washington, D.C., Mr. Murat Sungar, having seen but a small section of my dossier, found it to be extremely valuable and suggested it should be given to the Turkish government. There are countless letters, printed articles, books, pictures, photographs, prints, magazine and newspaper stories about our efforts, thousands of Turkish recordings inc1uding some original Hafiz Burhan records recorded in 1913, thousands of newspaper clippings from the American press going back many years, books written in Osmanlica and more… much more. What is to become of this treasure, my life’s long labor? What is to become of Turkey’s position in the world of tomorrow? What will be the Turkish response to the hate merchants who profess to be Christians? Only you dear reader can answer these questions. I pledge to you to continue the love for Turkey passed on to me by my parents, and in their name I conclude with the words of the founder of the modern Turkish nation: NE MUTLU TURKUM DIYENE!*

 

 

(*Happy is He/She Who is a Turk)

 

 

----------------------------------------------------------
© Holdwater 

tallarmeniantale.com/tashji-commonculture.htm

                            tashji-program.htm

----------------------------------------------------------

Read Full Post !

236) I'm Called "Friend of Turks", Euphemism, Armenian "Hate Merchants"? by Edward Tashji , There're No Friends BY Ara BALIOZIAN

Commentary by Edward Tashji


It's tragic how many Armenians are so blinded by hatred that they prefer to live in the past, and deny themselves the joys of their roots. Not all Armenians are like that. Some Armenians prefer concentrating on their emotional attachments to the old country. These Armenians know Turkish music, food and language form as much a part of their identities as anything else, and don't appreciate being ostracized by the larger, more hateful Armenian group. They feel they are robbed of their precious past and cherished memories, and resent the domineering attitude of the other group.

I'm a big fan of Edward Tashji, who has the guts and the love to come right out and declare where he stands. In his own words, this "Armenian-American has become 'famous,' (he said with all humility), within the Turkish community, while becoming "infamous", (he said with deep regret), within the Armenian community." Also, in his words... he is : "An American born of an Armenian mother and a Syrian-Orthodox father (.) He is the younger son of parents who had been born in Ottoman Turkey, became eye-witness to the conflagration of the First World War in their beloved homeland, and as a result, their destiny brought them to the land where millions had emigrated."

Read Full Post !

0045) Letters of an Armenian to Edward Tashji

Mr. Edward Tashji, whose commentaries are proudly featured on TAT (see under "Comment," column at left), is the only Armenian I know who has the GUTS and the INTEGRITY to PUBLICLY expose the lie of the Armenian "Genocide." He is the exceptionally rare antithesis to the Armeni-Lemming; after determining the truth, he devoted an essential part of his life to the cause of principle.

Armenians, in their typical defamatory style, have come up with all sorts of reasons to try and discredit this great man... at the head of which must have been that he is a paid tool of the Turks. That's the way the Armenians operate... as with the way Dennis Papazian's university sponsored Turkish Turncoat Taner Akcam... and of course, that would be the first thing entering their minds. Brainwashed with their own propaganda (I'm referring to the masses, and not their professors, who hopefully know better), how could another Armenian come out and say there was no genocide? He must have been corrupted somehow.

Since I've embarked on this web site, I've been poking around... as I have great respect for this man... and from what I have been able to gather, monetary compensation has never entered the picture. For one thing, it's just not the way the Turks operate. If Turks were good at public relations or propaganda, how would you explain the enormously one-sided version of "genocide" events that is commonly and lazily accepted today?

What follows this 1989 statement put out by the Federation of Turkish-American Societies is remarkable correspondence from an Armeni-Lemming and his supporters.



Foreword by the Federation of Turkish-American Societies



We, concerned American citizens who are proud of their Turkish heritage, are deeply saddened by recent attempts, SJR 212 and HJR 417, to falsely re-write our history through legislation. Both of these resolutions view the Turkish-Armenian issue from only one side: the Armenian side...

We, law-abiding. hard-working, tax-paying, god-fearing members of the Turkish-American community, are offended by the unfortunate resolutions SJR 212 and HJR 417, which seem to serve no purpose other than to slander our ances­tors... The charge of “genocide” is based on “selective review” of available sources, therefore, it’s bad history which is why SJR 212 and HJR 417 are bad resolutions...

We, the people, oppose SJR 212 and HJR 417, because both resolutions are factually misleading, historically biased. socially explosive, politically divisive, morally wrong, and are simply “un-American”!

How, then, do you fight misrepresentation? We believe you fight it by Introducing facts, not fiction! And that’s exactly what we are going to attempt to do here, in this little booklet now...and In others like it that will follow in the future...

Please join us now for a truly unique story: that of an Armenian-American who was born in New York In 1932 of an Armenian mother and a Syrian Orthodox father. Both mother and father had been eye-witnesses to the tragic events of WV/I in eastern Anatolia... See if the true suffering and loss they experienced was not, in actual fact, shared by all the peoples of the region... See if they taught their American born sons “their suffering was genocide” or whether they urged their sons to “hate the Turk”... See !f what’s espoused In SJR 212 and HJR 417 has anything to do with reality... Maybe then, and only then, the sponsors will find it In their hearts to see things as they really were, and not as some Armenian radicals want them to be seen...

Through the remarkable sworn statement of ED WARD TASHJI, you will develop an insight into what It Is that kept the Turks and Armenians in peaceful co-existence for more than six centuries... and how “an unsuccessful uprising” was packaged and marketed by some radical leaders In the Ar­menian community as “genocide by the Turkish rulers” and how some young Armenian students were indoctrinated to “hate the Turk”.., Here Is a “primary source” telling it like It was and still Is... We are still hopeful that truth, love, and peace will prevail in the end?

We, the people, in the name of truth, oppose SJR 212 and HJR 417!

Federation of Turkish-American Societies
821 United Nations Plaza
New York, N.Y 10017



Edward Tashji's 1989 Statement


The following commentary is presented as a sworn affidavit by the undersigned, and Is intended to express explicitly my position on the subject of Turkish-Armenian relations. Being of sound mind and body, fully cognizant of my state­ments ,free of any coercion and/or any suggestion of any monetary recompense, — I do hereby declare the comments in this written material are solely mine and for which I take full responsibility. My signature follows this declaration and It will appear at the conclusion of this commentary.

Edward Tashji's Signature

...(The Armenians) suffered as did the Arab, the Jew, the Syrian Orthodox, the Greek, as well as the Turkish Moslem.


This is not intended to portray even a semblance of any historical research, nor to create a subterfuge in the expression of my thinking and sincere feelings on a subject to which I have devoted a lifetime of attention. Simply stated, these pages are intended to reveal my position on a highly emotional issue based upon childhood experiences, an exposure to both the Armenian and Turkish communities, and as a result of long years of effort. The purpose of this life-long effort has been and by the grace of God, will continue to be two-fold: first, to continue the bond of brotherhood between the Armenian and the Turkish peoples. Secondly, with the continuance of the six centuries of trust and harmony, to eradicate an infectious hatred which has manifested itself in innocent hearts and minds of succeeding generations. To say that my task has been most difficult and potentially dangerous to my life is not an exaggeration, as the content of this commentary will confirm. The average American is unaware that a serious problem between these ancestral brothers even exists. However, as a result of a blatant anti-Turkish posture on the part of our news media, together with the acceptance by many members of Congress of one version of a tragic story, the Turkish Nation and its God-fearing people are being accused of “genocide.” The absurdity of the charge is equal only to the mindless “hate merchants” within the Armenian community. So why should my pro-Turkish position be of interest to anyone outside the Turkish Community? It should I say, it must I emphasize, because I am not Turkish nor am I of the Moslem faith; In reality I am a Christian and an Armenian!! I was born In Troy, New York — In 1932 — as the second son of an Armenian mother and a Syrian Orthodox father, who had been eyewitness to the tragic events which took place In Ottoman Turkey during the First World War. In spite of their suffering, in spite of their losses, in our home our parents had taught us not to hate the Turkish people, In fact just the contrary was instilled in our hearts. We learned the realities of those events about which the West has accepted one interpretation as historical fact.

My wife’s background is similar to my own, except that both of her parents were Armenian. Her support of my efforts and her endless patience have been my greatest source of encouragement. Do you think, dear reader, any book, any newspaper account, or any politician could outweigh the Influence upon me by my parents who were there!? They had no reason to give me false information, and their greatest gift to me was to love the traditions and culture of our peoples. Because of their wisdom, their compassion and their humanity, I was destined to be FREE of all animosity. Based upon THEIR comments to me, and after years of study and effort, (which cannot be described here), I offer for your consideration the following facts which should be recognized by every member of Congress:



Many Armenians... do not feel any hatred against the Turkish people but dare not make their feelings public, lest they be castigated by church and community leaders.




1. That the Armenian people had suffered In Ottoman Turkey during the First World War is beyond dispute. Their suffering was brought about as a result of the ravages of war; they suffered as did the Arab, the Jew, the Syrian Orthodox, the Greek, as well as the Turkish Moslem. The suffering of the Armenians was NOT as a result of a “genocide”! To this day, the other ethnic and religious groups which had endured those terrible days, HAVE NOT referred to being the victims of “genocide” In Turkey! But Armenian extremists have used the term “genocide” as a way of concealing their own crimes:

2. My mother was born in Balikesir, not far from the city of Izmir. In her town she had remembered that there were organized Armenian political factions determined to overthrow the government, and engaged in war activities against Turkish military forces as well as thousands of innocent civilians. These groups were active In Turkey then, as they continue to be to this day IN the United States. These are the names of the infamous groups: the Ramgavar, the Huntchak, and the fanatical Dasnaksakgan, (all spelled phonetically). These armed revolutionaries were headed by a maniacal fringe who had even attacked Armenians who did not support them in their treachery and disloyalty against a country where for seven centuries they had prospered and enjoyed total freedom.

3. As a child my mother had learned a song which had been taught In Armenian school to all the children, The following Is a translation, from the Armenian, of the only words I remember:
“Let us slaughter the Turks — Let us establish our own country...”
What would be our reaction if any cultural or religious community taught their children to kill Americans?!

4. Many Armenians after leaving their homes were allowed to RETURN and take possession of their homes and properties. My uncle was one who returned to his home, and my wife’s aunt, who is still living, was another. Her family had returned to their home in Adlyaman.

5. As a refugee my mother was taken into the home of an Armenian family In the town of Kilis. They lived in a house which they owned, and this was toward the end of 1915!

6. The long list of ethnic Armenians who had attained the highest positions in the Ottoman Government is a matter of record.

7. Armenian fanaticism In Ottoman Turkey spread to our country during those years and It continues to this very day: The Armenian community and church in the United States is torn apart by bitter hatred within its own family. Many Armenians, especially those who came from Turkey in recent years, do not feel any hatred against the Turkish people but dare not make their feelings public, lest they be castigated by church and community leaders.
In 1932, while celebrating mass on Christmas morning, the Armenian Archbishop Tourian was assassinated by members of an opposing Armenian group. Today Armenian terrorism has taken the lives of over sixty-five Innocent Turkish Diplomats and family members world-wide.

8. A so-called statement purportedly made by Adolf Huller referring to the plight of the Armenians, was, after extensive research, proven to be FALSE by historian Robert John, who like myself is born of Armenian ancestry!

9. The following is an exact quotation from a pamphlet printed and distributed by The Armenian Revolutionary Federation, here in New York:

“...Its History: Struggle for National Liberation. Founded in 1890, as a confederation of various action groups struggling for Armenian national and human rights, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, (ARF), known as Dashnaktsoutioun, carried on this struggle with all available means: political action, propaganda, and at times, armed struggle..

— I direct the attention of the reader to the date: 1890! Tuenty-five years BEFORE the Armenians began wIth their theme song: “genocide”. I’m certain you made notice of the words: “...armed struggle...”.

10. In her book entitled, “The Armenian Revolutionary Movement”, the author, Louise Nalbandlan, says about her book, In part, the following: “This study covers in detail the armed struggle of the Armenian revolutionists against the Ottoman government, beginning with the first major disturbance in 1862 and extending to 1896...”

And they speak of “genocide”! It is the Turk who is justified in accusing the Armenian of this heinous crime! There is more, much much more which can refute the allegation made against Turkey.








Once again our Congress considers the so-called Armenian Resolution. How dare they sit in judgment of a nation whose true history is not known by those who would accuse Turkey of “genocide”?! I say, Mr. Senator and Mr. Congressman, examine your own history and consider the plight of the American Indian!!

Dear reader, these are the words of my beloved mother:
— My son, we had everything in Turkey. We owned our own homes, our farm lands, shops, and businesses. We were free in our schools, our churches, and our press. On religious holidays Christians and Muslims would exchange greetings, flowers, and baskets filled with all kinds of foods. After having so much, for so long, WHY should the Turks decide to destroy us?! WE, my son, WE were responsible beyond any doubt, for the misfortune that befell our people! WE, the Armenians, were not loyal to our homeland, Turkey! - Many years later, when several Turkish Naval Officers visited our home In Queens, New York, my mother had said to them, “Welcome my children — this is your home, welcome...” She had become their “mother” and we their family in the United States. THIS Is humanity! THIS Is God’s wish for all of us! THIS is the only answer if we are to give our children a world free of hatred! THIS Is what I have found In the Turkish heart; I stand in awe of their compassion, of their warmth, their humanity.
I am proud that I have devoted a lifetime of service in behalf of our ancestral brothers and sisters. How we have labored, examples of our efforts, the Identity of the long list of government officials with whom we have met, how we were able to learn to speak Armenian and Turkish, why our home Is called an “Ottoman” home, and much more, is for another time between two hard covers perhaps. May I offer now my concluding statements:

Dear reader, to the Armenian I am a traitor, one who has committed the greatest sin; to the Turk 1 have come to be known as a, “Turk dostu” — a friend of Turks; ours Is the embrace of brotherhood. I offer the reader my greatest success, that for which I have devoted much of my life, and this you will read on separate pages following my commentary. Read carefully please the writings of an Armenian student who sent me three letters. The most satisfying achievement in my humble life is the third and final letter I received from a young man whom I have never met. Indeed, read his words carefully an~ understand I have not turned against my people, for to do so would be to deny my mother.

I am convinced that hate breeds more hatred, and as we were blessed to have parents who passed on to us their message of love, so have I spoken to all who care to listen, our history, our culture and traditions, begin In Turkey as we have shared with her people the joys and the sorrows of that beautiful land. Today, the Armenians living in Turkey praise us for our efforts. The Syrian Orthodox community shares my position and our children grow free of the cancer of hate. Let the United States Congress honor the sacred memory of ALL the peoples that had suffered, and let not this resolution blemish the honor of a great people. I have dedicated myself to the inseparability of the Turkish and Armenian peoples and no power on earth can deter my resolve. In the name of reason, of universal peace for all mankind, and in the name of the God of all peoples, I remain, yours respectfully,



Edward Tashji
Director of Public Affairs Committee -
The Federation of Turkish American Societies, Inc.



Holdwater: Isn't that something? Mr. Tashji has felt so strongly about this issue, he has even volunteered his talents as a writer to a Turkish-American organization. The key word is "volunteer" — I've checked.




STATE OF NEW YORK
COUNTY OF NEW YORK

EDWARD TASHJI, residing at (withheld by Holdwater), being duly sworn, deposes that he has prepared and hereby submits the attached statement containing (a) facts, (b) extracts from published and/or uttered communications which disprove the allegations of Armenians that their ethnic brethren suffered genocide by the government of the Ottoman Empire in 1915-1923.

These facts are submitted to oppose approval of resolution S .J. 212, introduced by the Honorable Robert Dole, Senator and Republican leader of the United States Senate, at the first session of the 101st Congress of the United States.

The said resolution seeks to designate April 24, 1990, as the ‘National Day of Remembrance’ of the 75th anniversary of the alleged Armenian genocide of 1915-1923 perpetrated by the government of the Ottoman Empire.

Edward Tashji

STATE OF NEW YORK
COUNTY OF NEW YORK

On this twenty-first day of November in the year of 1989, there appeared before me, a notary public duly commissioned by the State of New York, Edward Tashji, known to me. In my presence the said Edward Tashji duly took the required oath and affixed his signature to the foregoing instrument as well as to every page of the attached Statement of Facts (six pages), declaring it to be an integral part of his sworn statement.

(Withheld by Holdwater)
Notary Public. State of New York
No. (withheld by Holdwater)
Qualified in New York County



The writings of the Armenian student who sent the three letters is available in the following page. Mr. Tashji's declaration:

My life’s MOST rewarding achievement — from a student I never met.

---

Introduction



Dear reader, to the Armenian I am a traitor, one who has committed the greatest sin; to the Turk I have come to be known as a, “Turk dostu” — a friend of Turks: ours is the embrace of brotherhood. I offer the reader my greatest success, that for which I have devoted much of my life, and this you will read on separate pages following my commentary. Read carefully please the writings of an Armenian student who sent me three letters. The most satisfying achievement in my humble life Is the third and final letter I received from a young man whom I have never met. Indeed, read his words carefully and under­stand I have not turned against my people, for to do so would be to deny my mother.


Edward Tashji



Holdwater Note: The following letters are handwritten, and if you think you can do a better job of transcribing them than I have, you're welcome! I have reproduced the copies of the originals.



LETTER NO. 1 — April 1969




Arm. Evangelical Sec. School
Aingar — Bekaa
Lebanon

April 4, 1969

Mr. Tashji,

I am writing to you in English because may be you don’t know Armenian. I heard that you are an “Armenian” and, being an “Armenian” you have incurraged Sadi Kochash the turkish writer for his “Tarih Boyunca Ermeniler ve Turk-Ermeni Iliskileri” history book. I am an Armenian student in Lebanon and I am sure you have forgotten how turks have slain 1.5 million of Armenians in 1915 April 24. I desire that every Armenian do not believe what turks create proofs, lie proofs to huminety to cover the rights of Armenian nation.

In reality you are a foolish person.

Shame on you.

Boghos Mardirian



1969 letter to Edward Tashji

Holdwater Note: 1969 is an earlier era than my experience in the "genocide," but how interesting that even then Armenians would refuse to capitalize the word "Turk," as they commonly do these days. Natalie, a present day version of Mr. Mardirian (although perhaps a more obsessed one) gives an idea of why the word doesn't "even deserved to be capitalized"; see under "From Natalie, with Love," in the Letters section.



LETTER NO. 2 — May 1969




May 1969

MR. EDWARD TASHJI.

WE, THE STUDENTS OF THE UPPER CLASSES OF THE ARMENIAN EVANGELICAL SECONDARY SCHOOL IN AINJAR, FULLY AGREE WITH MR. BOGHOS MARDIRIAN . AND PROTEST AGAINST YOUR PRO-TURKISH FEELINGS AND PROPAGANDA.

WE ADVISE YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE EVIL SPIRIT AND NATURE OF THE TURKS, AND TO KEEP SILENCE.


Marjain Pavas
Hrath Bormajian
??ilo Habekian
Areo?f Opelian?
Sarakjian Siran
H?anouk Madirossian
Loucia Velian
Lena Balalomian
Kuar Epra?lian
Borjanli Hammoudiem
Orchanian Hagop
Shaglig Djambagian
Haida Tanoyan
??? Kalidjian
Artin Kurdian
Simon Airgafian
Krikor Pavassian
Vahan? Leger??
????
Alice Marjoumanian
Elmart Beshikian Tsahag Balahanian
Alice Baghdassasian
Vartan Vasili
Bodres? Shihiashian
Sina? Tradian
Mouses Golfalian
Unises? Hargilian
Lucy Tradian
Hagop Medikian
Berj Balaknia
SirMar.
A??ijian Zvart?
Asa Mogeldichian
Joseph Elmassian
?oghia Kofanian
Murjessian Maro
Yorananki Bashgezenian
Mouses Kevorkian
Kevork D. Stepanion
Hagop Makhoulian
Ardavast Anespikian

1969 petition to Edward Tashji


LETTER NO. 3 — June 1974



Zahle, Lebanon
Mur? Michael
June 10, 1974

Dear Mr. Tashji,

I have dishonored you personally and do not know how to ask for forgiveness.

Be sure you have taught an armenian not to hate.

I hope you’ll consider this a very personal letter and shall not disappoint me.

Honestly,

Boghos Mardirian



My life’s MOST rewarding achievement — from a student I never met.

E.T.



1974 letter to Edward Tashji


Holdwater Note: Son of a gun! Now that Mr. Mardirian gained hold of his senses and became appropriately humbled, he spelled "Armenian" with a small "a"...

It seems Mr. Mardirian wished this letter to remain private, and ordinarily I would have respected his wish, and withheld his name. However, this information has already been made public. Therefore, Mr. Mardirian, if you come across this old letter of yours (who would have even THOUGHT of the Internet in 1974...), just remember how misled you were, and how (thanks to Edward Tashji's helping to open your eyes to your own wonderful humanity) you may be helping today's huge flock of hateful Armeni-Lemmings, who have trouble thinking for themselves... and have been conditioned to swallow the garbage and hatred they've been fed. Isn't that really the whole purpose of this exercise, to stress the love we should be feeling for each other, instead of all this horrible hate? Especially given the six centuries of brotherhood shared between the Armenians and the Turks..?

And let's stay on Mr. Tashji's note for a moment, as far as this communication being his life's most rewarding achievement. Put yourself in Edward Tashji's shoes. He has made the courageous decision to not be the typical "My people, right or wrong" Armeni-Lemming... but to live his life on the basis of principle. As always, courage comes with a price. Fanaticism ("I will KILL you!") has always gone hand-in-hand with Armenians, as Natalie (from the aforementioned "Letters" section) has kindly provided us as a current example of. Not only has Mr. Tashji have had to live with this "discomfort" for many years, but imagine the hell he must have gone through to be perceived by his own beloved people as being a traitor to their "cause." And imagine his feelings when he received this rare letter, vindicating in some small way the tough course he has bravely chosen to take. I tell you, tears don't come that easily to my eyes, but I'm getting a bit watery just thinking about it.

Thank you, Edward Tashji, for serving as an inspiring example of what humanity needs to be about.

---

© Holdwater
tallarmeniantale.com/tashji-1989statement.htm
tallarmeniantale.com/tashji-armenianletters.htm

---

---

---

Read Full Post !