2037) Letter To The Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis

Honorable Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis

Washington, DC Office
1123 Longworth House
Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Congresswoman Davis,

I am writing you this urgent letter to prevent if at all possible a tragic error in the upcoming vote on H.Res.106, "Affirmation of the United States Record on the Armenian Genocide Resolution."

Allow me to introduce my self: I am a retired neurosurgeon having practiced in Lynchburg, VA from 1961 to 1994. I became a US citizen in 1963. I was born in Istanbul, Turkey in 1929 as a Jewish citizen. I grew up in an environment which included citizens of Greek, Armenian, Jewish and Moslem backgrounds and enjoying a friendly harmony. I graduated from the elite Galatasaray High School with honors before obtaining my medical degree in Geneva, Switzerland in 1955. I later received my neurosurgical training at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond before moving to Lynchburg.

During my years in Istanbul the difficulties experienced by all around WW I were well known with Turkey struggling for its survival in a war against the major world powers in an unfortunate alliance with Germany. During the same years the Armenian citizens encouraged by Russia, England and France organized revolutionary groups - Hunchak, Tashnak..- undertook what should be termed as a civil war against the Ottoman Empire with the hopes of establishing an Armenian state extending into a large part of the Turkish territories in the East. England, desperate to engage the USA under a very religious President Woodrow Wilson propagated thru an intensive process of disinformation the presumed facts that the Christian Armenians were being exiled south from the border against Russia and being killed in the process by the Moslem State.. There were tragic killings on both sides either by military activities but also from diseases and starvation. Later on the word genocide was applied by Armenians particularly in their Diaspora in Europe and in the US with an ever increasing number of deaths mentioned from year to year, well above the original Armenian population then in existence. No mention of the close to three million Moslem deaths resulting from this civil war as well WW I. Armenians had been well treated in the Ottoman Empire along with Greeks and Jews, serving in various professions as well as in Government. Armenians were in the latter capacity during those same years.. In not a too distant past the Armenian terrorist group ASALA has also managed to kill dozens of Turkish Diplomats and their families in the US and in Europe.

My mother remembered the bombing of the Ottoman Bank in Istanbul by Armenian terrorists resulting in riots and counter actions by the State or ordinary citizens. Jews were and still are grateful for their rescue by Sultan Bayazit from the Spanish Inquisition late in the 15th Century and later during WW 2 by the Turkish Republic from the German killing fields across Europe. Along with the Nazis a volunteer Armenian group helped the transportation of Jews to the concentration camps..

Unfortunately Turkey has been too apathetic towards the accusations filled with increasing hatred and what I would call the Greatest Lie of the 20th century propagated by a rich Armenian lobby in Europe and the US. Only in recent years a better educated and aware Turkish generation has begun to try to counteract these lies and to some extent attempt to improve the bad press Turkey has suffered as a result of these allegations which expect the recognition of this so-called genocide, to be followed by monetary and territorial demands..

For most of its existence since 1923 the Turkish Republic has been a staunch friend of the US, as a member of NATO, during the Korean War, recently in the events in the Balkans and Afghanistan while allowing bases to the US in its territory. It was the first Moslem state to recognize Israel in 1949 with which it has been a very reliable ally.

I do not think the passage of HR 106 would be in the US interests in many ways, in today's political situation in the Middle East and elsewhere but even more importantly the moral loss for the US by abiding to long standing misinformation. These allegations have NEVER been brought to a judicial venue such as the International Court. This was refused by the Armenians as being according to them a self evident fact.. I resent the attempts to compare these terrible events in the early 20th century to the Holocaust: Jews were killed systematically just for being Jews and certainly not for treason, terrorism or territorial demands.

Forgive me for this lengthy letter. I hope you will consider it and vote against HR 106.

Respectfully,

Dr J.E.Botton, FACS
Lynchburg, VA