Taner Akcam On His Upcoming Book
Blogian on 20 Dec 2007
In a rare detailed interview to an American publication Turkish historian Taner Akcam has revealed information about his upcoming book on the Armenian Genocide saying it will show ”[t]he genocidal intent… based only on Ottoman documents.”
Speaking to Minnesota Law & Politics, Akcam - one of handful Turkish historians to publicly acknowledge the Armenian Genocide by Ottoman Turkey - has said:
I’m working on some research projects. I just finished work with another leading scholar of the Armenian Genocide, Vahakn Dadrian. We are writing a two-volume book on the indictments and verdicts and minutes of the Istanbul trials. This is a very important first-hand account of the Genocide. . .
I’m also working on a book I call the Demographic Policy. My central argument in A Shameful Act was that the Armenian Genocide was not an isolated act against Armenians but a part of a demographic policy enacted during World War I. It had two main components. One was against the Muslim non-Turkish population, who were redistributed, relocated and resettled among the Turkish population with the aim of assimilation. The second was against the Christian population, the Greeks, Assyrians and Armenians. The goal was to get the Christians out of Anatolia, what we now know as Turkey-to forcibly move them to Greece or Iran. Or, in the case of the Armenians, to eliminate them altogether.
In 1914, Anatolia was about 25 to 30 percent Christian. After the war it was 3 to 4 percent. The aim was to reduce the Christian population to no more than 5 or 10 percent so that they would have little sway in Turkey.
Akcam has also given interesting details about his life including hesitations to talk on the Genocide:
I grew up in a very secular family. My father was an atheist, but I grew up, of course, within Islamic culture. I am sure I carry on much of this Islamic culture in the way I live, but in terms of my personal convictions, I am very secular.
Please understand that I am a very ordinary Turkish intellectual. I come from the ‘68 Generation — here it was the Hippie Generation, but we too were against the Vietnam War, American foreign policy, and so on. As progressive people of that time in Turkey, we believed that we, Turks created our nation-state in a fight against the great imperialist powers. We assigned a very negative role to the Christian minorities in Turkey, to the Armenians. To us, they were collaborators. This is how we perceived ourselves and the world, and how we saw Turkey’s past. Since we saw all Christians in Turkey as allied with the imperialist state, we had a very negative image of them. As progressives, we always thought it was better not to touch on the topic of the Armenian Genocide, because to do so would be to enter a very dark, suspicious terrain, which could not be understood easily. It was not easy for me to decide to work on the Genocide. At first I thought: I’m working on a very suspicious terrain, better not to go in, actually.
After giving fascinating details about Turkey’s current Islamic leadership’s somewhat ”silent” acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide and their pressure from nationalist groups, Akcam provides us with some insights to the structure of nationalist Turkish groups in and outside Turkey:
The group who organizes the campaign against me in Turkey and here in the U.S. is a part of what we call the “Deep State,” the military-bureaucratic complex. This non-elected government body is behind the campaign to discredit Genocide scholars. The nationalists and the Social Democrat Party are behind this effort. Here in the U.S. there are some groups organized and controlled mostly by Turkish diplomats. I can give three names: ATAA (Assembly of Turkish American Associations); Turkish Forum (an e-mail group, coordinated between different initiatives in different states in the U.S.) and a Web site, TallArmenianTale.com (one of the most popular Armenian Genocide denial sites).
Definitely there are Turkish diplomats who nourish these sites with information. I mean, who could have given TallArmenianTale.com the exact date of my arrest in 1974? Even I had forgotten that! It was for leafleting! And there is no record of this in any journal or newspaper. This is what that Web site claims is a terrorist act. There must be some police officer in Ankara from whom they got the information. All these groups that I mentioned (ATAA, Turkish Forum, TallArmenianTale.com, some diplomats and police officers from Turkey) are very well connected.
Akcam has taken interest in the above Turkish websites especially after one of them - TallArmenianTale.com - organized hate campaigns against Akcam. Operated by mysterious “Holdwater,” TallArmenianTale.com is one of the worst anti-Armenian websites and was most secretive until Akcam discovered that “Holdwater” is none other than Turkish-American cartoonist Murad Gumen.
27 Responses to “Taner Akcam On His Upcoming Book”
Sefer Tan on 21 Dec 2007 at 1:19 am #
Bay Akcam, the great Turkish historian,
I wonder how some secret forces managed to create a ‘capitalist’ out of such a furious and fanatic Marxist-Leninist anarchist like you were… What I do not wonder however, simply because I am almost certain, is that the bones of your father, the respectable Dursun Akcam do hurt in his grave each time you open your mouth! You know why? Because it stinks! Because you tell lies!
Do you remember the evening last year on December 18th, when you were again lying to a group of people in Amsterdam when the Armenian Diaspora staged another ‘comedy’ and you advertised your infamous book called ‘A Shameful Act’? That name was a ‘spot-on-choice’ because what you were advertising there was ‘A Shameful Act’ of your own! Let me go one step further; do you remember the “first question” that came from an honorable Professor, namely Prof. Dr. M. Ellman, from Leiden University who was also among the audience? I know his name only because I was sitting next to him by chance. You do remember it, because you could not answer his simple question. Instead, you ‘humbled and mumbled’ in panic and told him that you heard his question and you wanted to gather more questions to reply to at a later stage. But the audience forced you to answer the question! You also do remember, the great Turkish historian (I wonder how you earned that title) when you were standing in front of the audience, a great majority of whom were Turkish people but not of your kind, your legs were shaking; you wanted to sit and hide yourself behind the table cloth. I could see how happy you were when Prof. Erik Zurcher who was organizing the whole show that night, jumped in and saved you from the ‘hell’ you were in.
You can hide yourself behind the table clothes but you can not hide yourself behind your lies Bay Akcam, the great Turkish historian. I do not know how the Armenian Diaspora is working on you, but what I do know is that the more you write the uglier you get, because what you write stinks Bay Akcam! Now, are you going to send your ASALA to eliminate me this time?
kubilay on 21 Dec 2007 at 3:05 am #
Mr S.Tan’s response to Taner Akcam is convincing and right. I hope you publish my previous response also, although the text reached you unfinished.
Blogian on 21 Dec 2007 at 6:31 am #
kubilay, i publish every comment unless it is spam; so you don’t have to hope.
kubilay on 21 Dec 2007 at 3:22 pm #
Blogian,
Didn’t you receive my unwantedly sent message(yet could be eligible for publishing) before the one- the content of which couldn’t be considered “spam”- I sent on 21 Dec 07 at 6.31 am? Nevertheless, I appreciate your meticulous reply! Thank you.
Blogian on 21 Dec 2007 at 6:17 pm #
kubilay, are you talking about the comment you left at http://blogian.hayastan.com/2007/06/06/holdwater-the-mysterious-name-behind-the-premier-anti-armenian-website/?
Rauf on 21 Dec 2007 at 7:38 pm #
Taner Akcam is not the only “mind for hire” who gets benefits from anti-Turk entities, nor will the last one. We had enough of them in the history already.
Suheyla on 21 Dec 2007 at 10:21 pm #
Taner Akcam mentions the date he went to jail as March 10 1976 at the interview he gave to a Turkish newspaper columnist Jan Dundar, who published a 4 series on him. There is nothing hidden about it. Everyone knows how notorious a Turkish hater he is.
The original Turkish version of this interview can be reached at:
http://www.milliyet.com/2002/01/09/guncel/gun00.html
http://www.milliyet.com/2002/01/10/guncel/gun00.html
http://www.milliyet.com/2002/01/11/guncel/gun00.html
http://www.milliyet.com/2002/01/12/guncel/gun00.html
For those who cannot understand Turkish, let me translate a clipping from section 3.
T.A. - When internal bickering among the left organizations (of Turkey) heightened in 1984, I settled in Hamburg. I had been living my life through the income of the organization (the Leftist Organisation called Dev Yol, for which he was the founding president and served jail time for being so). I had been to almost every city in Europe and the Middle East during the adventure of 1981-1984. I had started to hide in Germany as well. I was tired. I needed time to think, but had no place to my name where I could hide my head. Where was I going to sleep, what was I to eat and drink? In the eyes of most people I was an “ex-leader”. I had to start a new life. But it is not as easy as it can be written.
J. D. - Why was it not easy?
T.A. – You have to handle mundane daily chores like getting in line with alcoholics and other outcasts in Social Welfare and Unemployment Office lines. A lot of my friends were disgusted from this transition. It was not easy to be dependent on social welfare for people like us, who were candidates to decide the fate of a country. (We) had kept cities and districts (group of cities) under our control. It was easier to act as if “the fight was going on”. I could start another organization and use it as my life support. Some people did just that.
J.D. – What did you do?
T.A. – I moved near my dad. He suffered plenty from me (he uses a word like sponging off from his dad). I found small jobs at newspapers. And enrolled in university all over again with great thirst for knowledge. Eventually, thanks to some students who knew me, I was able to enroll in Oldenburg University as a guest lecturer on Turkey’s Economic History. But some news that arrived in February 1986 upset everything.
His best friend Kursat was killed by the PKK because he was mistaken to be Taner Akcam. His friends on the ranks of the PKK informed him that Taner Akcam was the real target. At the time, his mother was visiting him. She needed treatment for her face which was paralyzed on one side. He had to cut short the university life that he longed for. With shaking hands he wrote that he could not lecture.
T.A. - He became a fugitive again. This time in the country that he escaped to be free. The past was not leaving me freedom. I was not made for established life. Exhile had started again.
None of this would have happened, if I did not cooperate with the PKK from 1981-1984. Half of my body had died with my best friend Kursat. One year after Kursat, another friend of mine - Yavuz was shot by accident with his own gun which he was carrying to protect himself from the PKK. This was suppose to end somewhere. So I did the meaningful.
I submitted to Hamburg Social Research Institute a project titled; “Terror in Turkey”. It was accepted and I started to work there.
My life changed drastically.
My life took many sharp turns with small coincidences. I consider myself very lucky. My luck may change from now on, but I am over 27 at least. (Here he is making reference to his earlier thought that he never thought he would turn 27 with such hectic fighting plans.)
The interview goes on with his sayings against the PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. A few days later, Abdullah Ocalan replied in another newspaper story to Taner Akcam’s allegations that Apo is half lunatic etc., with words like; “Taner Akcam was too much an artist who required all attention on him. With one foot on Erivan, the other in the USA what kind of an idealist is he?”…
A shameful one says Suheyla…
özge yalçin on 22 Dec 2007 at 12:26 am #
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xsyt3_diffamation-armenienne-15_events
So-called Türk mr Akçam,
As a Türkish people,we are ashamed of you..I think there is something wrong with your blood.how much did they pay for you to buy?! how much did you get for treachery?!
You,White washed brain!! and poisoned mind!!
It’s only the truth open your eyes
Despicable tendencies of a screwed up band
we are sick to death of these Armenian lies!!!
”happy is a man who can say I am a Türk”
NE MUTLU TÜRKÜM DIYENE!
http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=bc1qmYH44zw
yakarumu on 22 Dec 2007 at 12:29 am #
Congratulations for Mr Tan. This would be the best answer to be given of a man of this kind. How can a person get so foreigner to his own history and still be called a historian? Is not it ironic?
I’m just confused about his folloowing words this time: “In 1914, Anatolia was about 25 to 30 percent Christian. After the war it was 3 to 4 percent.” So what? If you are so well-informed about demography and population, please answer this: Do you know the muslim and/or Turkish population at that time in Kerkuk, Musul, Selanik, Kosova, Sofia, Cyprus, Baku? Does this give Turkey the right to claim Turkish Genocide for all of these cities?
When you have war, it always have consequences. Every Turkish citizen is ready to face his history, we have nothing to hide or to be ashamed of. What about America (Vietnam, Korea, Iraq), England (India, Iraq), France (Algeria), Germany (Austria, Poland, Jewish Genocide), Serbia (Kosova),….
Serdar Bayram on 22 Dec 2007 at 6:48 am #
Ne Mutlu Türküm diyene
Hersey Vatan Icin , Kimse bizi bölemez , ne siz ne onlar ne de bunlar
Allah Belanisi verecek
Allahu Ekber Allahu Ekber Allahu Ekber
Ya Istiklal Ya Ölüm
Ermeni Soykirimi diye birsey yok do you understand
Savas var ve Hayinlik var Türkü arkadan vurmak var
bizi arkadan vurani ne ederler Tarihimiz isbatlamistir
BIze Soykirim Uygulandi evet Hocalida Azerbaycan / Ermeniler , Fransiz,Ruslar , Ingiltere , Yunan, ve digerleri ve Amerika
Dogu Türkistan da Cinler-halan devam ediyor
Amerika Kitasinda Kizil Dereli 100 Million Türkü Batililar
Bulgaristanda , Bati Trakyada , Irak ta Türkler Esiyet Sülüme Soykirima Ugradilar Ugruyorlar
ve daha fazlasi
Ben Müslüman Türk Oglu Türküm ,Dinim Islam Babam Atam Annam Vatan kendim Mehmedim ,bizde ya istiklal ya ölüm Türküleri calar ve Kiyamete kadar calacak Anadolu Yunus Emre nin dedigi gibi Kiyamete Kadar Türkün olacak.birakin bizi yok etme Bölme hayalerini , yazik etmeyin kendinize , Allah Birdir Allah Birdir Allah Birdir - La Ilahe Ilallah ya Bismillah
halan tersini diyene Allah Insallah yakin Zamanda Hak etigini verir .
Amin Amin Amin Amin Amin Amin Amin Amin Amin Amin Amin Amin
kubilay on 22 Dec 2007 at 7:09 pm #
Blogian,
Forget about my missing message.
What I wanted to remind everybody was that I learned from Ozgur Politika, the PKK newspaper dated January 9, 2002 that:
1)Taner Akcam cooperated actively with the PKK- the Kurdish terror Organisation, from 1981 to 1984;
2)Taner gave the order for the murder of the people that he claims to have protected. He caused heavy causalties;
3)His personality is dubious;
4) He is open to manipulation in the future;
5)With one leg standing in the US, and the other in Yerevan;
6)He moved from terrorism to lucrative Armenian propaganda;
7)”Genocide” is is bread and butter
Perpetual visiting prof. in the US Uni Minnesota.
kubilay on 22 Dec 2007 at 8:02 pm #
Blogian,
Better not to publish messages as that of Serdar Bayram. These are the relgious fanatics as much as their Armenian counterparts who do not contribute to the civilised milieu of pacific discussion and diaologue. Turks and Armenians are neighbours; they should find a “modus vivendi” through which they can cooperate, live together, help each other and allow not to be exploited and cheated by the modern imperialist powers. Politicians in Turkey and Armenia and the fanatic Armenian leaders of the diaspora should abandon trading the genocide claims if they do respect their dear losses during the year 1915. There is much to gain by the both parties(Armenia and Turkey) from abandoning petrified stanpoints. Better to start talks among impartial historians for straightening the both Parties’ claims. Otherwise there will be plenty of people even pseudio scientists like Taner Akcam and Erich Zürcher and co. who would go on benefiting from the lucrative ” genocide” bazaar! Armenians, many of whom are my friends, should understand that the Genocide allegations cannot be solved through the decisions of local and national goverments, parliaments, senates etc.
Blogian on 22 Dec 2007 at 10:12 pm #
Kubilay you are not too different from Serdar Bayram. The basis of both of your denial is the same - the racist and ultra-nationalist idea that Turks are not capable of committing genocide.
But I am amazed that you see difference between his blatant racism and your blatant nationalism.
And so I invite you to read any of the books by Taner Akcam and attend a lecture by him. I know many Turks, and Taner Akcam is a Turkish patriot. He loves his country more than the blatant racists and ultra-nationalists who deny the Genocide and call Akcam a traitor. You won’t get it now, but perhaps you will some day.
As to answering to your questions, I am not going to waste my time here. I am a graduate of the International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies and I have most of my own questions answered. If you want your questions answered, you can apply to the Institute.
Until you find humanity in your blind Turkish pride you won’t see the reality of the Armenian Genocide. It is not facts that make you deny the Genocide, but a very deep ultra-nationalism that makes you think Turks are not capable of genocide.
And by the way, I approve any comments so don’t tell me not to post the comments of Turkish racists (I also approve the comments of racist Murad Gumen “Holdwater” when he posts under “westernized” names).
kubilay on 23 Dec 2007 at 3:04 am #
Simon,
You’ve lost your composure very early!
More response to your (”garçon gâté”natured) message will follow.
And I’ll tell you why you and your kind are denialists, not me.
Sefer Tan on 24 Dec 2007 at 1:52 am #
Blogian; first some response to your disrespectful text above:
“The basis of both of your denial is the same - the racist and ultra-nationalist idea that Turks are not capable of committing genocide.”
“…racist Murad Gumen “Holdwater…”
“Until you find humanity in your blind Turkish pride…..”
Is there any one in Turkey or elsewhere in the world, be him/her Turk, American, Austrian, British, French, and you name it, who disagrees with the ‘Armenian Slander’ and he/she is not labelled by the ultra-nationalist ‘Armenian Diaspora’ and the ‘Masters of the Genocide Industry’ as ‘blatant racist’, ‘blatant ultra-nationalist’ or as an agent of the government of the Turkish Republic?
In order to be labelled as an ‘ordinary human being’ by you, miserable liars, do we have to say ‘yes master!” to what ever sickening lies you tell and the disgusting slander you spread around, and nothing else? Is this your understanding of ‘humanity’ you are talking about? That word does not suit your mouth! If the Turks are all racists and ultra-nationalists, then how is it possible that we still have 60-70 thousand Turkish citizens from the Armenian origin still living today happily in Turkey? How would you explain that 40 thousand Armenians emigrated from Erivan to Istanbul as ‘economical migrants’ in the last few years? Imagine how many more would flee out of their ‘holy land-Armenia’ into Turkey if we accidentally opened the borders…..
“…..deny the Genocide” – DENY: implies a firm refusal to accept as true, to grant or concede, or to acknowledge the existence or claims of…a fact, a truth! Your ‘fabricated genocide’ is not a historical fact; it can only be called a ‘hysterical lie and slander of the 20th century’, instead! You won’t get it now, but certainly you will some day…..
“……International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies and I have most of my own questions answered….”
By whom, I could not get that right, would you repeat it, please? Is that The International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (A Division of the Zoryan Institute)?
“If you want your questions answered, you can apply to the Institute”
Shall I also be offered or granted a ‘Turkish Historian’ label and a ‘Prof.’ label then? What am I supposed to do for the Armenian Diaspora in return?
———-
I have responded to several accusations, insults, lies and slanders of yours above. You are not very much used to getting questions and challenges from us, the ordinary Turkish citizens, or the racist, chauvinist and ultra-nationalist Turks in your language, but I have some questions for you and for the ‘great’ Turkish historian, the Zoryan Institute Prof. Taner AKCAM.
I would be grateful to you – since you will have to ‘waste your time’ as you write above- if you do not run away from answering the following questions, and as usual, hastily resort to the Armenian Diaspora’s commonplace allegations, instead. As you notice, unfortunately, I do not have good experience with the Armenians’ understanding of ‘discussion’ and ‘debate’.
1. Are there relationships between the PKK (Kurdish Terror Organization, who murdered 37,000 innocent people) and the Armenian Diaspora? Is it true that DASNAK Armenian Organization gives financial support to the PKK- Kurdish Terror Organization?
2. In the past, you (Taner AKCAM) have been involved with the Terrorist Organizations in Turkey, such as DEV-YOL, THKP-C, and had also some relations with the PKK. You have been convicted for being involved in armed assault. You were fired from the PKK- Kurdish Terror Organization because of your miserable leadership struggle. Now you are the advocate of the Armenian Diaspora as the “mad of the village”. What are the reasons for your animosity and aggressive attitude towards Turkey?
3. You (Taner AKCAM) are financially supported by the Zoryan Armenian Institute. If you consider yourself as a ‘historian’ how will you explain your 100% engagement in Armenian Thesis? You are getting financial support from the Armenian Organizations such as the Zoryan Institute to get your books published, get your travel costs paid, and to promote in your career. How do you expect us to trust your neutrality and impartiality in these circumstances?
4. Armenian Thesis states “Armenian Genocide is a historical fact”. But Turkish thesis states, “This is an irrational lie and we can prove that there is no question of genocide”. Armenian Thesis says “this is out of discussion”. This prevents to find a solution to the problem by open and honest mutual discussions and debates. How do you expect that this problem will be resolved by the political decisions taken by the parliaments of other countries in favour of the Armenian Thesis?
5. Your (Taner AKCAM) previous book’s title is “A Shameful Act”. You claim that this is a quotation from M. Kemal Ataturk’s speech. However, Ataturk never used such statement. This can be proven by the registers of Turkish National Assembly. How can you make an incorrect statement the title of your book? As a matter of fact, I would call “your act” A Shameful Act!
6. You (Taner AKCAM) say that “fabricated Armenian Genocide” is a taboo in Turkey. How on earth cold you call something which does not exist, a taboo? Can anybody in Armenia freely say that there has not been genocide by the Turks? No, of course not! If somebody says this, he will be murdered. How would you explain this?
7. “The deportations and mass exiles and massacres which took place during the Summer and Autumn of 1915 were mortal blows to the Armenian Cause. Half of historical Armenia – the same half where the foundations of our independence would be laid according to the traditions inherited by European diplomacy – that half was denuded of Armenians: the Armenian provinces of Turkey were without Armenians. The Turks knew what they were doing and have no reason to regret today. It was the most decisive method of extirpating the Armenian Question from Turkey”
These are the words of Hovannes Katchaznouni, First Prime Minister of The Independent Armenian Republic, from The Manifesto which was presented during the Party Congress in Bucharest in 1923. This document is prohibited to publish and distribute in Armenia. Is this how you define “freedom of speech and expression”?
8. You (Taner AKCAM) were a very important member of the Terrorist Organization in Turkey in the past. You have always been involved with Terrorist Organizations in Turkey, such as DEVYOL, THKP-C and also had relations with PKK. Do you recall what Abdullah Ocalan said about you? We do…. “….his one foot is in Erivan and the other one is in the US; what kind of an ‘idealist’ is this man?” You have been convicted for being involved in armed assault. Have you ever been involved or been informed of the assassination of Aydin EROL in 1987? How can you talk about democracy and human rights after your act of destruction against DEV-SOL?
More to come when/and if you kindly answer the questions above….
Sefer Tan on 24 Dec 2007 at 9:15 pm #
Blogian:
No accusation, no blame, no allegation and no finger pointing can be labeled as ‘crime’ unless it goes through the legal process of ‘charging’ or ‘indictment’, and the end result of the legal process proves it to be ‘crime’ and the legal verdict identifies it as ‘crime’. Now, in the instance of your ‘fabricated genocide show’, remind me, if you will, of one case where above listed process took place, with date, place, name and all required details!
After the WW-I was over, especially now that the British were occupying what was left of the Ottoman Empire, every governmental document to prove evil wrongdoing was at their fingertips. Any evidence of a genocide that existed was at their full disposal, as an occupying force. To make sure the research efforts would be as zealously thorough as possible, they enlisted the services of a crack team of Armenian scholars, led by Haigazn K. Khazarian.
The British locked up close to a hundred and fifty Ottoman officials… fifty-six in the island of Malta… while they attempted to dig up the incriminating evidence. They dig… and dig…. and dig. The process takes nearly two-and-one-half years, and even their Armenians weren’t coming up with the necessary goods. (All the propaganda from the war years were dismissed as the malarkey they were.) In their frustration, they actually appealed to the shores of America for proof.
What did they come up with after the Malta Tribunal? ZILCH!
The Ottoman Turks were found INNOCENT. The case was closed beyond a shadow of a doubt!
————-
Let me make this point once again Mr. Blogian, or whatever your real name is that you mask:
I do not give a damn if you insist calling me or any ‘ordinary Turk or non-Turk’ a “denier”. That is your problem since I taught you the definition of ‘deny’ in my previous comment. However; as long as you can not give me even one single example as to why your hysterical show, the “Armenian Slander” should be called ‘genocide’ I will retain the right to call you and your genocide-vultures, “LIAR”, “SLANDERER”, who are suffering from the “vulture-syndrome”!
In one of the recent discussions where I was involved in, I have received the following reply from another commentator in the correspondence, as response to the comments I made. Ironically, the person who made this remark was not a “blatant racist or a blatant ultra-nationalist who denies the ‘fabricated genocide’ and calls AKCAM a traitor”, and he was not even a Turk):
“Sefer Tan: I’m sure that this person will conveniently ignore your comments. Remember; it’s not about the truth to them; it’s about spreading lies, slander and propaganda. They’re not interested in anything that shows them that they’re incorrect, nor do they wish to refute any of the points made. They’re liars and distorters. Goebbels would be proud of them!”
Am I going to experience the same this time as well?
P.S:
Before responding to this comment, remember that you need to respond to my previous comment above, with clear and correct answers to my questions first!
ozturk on 24 Dec 2007 at 10:35 pm #
You are a very clever man. Good job! You know well how to get nobel prize… All the world knows that if you play with Turkey you will gain the prize that is given by Armenian judges! There is an example of Orhan PAMAUK.
Blogian on 25 Dec 2007 at 10:12 am #
Mr. Blogian, or whatever your real name is that you mask
Sefer Tan,
You are here to “prove” that the Armenian Genocide didn’t happen while you can’t see the obvious.
If you look at the top of the website you have been excitedly commenting on you will find a link in capital letters that reads “ABOUT.”
All you had to do to “umask” my name was to be kind enough to click on that link.
Yet your blind ultra-nationalism has taken over so much of your brain that you don’t have a simple intelligence of being able to evaluate a website you comment on.
Do yourself a favor and stop thinking that Turks are superiour human beings. Turks, like any other people, are capable of anything good and bad - that includes genocide.
And my own great-grandmother was saved by a Turkish family during the Genocide. Why don’t you feel proud about that?
Sefer Tan on 25 Dec 2007 at 12:50 pm #
Simon Maghakyan, you sneaked out of the discussion again…..
Do you really think that I care much about who you really are? You are only one of those poisoned-minded new generation Armenian kids who do not have the decency and the respect to conduct a normal discussion or a debate, but who gets immediately personal and rude. In fact, it really doesn’t matter who you are just as it doesn’t matter who I am - what is important is the correct message and the “TRUTH” that we share with the civilized world and not the hysterical SLANDER that the Armenians spread around to beg for more money from the ‘ordinary’ tax-payers!
You try to cheat the whole world with your false arguments, falsified allegations, show off false-emotions in every gathering, abuse of others’ emotions portraying yourself as “poor, slaughtered Armenians by Muslim Turks”; “the subjects of the world’s First Christian State”, and solicit meanly, the compassion of your arch imperialist masters. While you cowardly beggars seek for pity and understanding from other nations and peoples -of especially Christian populations- you in reality are filling your own personal pockets using the great industry of the non-occurred “genocide” industry, at the expense of others!
My response is only to let you know that I read your reply and that I see that you insist following your well-known Armenian Diaspora pattern – clearly you did not read my entire comments; instead, you have hastily resorted to the Armenian Diaspora’s commonplace allegations, start with provocation and insulting as usual. Other wise, you should have known that I requested from you in my comments not to walk away without answering my questions. Therefore, I see no further reason and value in only helping you with satisfying your well-known Armenian inferiority complex. You seem to be an ambitious young kid with mission and a plan in life, but I tell you, you have got a long way to learn how to behave like a ‘man’ first.
Good luck, because you need it!
P.S
What else should I say about a ‘man’ who has the guts to make a ridiculous remark such as:
“You are here to “prove” that the Armenian Genocide didn’t happen while you can’t see the obvious.”
I hope some highly regarded ‘law people’ read this…..
alphan on 26 Dec 2007 at 4:30 pm #
i agree kubilay, Rauf, Suheyla, Özge YALÇIN and Serdar BAYRAM . Open your eyes and see trues. (i have broken english, sorry i am turkish man.)
Cengiz Vural on 26 Dec 2007 at 5:52 pm #
As an American, I do believe we should read and learn both sides of each historical conflict. I did search the subject “Armenian Genocide” and found out what it really is about and why Taner Akcam’s testimonials are so inportant to Armenian-Americans.
First, I was raised with Armenians of Turkey in Mersin. Mary and Madlen were sisters and my best friends. We have been to midnight mass together when I was a child and never had any kind of problems. They were two of the tens of thousands of Armenians still leave in Turkey. Mersin has three large churches and a synagog all active and in very good condition. It is a nice city to visit. Madlen later worked for me as a secretary. She later married an Assyrian jeweler and still living in Mersin.
My two other good childhood friends were Haym (a Turkish-Jew) and Nadia (a Turkish-Christian Arab) We all believe in peace and harmony in the society. Haym has two boutiques in Mersin And Nadia is an English instructor at the university.
I knew many communist students in my college; these folks openly said they were against Republic of Turkey; they did not believe in democracy and they said they were anarchists. As Taner Akcam stated, no believing in God or any other spiritual idea, leader or churches. They just wanted a China-like society mainly everyone is poor and equal. Many of these folks were jailed later for carrying unlicenced guns, beating other students and joining terrorist groups attacked and killed businessmen, soldiers and police officers. You can check State Dept. files of 80s if you want to learn more. As far as I know, Taner Akcam is one of these communist folks later escaped from Turkey and ended up in US after a long trip. First, he needs to be deported for lying on immigration forms. You cannot be communist and join this community.
On the Armenian claims, I suggest everyone to read the letter of Ovanes Kacaznuni written to be presented to Tashnaksutyun Party Convention in Bucharest: “We revolted gainst Turks; battled them to destroy peace. We asked for a great Armenia from Caspian Sea to Mediterranean Sea. We killed and been killed. How can ask for trust of Turks? Deportation from Anatolia was fair and necessary for Turks because we were cheated by Russians and worked for them. We are the reason for sufferings.”
I believe there is not much to say after those words except political games.
Akcam is in a position he always wanted: To be able to harm Turkey. Let him do his best! He will never be a voice as Gunther Lewy or Justin McCarty or Bernard Lewis. They all say the same thing: Armenian genocide claims are baseless.
Thanks for reading…
Suheyla on 26 Dec 2007 at 6:59 pm #
Dear Simon,
I could say the same about you; “… your blind ultra-nationalism has taken over so much of your brain that you don’t have a simple intelligence of being able to evaluate …” what is genocide, what is proof, and who is brainwashed
Oguz Dolgun on 26 Dec 2007 at 8:51 pm #
Mr Taner Akçam
Please shut up
we will be happy, if you do it
armenians, little fucked boys of US
Kaya Boztepe on 26 Dec 2007 at 9:38 pm #
This guy should be seeking professional help. Really…
Kaya Boztepe on 26 Dec 2007 at 9:47 pm #
This guy should be seeking professional help. Really…
ÖZEL BÜRO on 27 Dec 2007 at 12:57 am #
Dear Authorities,
We regret for the change in your organization’s stance, which describes the 1915-1917 incidents, as “genocide.”
As a matter of fact, we consider that it will be helpful to present the statement once again to your attention, which indicates that “the Jewish Community in Turkey regretted the change in ADL`s stance over the 1915 incidents” and stresses that “the Jewish organizations in the USA will maintain their attitude not to support the Armenian thesis regarding 1915 incidents and the related resolution no 106 as they will not serve a compromise between Turks and Armenians.”
Attempting to find a solution to the matters connected with history via scientific methods, which would comply with the present-day, Turkey initially believes that, historical analysis should be based upon multi dimensional studies. In this framework, with one-sided point of view, it is evident that each and every claim, which is supported with baseless statements, will contain political comments which would slander the facts and would not represent the history.
The “Genocide” expression is a great accusation. And putting oppression over a state and its nation with statements, which has not been proven under any circumstances and which is still extremely deficient and controversial, is an unacceptable situation.
It is particularly desirable for the present representatives of a community that has personally experienced genocide, to base their decisions on concrete archival documents when taking concrete decisions.
As known, Jews were exterminated for only being Jewish. However, a racist stance was never observed in the history of the Ottoman Empire and human being, who flee from oppression and cruelty, have always preferred this geography for centuries long as an address for taking a shelter.
There has never been a “racist” or “religious” propaganda campaign against Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as it was the case in Nazi Germany. None of the Ottoman rulers attributed the cause and responsibility of all evil in the country upon Armenians. On the other hand, while Armenians were forging and developing separatist and illegal organizations so as to establish an independent Armenian State on the Ottoman territories that they would snatch, the German Jews made all the efforts to maintain their lives as faithful citizens of the country.
During the years of the World War I, while the German origin Jews were doing their military obligation with sacrifice in the armies of their countries, the nationalist circles among Armenians, had started collaborating with the Tsarist Russia and betrayed their country.
Motivated by this fact, the Ottoman rulers transferred the Armenians, who were in Eastern Anatolia at the war zone to the back fronts in the spring of 1915.
Was it possible for a Jew who was residing in Berlin in Nazi Germany to save his life by fleeing to Frankfurt?
Or would the faith of a Warsaw Jew have changed, if he had moved to Hungary that was under occupation or to another city of Poland?
The answer of these questions is of course “NO”! This answer is enough to refute the theses of those who seek similarity between two different events one of which is a tragedy or of those who claim that what happened to the Armenians was as if they had been the preparations of the Jewish holocaust”!
If 1.5 million people had been massacred, as asserted, the following questions need to be answered:
- Would not they have been buried in mass graves?
- Where are these mass graves?
- Why one cannot find even a single grave belonging to Armenians, while Turkish mass graves are revealed one by one and the burnt out ruins of the city of Van exist as it is?
In an American archival document dated November 1922, which was opened on May 5th, 1961 it was exposed that, in addition to 817.873 Armenians, who immigrated from the Ottoman Empire at the end of the war, 281.000 Armenians were living in Istanbul and Anatolia, and 95.000 Armenians were Muslims. In other words, although the total number of “surviving” Armenians was not half a million but almost 1.2, why the reality is disregarded?
When the incidents that realized in the history are presented as they had never existed, under the political influence of some racist Armenian stances, in other words, they are attempted to be distorted, they gain a political identity and consequently, it is not possible to approve the one-sided clarifications of the nongovernmental organizations, where free and scientific thoughts are discussed.
The rhetoric lacking the proof move before the science and the realities accommodated in the archival documents passing events to the coming generations depending on the objective scientific values are ignored. In other words, the activities of the most important terrorist groups of the 1900’s who cut the communication links of the single army defending the country where they lived, who hit behind the army by cooperating with the enemy and who murdered almost all of the people by attacking the settlement units are forgotten or made forgotten with care. This situation is a clear example of the fact that the rhetoric that is moved to the dimension of legend in its fullest sense are preferred to being scientific and are “politicized” in a strategic way.
On the other hand, it should be kept in minds that “genocide” can only defined by law and historians, politicians and journalists cannot reach a decision on the subject and also the “events”, namely the Armenian “incidents” of 1915 cannot be described as “genocide” according to the United Nations Convention that was signed in 1948 and entered into force in 1950.
Thus, there is no judgment of a court, which exposes that the incidents are genocide. And in this framework, it is hard to perceive why the parliaments are passing resolutions. Also, describing the incidents as genocide without a judgment of a court, would not comply with the international law.
In this regard, when reaching a judgment on the matters of the history, which contains doubts over its accuracy, it is expected to take at least an “objective” stance and “struggle” against the statements, which do not include nothing but “slander”.
Respectfully;
SPECIAL BUREAU OF REPUBLIC TURKIYE
Gusan Yedic on 27 Dec 2007 at 7:55 am #
Akcam is a murderer…
He kills English when he opens his mouth. I just wonder who wrotes his books..?
Any idea…
Next time I will hire a special “broken English translator” to understand him while I attend his meeting…
It’s just friendly advice to the little man…
No hard feelings but, Akcam should work on his pronunciation instead of the Armenian hog wash called genocide…
Mr. G
Can Koksal on 27 Dec 2007 at 11:19 am #
you have to read to learn facts of history;
*100 Belgede Ermeni Meselesi
Rus Devlet Arşivlerinden
Mehmet Perinçek
ISBN: 978-975-293-558-7
Sayfa sayısı: 228
Ebat: 14×23 cm
Yayın tarihi: Mart 2007
5. baskı: Nisan 2007
* http://www.eraren.org/index.php?Page=Yazar&YazarNo=214
NE MUTLU TÜRKÜM DİYENE!
happy is a man who can say I am a Türk
Iclal Atay on 27 Dec 2007 at 11:07 pm #
This book is nothing but fiction. Someone who does not use all the historical original factual documents cannot call themselves a historian. It is obvious that Mr. Akcam wrote this book to perpetuate the lies of some Armenians distorting the facts that are: ” the Armenian-Ottoman citizens of the Ottoman empire committed treason, and fought against their own country, and committed unspeakable acts which led to their relocation.” Their treason caused the death of many Ottoman citizens Armenian and non-Armenian alike. Even without investigating the historical documents, the mere knowledge that during the referenced time frame the Ottomans were involved in World War I at all of their borders, anyone with common sense can figure out that they could not afford to start an internal conflict with their own citizens. This fictional book is absurd.
Tevfik Atahan on 28 Dec 2007 at 12:15 am #
Mr. Akcam,
I congratulate you for your Fine research studies on the events that took place a century ago and should never be forgotten.
As usual you seem to forget the “before” and “after” sections of your book based on your selective memory on history. We would love to see your new additions on the current similar events that rae taking place in today’s Azerbeycan and her occupied territories in order to understand the real suffering of the Armenian culture.
Your next excellent work should include how the WRONG politics of the Diaspora is the ONLY basis for tomorrows suffering of the real Armenian population in Armenia while the whole area (all the neighboring countries including Russia) is enjoying its economical freedom and oil rich expansion while they exclude the greed of the Diaspora suffer in the middle.
Ahhhh yes they can always try to steal that wealth by political manuvering after it is established thanks to their lying cheating money hungry friends in Diaspora.
Yes we should remember the history and our mistakes but not in Selective Memory Base so that you should not rewrite the whole chapter again again..
I would love to hear your views on this observation in next book titled “Wake up Armenia and find your true friends”
Meltem on 28 Dec 2007 at 1:38 am #
Tamer Akçam is selling out his own people for 15 minutes of fame ! And the poor armenians are hoping that a pathetic figure like Taner Akçam will help them prove that their own fantasy (so called genocide) has taken place.
Truth is out there, in the Ottoman archives. Why don’t the Armenians dare to take the Turkish Prime Minister on his word and set up an academic research (by both Armenians and Turks)?
Armenians don’t want to know the truth, they can’t handle the truth.
I’m not a murderer, my ancestors were no murderers and my children will be no murderers !
Kind regards,
meltem
Koray on 28 Dec 2007 at 3:45 am #
Artık bir Nobel de sana verirler. Dogru yoldasin tebrik ediyorum. Ama yurt d,s,nda kalmak da ciddi bir sekilde hasar vermis anlasilan. Bir muddet bir seyler yazmadan dinlenmeyi denemek en iyisi.
Turgay Erturk on 28 Dec 2007 at 10:46 am #
Dear Perpetual Visiting Professor Akcam:
You are a denialist. Professor Lewy spoke at Harvard University one day before you did.
Guenter Lewy’s speech at the Malkin Penthouse, fourth floor Littauer Building, Harvard University, at 3 PM, on March 13, 2007.
Professor Lewy’s speech is based on his book: Guenter Lewy, THE ARMENIAN MASSACRES IN OTTOMAN TURKEY: A disputed Genocide, University of Utah Press, 2005, ISBN: 0874808499.
(About one or two percent of the following may not match the exact words spoken by Professor Lewy.)
Armenians call the calamitous events of 1915-1916 in the Ottoman Empire the first genocide of the twentieth century. Most Turks refer to this episode as wartime relocation made necessary by the treasonous conduct of Armenian minority. The debate on what actually happened has been going on for almost 100 years and shows no signs of resolution. The highly charged historical dispute burdens relations between Turkey and Armenia and increases tensions in the volatile region. It also pops up frequently in the other parts of the world when members of the Armenian Diaspora push for the recognition of the Armenian genocide by the respective parliaments, and the Turkish government threatens retaliation.
Next month the US House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on a non-binding resolution declaring the treatment of Ottoman Armenians during World War I a case of genocide. If passed, the US will join the considerable number of countries that have declared these events to constitute genocide and a crime against humanity. Below a chamber of the French parliament and Switzerland took the case further and made it illegal to deny the Armenian Genocide.
There are many Armenian people who are for this kind of legislation. They feel that just it is illegitimate to question the historical fact of the Holocaust, Hitler’s attempt to destroy the Jews of Europe; it is equally imperative to recognize and to denounce the Armenian genocide.
I have several problems with this position. First I believe that Parliaments should legislate on what is in their competence and jurisdiction and not try to decide contested historical questions, and contested this question certainly is.
The Jewish Holocaust is denied only by pseudo historians such as David Irwin. In the case of Armenians on the other hand some of the most prominent students of Ottoman history such as Bernard Lewis and Andrew Mango doubt the appropriateness of the genocide label for the tragic events of 1915. Second, unlike the case of the Holocaust, most of which is described in the thousands of captured German documents that formed the main evidence in the Nuremberg trials; an analogy of many key occurrences in Ottoman Turkey during World War I is also inadequate and incomplete.
I believe in not to declare the subject as closed, instead we should promote the necessary research that eventually you will make it possible to arrive a more conclusive knowledge at a consensus of informed opinion that will facilitate reconciliation between Armenians and Turks.
No one, it should be stressed, disputes the extent of Armenian suffering at the hands of the Ottoman Turks during the World War I. With little or no notice, the Ottoman government forced Armenian men, women, and children to leave their historic communities; during the subsequent harrowing trek over mountains and through deserts, large numbers of them died of starvation and disease, or were murdered. Although the absence of good statistics on the size of the pre-war Armenian population in Turkey makes it impossible to establish the true extent of the loss of life, reliable estimates put the number of deaths at more than 650,000, or around 40 percent of a total Armenian population of 1.75 million.
The historical question at issue is specific intent—that is, whether the Turkish regime intentionally organized the annihilation of its Armenian minority, and thus guilty of genocide. According to the Genocide Convention of 1948, intent to destroy a group is a necessary condition of genocide; most other definitions of this crime of crimes similarly insist upon the centrality of malicious intent. Hence the crucial problem to be addressed is not the huge loss of life in and of itself but rather whether the Young Turk government deliberately sought the deaths that we know to have occurred.
Historical background:
The Armenians have lived in the southern Caucasus, between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, since ancient times. In the early 4th century of the CE, they were the first nation to adopt Christianity as a state religion. Much of their long history, however, has been spent under foreign rule. The last independent Armenian state (before the present-day, post-Soviet Republic of Armenia) fell in 1375, and by the early 16th century most Armenians were subjects of the Ottoman Empire. Under the millet system instituted by Sultan Mohammed II (1451-1481), they enjoyed religious, cultural, and social autonomy and they were known as the “loyal community,” a status that lasted well into the 19th century.
Though large numbers of Armenians settled in Constantinople and in other Ottoman towns, where they prospered as merchants, bankers, and artisans, the majority continued to live as peasants in eastern Anatolia. During the autocratic rule of Abdul Hamid II (1876-1909), the lot of the Armenians deteriorated, and nationalistic sentiment began to emerge. In June 1890, Armenian students in the Russian-controlled area of the Caucasus organized the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. Demanding the political and economic emancipation of Turkish Armenia, the Dashnaks (as they were known) waged guerrilla warfare against Turkish army units, gendarmery posts, and Kurdish villages involved in attacks on Armenians. They operated from bases in the Caucasus and Persia and took advantage of eastern Anatolia’s mountainous terrain.
One of the aims of this warfare was to provoke the Turks to commit excesses, which would draw the attention of the Christian world and bring about European intervention. For foreign consumption the revolutionaries portrayed their arms against the Ottoman regime as defensive violence while their own publications celebrated them as national liberation.
When, in 1908, the nationalist, modernizing movement known as the Young Turks seized power in Constantinople in a bloodless coup, the Dashnaks declared an end to their fighting. But the truce did not last. With Turkey’s entry into World War I on the side of Germany and against Russia, the Armenians’ traditional ally, the Dashnaks resumed their armed resistance. By April 1915, Armenian guerrilla activities had picked up momentum. Roads and communication lines were cut. Henry Morgenthau, the American ambassador in Constantinople, reported to Washington on May 25 that nobody put the Armenian guerrillas “at less than 10,000, and 25,000 is probably closer to the truth.”
Meanwhile, the Russian branch of the Dashnaks was organizing volunteers to fight the Turks on the Caucasus front. Most of these volunteers–numbering 15,000, according to one Armenian source–were themselves Russian subjects, exempt from military service, but some of them were Turkish Armenians who had crossed the border to join the volunteer units. Offers of help also poured in from the Armenian diaspora, from as far away as Western Europe and the U.S.
In March 1915, the Dashnak organization in Sofia, Bulgaria, proposed to land 20,000 volunteers on the Turkish coast in the Armenian stronghold of Cilicia. That same month, the Boston-based Armenian National Defense Committee of America informed the British foreign secretary that it was making “preparations for the purpose of sending volunteers to Cilicia, where a large section of the Armenian population will unfurl the banner of insurrection against Turkish rule.” The British and French governments, I was hoped, would supply them with ammunition and artillery.
Turkish fears of an internal revolt were confirmed by the uprising that took place in the spring of 1915 in the city of Van. Close to the Russian border and in the heartland of historic Armenia, Van had long been a center of nationalist agitation. On April 24, 1915, the Turkish governor reported that 4,000 Armenian fighters had opened fire on the police stations, burned down Muslim houses, and barricaded themselves in the Armenian quarter. About 15,000 refugees from the countryside eventually joined the now-besieged rebels. Less than a month later, the insurgents were saved by the advancing Russian army, forcing the Turkish garrison to retreat. Armenians will tell you that the uprising was a defensive action aimed at preventing the deportation of Armenian community. Turkish authors argue that the rebellion was designed and timed to facilitate the advance of the Russians.
When not tying down Turkish army units, the Dashnaks were of significant help to the Russian army itself (leaving aside the 150,000 Armenian subjects of the Czar who served in its ranks). Deeply familiar with the rugged mountains of eastern Anatolia, the Armenian volunteers were invaluable scouts and guides. In one famous episode, the legendary Armenian military leader Andranik Ozanian met with General Mishlayevsky, commander of the Czar’s forces in the Caucasus, late in the summer of 1914, pointing out the routes through which the Russian army could advance on Turkey.
Thus, as the Turks saw it, the Armenian people the world over had thrown in their lot with the Allied cause and was arrayed against them in a fateful struggle. Having come to consider the Armenians a fifth column, the Ottoman regime decided to take decisive measures to put an end to their treasonable actions. As Morgenthau reported to Washington in July 1915: “Because Armenian volunteers, many of them Russian subjects, have joined the Russian army in the Caucasus and because some have been implicated in armed revolutionary movements and others have been helpful to Russians in their invasion of the Van district, terrible vengeance is being taken.”
In the eyes of the Young Turks, however, the issue was not so much revenge but national survival in a situation of extreme danger caused by serious military setbacks. The British had taken Basra in Mesopotamia and were moving toward Baghdad. The Allies had launched their assaults on the Dardanelles. Fearing the fall of the capital, the Turks were making preparations to evacuate the sultan and the treasury from Constantinople. Meanwhile, Russian troops were advancing into eastern Anatolia, and Armenian guerrillas were active in the rear of the Turkish army, threatening the very lifelines of the empire. Even if only a limited number of Armenians had actually taken up arms, the authorities in Constantinople understood themselves to be dealing with a population of traitors.
Indeed, after the war had ended and at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 the Armenians talked with pride about the important contribution they had made to the Allied victory. In a letter written on in late October 29, 1918 to the French foreign minister Stephen Pichon, Boghos Nubar, the head of the Armenian delegation, asserted that the Armenians had in fact been belligerents, since they have fought fighting alongside the Allies against the Turks on all fronts. Between 600 and 800 Armenian volunteers, he said, served on the western front with the French Foreign Legion, and only 40 were still alive; three battalions had taken the field in the Middle East and had been cited by General Allenby for their courage; in particular, he wrote, 150,000 Armenians had fought in the Russian army and had held the front in the Caucasus after the Russians dropped out of the war in 1917. As Boghos Nubar told the peace conference on March 8, 1919, the Turks had devastated the Armenians “in retaliation for our unflagging devotion to the cause of the Allies.”
This rhetoric undoubtedly was designed to win the support of the peace conference for an independent Armenia. Still, the essential facts put forward by the Armenian delegation were correct for the Armenians had supported the Allies in a variety of ways. None of this can serve to justify what the Ottomans did to the Armenians, but it provides the indispensable historical context for the tragedy that ensued. Given this context the Armenians can hardly claim that they suffered for no reason at all. Ignoring warnings from many quarters, large numbers of them had fought the Turks, and not surprisingly with their back against the wall, the Ottomans had reacted resolutely not to say viciously.
Let us not deny the human catastrophe that resulted. The harsher methods employed by the Young Turks included the killing of Armenian notables in Constantinople and the eastern provinces. As for Armenian civilians, perhaps as many as 1 million were turned out of their homes. On a journey through the most inhospitable terrain, they usually not only lacked shelter and food but also were often subjected to the murderous violence of their government escorts and the Kurdish tribesmen who occupied the route southward to Ottoman-controlled Syria. Massive numbers died along the way.
Can we account for this tragedy without the hypothesis of a genocidal plan on the part of the Young Turks? Most authors supporting the Armenian cause do not think so. They cite foreign diplomats on the scene who, in the face of the large number of deaths, concluded that the terrible loss of life was an intended outcome of the deportation decision. And yet one infers that many foreign officials were, about the events unfolding before their eyes, their insight into the mindset and the intentions of the Young Turk leadership was necessarily limited. Indeed to this day the inner workings of the Young Turk regime and especially the role of the triumvirate of Enver, Talaat and Djemal are understood only inadequately. Moreover there is a wide backdrop against which this horrific episode must be seen.
Thus, if one of the main causes of the Armenian disaster was starvation, the Armenians were hardly alone in experiencing such deprivation. In the spring of 1915, Ambassador Morgenthau told Washington that the empire’s whole domestic situation was “deplorable,” with “thousands of the populace daily dying of starvation.” In the late spring and summer of 1915, the Ottoman provinces of Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria were devastated by a plague of locust, creating famine conditions. To exacerbate matters, Allied warships had blockaded the coast of Syria and Lebanon, thus preventing the import of food from Egypt.
The resulting scarcities afflicted even the Turkish army, whose troops, as one German officer reported, received a maximum of one third of their allotted rations. In circumstances where soldiers in the Turkish army were dying of undernourishment, it is not so surprising that little if any food was made available to the deported Armenians.
Indeed, the mistreatment of common Turkish soldiers, the subject of many comments by contemporaries, makes an instructive comparison with the wretched lot of the Armenians. Although “provisions and clothing had been confiscated to supply the army,” wrote an American missionary in Van, “the soldiers profited very little by this. They were poorly fed and poorly clothed when fed or clothed at all.”
The treatment of Turkish soldiers who were wounded or sick was especially appalling. Those who managed to reach hospital–many never did–perished in large numbers because of unsanitary conditions and a lack of basic supplies. Patients shared beds or simply lay next to each other on the floor in facilities that often lacked running water and electricity. Typhus, cholera, dysentery, and other infectious diseases spread rapidly. As the Danish missionary Maria Jacobsen noted on May 24, 1916, a cholera outbreak in the city of Malatia was killing 100 soldiers a day. “The army there,” she wrote, “will soon be wiped out without a war.”
The Turks experienced some 244,000 combat deaths during World War I. As against this, some 68,000 soldiers died of their wounds and almost a half-million of disease–a ratio of non-combat to combat deaths almost certainly unmatched by any of the other warring nations. This terrible toll obviously does not excuse the treatment of the Armenians, but neither can it be simply ignored in any assessment of the general conditions against which they met their fate. Many of the Turkish deaths could have been prevented by better sanitary conditions and medical care. A government so callous about the suffering of its own population as was the Young Turk regime, was hardly about to show concern for the terrible human misery that would result from deporting its minority population rightly or wrongly suspected of treason.
There exists no authentic documentary evidence to prove the culpability of the central government of Turkey for the massacres of Armenians of 1915-16. In the face of this lack, Armenians have relied upon materials of questionable genuineness such as Aram Andonian’s “The Memoirs of Naim Bey,” a book first published in 1920, offers in evidence 30 alleged telegrams by Talaat Pasha, Turkey’s minister of the interior, some of which order the killing of all Armenians irrespective of sex or age. However, the book is considered a forgery not only by Turkish historians but also by practically every Western student of Ottoman history.
Talaat Pasha is a malaise also in Ambassador Morgenthau story in memory published in 1918. Morgenthau acknowledged that this book was published for the purpose of convincing the American people to carry the war to a victorious conclusion. The book puts words into the mouth of Talaat Pasha and the minister of war Enver portraying them as ruthless villains. However with few exceptions these words do not appear in the sources utilized by Morgenthau in the writing of memoir such as his diary, preserved at the Library of Congress. In his diary Morgenthau repeatedly praises the two ministers for their kindness. He frequently invited Enver and Talaat for meals at his home and went riding with them in the countryside.
The appeal to convicting Talaat and Enver of the destructive designs against Armenian population by the use of this literary device was politically inspired, probably the brain child of the journalist Burton J. Hendrick who ghost-wrote the book and received a share the royalties.
A highly capable praise of Talaat is preserved also from the pen of William Peet, the American head of the Armenian International Relief effort in Constantinople who recalls that Talaat Pasha always “gave prompt attention to my requests, frequently greeting me as I called upon him in his office with the introductory remark: “we are partners, what can I do for you today?”
A similarly unreliable source are the verdicts of Turkish military tribunals that in 1919-20, which held the top leadership of the Young Turk regime, and a special-forces outfit called Teskilat-i Mahsusa, or special organization, responsible for the massacre of the Armenians. These trials suffered from serious deficiencies of due process; more importantly, all of the original documentation of the trial is lost and we have nothing but copies of some documents in the gazette of the government and the press. It is doubtful that the Nuremberg trials would ever have achieved their tremendous significance in documenting the crimes of the Nazi regime if we had to rely on a few copies of the documents instead of thousands of originals preserved in our archives.
It is true that no written record of Hitler’s order for the Final Solution of the “Jewish question” has been found, either. But the major elements of the decision-making process leading up to the annihilation of the Jews of Europe can be reconstructed from events, court testimony, and a rich store of authentic documents. Barring the unlikely discovery of sensational new documents in the Turkish archives, it is safe to say that no such evidence exists for the tragic events of 1915-16.
At the same time, a number of facts about the deportations argue against the thesis that they constituted a premeditated program for exterminating the Armenians of Turkey. For one thing, the large Armenian communities of Constantinople, Smyrna, and Aleppo were spared deportation and, apart from tribulations that also afflicted the Muslim populations of these cities, survived the war largely intact. This would be analogous to Hitler’s failing to include the Jews of Berlin, Cologne, and Munich in the Final Solution.
Moreover, the trek on foot that took so many lives was imposed only on the Armenians of eastern and central Anatolia, a part of the country that had no railroads. Elsewhere, and in despite the fact that the one-spur Baghdad line was overburdened with the transport of troops and supplies, Armenian deportees were allowed to purchase rail tickets and were thus spared at least some of the trials of the deportation process. If, as is often alleged, the intent was to subject the exiles to a forced march until they died of exhaustion, why was this punishment not imposed on all Armenians?
Similar variation can be found in the fortunes of other parts of the Armenian population. While many of the exiles were left to fend for themselves and often died of starvation, others were given food here and there. Some gendarmes accompanying the convoys sold their charges to Kurds who pillaged and murdered them, but other gendarmes were protective. In some places all Armenians, irrespective of creed, were sent away, while in others Protestant and Catholic (as opposed to Gregorian) Armenians were exempted. Many of the deportees succumbed to the harsh conditions in their places of resettlement, but others were able to survive by making themselves useful as artisans or traders. In some locations, not even conversion to Islam could purchase exemption from deportation; in others, large numbers of Armenians were allowed, or forced, to convert and were saved.
All these differences in the treatment and outcome are athletical reconcile with a premeditated program of total annihilation. How, then, to explain the events of 1915-16? What accounts for the enormous loss of life?
The documentary evidence available suggests that the Ottoman government wanted to arrange an orderly process of deportation–even a relatively humane one, to gauge by the many decrees commanding protection and compassionate treatment of the deportees. But, leaving aside the justice of the expulsion order itself, the deportation and resettlement of the Armenians took place at a time of great insecurity and dislocation throughout the country and in conditions of widespread suffering and deprivation among Turkish civilians and military personnel. The job of relocating several hundred thousand people in a short span of time and over a highly primitive system of transportation was simply beyond the ability of the Turkish bureaucracy.
Many observers on the scene, indeed, saw the tragedy in this light, constantly citing the incompetence and inefficiency of the Ottoman bureaucracy. “The lack of proper transportation facilities,” wrote the American consul in Mersina in September 1915, “is the most important factor in causing the misery.” The German consul in Aleppo told his ambassador around the same time that the majority of Armenian exiles were starving to death because the Turks were “incapable of solving the organizational task of mass feeding.” A lengthy memorandum on the Armenian question drawn up in 1916 by Alexander von Hoesch, an official in the German embassy, pointed to a basic lack of accountability: some local officials had sought to alleviate the hardships of the exiles, but others were extremely hostile to the Armenians and, in defiance of Constantinople, had abandoned them to the violence of Kurds or Circassians.
Today, the stakes in this historical controversy remain high, and both sides continue to use heavy-handed tactics to advance their views. The Turkish government regularly threatens retaliation against anyone calling into question its own version of events. The over zealous Turkish prosecutors have brought dozens of cases against novelists, publishers, scholars and journalists. Many of these cases have been dismissed and never reached the trial stage. But the effect of these prosecutions nevertheless is undoubtedly to discourage and put a chill on an open and unbiased discussion of Armenian question in Turkey today.
For their part, the Armenians have also played hardball. When Bernard Lewis, in a 1994 letter to Le monde, questioned on scholarly grounds the existence of a plan of extermination on the part of the Ottoman government, a French-Armenian organization brought suit and charged Lewis for causing “grievous prejudice to truthful memory.” On June 21 1995 a French court in Paris convicted Lewis and imposed a token fine.
There are also more hopeful signs, at least on the academic front. In the last several years, a number of conferences have brought together Turkish and Armenian scholars willing to discuss the events of 1915-16 without a political agenda. Turkish historical scholarship has shown signs of a post-nationalist phase, while some scholars on the Armenian side, too, now engage in research free of propagandistic rhetoric. Needless to say, such efforts have brought down accusations of betrayal, even treason, upon the heads of the offending historians; it would be foolish to expect genuine reconciliation any time soon.
All of which raises deeply troubling questions, not least about the role played by the notion of genocide itself in perpetuating the almost century-old impasse between Turks and Armenians. As the Turkish historian Selim Deringil has written, both sides need to “step back from the was-it-genocide-or-not dialog of the deaf” and instead seek a “common project of knowledge.” For once this charge is on the table, any sort of mutually acceptable resolution becomes extremely difficult if not impossible.
But if we set aside the idea of genocide in this case how then should we best judge the Armenian tragedy? For the human disaster endured by its Armenian population, the Ottoman regime certainly bears its due measure of responsibility. The Turkish wartime government may deserve to be severely rebuked for its corruption, bungling misrule, as well as its indifference to the suffering of its own population during World War I. But I submit it is important to bear in mind the enormous difference between inaptness, even inaptness that had tragic consequences, and premeditated murder of people.
The final intent of the deportation order was to deny support to the Armenian guerrilla bands and to remove the Armenians from war zones and other strategic locations. For the Ottomans, painful experience with other Christians in the Balkan had created extreme sensitivity to rebellion and territorial loss.
Enver Pasha, the Turkish minister of war explained Ambassador Morgenthau in several occasions that it had taken only twenty to make a revolution (presumably a reference to the Young Turk seizure of power in 1908) and that the government therefore had to act forcefully against the Armenian community, intent upon independence.
Given the benefit of hindsight, it is possible to question whether the severity of the threat posed by Armenian revolutionaries justified the drastic remedy of deportation. Turkish allegations of wholesale disloyalty, treason and revolt by the Ottoman Armenians, the Canadian researcher Gwynne Dyer has once concluded appropriately “wholly true as far as Armenian sentiment went, only partly true in terms of overt acts, and totally insufficient as a justification for what was done to the Armenians.”
If both Armenians and Turks could accept this appraisal, and acknowledge the inflicted damage done to each other an important milestone on the settlement of this long standing bitter conflict could be reached.
PS. During discussion Professor Lewy said that the Armenian archives at Yerevan were not open for public research. He also said that about three battalions of Armenian volunteers served in the French army in Cilicia. In this case most of the volunteers came from Egypt.
osman cetin on 28 Dec 2007 at 12:24 pm #
MR.TANER AKÇAM,
More info about pseudo-Armenians genocide please read these articles.
1)”I witnessed and lived through 1917-1918″
author:Lt.col TVerdohlebof
-Russian commander of the 2.armenian-russian fortress artillery regionent.
http://www.divshare.com/download/1952526-82e
2)Sam Papers Center For Strategic Research Sam Papers No. 1 / 99 The ‘Armenian Question’ Conflict, Trauma & Objectivity
By Türkkaya ATAÖV*
PREFACE
SAM PAPERS is an English-language publication series of the Center for Strategic Research (Stratejik Araştırmalar Merkezi, SAM), affiliated with the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is being published irregularly based on events composed of monographs, critiques, seminar minutes and the like that follow.
http://www.divshare.com/download/3145421-cca
3)Armenian activities in the archive documents (1914-1918)(e-book/free)
Volume 1:http://www.divshare.com/download/3206145-c0a
volume 2:http://www.divshare.com/download/3206770-496
volume 3: http://www.divshare.com/download/3207037-de6
volume 4: http://www.divshare.com/download/3207191-adb
volume 5: http://www.divshare.com/download/3207316-c06
volume 6: http://www.divshare.com/download/3207494-ce8
volume 7: http://www.divshare.com/download/3207783-42b
ARMENİANS ,PLEASE OPEN YOUR’S ARCHIVES!
Evren on 28 Dec 2007 at 2:43 pm #
I’ll handle the topic from a different aspect.
We got a word in Turkey lie a kind of epigram.
A nuts has dropped a piece of stone to the well (thats easy part)
40 normal man couldnt be able to take it out (sure its difficult)
_____________
Now, any people can say these words from any country. Words effect is related to speaker.
Thousands of people are talking about it in several sites, newspapers, media etc.
So, its becoming important. And will be louder.
What to do? Just deny it.
Just say that we do not esteem his words.
So dont let any nuts become heroes.
Same thing happen in case of Mr Pamuk. Most of our politicans spoke about him, give several comments.
So what if they will react like.
“a writer and poet said something with his comments, can do but we do not esteem. Its noe of poets business just leave him with his words…”
Let me drop a summary to the end.
The passion of punishing makes these people IMPORTANT.
Cos punishers talk, shout, comment, write, read… So indirectly advertise these people.
Who I am?
I’m Evren who dosent know and dosent take in consideration.
But if thousands of people start shouting my name and words.
I’ll also become IMPORTANT…
So, dont let me IMPORTANT if I’m lying.
Bedir Memmedli on 28 Dec 2007 at 6:11 pm #
Based on my personal observation, Taner Akcam is simply a paid servant of Armenian diaspora who provides him with enough funds to distort the history. The true and objective historian or scholar should have also taken into consideration of Turkish sufferings caused by the same Armenians who are now considered victims of Armenian “genocide.” Is he going to write sometime about Armenian crimes or he needs “sponsorship” for this too?
Bedir Memmedli
Ayten Keskin on 29 Dec 2007 at 11:01 pm #
Akcam,you are such a thing that I can’t decribe and accept you as a person or a human being.
I advice you to change your name, as soon as possible,you don’t have a right to have a TURKISH name.
You are one of the greatest enemy of us..
Timucin UYGUN on 30 Dec 2007 at 12:59 pm #
in 24 April 1915 all the Ottoman men were defending their country in Dardanelles, where were the “Ottomans Armenians” doing? killing little childrens and women which their fathers were in Dardanelles?
Taner Akcam, money is nothing, first be a human.
Dogru Yol on 31 Dec 2007 at 11:04 pm #
My fellow Turks,
Do you not realize that the pure aggressiveness of your hatred as witnessed in the above comments is itself offering additional support that we Turks can and did murder up to if not more than a 1 million Christians ?
We must stop acting dishonorably with historical facts. Stop being the dupes of state propaganda. Research the facts, hold your political leaders accountable (if you are able).
It’s time for us and our government to do the right thing : to acknowledge the truth. Anything else is “sherefsizlik” my friends.
Saygilarimi sunarim,
DY
Sefer Tan on 01 Jan 2008 at 7:06 pm #
I am addressing this message to the honorable Turks, with the hope that Simon Maghakyan, the “Mr. Blogian” will publish it!
Please do not respond at all neither to the comment from “Dogru Yol” nor to this blog anymore! I will explain you why you should not…..
Mr. “Blogian”, Simon Maghakyan, did not respond to any comments after his response to me on 25 Dec 2007 at 10:12 am, where he irrationally told me that it is not the responsibility of the Armenians who claim that the Turks committed crimes, to “prove” their claims, but it is the responsibility of the Turks to “prove” that such ‘fabricated claims’ did not occur. And there is not even one single court verdict on the surface of this earth stating that the Turks committed crimes that should be labeled as ‘genocide’!
Besides, Simon Maghakyan did not respond to any single question that we all and I brought forward with the hope of initiating a ‘meaningful dialogue’. Because, these liars and slanderers do not know what a ‘meaningful dialogue’ may mean. They understand only from the ‘dialogue of the deaf’, where they only talk and never listen! Instead of answering what we say and ask, they just keep turning our words around back at us with the same pointed and totally irrelevant refrain. And therefore, we have not solved this sad episode of the history in the past 93 years, and unfortunately, I am not hopeful that we will be able to solve it in the next 93 years to come….
Only by telling the truth to youth can the prejudices against Turks be finally ended. Simon Maghakyan is demonstrating here an example of the unfortunate youth whose brains have been poisoned and damaged by the Armenian Diaspora!
In each and every discussion that we get involved with these ‘liars and slanderers’, they conveniently ignore our comments and challenges. Because, it’s not about the truth to them; it’s about spreading lies, slanders and propaganda. They’re neither interested in anything that shows them that they’re incorrect, nor do they wish to refute any of the points made. They’re liars and distorters. Goebbels would be proud of them.
For example, in Internet forums, the fabricated genocide-driven Armenians can be highly fanatical and obsessive. Their strategy is to fire away their endless array of sneaky and hysterical facts, and to hold, and not let go. Some of them don’t even seem to go to sleep, driven by their obsession. Too many are truth-allergic; they will find ways to subvert the truth with convenient canards. And they will talk their opponents to death, often by moving away from the main topic.
This is neither my first experience with such sickening behavior, nor will it be the last. I have been involved in quite a few mail discussions with such miserable people. Well, discussions?? They do not know what a discussion or what a debate means! They do not want to know. They are only interested in making disgusting accusations and bombard us with the questions dictated to them by their deep pocketed Armenian Diaspora. They are interested in one thing only - fill their own pockets with money they beg from other ‘ordinary’ tax-payers! We take them seriously and try to address all they ask. On the other hand, in their reply they do not even mention that they read our response, but instead, they come up with even more disgusting accusations. If they can not accuse, then they start insulting.
All they want is to hurt the ‘Turk’. It is not important which Turk, but anything ‘Turkish’ must be punished; even those who do not have anything to do with their “slander”; even those who are in favor of the Armenians. The historical facts and ‘why’ questions are not important, only their ‘hysterical facts’ count. There is no point in discussion. But we memorized those ‘double-dealers’…..
Regarding the “virtual Turk”, Dogru Yol… You know as well as I do that this is not a person’s name. Somebody is again hiding in a dark cave because he does not have the guts to come out and present himself in the daylight of honesty, and let us know who he really is. By the way, The Armenian Diaspora will get mad at him since he claims that “his Turkish Fellows” killed only ‘over 1 million Christians’ instead of the ‘over 2.5 millions’ the Armenian Diaspora claims!!! Wouuwww, what a big errorrrr! That simply demonstrates their respect for human lives!
Anyway, be sure that this ‘Dogru Yol’ is neither a Turk nor a Turkish Organization. He is a ‘virtual Turk’ if not Simon Maghakyan, the “Mr. Blogian”, or TANER AKCAM, the “Zoryan Institute Professor”, the “Great Turkish Historian” himself. This is a well-known dirty trick these miserable Armenians play every now end then – to generate some agitation and earn money in the end! I call this the “vulture-syndrome”!
Therefore;
I urge you, my Turkish friends (yurtseverler!), to refrain from getting caught up in this new phase of propaganda. We have already helped Simon Maghakyan, the “Mr. Blogian”, greatly with advertising his blog through the honest comments we made. Please do not get carried away with the dirty and sickening remarks made by the “virtual Turk, the Dogru Yol”. If he has the guts, if he is a man, I challenge him openly not to hide in dark caves, and to tell us who he really is first! As you have all seen and experienced, Simon Maghakyan, the “Mr. Blogian” hardly participated in any part of the 39 comments made up-to- date. But, he realized that the ‘topic’ gradually lost momentum and therefore, he created a “virtual Turk, the Dogru Yol” to give some new impulse to the topic in order to accelerate the advertising of his blog. It is never a mater of “national pride” for those miserable Armenians; all that matters is how they fill their stinking pockets!
I will conclude with one remark to “my virtual Turk, Dogru Yol”:
You go and hold your political leaders accountable for telling lies to the world and keeping the ‘historical facts’ behind lock and key! You damn know as well as the rest of the world that, “the main falsification of history by the Armenians lies not in what they say, but in what they do not say”. Go and tell your own government to do the right thing; open the archives to the world to acknowledge the truth. Anything else is “sherefsizlik”, my miserable creature-I do no know if you are a man!
We Turks are confident with our values; we are confident and we are in peace with our honorable history. We have nothing to hide like you do! But, we will drop your mask one day and show your real faces to you first, and then to the whole world!
Simon Maghakyan; this is my last contribution to your blog. I challenge you for the last time to answer the questions we all asked to you……
Good luck in 2008! You will need it!
Sumer Pek on 08 Jan 2008 at 10:39 pm #
Official information provided by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Turkey on Taner Akcam:
December 4, 1974
Arrested, interrogated by the prosecuting attorney in Ankara and released in conjunction with his participation in student unrest at the College of Languages, History and Geography and the Agricultural College of the University of Ankara.
July 28, 1975
Arrested for distributing leaflets and placing posters in various neighborhoods of Ankara Metropolitan area, with the intent to obstruct the scheduled final examinations at the Middle Eastern Technical University. Released by the judge hearing the case.
November 4, 1975
Participated in an act of violence in the Province of Malatya, which resulted in injury to a taxi cab driver.
November 20, 1975
Became the executive editor of a leftist student periodical named “DEV-GENC”.
March 9, 1976
Arrested for distributing leaflets and placing posters in various neighborhoods of Ankara Metropolitan area, and for writing and publishing material supporting communism and terrorism. Tried at the Ankara Second Criminal Court and sentenced on January 17, 1977 to serve a prison term of 8 years and 9 months.
March 12, 1977
While serving his prison term, together with four prisoner friends, he dug a tunnel and escaped from the Ankara Prison. Several months later, he escaped to West Germany and requested political asylum. Request for asylum was granted by the German Government, when the International Conciliation Network intervened in his behalf.
1982
While abroad, participated as a representative of the Turkish student terrorist network “DEV-YOL” in the formation of the international platform entitled “Joint Front to Resist Fascism”.
March 11, 1992
In accordance with a general Amnesty Law legislated in 1990 (#1990/1-276), the State Prosecuting Attorney in Ankara annulled his prison sentence of 1977.
April 20, 1992
Applied to the Turkish Consulate General in Hamburg to have a passport issued as a Turkish citizen.
May 17, 1993
In the German periodical “Der Spiegel”, he published a series of articles, in which he accused the Turks of committing genocide of the Armenians, and made predictions that the Turks would do the same on the Kurds, if Kurds did not conform.
May 20, 1993
Returned to Turkey to initiate the formalities required for him to benefit from a newly passed law #3713, which established certain mitigating circumstances in the Anti-Terrorism Act.
August 10, 1993
Istanbul district prosecuting attorney reviewed the case of Akcam in the light of changes in the legal code, and concluded that there was not enough evidence to renew legal action for crimes committed prior to 1990, and for crimes prior to 1991 involving membership in an organization carrying out actions that make use of fire arms. The district attorney concluded not to take any further legal action against Akcam.
Önder Cırık on 10 Jan 2008 at 5:21 pm #
Even if you go to a Polinesian island in the middle of Pacific Ocean, it is very possible to find a Turk. Turks are everywhere and they shove their noses to anything or you find them at the back stage. I would be surprised if there is not a single Turk who shoved his nose in pro-Armenian “genocide” claims. That is the nature of Turks and we are everywhere. Taner Akçam is the Turk (however he ashamed of being Turkish) on that Polinesian island. He gives power to Armenians who struggle not to loose their roots and not be assimilated by holding “genocide” myth as tight as possible. With another saying Taner Akçam makes Armenians masturbate harder on the myth. Suppose that there is nothing called “Armenian Genocide”, what is left behind? Nothing + Taner Akçam in his red-blue-yellow colored pants.
R on 12 Jan 2008 at 8:03 pm #
Judging by these comments Taner Akcam seems to have struck a nerve!
Sensoy on 13 Jan 2008 at 12:42 am #
Its so sad that the majority of the Turks have been so brainwashed by their government to think that a genocide never occurred. But then again over 7 million Turks recently said that what happened in 1915 was genocide. So I guess their are more and more enlightened Turks out there.
Zeynep Baysal on 13 Jan 2008 at 12:09 pm #
Mr. Akcam:
You have a distorted view of the history. On what are you basing your claims? Why do you not write about Armenian genocide of Turks? There is enough documentary evidence to prove the Armenian genocide of Turks?
Why are you biased ? If you are a historian, which I doubt very much, you are obligated to present a balance view of the historical fact.
I amazed that the Turkish culture-society has been able to produce a Turk like yourself. You must realize that it is very rare that a Turk , a self serving individual, would turn the history upside down in order to make a name for himself. You are not an intellectual, if you were, you present the historical facts in a different way.
How can we address you, an enemy of the Turkish culture and history. Please advise.
Thanks
zeynep
Önder Cırık on 15 Jan 2008 at 1:46 pm #
Mr. or Mrs. or Ms. Şensoy,
It is so clear that you are non-Turkish because it is very easy to recognize you from your words. It is a very very very typical Armenian comment.
For instance “brainwashed by THEIR government” part. Isn’t it your government? Why their, not yours? If you were a Turk, you would know that Turkish Government is not doing anything else except saying “Lets leave history to the historians”. I personally did not witness anything that Turkish government educate her citizens on alleged Armenian genocide.
The other most interesting part is “7 million Turks recently said”. How do you know? Did you count them? 7 million Turks gathered in Taxim square and yelled “there is genocide”. Even 7 million Turks do not know anything about alleged Armenian Genocide to admit or deny it. Such fake and stupid comments show how you are desperate. As it happened above in Doğru Yol case, you even do not have courage to write your real names and use pseudo-names.
Önder Cırık on 19 Jan 2008 at 6:47 pm #
Taner Akçam made a research in the archives of Turkish Prime Ministry
Taner Akçam, who is a historian in Minnesota University and whom is reacted in Turkey because of his views in alleged Armenian Genocide discussions, said that archives of Turkish Prime Ministry were opened for the research of his up coming book. He made a speech at Wilson’s Center where also Turkish President Abdullah Gül joined during his visit in USA.
Taner Akçam said that he made a very detailed research in the archives of Turkish Prime Ministry in Istabul for his upcoming book “Armenian problem solved: Policies against Armenians according to Ottoman archives” and printed by Iletisim printing house in Turkey. He added that Ottoman government applied a relocation and collected reports on the relocation from the vilayets (provinces) in a very disciplined way.
Taner Akçam also said, “It is very detailed in the archives whom is relocated to where name by name, house by house, village by village. There is no big difference between Ottoman and German archives about relocations. I can say that we almost reached everything we looked for in the archives. The only archive which is not opened for research is the Dasnagzoution archive in Boston.”
Ahu Özyurt
Washington
Turkish Milliyet Newspaper
19 January 2008
p.s: The translation is not very good because I did it. I read it on today’s Milliyet in a very short column on page 17 in Aegean print . The news do not have an internet publishing, I could not find it on Milliyet website. If anyone can make a better translation, I can send the original Turkish text.
GArslan on 20 Mar 2008 at 2:02 pm #
Neither Mr. Akcam nor Armenians will be able change the facts of how fair Turks were against to their enemies in 1915′’s..
Don’t you believe me? You will never anyway. Because. you are programmed to be robotic aren’t you?
I never hate or blame Armenians. I blame greedy imperialism. ( oil , oil, oil…) now who uses all the natural sources? Who is responsible of all these killings in the region last 100 years? stop blaming each other, use you brain. You will never anyway. Most earning money from these allegations so most of you will never stop fabrications, how about the human dignity and average people don’t you never feel sorry for them?
But at least there are some honest Australians;
“Turks have treated our captured men and officers excellently” The diary of the Aus. Official Corres. C.E.W.Bean
“You will hear extraordinary horrible stories practiced by Turks. Well, don’t believe a word of them. They are grossly exaggerated if not wholly false. You will be surprised at the gentlemanly way the Turks has fought us.
[Jim Haynes (Cobbers - Stories of Gallipoli 1915 p. 178) ]
” I reckon the Turk respects us, as we respect the Turk, Abdul’s a good, clean fighter - we’ve fought him, and we know” [Lieutenant Oliver Hogue ]
“The Turks have always proved themselves perfectly willing to have armistices and have actually asked for one at Helles which was refused by our General Staff. ”
[Ashmead-Bartlett’s Diary,1915 ]
” They (Turks) too were fighting for their country. Good and fair fighters. No. They fought very fair and honestly like us. Both sides lost their very valuable men.”
[E.W.BARTLETT - was born in Australia , 1891. 11. Light Horse Regiment. One Hundred years old. He was one of last two hundred who left the Dardanelle.]
“The Turkish sniper understood that we were searching for him. He shot once and the doctor got wounded. When he realized that he was a doctor, he didn’t shoot again.”
[Exerted from Sydney Alexander Moseley, former war correspondent during the Gallipoli Campaign ]
- “ After the terrible punishment inflicted upon the brave but futile assaults all bitterness faded … The Turks displayed an admirable manliness … From that morning onwards the attitude of the Anzac troops towards the individual Turks was rather that of opponents in a friendly game.‘
[ Charles. E Bean, the Australian official historian, The Story of Anzac, Vol II, Sydney, 1924, p.162 ]
-”The Anzacs left Gallipoli without hatred in their heart for their enemy or bitterness at the incompetence of their own high command.” [A.K. Macdouggall, Australian historian]
Copyright © 2007 Blogian (www.blogian.net)
About
Blogian on 07 Jan 2007
Blogian is the “Armenianized” version of a blog, since most Armenian last names have “yan” or “ian” at the end. There has been attempt to define “blogian” as the language of the blogs, but the creation of this website has hindered with coinage of the term “blogian” as an Internet subculture term.
Blogian was born on October 26, 2005, with a post about murder of Armenian Christians during the war in Iraq. Since then, hundreds of topics have been discussed – ranging from human rights and historic cover-ups to snowstorms in Colorado and abuse of international exchange students in America and even breakups with beloved girlfriends. Most topics, nonetheless, deal with Armenia: ranging from topics of genocide to human trafficking.
The author behind Blogian is Simon Maghakyan, a native of Armenia and a graduate of the International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies and a current student at the University of Colorado. In 2006, he was named by USA TODAY and the American Association of Community Colleges to America’s top 20 junior college students.
The photographs of many 2005-2007 posts are not visible due to constant hacks by Azeri and/or Turkish nationalists against www.hayastan.com (Hayastan means “Armenia” in Armenian). If you come across a post that makes a reference to a photograph/image that you would like to have, you can always contact info@blogian.net.
3 Responses to “About”
S. Piligian on 31 Jan 2007 at 11:52 pm #
My son, a University student , is a regular on Blogian and suggested this to me. The scope of topics is impressive
and provides an interesting forum. I look forward to learning and contributing.
kubilay on 22 Dec 2007 at 7:31 pm #
I wish to ask Blogian:
1)-Does he agree with the assasinations of the Turkish diplomats committed by the ASALA-Armenian Terrorist Organisation during the 2nd half of the 1970s?
2)Does he agree with the Tashnaksiun terrorism and murders in the Eastern Anatolian cities of the Ottomans in 1915?
3Does he agree with Armenian General Dro’s cooperation with Hitler’s forces in the 2nd World War?
3) Does he agree with betrayal of the Armenian intelectuals in Istanbul in the year 1915, including Ottoman Bank Raid and the assasination attempt on Sultan Abddulhamit?
4)Does he agree with the Armenian allegations that ” Armenian genocide “is real, because many historians did write so, while some others did reject it?
5) Does he agree with the alleged “genocide” claims of 1,5 million innocent Armenians while the population figures are given e.g in the British Blue Book at 1.056.000 in 1912?
The questions will follow upon receipt of answers!
Blogian on 22 Dec 2007 at 10:15 pm #
kubilay, I have responded to you in the appropriate section (post on Taner Akcam’s upcoming book).
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