Timsal Karabekir, daughter of Kazim Karabekir, one of the symbolic names of the Salvation War and the commander of Eastern front, contended hundreds of Turkish and Armenian orphans in the eastern Anatolia during the Bairam. Karabekir made sincere statements on the causes of her aid and the lost dairies of his father.
Timsal Karabekir, stated the following during the conversation;
“…I was seven when my father died. Believe me, I’d really wish to be with my father for long years. Sometimes I try to remember my father and I always remember the same day. It was a Bairam day. My mother had bought a green sweater to my father for the occasion of Bairam. The sweater was in the same color with my father’s eyes. My father wore the sweater during the Bairam. It suited him. When we were all at home, the bell rang. It was a soldier. His cloths were thorn. It was obvious that he was in a difficult situation.
The soldier said to my father: “Pasha, I am starving and I have nothing to wear.” My father stood up and took off his sweater and gave it to the soldier…When someone talks about Kazim Karabekir Pasha and Bairam, I always remember that green sweater and that soldier. My father, not only at the Bairam but at all times attempted to help people. He bought presents to children.”
“… The incident that Armenians call as genocide is in fact, an immigration. When the enemy forces had entered into the eastern Anatolia, the Armenians had cooperated with these forces. In that era, relocation was seen as a solution by the Ottoman Empire. The incident that was called as Armenian genocide is nothing but a relocation. The Ottoman Empire did not commit genocide during the relocation. A doctor was allocated for each convoy and also, milk was given to each pregnant woman.
You will see collective graves when you go to Erzurum. There are evidences that points out that there are moon and star and the holy book of Muslims at the graves. Kazim Karabekir had taken notes during those days, thinking that these incidents would be misunderstood in the future. Moreover, if it were mistreated against the Armenians, then the Aermenian children in Trabzon would not be commended to my father. My father was the father of 7 thousand orphan children, who were primarily Armenian children. You will see that there had been no cruelty against the Armenians when you talk with the Armenians, who visit the Kazim Karabekir Association.”
“…Children were very important for my father. My father had his first heart heart, when he could not help the poor children. My father attempted to help children at every occasion. And he also told us to “to help the needy ones and the orphans” as a part of the tradition of our ancestors. When we asked the reason he said: “I was a orphan myself. I know what they suffer.” My father helped many orphans, primarily the Armenian and the Turk orphans. He helped them to have a profession. In a way, my father sets an example to us. We are attempting to help as many children as possible. We are taking small presents to the children at the eastern provinces due to Bairam. We have opened a cultural center in the East as a part of the association. We cooperate with the universities. So, we are trying to be children that would suit our father.
“…My father preferred to write books after he was judged at the independence court at our house at Erenköy. He wrote many books. The books he wrote can lighten our near history. And nowadays, we are attempting to publish those books. We handed the books to “Yapi Kredi Publishing”. Nevertheless, it took some time for it was written with the old letters. But it will be completed within the shortest time.
…There had been some incidents amongst some Pashas of the Salvation War and Atatürk because of the assassination plot or other causes. My father was one of these Pashas. Nevertheless, Atatürk had invited my father to the International Congress of History and language that was organized at Domabahçe Palace in 1936, and he had attended to that Congress. But he left the Congress early for he had promised my mother. When he got ill and he was at the Dolmabahçe Palace, he said: “Call Kazim, I want to say goodbye to him.” They didn’t tell that to my father. When my sister asked if he would go if he knew, my father said: “Of course, I would. He was Mustafa Kemal.” When his books are published, I believe that many questions will be replied.”
On the other hand, Timsal Karabekir Yildiran lectured on “Çanakkale and the Salvation War” in Isparta, where she came as a guest of Isparta branch of Turkish Society.
Timsal Karabekir, who talked about the Salvation War accompanied by the images, also mentioned about the Armenian claims on the 1915 incidents during her speech.
“Indicating that “There had been a genocide against Turks, not the Armenians” Timsal Karabekir said: “We did not go to the country of anyone and declare war, but they killed our children in our country, we suffered in our own country.”
Expressing that the genocide claims of the Armenian circles can never be admitted, Timsal Karabekir added the following:
“None of the Turkish sons can accept that. When the Turkish graves and the Armenian graves are compared to each other, it is evident who committed genocide against the other. We should know our history very well. If one does not know his own history, then the geography of his country will be drawn by the others. Let’s research the historical facts from the right sources. Turks wrote an epic at Çanakkale. It is very young to die at his twenties. But our ancestors fought for their country, not for being Turk, Kurd, Shiite, Sunni, rightist and lefts. They gave their most precious existence for this country. Let’s not be deceived. If we are deceived our ancestor would call us to account for that.”
Expressing that Turks have never committed genocide in history, S,emsettin Uzun, the governor of Isparta, added the following:
“However, the Armenians, who found an opportunity when the Ottoman Empire was fighting at various fronts, had committed genocide in the region against the Turks with the incitements of the Russians and the Western countries. We perceived that these people were Turks from Kur`an-i Kerim, the holy book Muslims, they had along them. (*)
Besides the statements of Timsal Karabekir, who previously has attacked great attention with her speeches, it is worth reminding the report, which clearly expressed the cruelty program of the Armenians against Turks that was presented to the American delegation headed by General James G. Harbord, who came to Erzurum in the summer of 1919 by Kazim Karabekir Brigadier General of the 15th army Corps
Source: (*) Bugün Daily Newspaper-24.12.2007-Anadolu Agency-26.12.2007
21.01.2008
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