Since ancient times humans have struggled to surround themselves with prosperity, security and safety. Then of course came desire of wealth creating greed, wars, death and destruction. Due to domination of agriculture in economic growth, prosperity depended, to a great extend on the amount of territory a certain kingdom or empire controlled and therefore could gather wealth from. Wars were the only mean available to powerful rulers in their quest for more control and wealth. Lands changed hands, people died and were enslaved, and mankind went about its normal course of development.
It should then come as no surprise that Armenia is not a self-sustaining state, because it is a landlocked small state. Even though Armenia's economy grew by 13 per cent in 2007 its GDP per capita ( PPP ) $5,800 remains in par with Albanians and is lower than Jamaica's GDP per capita ( PPP ). Armenia's future also remains uncertain in the Caucasus, because Armenia depends exclusively on Russia and 70 per cent of Armenia's land territory is under an economic blockade by Turkey and Azerbaijan, after Armenia illegally occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan's territory.
Armenia is well aware of these aforementioned facts. That is why Armenia is desperately seeking for Western countries to accept the so called Armenian genocide in their parliaments, so it can gain a leverage over Turkey and expand her territory. But what Armenia doesn't realize is how resilient the Turkish Republic is. Even if the whole world recognizes the so called Armenian Genocide, only around 30 countries out of a 192 have so far recognized the Armenian fiction, Turkey will not bulge and give Armenia compensations, because a vast majority of Turks believe that the deportations were necessary to preserve the Ottoman state. It should never be forgotten that it was the Armenians who rebelled against the Ottoman Empire and wanted to carve out a homeland in what is now Eastern Turkey.
In conclusion, Turks are proud of their vast history. And no amount of Armenian lies and propaganda will make Turks shift to feel ashamed of their past by accepting such horrendous accusations.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
THE DEFINITION AND PURPOSE OF RELOCATION
The Arabic originated word “tehcir” means “emigration / immigration”, it definitely not means “deportation” or “exile”. Hence the law commonly known as the “Tehcir Law” is the same as “Temporary Law On The Military Measures To Be Taken For Those Who Resist The Governmental Acts And Supplementation’s.” The word used to explain the implementation in line with this law is “tenkil” in the Ottoman language and means “transport- not the equivalent of “deportation”, “exile” or “proscription” in Latin originated languages.
The immigration, which was started with the orders of Talaat Pasha, and approved by the Government and the Parliament as a measure against the Armenian riots and massacres, which had arisen in a number of places in the Country - pre - dominantly in Van province, was only implemented only in the regions in which such riots and massacres affected the security of the fronts directly. The first area was Erzurum, Van and Bitlis Vicinities which formed the rear part of the Caucasian - Iran Front; and the second was Mersin - Iskenderun Region which formed the rear part of the Sina Front. In both of these regions, Armenians had collaborated with the enemy and involved in activities to facilitate the enemy’s invasion.
Later, the scope of the immigration was widened in order to include the Armenians in the other provinces, who rioted, collaborated with the enemy and screened the activities of Armenian Gangs. Although the Catholic and Protestant Armenians were excluded from immigration at the beginning, later those whose harmful activities were observed, were also relocated.
Since 1915, numerous papers, reports, books, etc. were written and published about the immigration implementation. The Armenians, by using false documents have succeeded to deceit the World for a long time. The rumor about Armenian holocaust (!) which expressed at first as three hundred thousand and later increased to three million has no basis at all. In fact, although English and French authorities have extensively studied the Ottoman archives during their occupation in Istanbul have failed to find even a single document hinting about such holocaust.
Had the Ottoman State intended to make genocide on Armenians; could not they realize such an act at the places where the Armenians live? Why would it be necessary “to immigrate” them for such an intention? Why did they undertake the significant fiscal and material costs of their security, safety, health and food of the immigrating Armenians? During this immigration and re-settlement process which lasted approximately 1,5 year from May 1915 until October 1916, why would the central and local administrations take measures to ensure the lives and properties of Armenians in spite of the difficult war circumstances? In addition, would it be necessary to accept great administrative, military and financial burden —as if opening a new front- to protect and secure these people?
The answers to these questions shall be sufficient to understand the real intention of the Ottoman State. Also there is no logical explanation that why the Ottoman State suddenly changed its policy towards a community which had always been called as “millet-i sadika” (loyal people) due to their being really faithful to the Government. Hence the party whose attitude had changed was not the Ottoman Government, but the Armenians who were deceived by the independence promises of Russia and the Entente States.
In conclusion, it can be said that the Armenian Immigration which was a necessary measure to ensure the State Security and Safety is among one of the most successful transportation and re-settlement processes; and has no intention whatsoever to annihilate Armenians.
The immigration, which was started with the orders of Talaat Pasha, and approved by the Government and the Parliament as a measure against the Armenian riots and massacres, which had arisen in a number of places in the Country - pre - dominantly in Van province, was only implemented only in the regions in which such riots and massacres affected the security of the fronts directly. The first area was Erzurum, Van and Bitlis Vicinities which formed the rear part of the Caucasian - Iran Front; and the second was Mersin - Iskenderun Region which formed the rear part of the Sina Front. In both of these regions, Armenians had collaborated with the enemy and involved in activities to facilitate the enemy’s invasion.
Later, the scope of the immigration was widened in order to include the Armenians in the other provinces, who rioted, collaborated with the enemy and screened the activities of Armenian Gangs. Although the Catholic and Protestant Armenians were excluded from immigration at the beginning, later those whose harmful activities were observed, were also relocated.
Since 1915, numerous papers, reports, books, etc. were written and published about the immigration implementation. The Armenians, by using false documents have succeeded to deceit the World for a long time. The rumor about Armenian holocaust (!) which expressed at first as three hundred thousand and later increased to three million has no basis at all. In fact, although English and French authorities have extensively studied the Ottoman archives during their occupation in Istanbul have failed to find even a single document hinting about such holocaust.
Had the Ottoman State intended to make genocide on Armenians; could not they realize such an act at the places where the Armenians live? Why would it be necessary “to immigrate” them for such an intention? Why did they undertake the significant fiscal and material costs of their security, safety, health and food of the immigrating Armenians? During this immigration and re-settlement process which lasted approximately 1,5 year from May 1915 until October 1916, why would the central and local administrations take measures to ensure the lives and properties of Armenians in spite of the difficult war circumstances? In addition, would it be necessary to accept great administrative, military and financial burden —as if opening a new front- to protect and secure these people?
The answers to these questions shall be sufficient to understand the real intention of the Ottoman State. Also there is no logical explanation that why the Ottoman State suddenly changed its policy towards a community which had always been called as “millet-i sadika” (loyal people) due to their being really faithful to the Government. Hence the party whose attitude had changed was not the Ottoman Government, but the Armenians who were deceived by the independence promises of Russia and the Entente States.
In conclusion, it can be said that the Armenian Immigration which was a necessary measure to ensure the State Security and Safety is among one of the most successful transportation and re-settlement processes; and has no intention whatsoever to annihilate Armenians.
Friday, December 5, 2008
The Number 1.5 Million
"Out of the million and a half there were in Turkey before the war. The annihilation of the Armenian nation will be inevitable. This excerpt was taken from page 51 of the Blue Book. Another example could be Taner Akcam's A Shameful Act. On A Shameful Act, Taner clearly states that only 800,000 Armenians were killed in the so called Armenian genocide. Then why do Armenians keep on giving their dead as 1.5 million. The reason being is legitimacy. Armenians are the only people on earth who forge their national identity on what happened a century ago. And they are very eager for this legitimacy, because they don't have it. That is why they inflate their dead, and that is why when CNN gave 45 seconds of airtime to the so called Armenian genocide, Armenians all over the U.S. sent hundreds and thousands of protest letters to CNN.
TURKEY NOT TO OPEN ARMENIA BORDER UNTIL AZERBAIJAN'S INTEGRITY RESTORED
The Turkish-Armenian border could be opened only after Armenia gives up distorting history and restores Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, Turkish Trade Minister Kursad Tuzmen said.
"We are open to developing relations with Armenia, to open borders, and to develop trade," Tuzmen was quoted by Interfax as telling an Azeri-Turkish business forum in Baku on Thursday.
Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic ties and their border has been closed for more than a decade over Armenia's aggression over Azerbaijan.
"We do not oppose developing trade relations, which will have a positive influence on the development of the whole region; however, prior to this historians should solve some issues and Azerbaijan's territorial integrity should be restored," Tuzmen added.
The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia began in 1988 on Armenian territorial claims over Azerbaijan. Since 1992 Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts.
Some 10 percent of the Azeri population was displaced due to a series of bloody clashes both between and within the two neighboring countries.
In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group are currently holding peaceful negotiations.
TURKISH FM MEETS ARMENIAN, AZERI FMSTurkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan met separately with Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov to discuss the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in Helsinki where the Organization for the Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) ministerial meeting is being held.
Foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan met on Wednesday with Russian, French and U.S. executives, the co-chairmen of OSCE Minsk group.
Babacan's talks with the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers assessed the results of this meeting, Anatolian Agency reported.
The Turkish foreign minister was also scheduled to meet with the Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group dealing with the issue in Helsinki on Thursday.
"We are open to developing relations with Armenia, to open borders, and to develop trade," Tuzmen was quoted by Interfax as telling an Azeri-Turkish business forum in Baku on Thursday.
Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic ties and their border has been closed for more than a decade over Armenia's aggression over Azerbaijan.
"We do not oppose developing trade relations, which will have a positive influence on the development of the whole region; however, prior to this historians should solve some issues and Azerbaijan's territorial integrity should be restored," Tuzmen added.
The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia began in 1988 on Armenian territorial claims over Azerbaijan. Since 1992 Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts.
Some 10 percent of the Azeri population was displaced due to a series of bloody clashes both between and within the two neighboring countries.
In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group are currently holding peaceful negotiations.
TURKISH FM MEETS ARMENIAN, AZERI FMSTurkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan met separately with Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov to discuss the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in Helsinki where the Organization for the Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) ministerial meeting is being held.
Foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan met on Wednesday with Russian, French and U.S. executives, the co-chairmen of OSCE Minsk group.
Babacan's talks with the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers assessed the results of this meeting, Anatolian Agency reported.
The Turkish foreign minister was also scheduled to meet with the Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group dealing with the issue in Helsinki on Thursday.
Why The Armenian Deportations Were Not Genocide
Genocide is an abomination. While precise definition varies among genocide scholars, a legal definition is found in the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and the Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Article two of this defines genocide as any of the following acts committed with "intent" to destroy in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: Killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life, calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; [and] forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
What the Nazis did to the Jews is a clear example of genocide, because there was "intent" to exterminate the Jewish race from existence. What befell the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, though tragic, can't be labeled as genocide. Just like what befell the indigenous peoples of America ( including Hawaii ) was not genocide. It is estimated that almost 100 million ( 100 000 000 ) indigenous Americans died, at the hands of Euro – Americans, in what is today North and South America. While no historians denies the death and suffering were unjustly inflicted by a number of Europeans upon a great many American natives. Historians argue that genocide, WHICH IS A CRIME OF INTENT, was not the "intent" of European colonization in the Americas.
The same principle applies for the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire was fighting for its very existence during World War One. The Armenians, using arms, rebelled in Eastern Anatolia. Great number of Armenians deserted, including members of the Ottoman armed forces, crossing the frontier to join the Russian forces invading the Ottoman Empire. Armenian rebels were even able to seize the Ottoman city of Van , intending on handing it over to the invaders. There was guerrilla warfare all over Anatolia, perpetrated by Armenian rebels. This was, what now a days we call a national liberation movement. The Ottoman government, to quell the Armenian uprising had to deport the Armenians of Eastern Anatolia. The Armenians of the Arab provinces ( then still a part of the Ottoman Empire ), Western Anatolia and the European territories of the Ottoman Empire were left unscathed. There is no evidence of a decision to massacre Armenians. On the contrary, their were attempts to prevent massacre, but they were unsuccessful. The massacres carried out against the Armenians, were done by irregulars ( Muslim villagers taking revenge for what was done to them ) and not by the Ottoman armed forces. To make this a parallel with the FIRST GENOCIDE IN HISTORY the Holocaust, you would have to assume, that the Jews of Germany were engaged in an armed rebellion against the German state. Collaborating with the Allies to grab a portion of land for themselves at Germany's expanse. That in the deportation order, the cities of Berlin and Hamburg were exempted. The Jews in the employment of the state were exempted. The deportation orders applied for the Jews of Germany proper only, so when they arrived at Poland, they were welcomed and sheltered by the Jews of Poland. As any reasonable person can see, this is an absurd paradox.
As mentioned earlier, what befell the Armenians is tragic. But there is no evidence of "intent" to eradicate the Armenians. The sooner the Armenians realize this fact, the faster Armenia and Turkey will be able to achieve normal neighbourly relations. It is in the interest of the Armenian diaspora to prevent good relations between Armenia and Turkey, because the more the relationship is strained between the two neighbours, the more the Armenian diaspora will be able to affect the internal affairs of Armenia. Therefore, it is in the interest of the Armenian diaspora to keep the status quo at the expense of Armenia's citizens.
What the Nazis did to the Jews is a clear example of genocide, because there was "intent" to exterminate the Jewish race from existence. What befell the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, though tragic, can't be labeled as genocide. Just like what befell the indigenous peoples of America ( including Hawaii ) was not genocide. It is estimated that almost 100 million ( 100 000 000 ) indigenous Americans died, at the hands of Euro – Americans, in what is today North and South America. While no historians denies the death and suffering were unjustly inflicted by a number of Europeans upon a great many American natives. Historians argue that genocide, WHICH IS A CRIME OF INTENT, was not the "intent" of European colonization in the Americas.
The same principle applies for the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire was fighting for its very existence during World War One. The Armenians, using arms, rebelled in Eastern Anatolia. Great number of Armenians deserted, including members of the Ottoman armed forces, crossing the frontier to join the Russian forces invading the Ottoman Empire. Armenian rebels were even able to seize the Ottoman city of Van , intending on handing it over to the invaders. There was guerrilla warfare all over Anatolia, perpetrated by Armenian rebels. This was, what now a days we call a national liberation movement. The Ottoman government, to quell the Armenian uprising had to deport the Armenians of Eastern Anatolia. The Armenians of the Arab provinces ( then still a part of the Ottoman Empire ), Western Anatolia and the European territories of the Ottoman Empire were left unscathed. There is no evidence of a decision to massacre Armenians. On the contrary, their were attempts to prevent massacre, but they were unsuccessful. The massacres carried out against the Armenians, were done by irregulars ( Muslim villagers taking revenge for what was done to them ) and not by the Ottoman armed forces. To make this a parallel with the FIRST GENOCIDE IN HISTORY the Holocaust, you would have to assume, that the Jews of Germany were engaged in an armed rebellion against the German state. Collaborating with the Allies to grab a portion of land for themselves at Germany's expanse. That in the deportation order, the cities of Berlin and Hamburg were exempted. The Jews in the employment of the state were exempted. The deportation orders applied for the Jews of Germany proper only, so when they arrived at Poland, they were welcomed and sheltered by the Jews of Poland. As any reasonable person can see, this is an absurd paradox.
As mentioned earlier, what befell the Armenians is tragic. But there is no evidence of "intent" to eradicate the Armenians. The sooner the Armenians realize this fact, the faster Armenia and Turkey will be able to achieve normal neighbourly relations. It is in the interest of the Armenian diaspora to prevent good relations between Armenia and Turkey, because the more the relationship is strained between the two neighbours, the more the Armenian diaspora will be able to affect the internal affairs of Armenia. Therefore, it is in the interest of the Armenian diaspora to keep the status quo at the expense of Armenia's citizens.
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