An Armenian and a Turk in Paris

[imported_crazy]

I agree the genocide question is more of a political issue not every Turk feels concerned or approves their government, so if you cross a "cool Turk, well whatever just talk to the guy, but I can understand the soul bitterness which remains because of the guy being Turk....this is a question of heritage

[maral_m79]

I agree the genocide question is more of a political issue not every Turk feels concerned or approves their government, so if you cross a "cool Turk, well whatever just talk to the guy, but I can understand the soul bitterness which remains because of the guy being Turk....this is a question of heritage

I don't think so, I think that it's more a stereotype issue, Turks have about Armenians

[imported_crazy]

I don't think so, I think that it's more a stereotype issue, Turks have about Armenians

What I meant by a "political issue" is that the final word of recognition is political....why are we fighting for ? For a political recognition....it's a pyramidial approach....the end point is the politics....we should remain rational is our civil relations and not intellectually prosecuteevery individual....as an extreme example if you see a a guy dying on the street and while helping him you find out that the guy is Turk, you don't just run-off and let him there

and like I said....I can understand the bitterness that still remains I feel it also

[Gavur]

Poem For An Armenian Girl

Nursun Erel
[email protected]

http://www.thenewanatolian.com/opinion-927.html

February 17, 2006

There are some unforgettable moments in people's lives. If I asked
you now, I'm sure you'd be able to tell me some unique stories,
wouldn't you?

I would be. Last night was one of them. The New Anatolian's Editor
In Chief Mete Belovacikli and I were with Rahsan and Bulent Ecevit
in the library of their home in Oran. The highest parts of Cankaya
were covered in snow and there was a freezing wind blowing outside,
but we four enjoyed an incredibly warm talk.

First let me share a verse from a poem which Rahsan Hanim read for us,

Purple violets in the gardens, Ahchek, you've made me crazy for you,
May you become Muslim, Or shall I became Armenian? (*)

Rahsan Hanim added:

"The poem was written years ago by a village boy in a Turkish town
for an Armenian girl named Ahchek. Can you imagine what relations
between Turks and Armenians were like at the time?"

At that moment I remembered that Bulent Ecevit during his last
premiership (1999-2002), with Mumtaz Soysal as foreign minister,
took several initiatives to ease relations with Yerevan, and commented:

"Armenia is faced by incredible difficulties and poverty. I've seen
this with my own eyes. There's a line a kilometer long in front of
the U.S. Embassy all the time, and I've been told that every day 20
families abandon Armenia to try and emigrate to other countries. So if
we tried to help them financially and, for example, allowed them to
visit Agri and made it easier for them to visit Mt. Ararat, opening
the border gate with the country, would we lose anything?"

Armenians buying Turkish land

Of course everyone is aware of the efforts by the Armenian diaspora,
but I meant relations with Armenian people living in Armenia who are
really suffering.

Ecevit didn't want to comment directly on the issue but Rahsan Hanim
referred to recent land purchases by foreigners in sensitive areas
of Turkey, and said:

"Apparently Greeks are collectively purchasing land along the Aegean,
the Jews are doing the same in the Southeastern Anatolia Project
[GAP] area, and there's speculation that land in the east is being
collectively bought by Armenians."

I replied that I'd worked very hard on that story but that it's been
denied by state officials. She replied that such transactions are
carried out using different names and in collaboration with some
Turkish citizens.

Under Ecevit's premiership

But then Bulent Ecevit shared some memories with us:

"Years ago, when we were young, we [he and Rahsan Hanim] spent a few
months in the U.S. We were in Watertown. After a while some of our
friends told us that there were some Armenian grocery stores in the
area and that if we ever hankered after Turkish food, we could buy
some specialities there. So once we went to one. The owner was an
old lady. There were all kinds of delicacies on the shelves, like
'pastirma' [pastrami], 'sucuk' [Turkish sausage] and there was even
white cheese. While we were trying to choose, she said that we didn't
look American and eventually realized that we were Turkish. First
she expressed all her prejudices towards Turks and Turkey, but then
we became good friends. Three months later, when we said goodbye,
she hugged us and burst into tears."

Ecevit also shared another memory with us. After the Cyprus Peace
Operation (1974), which then Premier Ecevit ordered, he organized a
tour in the U.S. to explain the Turkish position to several different
platforms. During one of his speeches hundreds of Armenians gathered
outside the conference room and protested Turkey. He explained:

"They were carrying banners and shouting slogans against us but
in front of the protestors, I noticed a handsome young man. He was
also carrying a protest banner but once we looked into each others'
eyes, he shouted at me in Turkish, 'May you protect the Armenians of
Istanbul; we trust you."

At that moment I saw tears in Ecevit's eyes and I felt emotional
as well.

All these things show us the real relationship between Turks and
Armenians. If the diaspora wasn't trying to provoke and spread hatred
among the two peoples, things would definitely be a great deal better
than now and of course the Armenians in Armenia would be a lot happier.

(*) Bahcelerde mor meni [menekse], Ahcik, deli ettin sen beni, Ya
sen Islam ol Ahcik, Ya ben olam Ermeni.