Announcement

Collapse

Forum Rules (Everyone Must Read!!!)

1] What you CAN NOT post.

You agree, through your use of this service, that you will not use this forum to post any material which is:
- abusive
- vulgar
- hateful
- harassing
- personal attacks
- obscene

You also may not:
- post images that are too large (max is 500*500px)
- post any copyrighted material unless the copyright is owned by you or cited properly.
- post in UPPER CASE, which is considered yelling
- post messages which insult the Armenians, Armenian culture, traditions, etc
- post racist or other intentionally insensitive material that insults or attacks another culture (including Turks)

The Ankap thread is excluded from the strict rules because that place is more relaxed and you can vent and engage in light insults and humor. Notice it's not a blank ticket, but just a place to vent. If you go into the Ankap thread, you enter at your own risk of being clowned on.
What you PROBABLY SHOULD NOT post...
Do not post information that you will regret putting out in public. This site comes up on Google, is cached, and all of that, so be aware of that as you post. Do not ask the staff to go through and delete things that you regret making available on the web for all to see because we will not do it. Think before you post!


2] Use descriptive subject lines & research your post. This means use the SEARCH.

This reduces the chances of double-posting and it also makes it easier for people to see what they do/don't want to read. Using the search function will identify existing threads on the topic so we do not have multiple threads on the same topic.

3] Keep the focus.

Each forum has a focus on a certain topic. Questions outside the scope of a certain forum will either be moved to the appropriate forum, closed, or simply be deleted. Please post your topic in the most appropriate forum. Users that keep doing this will be warned, then banned.

4] Behave as you would in a public location.

This forum is no different than a public place. Behave yourself and act like a decent human being (i.e. be respectful). If you're unable to do so, you're not welcome here and will be made to leave.

5] Respect the authority of moderators/admins.

Public discussions of moderator/admin actions are not allowed on the forum. It is also prohibited to protest moderator actions in titles, avatars, and signatures. If you don't like something that a moderator did, PM or email the moderator and try your best to resolve the problem or difference in private.

6] Promotion of sites or products is not permitted.

Advertisements are not allowed in this venue. No blatant advertising or solicitations of or for business is prohibited.
This includes, but not limited to, personal resumes and links to products or
services with which the poster is affiliated, whether or not a fee is charged
for the product or service. Spamming, in which a user posts the same message repeatedly, is also prohibited.

7] We retain the right to remove any posts and/or Members for any reason, without prior notice.


- PLEASE READ -

Members are welcome to read posts and though we encourage your active participation in the forum, it is not required. If you do participate by posting, however, we expect that on the whole you contribute something to the forum. This means that the bulk of your posts should not be in "fun" threads (e.g. Ankap, Keep & Kill, This or That, etc.). Further, while occasionally it is appropriate to simply voice your agreement or approval, not all of your posts should be of this variety: "LOL Member213!" "I agree."
If it is evident that a member is simply posting for the sake of posting, they will be removed.


8] These Rules & Guidelines may be amended at any time. (last update September 17, 2009)

If you believe an individual is repeatedly breaking the rules, please report to admin/moderator.
See more
See less

Can Turkey Learn Tolerance?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Hello I m Ramazan,

    19-22 June 2008 Tomarza Symposium...

    Invitation...

    Tomarza was the important city in history from 3000 BC to Ottoman period, and same importance still continues today in modern Turkey. Furthermore, the city is the birthplace St.Nikola. There are many important visible archaeological ruins in the city. One of them is the Tomarza Church, which is at Tomarza near Kayseri that we see the traces of the first settlements. The excavations carried out in this place have proved that the initial settlements here dated back to the 3rd millennium BC. The countless museums, archaeological ruins, shops and bars in the city provide sufficient opportunity for cultural excursions and pure entertainment. I am sure Tomarza will give a wonderful atmosphere for both the technical and social aspects of the event.

    SYMPOSIUM DEADLINES



    Important deadlines of the Symposium are given as follows, and all applicants should pay attention to these dates.


    Extended Deadline of abstract submission May 31, 2008
    Payment of registration free (Tomarza Derneği)




    Msn: [email protected]

    Comment


    • Originally posted by ramazanaltinbas View Post
      Hello I m Ramazan,

      19-22 June 2008 Tomarza Symposium...

      Invitation...

      Tomarza was the important city in history from 3000 BC to Ottoman period, and same importance still continues today in modern Turkey. Furthermore, the city is the birthplace St.Nikola. There are many important visible archaeological ruins in the city. One of them is the Tomarza Church, which is at Tomarza near Kayseri that we see the traces of the first settlements. The excavations carried out in this place have proved that the initial settlements here dated back to the 3rd millennium BC. The countless museums, archaeological ruins, shops and bars in the city provide sufficient opportunity for cultural excursions and pure entertainment. I am sure Tomarza will give a wonderful atmosphere for both the technical and social aspects of the event.

      SYMPOSIUM DEADLINES



      Important deadlines of the Symposium are given as follows, and all applicants should pay attention to these dates.


      Extended Deadline of abstract submission May 31, 2008
      Payment of registration free (Tomarza Derneği)




      Msn: [email protected]
      I'm almost inclined to think "they must be kidding". How on earth do they think they are going to face up to (since it is not possible to gloss over) the fact that Tomarza was about 90% Armenian until 1915, and address the "awkward" truth about what happened to them?
      But, I suppose if the organisers actually believe Tomarza has "countless museums, archaeological ruins, shops and bars" then anything is possible and maybe something useful will come out of the symposium! Making some publicity about the surviving Armenian church would do no harm, especially since it's roof needs urgent repairs to make it watertight to prevent more damage being done to the frescos inside.
      I've posted this link before, but more has been added to the page since then: www.virtualani.org/tomarza/
      Plenipotentiary meow!

      Comment


      • bell-the-cat dear members,

        19-22 june 2008 at in Turkey/Kayseri-Tomarza ,we want see your...

        +90 352 332 37 57 tel.
        +90 352 332 37 58 fax

        Reservation: 31 may 2008

        Hotel:Grand eras Hotel,18,19,20,21,22,23 June 2008

        Travel:Kapodokia,Karpuzatan,Kayseri,Kultepe,Kanish ,Tomarza,Erciyes maunt...

        All Free...

        Only From Tomarza Armenian...

        Comment


        • Originally posted by ramazanaltinbas View Post
          bell-the-cat dear members,

          19-22 june 2008 at in Turkey/Kayseri-Tomarza ,we want see your...

          +90 352 332 37 57 tel.
          +90 352 332 37 58 fax

          Reservation: 31 may 2008

          Hotel:Grand eras Hotel,18,19,20,21,22,23 June 2008

          Travel:Kapodokia,Karpuzatan,Kayseri,Kultepe,Kanish ,Tomarza,Erciyes maunt...

          All Free...

          Only From Tomarza Armenian...
          Ahh, so it is actually taking place in Kayseri city, and not in Tomarza town?"

          Kayseri region as a whole does have a lot of (though not countless!) museums, archaeological ruins, shops and bars.
          Plenipotentiary meow!

          Comment


          • Only absent minded Americanized Armenians might respond.
            "All truth passes through three stages:
            First, it is ridiculed;
            Second, it is violently opposed; and
            Third, it is accepted as self-evident."

            Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

            Comment


            • Originally posted by bell-the-cat View Post
              Ahh, so it is actually taking place in Kayseri city, and not in Tomarza town?"

              Kayseri region as a whole does have a lot of (though not countless!) museums, archaeological ruins, shops and bars.

              Yes...

              Comment


              • Assyrian International News Agency
                Jan 12 2008


                Turkey Imperils Religious Freedom for Christians


                Turkish President Abdullah Gul met President George W. Bush on
                January 8, marking Gul's first visit to Washington as president.

                The official agenda included a laundry list of issues central to
                US-Turkish relations: joint efforts to counter the Kurdish rebel
                group PKK; to promote stability in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and the
                broader Middle East; and to advance Turkey's European Union accession
                goals.

                In his second inaugural address, President Bush stated that, "The
                survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success
                of liberty in other lands. The best hope for peace in our world is
                the expansion of freedom in all the world."

                While each of the issues that is currently on the agenda is a
                priority issue, each also touches on a broader question which remains
                off the agenda: freedom of religion and belief in Turkey itself.

                A significant problem facing religious groups in Turkey is the
                nation's biased religious registration laws. Registration is required
                for religious leaders and institutions to serve the spiritual needs
                of their constituents. Currently, the Sunni branch of Islam is the
                only "state-sanctioned" form of religion.

                The Alevi Islamic Community is not recognized as a separate religious
                group and is instead considered to be a defacto group within Sunni
                Islam. This lack of distinct recognition severely limits their
                ability to form their own houses of worship and leaves them suspect
                to the laws of the state that pertain to Sunnis. The Shi'a community
                is not recognized as a separate legal entity either.

                The Armenian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, and Jewish communities are
                recognized as having "a special legal minority status." However, this
                only applies to the individuals within these communities and not to
                their religious institutions, which severely hinders the ability of
                these groups to perform a wide range of functions necessary to
                maintaining and serving the needs of their respective adherents.

                All other religious groups, including the Roman Catholic Church,
                mainline Protestant and Evangelical groups, have no official legal
                status within the Republic of Turkey.

                Religious education is another significantly contentious religious
                freedom issue in Turkey. Two aspects of religious education are
                particularly troublesome: the first is that Turkey requires a
                majority of its population to take state-mandated religious education
                classes; the second problem is the current restrictions that
                religious groups face in properly educating their clergy.

                Turkey currently requires all Muslims in the country, regardless of
                their sectarian affiliation, to partake in religious education
                classes. Minority religious groups are exempted from these religious
                classes. The Alevis, and other Turkish Muslim minority groups, claim
                that these classes teach only the Sunni form of Islam that advances
                religious beliefs that are in conflict with their own religious
                teachings. These groups also complain that many of these mandatory
                classes actually demean and dismiss their beliefs.

                Many other minority religious communities in Turkey face serious
                problems in educating their believers. In 1971, the Turkish
                government closed all university-level religious schools, both Muslim
                and Christian. Numerous restrictions hinder the ability of these
                institutions to reopen their doors, such as a requirement that all
                students be Turkish citizens, a very serious problem for Greek
                Orthodox clergy. The government argues that these restrictions are
                necessary to prevent radical Islamic groups from opening their own
                religious schools that could spread a violent and extremist form of
                Islam. These restrictions disproportionately burden the nation's
                religious minorities.

                The Greek Orthodox population has fallen to approximately 3000 people
                over the past several decades. They do not have a large enough
                population to maintain the primary Greek Orthodox seminary in Turkey
                -- the Halki Monastery. Halki Monastery was among those
                university-level religious institutions closed by the government, and
                it faces numerous restrictions to reopening. The Turkish Government
                will currently not allow any foreign students to be educated at
                Halki. Without foreign students, there are not enough Turkish Greek
                Orthodox seminarians to maintain an official seminary. In addition,
                due to legal restrictions mentioned above, this Monastery cannot call
                upon foreign seminarians to travel to Turkey to train the students of
                the Monastery. In approximately a generation, the Greek Orthodox
                population will no longer have the capacity to train new theological
                leaders.

                Furthermore, due to legal restrictions that any religious leader in
                Turkey must be a citizen and be educated in Turkey, within a few
                years there will be no one that is eligible to be the new Patriarch
                of Constantinople. As a result, this religious group will have no way
                of practicing its faith or continuing its traditions. Without the
                ability to practice their faith or continue their traditions, the
                Greek Orthodox community will slowly disappear to the pages of
                history. The continued closure of Halki threatens the very survival
                of Turkey's ancient Greek Orthodox minority and the "primus inter
                pares" of Orthodoxy, the Patriarch of Constantinople. Turkey's Greek
                Orthodox community is a victim of a silent genocide as their
                population, religion, and way of life are eroded over the years by
                actions taken by the Turkish government.

                What's more, the Government periodically meddles in the internal
                functioning of religious communities. The Higher Court of Appeals
                recently ruled in favor of the Government in a purely linguistic
                dispute with the Greek Orthodox Patriarch. The government refused to
                recognize the use of the term "ecumenical" in reference to the
                Patriarch. This means that the Turkish government refuses to
                recognize the Patriarch as leader of anything more than the country's
                small Greek Orthodox community, in contrast with the esteemed
                position that the Patriarch holds amongst other Orthodox communities
                worldwide. As the government only allows Turkish citizens to be
                members of the Orthodox Church hierarchy, this condition places a
                great strain on such a small population.

                Another cause for concern in Turkey is the recent string of attacks
                against Christians. In January 2007, a protestant church in Samsun
                was severely vandalized. In April, three workers at a Bible house in
                the city of Malatya were viciously murdered. The victims' throats
                were slashed, and a fourth person inside the building was attempted
                to escape by jumping out of a window and was severely wounded. It is
                imperative that the international community pressure Turkey into
                prosecuting those responsible to the fullest extent of the law. Every
                community of faith needs the freedom to practice their religion
                without worrying about either themselves or their religious
                institutions being physically harmed.

                By Joseph Griebowski
                The Cutting Edge News: News, Views, Opinions


                Joe Griebowski is President of the Institute on Religion and Public
                Policy and Secretary General, Interparliamentary Conference on Human
                Rights and Religious Freedom.
                General Antranik (1865-1927): “I am not a nationalist. I recognize only one nation, the nation of the oppressed.”

                Comment


                • Seen too young

                  Turkey Releases Teenager Planning “Massacre” In Church

                  By OnTheWeb: BosNewsLife Monday, January 14, 2008

                  A Turkish teenager who vowed to kill the pastor of a Protestant church and “massacre” Christians in the Black Sea coastal city of Samsun has been released by a local court because he is “too young” Turkish media reported Tuesday, January 8.
                  The 17-year-old Semih Seymen was detained over the weekend after he called Pastor Orhan Picaklar of the Samsun Agape Churchseveral times since late December, threatening to kill him, said Turkey’s Taraf newspaper.

                  Police forces specialized in anti-terror actions monitoring the phone calls tracked down the suspect and arrested him Saturday, January 5, officials said. However Judge Sinan Sonmez of Samsun’s First Minor Petty Offenses Court apparently ruled the next day, Sunday, January 6, that Seymen should be released because of his youth.

                  Pastor Picaklar reportedly condemned the decision saying in published remarks that the defendant “openly confessed he was going to carry out a massacre...” It came after previous attacks against the church, including in January 2007, when some 30 heavy rocks were thrown through the Samsun Agape Church windows, several of them smashing interior windows and denting walls, the pastor said earlier.

                  VERY DRUNK

                  Turkish media said Seymen admitted he had told friends late Saturday, January 5, he wanted to “do a massacre” the next morning at the Agape Church during Sunday worship. However Seymen allegedly also told police interrogators he was drunk when making the threats and that they could not be taken seriously.

                  He also wanted to threaten the Trabzon Catholic Church, but reportedly changed his mind when a woman answered the phone. The latest threats underscored anxiety among Christian leaders in a country where at least five Christians were killed and several others injured in attacks within the last two years.

                  In April last year, a German and two Turkish citizens — were found with their hands and legs bound and their throats slit at the Zirve Christian publishing house in the central city of Malatya.

                  The attack came shortly after a suspected nationalist killed Armenian Christian editor Hrant Dink. In February 2006, a Turkish teenager shot a Catholic priest dead as he prayed in his church, and two other Catholic priests were attacked later that year.

                  LATEST ATTACK

                  One of the latest, non-fatal, attacks occurred last month when an Italian Roman Catholic priest, Driano Franchini, was stabbed December 16, after Sunday Mass at St. Anthony’s church in the port city of Izmir. He was released from hospital several days later.

                  A prosecutor charged a 19-year-old man with stabbing and wounding with a knife, but no trial date was set yet, BosNewsLife monitored.

                  The European Union has complained that Turkey, an EU applicant, fails to fully protect the religious freedoms of its tiny Christian minority, which numbers some 100,000 in a predominantly Muslim population of nearly 75 million people, according to estimates.

                  While Turkey is officially “secular” Muslim militants and nationalists oppose Christian activities in the country, analysts and church observers say. (With BosNewsLife’s Stefan J. Bos and reporting from Turkey).

                  Posted 01/14 at 08:58 AM Email Web: BosNewsLife.com (Permalink)
                  General Antranik (1865-1927): “I am not a nationalist. I recognize only one nation, the nation of the oppressed.”

                  Comment


                  • Can Turkey learn tolerance?
                    General Antranik (1865-1927): “I am not a nationalist. I recognize only one nation, the nation of the oppressed.”

                    Comment


                    • Originally posted by Joseph View Post
                      Can Turkey learn tolerance?
                      God only knows.

                      Comment

                      Working...
                      X