Absolutely Disgusting

[muratkanat6907]

1,5 million or 2 million ??
And can you make clear those killings in thousands in 1930's and 1950s...
deportation against greeks was mutual between Turkey and Greece after the emergence of new Turkish Republic

I would like to ask Mr Laciner just how many Turks deaths Mr Dink was responsible for before he tries to compare Armenian reactions to Talat's killing - and even the killings of Turkish state diplomats - to that of Mr Dink - a private citizen.

Its all well and good for Turks like Mr laciner to say that this murder should not be connected to issues of the Armenian Genocide - of course - they don't believe that there was a Genocide - so they don't believe that there shouldbe any discussion of this event. Next they will claim that Mr Dink was never murdered at all....it was his fault that he stepped into the path of the bullet that the Turk who fired it was justifyied in shooting because of all the indignations that Mr Dink (as an Armenian) had heaped upon the Turkish nation....but no....there was no intent to kill or harm...the shooter was only tryin to herd Mr Dink off of the street - perhaps for his own protection as there were cars moving by at a high rate of speed...can't be halped that Mr Dink stepped in front of that bullet....likewise the anger of the (so-called) assassin was entirely justified....Dink was after all seditious - Turkish courts had convicted him of being such...and he had too many foriegn (Christian) friends....it makes some Turks uneasy...so the entire blame falls on Dink himself - I mean what right does he have - as an Armenian - to be living on Turkish lands in the first place - and he was obviously unahppy to be called a Turk - this cannot do...so he is better off now...and no Turks should feel guilt or shame - they were only responding as one might expect them too....as they have always done...

I also find this statement that Dink's murder is the first politically motivated murder of an Armenian in the history of the Turkish Republic to be quite offensive considering that the founding of the Turkish Republic (mostly by ex-CUP) was demonstradably made possible by the murders of nearly 2 million Armenians - with fully 1/4 of this number having been slain by the Nationalist forces during their so called Turkish War for Independence where Kemal, Karrabakir and other top CUP (er I mean nationalist) leaders repeatedly called for elimination of Armenia as a political entity and Armenians as a group and they then carried out these fiendish plans against a people who had so recently been victim of Turkish directed mass genocide. Additionally this aurthor seems to forget the pograms against Greeks, Armenian and Jews that the Republic of Turkey conducted in the 1930s and 1950s where many thousands were killed, their property and wealth confiscated/stolen and most of those not killed were driven off and/or virtually enslaved to pay off their supposed debts.

[muratkanat6907]

Joseph,
The same Murat Bardakçı wrote this and hope that you can understand Turkish, he basically criticized Turkish official attitude until now. That's why I believed his intention was not compare these two people but what happened to them. Of course you may claim that Talat Pascha deserved what happened to him, but I don't agree with you as a person who don't believe death sentence, especially by your hand.
I can hear that you are saying what would I do if the same thing happened to my relatives? To be honest I don't know but I know that killing someone won't bring back my losts...
Here are the comments from "insensitive" person.

From Sabah Turkish edition 22th of January
"Bu işler kraldan çok kralcılarla yürümez

Türkiye'nin etrafı güneydoğudaki olaylardan ve Irak cehenneminden de beter bir ateş halkası ile çevriliyor: 1915'in rövanşı ile...
İngiliz basınının en çok okunan Ortadoğu uzmanı Robert Fisk'in Independent gazetesinde önceki gün çıkan yazısı, "Hrant Dink, Ermeni soykırımının bir milyon beşyüz bin birinci kurbanı oldu" cümlesiyle başlıyordu.
Hrant Dink'in katledilmesinden sonra, benzer ifadelerle sık sık karşılaşmaya hazır olalım.
Soykırım iddialarının böylesine ayyuka çıkmasından sonra kendimize karşı dürüst davranmamızın ve suçlamalara vermeye çalıştığımız cevapların inandırıcılığı ile sonuçlarını tartışmamızın zamanı artık gelmiştir.
Açık söyleyeyim: Diaspora, 1915'te yaşananları soykırım boyutuna getirip "Türkler 1.5 milyon Ermeni'yi kesti" iddiasını bütün dünyaya kabul ettirmek üzereyken, bu iddiaları cevaplandırma görevi, Türkiye'de bir grubun maalesef gelir kaynağı haline gelmiştir. Bu grup kraldan fazla kralcıdır, bazı mensupları yabancı dil engeli yüzünden dünyada olup bitenleri takipten bile âcizdir, gözünü ve kulağını kapatmış vaziyette, hâlâ kendimize yönelik yayınlar yapmakla ve dünyaya değil, kendi kamuoyumuza seslenmekle meşguldür.

KOYUN POSTU SAYAR GİBİ
Bu grubun devreye girmesiyle, diasporanın 1915 zayiatını milyonun üzerine çıkartmasına cevabımız sayıyı aşağılara çekme ama her seferinde değişik miktarlar verme çabasından ibaret kaldı ve Ermeni meselesini, koyun postu sayarcasına ceset sayma seviyesine indirdik. "Türkler Ermeniler'i değil, Ermeniler Türkler'i katletmişlerdi", "Tehcir oldu ama sonraki senelerde sayıları daha da artmış olarak geri geldiler" yahut "Ölümlerin sebebi, salgın hastalıklardı"
gibisinden cevaplarımız ilmi münakaşalara taraf olarak kabul edilmemizi bile engelledi.
Tarihçilerimiz, yarım asır boyunca, bu konuda ciddi şekilde tartışılan tek bir eser bile veremediler. Esat Uras'ın 1950'de yayınladığı "Tarihte Ermeniler ve Ermeni Meselesi" isimli kitabının benzeri bir çalışma, aradan geçen 57 seneden bu yana hâlâ ortaya konamadı, sadece taklit edildi. Ve, işin en acı tarafı: Ermenice bilen tek bir tarihçi bile yetiştiremedik!
Seneler boyunca "Arşivlerimiz açıktır" diye dünyaya bas bas ilân ettik ama tehcirle ilgili çok önemli bazı evrakı, mesela, mevcudiyetleri o devirdeki resmi yazışmalardan açıkça anlaşılan 'sevk defterleri' ni her nedense hâlâ ortaya çıkartamadık. Daha önceden yayınlanmış, hatta arşiv numarası da gösterilmiş olan bazı evrakı görmek isteyen araştırmacılar, "Böyle bir evrak yoktur!" cevabıyla karşılaşır hale geldiler.
Türkiye'de bugün 1915 olayları hakkında konuşabilecek en bilimsel makam olan Türk Tarih Kurumu'nun Ermeni Masası'nda görevli bir tarih profesörü düşünün. Bu profesör, geçenlerde verdiği bir demeçte "Ölen Ermeni sayısı 15 bin kadardır" buyuruyordu! İşte, bilimsel alanda ciddiye alınmamamızın ve görüşümüze saygı duyulmamasının son sebeplerinden biri!
Hrant Dink, aldığı mahkûmiyetin "alnına sürülmüş bir leke" olduğunu söylemişti.
Soykırım suçlaması da, Türkiye'nin alnına sürülmeye çalışılan böyle bir lekedir, üstelik izi asla çıkmayacak bir leke...
Dolayısıyla, tehcirin savaş içerisindeki bir devletin meşru müdafaa hakkını kullanması demek olduğunu anlatmaktan âciz kalmamıza, "Ortaya ya bilmediğimiz fena birşeyler çıkarsa?" gibisinden endişelere kapılmamıza ve "Üzerimize geliyorlar, işimiz zor" diyerek korkular hissetmemize gerek yoktur.
Yeter ki, Ermeni meselesini bir grubun menfaat vasıtası olmaktan çıkartalım, tartışmaktan korkmayalım ve artık açık olalım.

Turk and Armenian: Hrant Dink and Talat Pasha Murders

Monday , 22 January 2007



View by Sedat LACINER (U.S.A.K.)

Hrant Dink is the first and the only Armenian victim murdered by a politically-motivated Turk in the history of the Turkish Republic. We hope it’s the last. The investigation continues but we don’t think this murder is related with the Armenian problem. It’s also impossible to evaluate the situation as racism. Right after the murder, both Turkish government and the Turkish people are getting along with this incident in a good way. After the murder, all of the Turkish newspapers cursed the incident. Lots of people marched in Ankara and Istanbul shouting ‘we are all Armenians, we are all Hrant Dink’. All of the newspapers in Turkey headlined the murder. Hürriyet for instance declared the murderer as a ‘Traitor to the Motherland’ and Sabah daily headlined the murder as ‘The biggest treason’. Other headlines were similar. Not even one single Turkish newspaper including the ultra-nationalist ones protected the killer. Even the most fanatic nationalists didn’t see the killer as a hero. On the contrary, the killer was seen as a ‘traitor’ and an ‘ignorant boy used by the underground and dark powers’.



Turkey has been accused for its possible responsibility in the murder by foreign press without a cause. Some accused Turkey even of being racist. All these claims and accusations have no base and just. Omer Celik, one of the closest deputies to President Erdogan, has recently offered to put Turkish flag on Mr. Dink’s coffin, a common tradition for the martyrs’ and famous statesmen’ funerals. No one raised any objection to this brave idea but lots of people thought that this was a great idea. As the most important symbol for a nation is a ‘flag’, it’s unfair to blame the Turkish people of being racist or anti-Armenian who want to put their pure flag on the coffin of an Armenian Turkish citizen, Hrant Dink.

President of Turkey, Turkish ministers, governor of Istanbul and top level officials of security bureaucracy all condemned the murder. Murderer was caught in 32 hours. President Erdogan said that ‘Dink was the son of this land’. The main opposition party leader Baykal expressed his despair by saying ‘We couldn’t let him live’. Almost every politician’s common attitude was to curse the murderer and they took the side of Dink. Even the ultra nationalist Turks saw the murder as the ‘agent of the dark powers’. Not even one politician was happy of the homicide. No one saw the murderer as a hero. The person who notified the police was the murder’s own father. None of his relatives said he did a good job. Their common attitude about the murder was that it was unacceptable and their son was used by the evil others. In other words even the killer’s most close relatives didn’t saw him as a hero and didn’t back him up.

***

There is another story on the other side of the medallion.

When Talat Pasha, the Minister of Interior of the Ottoman Empire, was killed by an Armenian named Sogomon Tehliryan on March 15 1921 on a crowded Berlin street (Germany), the attitude of the Armenians were not similar to the attitude of today’s Turkey people. Ironically there are many similarities between the murders of Talat Pasha and of Hrant Dink. As the Turkish historian Murat Bardakci wrote in Sabah newspaper dated 21 January 2007, both victims were shot from the back of their head. The bases of the shooes of the both victims were tattered and holed. Both murders were committed in daylight and on a crowded street. After the Talat Pasha Murder Tehliryan, the Armenian murderer was declared as a hero and even today the Diaspora Armenians and Armenians from Armenia see Tehliryan as a great hero. It was not just the Armenians but also the German Court strangely judged the victim instead of the killer. The Armenian murderer was set free after a short trial. Tehliryan was not the only murderer and terrorist who were declared as a hero by the Armenians. Lots of the Armenian terrorists were declared as heroes afterwards. The Armenian history is full of murderer heroes. Moreover Western courts committed law crimes again and again and set the Armenian killers free. For example the Armenian terrorist Max Kilnajian, who attempted to kill the Turkish ambassador in Bern city, was sentenced to two years by the French court and released shortly after the verdict. The mostly known Armenian terrorist Monte Melkonyan made lots of armed attacks against the Turkish diplomats. In these attacks lots of people were killed. But the French court released Melkonyan after 3 years in prison. Afterwards Mr. Melkonyan joined the Karabakh War against Azerbaijan and he murdered lots of people in that war. But Melkonyan has not been a terrorist or a murderer for Armenians, he has been hero to be respected and followed. Armenia gave salaries to many terrorists and protected them. Unfortunately, while these truths are clear, Armenia and Armenian Diaspora is blaming Republic of Turkey for the Hrant Dink murder.

***

The murder of Hrant Dink is one of the most dramatic murders of our history. But it’s unfair to exert pressure about Armenian problem by using this unfortunate murder. Also the Armenian Diaspora, who is blaming Turkey, was criticized many times by Hrant Dink himself. They were talking about Dink as a “traitor” and “servant of the Turkey” before, but now they are mongering on his death. Actually this is what they have done all the time. They are always using the reciprocal massacres to get the benefit out of it.

I am really sorry about Mr. Dink’s death. Because from now on, it’s hard to find an Armenian like him. Because he was a Turkish Armenian. He was son of this land. He was not making politics on death. He was working for the peoples who live. We have to do just like this from now on. We must not use the dead as an interest. We must not use a barbarous murder to attack each others.

22 January 2007

Trns. by Zerin Acar and Kemal Tuzcu (JTW)

'Heros' and 'Murderers'

[muratkanat6907]

Can you illuminate me?
Why there is no citing to him before he became a trialed person, in any Armenian resource in terms of his ideas about Turkish hatered of Armenians.
A little illumination for you, I never said Talat was a hero for Turks!!!
If we go through the "first you killed me, then I killed you" we cannot know where to start and where to end this. By the way killing Turkish diplomats was rightfull, too?
I believe your way of thinking drive all these into an endless discussion. You think that what you know is pure history and what Turks believes is pure fiction.
Well I don't believe both!!! Since there is no black nor white especially in terms of history...
Meanwhile, I should say that I find interesting that both sides cannot prove their views with original sources. Surfing on internet you always end up in a Turkish web page or Armenian web page.
capiche!!

Murat90210 - a couple of things - first I'm glad that you seem to at least understand that Dink was someone who - although an Armenian - was a citizen of Turkey who had a love for his land and wished for postive change - that he was no "enemy" of Turks or Turkey (and don't think that most Diaspora Armenians don't completely understand this - because we very much do - even if it is not that aspect of Dink that we emphasis regarding his life and tragic death as having the most meaning for us)...however I find that much of your characterization of him, his death and its significance and anologies regarding such to be drastically mislplaced. Additionally, can you not understand why your (and other Turks) highly misguided, incorrect and inappropriate comparisions of the (rightful) assasination of the arch-criminal/villan Talat is not only very hurtful and insulting to Armenians but makes you look like an insensitive idiot who understands nothing at all?

First, Talat was not even a Turkish patriot but a self-seving evil murderous monster who helped to plunge the Turks/Ottoman Empire into a needless and highly destructive war. Of those in the CUP who precipitated the entire disaster of WWI for the Ottoman Empire - it was he who was most responsible for the barbaric hate campaign of destruction against a defensless minority population of the Empire and its utter disenfranchisement all in the name of the worst possible kind of racism, hatred and greed. His motivatioins were entirely evil and self-serving and he was responsible not only for the destruction of the Armenian people - which included the horrible deaths/killing of over 1.5 million defenseless Armenians - including women, children, elderly - in the most cowardly and barbaric of ways - which is now a legacy that Turkey and Turks may never be able to live down and which will certainly be in the history books throughout the world for all time - but you can also blame him for the death and destruction of a great many (perhaps hundreds of thousands) of Turks during that time who died of disease and famine - primarily resulting form the destruction of the Armenians who were both a significant agricultural provider to the Empire and whose mass deaths accross the countryside led to desease throughout Anatolia (and of course plunging the bankrupt and already at the brink of collapse Ottoman Empire into yet another losing war effort didn't help and was certainly not in the interests of all the people who had already been bled dry by the Sultan). So this Talat was not only the brutal killer of the Armenians but was and should be viewed even by Turks as a great destroyer, killer and is one who bears responsibility for the fall of the Empire and the misery of all of its people.

Contrast this demeon to Hrant Dink - who was a noble man of peace - educated, articulate - with love in is heart for all and who possessed a great sense of fairness and justice. Mr Dink was a hero in every sense of the word - for Armenians and for liberal non-racist non-hateful non hyper-nationalistic Turks (of which there are many....but unfortunatly there are many who are these things still as well). In every way he was the opposite of Talat. He had the potential to be a saviour or at least a significant voice for redemption and progress in Turkey and between our two peoples. At the same time he was an Armenian - one of the few Armenians remaining in Anatolia - our ancient homeland - one of the few who was able to tolerate the continued injustices against us there and live and prosper - regardless of the dangers, inequalities and threats against him. His killing - prompted by the extreme racist nationalism prevelant among significant elements of Turks - and by the denialist, racist and hateful policies of the Turkish government itself - and specifically by the "deep government" of Kemalist elites that truly determine Turkish policy and influence the media and your people by such - by teaching false history and hatred against the Armenians - by indoctrinating Turkish children to (falsely) view Armenians as betrayers (and even to have to produce and essay about such in order to graduate school) - and to be made to falsely believe it was the Armenians who stabbed Turks/Turkey in the back (and not the other way around which is what it truly was) - and to continue this vicious campaign of delaying/preventing justice by denying the Genocide -so in all of this your government, your nation and as a result your people (those who don't speak out against these things) are guilty of perpetuating the Armenian Genocide by your killing of Dink. Yes of course he was a champion for free speech and liberalism in Turkey and he lived by these principles - but anyone with a brain can see what the true deeper issue is - it is the prevelant distorition of history - denying of the Armenian Genocide and perpetuation of the racist Turkish myth of your existance and history and vilifying of minorities. Until you and other Turks and your government come to deal with this you will continue to be murderers and you will continue the legacy of those before you who commited some of the most brutal acts against mankind ever witnessed with their actions against the Armenians.

And if you come here to an Armenian Genocide commemoration site like this one - particularly at a tragic time like this - where we are reminded of our intense and unvanquished pain - and that such once again has been forced on us once again by some Turks - and you do other then apologize to Armenians and ask what you can do to make things better between us - and instead you make highly inappropriate and insulting comparisons with the rightful justice done to the murderous Talat and/or heap other baseless accusations against Armenians - well then you can only expect that all Armenians will reject you utterly and hope that you rot. Capiche?

[muratkanat6907]

So this was a pure revenge? Please read this...
original web page: http://www.snff.org/shahan.html


In the Beirut-based "Nayiri" weekly, v. 12, nos. 1-6 were published Shahan's memoirs about Talaat's assassination. There, Shahan revealed his orders to Tehlirian: "You blow up the skull of the Number 1 nation-murderer and you don't try to flee. You stand there, your foot on the corpse and surrender to the police, who will come and handcuff you." Shahan Natalie's purpose was to turn Soghomon Tehlirian's trial into the political trial of those responsible for the Great Tragedy, which was realized in part. However, there were those in the ARF leadership, Simon Vratsian in particular, who had two chapters deleted from Tehlirian's memoirs - before their printing - which dealt with Shahan Natalie's key role in the assassination of Talaat.

The fruits of Shahan Natalie's planning mind were successive assassinations as follow:


Talaat Pasha, member of the Ittihadist triumvirate and former prime minister, 15 March 1921, Berlin. Executor, Soghomon Tehlirian.
Pipit Jivanshir Khan, former internal affairs minister of Azerbaijan, rabid pan-Turanian, organizer of Armenian massacres, 18 July 1921, Constantinople. Executor, Misak Torlakian.
Said Halim Pasha, former primer minister, 5 December 1921, Berlin. Organizer, Grigor Merjanov; executor, Arshavir Shiragian.
Behaeddin Shakir Bey, principally responsible organizer and executor of the Ittahadist "Special Committee," 17 April 1922, Berlin. Executor, Aram Yerganian, who in 1919, Tbilisi, had slain Azeri beasts Ghasik Bekov, and the following year, Sarafov and Khan Khuysk, also in Tbilisi.
Jemal Azmi, Ittihadist Armenophobe chief, 17 April 1922, Berlin. Executive, T.; collaborator, Aram Yerganian.
Jemal Pasha, Ittihadist triumvirate member and defense minister, 25 July 1922, Tbilisi. Executors, decoys, Stepan Dzaghigian and Bedros D. Boghosian; collaborators, Zareh MelikShahnazarian of Artsakh and others.
The third member of the triumvirate, Enver Pasha, was killed in 1922 in Turkmenistan (Central Asia) when he was leading the Basmaji-Hrosakayin -Pan-Turanian movement. It is assumed that the killer of this beast was an Armenian soldier in the Red Army.

Shahan Natalie's avengers executed also several Armenian spies and traitors, who, by denouncing their kinsmen to Turkish authorities, were responsible for their deaths.

Soghoman Teliryan was not a radical. He watched 7 members of his family get butchered, his sisters raped, their unborn children carved from their wombs... as a young child. All this occured on orders from Talatt Pasha...

Did Hrant Dink order the death of the gunmans family?

Get the hell out of this forum...

[Hovik]

So this was a pure revenge? Please read this...
original web page: http://www.snff.org/shahan.html


In the Beirut-based "Nayiri" weekly, v. 12, nos. 1-6 were published Shahan's memoirs about Talaat's assassination. There, Shahan revealed his orders to Tehlirian: "You blow up the skull of the Number 1 nation-murderer and you don't try to flee. You stand there, your foot on the corpse and surrender to the police, who will come and handcuff you." Shahan Natalie's purpose was to turn Soghomon Tehlirian's trial into the political trial of those responsible for the Great Tragedy, which was realized in part. However, there were those in the ARF leadership, Simon Vratsian in particular, who had two chapters deleted from Tehlirian's memoirs - before their printing - which dealt with Shahan Natalie's key role in the assassination of Talaat.

The fruits of Shahan Natalie's planning mind were successive assassinations as follow:


Talaat Pasha, member of the Ittihadist triumvirate and former prime minister, 15 March 1921, Berlin. Executor, Soghomon Tehlirian.
Pipit Jivanshir Khan, former internal affairs minister of Azerbaijan, rabid pan-Turanian, organizer of Armenian massacres, 18 July 1921, Constantinople. Executor, Misak Torlakian.
Said Halim Pasha, former primer minister, 5 December 1921, Berlin. Organizer, Grigor Merjanov; executor, Arshavir Shiragian.
Behaeddin Shakir Bey, principally responsible organizer and executor of the Ittahadist "Special Committee," 17 April 1922, Berlin. Executor, Aram Yerganian, who in 1919, Tbilisi, had slain Azeri beasts Ghasik Bekov, and the following year, Sarafov and Khan Khuysk, also in Tbilisi.
Jemal Azmi, Ittihadist Armenophobe chief, 17 April 1922, Berlin. Executive, T.; collaborator, Aram Yerganian.
Jemal Pasha, Ittihadist triumvirate member and defense minister, 25 July 1922, Tbilisi. Executors, decoys, Stepan Dzaghigian and Bedros D. Boghosian; collaborators, Zareh MelikShahnazarian of Artsakh and others.
The third member of the triumvirate, Enver Pasha, was killed in 1922 in Turkmenistan (Central Asia) when he was leading the Basmaji-Hrosakayin -Pan-Turanian movement. It is assumed that the killer of this beast was an Armenian soldier in the Red Army.

Shahan Natalie's avengers executed also several Armenian spies and traitors, who, by denouncing their kinsmen to Turkish authorities, were responsible for their deaths.

Sa Girki anun e "Turker oo Menk"...

What's your point? He wasn't traumatized to the point of executing that dog Talat? He needed to be pushed? Himar es?
Shahan merely organized the event, the desire, emotions, etc. were already there and boiling...

Still you're ignoring me, did Hrant kill the families of The Gunman or his Chechen/Azeri trained organizer?

Yes, Shahan also watched his family butchered by your idol...

[Joseph]

1,5 million or 2 million ??
And can you make clear those killings in thousands in 1930's and 1950s...
deportation against greeks was mutual between Turkey and Greece after the emergence of new Turkish Republic

He is reffering to 2 incindents in Republican Turkish history:


1. WWII wealth tax leveled at Turkey's minorities/ labor camps
2. The Istanbul pogroms in 1955


I have provide brief descriptions of both below. Not sure if they ever mentioned these in your history books though I'm guessing they did not-


Turkey's Brutal WWII-Era Wealth Tax
Copyright İ 2005 Tax Analysts
Tax Notes International Magazine
September 5, 2005
WORLDWIDE TAX OVERVIEW
by Cathy Phillips, editor of Tax Notes International
The voluntary tax systems of the United States and many other countries aren't perfect, but they sure beat the heck out of the alternative. Consider, for example, life under a regime where tax rates aren't made public, assessments are arrived at in secret, and failure-to-comply penalties include banishment to forced labor camps.
This week we present a fascinating article by DAVID JOULFAIAN on a wealth tax adopted by Turkey in 1942 that included all of the above unpleasantries. In the midst of World War II, Turkish citizens also were victims of a monstrous tax system that they were powerless to change. Joulfaian describes the discriminatory nature of the wealth tax, a lopsided levy shouldered by the minority Christian and Jewish populations in the predominately Muslim nation, and the misguided fiscal policies that allowed the tax to take root in the first place (p. 915).
...
THE ULTIMATE DEATH TAX (page 915)
Wealth taxes are common in many countries, and represent one of the oldest forms of taxation. Local governments in the United States, for instance, levy annual property taxes. Annual wealth taxes are levied in several European countries as well. The estate tax is the only wealth tax levied by the U.S. government and applies to wealth held at death. The wealthy are at times also taxed at progressive tax rates on their earnings in addition to being exposed to wealth taxes. Governments levy those taxes to diversify their sources of revenues, augment and protect the income tax base, and regulate the distribution of income and the concentration of wealth. Governments may resort to additional taxes in times of national emergency.
A general guiding principle for any tax system is that it should be sufficiently transparent to enable a taxpayer to construct the size of wealth or income subject to tax, as well as the ensuing tax liability. For local property taxes, for instance, cities inform property owners of the assessed value of their real estate and the amount of tax they owe. For income and estate taxes, taxpayers report the amount of income received and the size of terminal wealth to the government. Once the taxable amount is established, a tax rate schedule is applied to determine the tax liability. Taxpayers are able to appeal assessments and are given adequate time to prepare their documents and make provisions for paying the amounts owed.
A student of taxation may encounter many fascinating features of the various taxes levied throughout history, dating back to ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire. Yet no tax system rivals the peculiarities of a tax employed in the middle of the 20th century. On the morning of November 12, 1942, the citizens of Turkey woke up to the most draconian wealth tax ever envisaged. While the tax in theory applied to the entire predominantly Muslim nation, in practice much of its burden rested with the minority Christian and Jewish communities who primarily resided in Istanbul, formerly known as Constantinople. Neither the rate of taxation nor the taxable base and its derivation were made public. Tax assessments were arrived at in secret, and individuals were directed to settle their government assessed liabilities within two weeks, without any appeal provisions in place. The penalty for Christians and Jews who failed to do so within a month was deportation to forced labor camps in eastern Turkey in addition to having their property confiscated. The tax was initially also extended to Christian and Jewish schools, as well as to churches and synagogues, but not to Muslim institutions, because they were owned or funded by the government. As documented by Faik Okte, the Turkish Ministry of Finance official in charge of implementing the tax, assessments were determined arbitrarily because the authorities lacked information on the income and properties of the minority groups./1/

The Istanbul Pogrom (aka Istanbul Riots; Greek: ????????????; Turkish: 6–7 Eylül Olaylar?: both literally Events of September), was a pogrom directed primarily at Istanbul's 100,000-strong Greek minority on 6 and September 7, 1955. Jews and Armenians living in the city and their businesses were also targeted in the pogrom, which was orchestrated by the Demokrat Parti-government of Turkish Prime Minister Adnan Menderes. The events were triggered by the false news that the house in Thessaloniki (Turkish: Selânik), Greece, where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was born in 1881, had been bombed the day before.[1]
A Turkish mob, most of which was trucked into the city in advance, assaulted Istanbul’s Greek community for nine hours. Although the orchestrators of the pogrom did not explicitly call for Greeks to be killed, between 13 and 16 Greeks (including two Orthodox clerics) and at least one Armenian died during or after the pogrom as a result of beatings and arsons.[2]
Thirty-two Greeks were severely wounded. In addition, dozens of Greek women were raped, and a number of men were forcibly circumcised by the mob. 4,348 Greek-owned businesses, 110 hotels, 27 pharmacies, 23 schools, 21 factories, 73 churches and over a thousand Greek-owned homes were badly damaged or destroyed.[2]
Estimates on the economic cost of the damage vary from Turkish government's estimate of 69.5 million Turkish lira (equivalent to 24.8 million USD [3]), the British diplomat estimates of 100 million GBP (about 200 million USD), the World Council of Churches’ estimate of 150 million USD, and the Greek government's estimate of 500 million USD.[2]
The pogrom greatly accelerated emigration of ethnic Greeks, reducing the 200,000-strong Greek minority in 1924 to just over 5,000 in 2005.[4]

[Joseph]

So this was a pure revenge? Please read this...
original web page: http://www.snff.org/shahan.html


In the Beirut-based "Nayiri" weekly, v. 12, nos. 1-6 were published Shahan's memoirs about Talaat's assassination. There, Shahan revealed his orders to Tehlirian: "You blow up the skull of the Number 1 nation-murderer and you don't try to flee. You stand there, your foot on the corpse and surrender to the police, who will come and handcuff you." Shahan Natalie's purpose was to turn Soghomon Tehlirian's trial into the political trial of those responsible for the Great Tragedy, which was realized in part. However, there were those in the ARF leadership, Simon Vratsian in particular, who had two chapters deleted from Tehlirian's memoirs - before their printing - which dealt with Shahan Natalie's key role in the assassination of Talaat.

The fruits of Shahan Natalie's planning mind were successive assassinations as follow:


Talaat Pasha, member of the Ittihadist triumvirate and former prime minister, 15 March 1921, Berlin. Executor, Soghomon Tehlirian.
Pipit Jivanshir Khan, former internal affairs minister of Azerbaijan, rabid pan-Turanian, organizer of Armenian massacres, 18 July 1921, Constantinople. Executor, Misak Torlakian.
Said Halim Pasha, former primer minister, 5 December 1921, Berlin. Organizer, Grigor Merjanov; executor, Arshavir Shiragian.
Behaeddin Shakir Bey, principally responsible organizer and executor of the Ittahadist "Special Committee," 17 April 1922, Berlin. Executor, Aram Yerganian, who in 1919, Tbilisi, had slain Azeri beasts Ghasik Bekov, and the following year, Sarafov and Khan Khuysk, also in Tbilisi.
Jemal Azmi, Ittihadist Armenophobe chief, 17 April 1922, Berlin. Executive, T.; collaborator, Aram Yerganian.
Jemal Pasha, Ittihadist triumvirate member and defense minister, 25 July 1922, Tbilisi. Executors, decoys, Stepan Dzaghigian and Bedros D. Boghosian; collaborators, Zareh MelikShahnazarian of Artsakh and others.
The third member of the triumvirate, Enver Pasha, was killed in 1922 in Turkmenistan (Central Asia) when he was leading the Basmaji-Hrosakayin -Pan-Turanian movement. It is assumed that the killer of this beast was an Armenian soldier in the Red Army.

Shahan Natalie's avengers executed also several Armenian spies and traitors, who, by denouncing their kinsmen to Turkish authorities, were responsible for their deaths.

The interesting thing is that all those CUP officials and politicians who were killed were all responsible for the death of millions of Christians (Armenians, Assyrians, Chaldean, Pontic Greeks, Maronites) directly and thousands of Muslims indirectly.

[Joseph]

A commentary from the biggest anti-Armenian of them all

One only needs to read Ergun KIRLIKOVALI's commentary's of the past to see what a racist and fascist this man is towards Armenians. He is a hypocrite. This is a clear example of crocodile tears to the extreme. He is the most shinning example of Pan-Turkic and xxxkurt mentality as I have ever seen

The following message was published on the Turkish Forum website as a message of condolence.

When I read it I could not hold the fury inside me. They, the enemies of everything Armenian, have the temerity to insult Hrant's memory by such lies. All they are worried is what the world will say about them and Turkish officials. It would be less insulting if they simply keep their mouths silent and the writing to themselves.
Don't these two faced characters have any decency?
As though our grief is not enough, do our intellects have to be insulted too?

-Joseph



19 January 2007
Hrant Dink assassinated in a dastardly Plot


Our pain and sorrow are endless

We, the members of Turkish-American community, condemn this cowardly and dastardly murder in the strongest way possible with words and convey our deep sorrow and heartfelt condolences to the victim’s family, friends, and loved ones.

We consider those bullets fired on Dink to actually aim at human rights, freedom of speech, Turkey, Turkey’s democracy and unity and condemn the dark forces behind those bullets.

We learned with sadness (from the NTV satellite broadcast via www.dfhnet.com ) that Hrant Dink, editor of Agos newspaper published in Istanbul and a prominent member of the Turkish-Armenian community, has been killed.* The assassination took place as Dink was leaving the Agos building (apparently temporarily as he had left his hat and coat in his office.)* According to eyewitnesses, an 18-19 year old man wearing a white hat and blue jeans fired four bullets at Dink in close range.* Three of those bullets hit Dink in his head and neck killing him on the spot.* The killer then ran away, not neglecting to shout “Don’t Speak!” (to the police), in an apparent attempt to scare the eyewitnesses into silence.* According to police, a suspect fitting this description was caught in Taksim, a district only a mile or two down the road from Sisli, the crime scene.*

Hrant Dink’s lawyer, Erdal Dogan, stated in a phone interview with NTV anchor that Dink did alert the Sisli District Attorney about the threats Dink had received but that Dink did not ask for body guards.* Indeed. Dink did write about the threats he had received in his latest article and described the situation he was in with the phrase “Dovish nervousness of the state of my soul.”

In a move of incredible speed and sensitivity,* the President of Turkey, Ahmet Necdet Sezer, immediately declared the event “ugly and shameful” and that he condemned it.

Prime Minister Erdogan, in his speech of condolences, also condemned the event and called it a move against the unity of Turkey.* Turkish Interior Minister Aksu and Justice Minister Cicek were on their way to the crime scene as soon as they heard the assassination.* Statements of shock and sadness form all media personalities kept pouring in.* Grieving citizens created huge crowds at the crime scene and shouted slogans condemning killer(s).* As one can see, Turkey from its highest levels of government to it widest base of citizenry sincerely condemned this assassination and mobilized for the immediate capture of the perpetrator(s).*

Now expect to see unfounded and unjustified attack on Turkey totally ignoring the above.* I-told-you-so editorials and/or op-ed pieces will flood the media and full scale demonizing of Turkey will be attempted.

This assassination gave those already hostile to Turkey a great opportunity to bad mouth Turkey, as if the crime committed by one citizen can be attributed to a whole country.*

Because of this murder, the U.S. Congress, for the first time ever in its history, might be tempted to accept as fact those baseless Armenian allegations of genocide* (I hope this doesn’t happen, otherwise the Turkish-American relations would be seriously and permanently damaged.* Turkish pride and honor can never be fodder to America’s arrogant and ignorant local politics.)

The French government may be pressured into rethink its position no to send that comical law banning freedom of speech on Turkish-Armenian conflict, the infamous denial law, to the Senate which is expected to approve it (Again, I hope this doesn’t happen, because Turkish-French relations will be seriously and permanently damaged.* France still owes an apology to Turks for invading Anatolia during WWI, raining death and destruction on Turks, and destroying thousand year of peaceful-cohabitation of Turks and Armenians in Anatolia by using neighbor-against-neighbor approach.* With this law,* French politicians would be adding insult to the historic pain and suffering they inflicted on Turks. )

The “secret embargo and censorship” applied to Turkish views on the Armenian issue in the West would be more open wide-spread.* This assassination, no matter how it is viewed or who committed it, is like a heinous dagger put in the back of Turkey.* Viewed in this light, one cannot help wondering if this assassination is organized by some anti-Turks.* Time will reveal this.* When the suspects are caught and turned over to the wheels of justice, the dark forces behind this crime will also be revealed.* That’s our wish, hope, and expectation.

As proud and brave members of a dignified and honorable nation which succeeded in keeping the brotherhood and citizenship bonds between the Turkish-Armenians and Turks even after many years of international Armenian terrorism and losing numerous martyrs, we hope that the perpetrators of this hate crime will be captured and brought before justice; convey our condolences and sympathies to* Hrant Dink’s family, friends, and loved ones; and* wish patience and strength to surviving family members, friends, and indeed, the entire Turkish nation.

With our deepest love and respect,

Ergun KIRLIKOVALI
Member of the Advisory Board, The Turkish Forum
Western Regional Director, the Federation of Turkish American Associations, New York
Former Western Regional Director, the Assembly of* Turkish American Associations, Washington DC
Columnist, www.turkla.com
Husband, father, brother, citizen, and a human

[1.5 million]

By the way killing Turkish diplomats was rightfull, too?

Absolutely...though I did not support the manner in which ASALA carried out its program nor the organisation as a whole.

If we were Jews or Israelis (that you Turks killed and still did not admit to) imagine the blood that would be shed.

I believe your way of thinking drive all these into an endless discussion. You think that what you know is pure history and what Turks believes is pure fiction.

I suggest that you read my past entires in this forum (beginning with my earliest) before you make conclusions about me and my views in ignorance.

Meanwhile, I should say that I find interesting that both sides cannot prove their views with original sources.

Here you are very wrong. If you think that the Armenian Genocide has not been more then proven - and by thousands of corroborated original sources - then you haven't been trying very hard to learn the real history...in other words obviously you do not capiche...

[muratkanat6907]

So blood for blood,
Have those diplomats killed any Armenian??? Or ordered killings of any Armenian... That's what I don't agree.
Still, all citing in favor of your view and my view ended with an Armenian or Turkish source. This proves nothing. It would be grate government in Yerevan, Moscow and those from other countries (Paris, London, Germany etc...) opened up their archieves to conclude this... As far as I know Turkey claim that they opened...
For this blood to blood thing:
Here I have armenian friends and I know that they suffered and still suffering some how. But also I have Turkish friends whose grand parents also suffered because of Armenian acts in their regions... I don't claim that Turkish sufferings outnumbered that of Armenian.Have you ever listened a story from Turkish side? My point is most of you do not tend to listen Turkish view, just 180 degree opposite of the nationalists attitude here in Turkey.

Your way of accusing all Turks (though you know that it was a result of couple of people's decision in war times) is hardened for most of Turks to discuss the subject with you.

Absolutely...though I did not support the manner in which ASALA carried out its program nor the organisation as a whole.

If we were Jews or Israelis (that you Turks killed and still did not admit to) imagine the blood that would be shed.



I suggest that you read my past entires in this forum (beginning with my earliest) before you make conclusions about me and my views in ignorance.




Here you are very wrong. If you think that the Armenian Genocide has not been more then proven - and by thousands of corroborated original sources - then you haven't been trying very hard to learn the real history...in other words obviously you do not capiche...