Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and Armenian Genocide

[mthT]

I know most of Armenians don't like Ataturk. I really wonder why. Do you think that Ataturk is somehow responsible for the genocide or you just insult him to make these "uncivilized barbarians"(ahah) angry?

"Yeah I hate him because he killed 187986511 Armenians, he was also gay. F*ck him."

any realible sources? no bullxxxx links or copy/paste please.


You don't like him? That's ok. You want to insult him? That's ok, too. But at least don't insult him on youtube. See, we're having a hard time finding NBA highlights when youtube is banned.


let's finish with an excellent quote: "If I weren't an atheist I'd think Ataturk was god."

greetings from Istanbul. (barbarian, level 70, ITU.)

[armenianweb]

MthT ,
you can read : Los angeles Examiner 1926 :

http://www.armenews.com/article.php3?id_article=38326

[mthT]

I've already read that one. According to that article, Ataturk admits the genocide.

What I'm asking is whether Armenians think Ataturk is responsible for the genocide.

[Zane]

I think Ataturk is at least partially responsible. He led the Turkish War of Independence, ie. the War of Rapacious Turkish Expansion, until 1923. This included exiling and murdering all non-Turks in those territories that had belonged to Imperial Russia, and actually had an Armenian Majority, these include Kars, and Igdir. Thus, qualitatively, the Actions of Kemal, through his direction of Karabekir, are the same as those of Talat, and Enver.

[Pedro Xaramillo]

Ataturk

Didn't he also start the Turkish-Armenian war or helped in it, which I think they aimed to take most of Armenia for Turkey and conquer the Russian/Persian held areas as well.

Anyway he helped start this Penal Code thing of insulting Turkishness and he did xxxx over the Kurds and stole half of Armenia with the Lausanne Treaty.

So he won't get the Carebare awards for Most Friendliest leader by me anytime soon

[imported_Hellektor]

I've already read that one. According to that article, Ataturk admits the genocide.

What I'm asking is whether Armenians think Ataturk is responsible for the genocide.

Piss all over the world, peace in your toilet. Mustafa Hammal Cacaturk

[Joseph]

Below is a link to a very interesting article regarding Ataturk, Armenian Genocide, etc.

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v30/n17/ande01_.html

[egeli]

Ataturk had absolutely nothing to do with the Armenian Genocide. Those who planned for the extermination were the young Turk Turanists. These Turanists are the predecessors to the modern day MHP and Grey Wolves. When Ataturk came to power, he expelled the Turanists and created a nation-state (in which everyone should be eternally grateful) that separated Turkey both from Islam and Turanism.

Kemalism initally had many Armenian supporters in the Turkish republic. Many Armenians had no qualms with Turkifiying their surnames, as it expressed their loyalty to the Turkish state. Why would Armenians such as Agop Dilacar (first president of the TDK, Turkish language association) and Berch Keresteciyan Turker (Armenian who saved Ataturk's life) express loyalty to Ataturk if he had anything to do with the Armenian Genocide? These Armenians understood the Ataturk represented a positive change from the Turanist young Turks.

This is a man who was nominated for the noble peace prize by his Greek counterpart, Eleftherios Venizelos. Think about that, even after years of war between Greeks and Turks, even Venizelous understood the peaceful intentions of Ataturk.

It is detestable that Armenian and Greek historical revisionism has painted Ataturk into a murderer and even as the architect of the Armenian Genocide.

[Edoman]

Ataturk was busy fighting the Russians while the Young Turks were carrying out their handy work. In fact Ataturk did not approve of the Young Turks ideology and their desire to reform and keep power for themselves.
He was way ahead of his time with his democratic outlook and separation of church and state, just to name a few. A true hero of Turkey, too bad all his hard work and concepts cannot be realized by Turks. Even today his message is misunderstood, taken out of reality, and carried forward recklessly. He was however an adversary warrior to be respected by us, and ironically we understood him more than Turks themselves.
Ataturk is doing snap rolls in his grave seeing what is happening inside Turkish state right now. Turkish blindness is effecting Turks more than anybody else.

[Joseph]

Ataturk had absolutely nothing to do with the Armenian Genocide. Those who planned for the extermination were the young Turk Turanists. These Turanists are the predecessors to the modern day MHP and Grey Wolves. When Ataturk came to power, he expelled the Turanists and created a nation-state (in which everyone should be eternally grateful) that separated Turkey both from Islam and Turanism.

Kemalism initally had many Armenian supporters in the Turkish republic. Many Armenians had no qualms with Turkifiying their surnames, as it expressed their loyalty to the Turkish state. Why would Armenians such as Agop Dilacar (first president of the TDK, Turkish language association) and Berch Keresteciyan Turker (Armenian who saved Ataturk's life) express loyalty to Ataturk if he had anything to do with the Armenian Genocide? These Armenians understood the Ataturk represented a positive change from the Turanist young Turks.

This is a man who was nominated for the noble peace prize by his Greek counterpart, Eleftherios Venizelos. Think about that, even after years of war between Greeks and Turks, even Venizelous understood the peaceful intentions of Ataturk.

It is detestable that Armenian and Greek historical revisionism has painted Ataturk into a murderer and even as the architect of the Armenian Genocide.

Ataturk did not plan the genocide but felt it was necessary all the same. Some of the instigators were admonished by him but many were protected under his regime. Under his leadership the killings continued in the 20's. He sent Karabekir to do his dirty work when he invaded Armenia. Akcam's latest book has a lot of research that explains his complicated thinking behind the slaughter and not much of it is positive. As far as Armenian individuals serving Ataturk, they didn't really have much choice and many Armenians in Turkey were pressured to Turkify which is why many have Turkish names or have subsequently become completely Turkified.