A Turk's eloquent call for Genocide recognition

[winoman]

I don't have enough information to conclude that Nogales was guilty of anything except perhaps being overzealous in his duty in regards to the tactics at Van.

While it is true that he was an odd one it is my impression that he is essentially telling the truth and is a man of honor. Both of you fail to understand the profesional military mind and that of an adventurer-mercenary as existed in his day and prior. Again sure he was a bit of a strange one - but there is no proof that I am aware of of his being a psychopath (though I have not read other then 4 years beneath the crescent). Anyway he seems to me to have been a very upright person - someone to be admired - and his accounts - while certainly self serving - are I think a fairly accurate depiction of what he saw and went through. Sure he has digested the biases and claims against the Armenians without truly understandign the political background and situation - but it is his direct observations - not this speculation - which is meaningful/relevant IMO.

[Vagharshapat]

Re: A Turk's eloquent call for Genocide recognition

Genocide doesnt mean "to destroy a race for a racist reason" only but "to destroy a race for a pragmatic reason". And there was this pragmatic reason and it was; Armenians were an obstacle for the Turks' sovereignty so they had to be wiped out. This is a very pragmatic reason. Yes I know that Turks arent racists like Germans because they assimilated Armenian kids to be Turkish. But they really exterminated the ones who had refused the Turkish identity and tried to preserve their Armenian identity. They are doing this to Kurds right now. If you convert to Turkish identity that's ok, but otherwise you dont have the right to live. That is what we call "Fascism"; to dictate an identity and force people to change their identities and if they revolt and claim their homelands then kill them all...

[Selpak]

Re: A Turk's eloquent call for Genocide recognition

I'm sad to say you completely miss Altan's point. Genocide was commited - this is clear. And it is shameful for Turks to deny it. This is clear!

I think you miss Altan's point. His artical was written to Turks. As a armenian, the lesson that you should take from his artical is not "genocide was commited".