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  • #31
    Ertugrul Ozkok: The apology campaign for Armenians is a joke

    At last I am relieved. Peter Gabriel, a singer I enjoyed very much during his "Genesis" days, but whose ethnic obsession I find it difficult to understand, has joined the campaign "to apologize to Armenians".

    He apologizes on behalf of us, "Turks", to the Armenians for the bad things that "we Turks" did to the Armenians.

    I was considering whether to join the campaign or not. I was relieved when I read the news about Gabriel.

    Since he apologizes to the Armenians on our behalf, Turks, then I apologize to the Indians, the Pakistanis and to the indigenous people of former colonies in the Far East on behalf of the "Brits".

    For the bad things that "those Brits" did to these people.

    The formula for the historic solution of the Armenian issue has been found. People from different countries apologize to the people of some other country for the bad things that another country did to them.

    In addition the country's parliaments have been taking over the authority of "rewriting history" or vice a versa for the bad things that one country did to some other nation.

    In that case, for us, as Turks there is no problem. As for the Armenians; we now have a chance to solve this problem via proxies.


    * * *

    Let's leave aside the amusing aspect of it. I consider this "apology campaign" started by some Turkish intellectuals as a huge joke.

    The text they had prepared is wonderful!

    Now I am waiting with some trepidation to see just how many Turks join the most romantic campaign in the history. A million people? Maybe two, three, five million?

    What if the number of people who sign does not reach the 47 percent that presents the national will?

    Think about it: "The national will definitely does not apologize..."

    We would be disgraced in eyes of Armenians.

    * * *

    Since Peter Gabriel has joined, I think we should place on the table all the issues that need apologizing for.

    For example, who is going to apologize for the Turkish diplomats murdered by the ASALA terror organization?

    We should find people from other countries since no Armenian, either from Armenia or the diaspora has come forward to do that.

    I propose an appeal to Mick Jagger. He will sign it for sure.

    We should knock on Germany’s door to get apologizes for the Turks and Kurds who were slaughtered by the Armenian gangs in 1915, but the Germans have another apology issue to deal with.

    What about the Turkish civilians who were killed in Thessaloniki during the Balkan Wars, despite the fact they had laid down their weapons.

    Who is going to apologize of their behalf?

    Do you think a Canadian might do it?

    Leonard Cohen, for example.

    No he won't - since he loves the Greeks and lived on a Greek island for years.

    Maybe it would be possible to find someone from Asia.

    Let me warn you: It is easy to find someone who would come down hard on Turks but it is not so easy to find someone who to apologize for the Turks that were slaughtered.

    * * *

    Still it is a good thing to have a few Turkish intellectuals who would apologize on behalf of Turks.

    In the future we will stand up in front of the whole world and say "Look, we have people who apologize. But there is not even one representative from them."

    I sincerely support this campaign only to say that.

    And I promise to give my full backing, as Peter Gabriel has done, to signature campaigns that are launched for the all bad things that the Brits and French have done.

    I flied into rage! He is mocking. There was a lyric of the song Mr Jack, System of A Down: xxxx YOU PIG!

    Comment


    • #32
      He's trying to stir trouble with the "foreign influence" tripe.

      I think he has a problem with apologizing in general. He's obviously hinting to the Holocaust when he refers to Germany.

      Hah. Has anyone else noticed that the only time Turks seem to care about Kurds is when 1915 comes up? Yet many Kurds seem to have apologized for what happened to the Armenians (some even acknowledging Kurdish responsibility), so it's sort of contradictory.

      This is obviously written with a core audience in mind - Turks, who throughout history have apparently been engaged in a battle with imperialists and the evil West. Don't believe me? It's in their national anthem.

      Oh, and LOL, Peter Gabriel? I'm loving this!

      Comment


      • #33
        Hmm. Bulent Kenes now conveniently recalls a tragedy experienced by his grandmother and grandfather. The Turkish people have apparently bottled up this attempted genocide against them, and only like to bring it up when Armenians are mentioned! Perhaps he should demand reparations!

        Oh, Bulent. You couldn't help but use this classic quibble, could you: "Moreover, if the Turks had intended to commit systematic genocide on the Armenian people, they would have done it easily, at the time when their power was at its peak."

        I think we're going to be seeing more of these tit for tat arguments.

        Article at Today's Zaman: http://todayszaman.com/tz-web/yazarD...haberno=161457

        BTW-This may be the first time I have come across two articles from Turkish columnists with a total absence or reference to the "world Armenian lobby."

        Comment


        • #34
          Originally posted by chinchilla View Post
          Hah. Has anyone else noticed that the only time Turks seem to care about Kurds is when 1915 comes up? Yet many Kurds seem to have apologized for what happened to the Armenians (some even acknowledging Kurdish responsibility), so it's sort of contradictory.

          This is obviously written with a core audience in mind - Turks, who throughout history have apparently been engaged in a battle with imperialists and the evil West. Don't believe me? It's in their national anthem.

          Oh, and LOL, Peter Gabriel? I'm loving this!
          Well really the Ottoman Empire was a horrific time for everyone, all the minority groups were fighting and killing each other, the Turkish government favored the Kurds above the other minorities. Now the Turkish government has finally turned against the Kurds as well.

          Comment


          • #35
            I'm starting to remember the movie "Gangs of New York", lol, after reading what you said Peter.
            THE ROAD TO FREEDOM AND JUSTICE IS A LONG ONE!

            Comment


            • #36
              Originally posted by Saco View Post
              I'm starting to remember the movie "Gangs of New York", lol, after reading what you said.
              Yeah but the Ottoman Empire really was like that, but saying that an Empire itself is a bad thing, as in Empire's there are racial groups oppressing another racial groups.

              Comment


              • #37
                Originally posted by hipeter924 View Post
                Well really the Ottoman Empire was a horrific time for everyone, all the minority groups were fighting and killing each other, the Turkish government favored the Kurds above the other minorities. Now the Turkish government has finally turned against the Kurds as well.
                Actually, i suppose it is different from what you told qualitatively. It is not a war of "bellum omnium contra omnes" in the level of minorities.

                Comment


                • #38
                  Originally posted by ardakilic View Post
                  Actually, i suppose it is different from what you told qualitatively. It is not a war of "bellum omnium contra omnes" in the level of minorities.
                  Okay, well I will put it this way. Minority groups in the Ottoman Empire, after the conquest of the Eastern Roman/Byzantine Empire fought for influence, this ended in bloodshed and sometimes it was resolved, but overall there was mostly bloodshed.

                  Comment


                  • #39
                    Originally posted by hipeter924 View Post
                    Okay, well I will put it this way. Minority groups in the Ottoman Empire, after the conquest of the Eastern Roman/Byzantine Empire fought for influence, this ended in bloodshed and sometimes it was resolved, but overall there was mostly bloodshed.
                    I didnot mean this.

                    Comment


                    • #40
                      It's still very tabou subject in Turkey, we are at the beginning of the process and it'll take time. We need our Armenian brothers support and patience. As mentionned Turks are not one bloc, historical books and personal stories multiply. Only civil society will change the way politicans handle this question. Collaboration between Turkish and Armenian historians, researchers, professors, journalists and intellectuals is essential.
                      Plot theories are very usual in Turkey and also this part of the world. We need moderate Armenian voices to assure the Turkish people that there is no financial nor territory claims but only justice, to condemn Armenian violence during WW1 and ASALA terrorism...I don't know how but a big symbolic gesture condemning ASALA and WW1 assasinations would be VERY well received by Turks. We need your support! By the way it'll be a good idea to invite Turks to commemorate together 24th of April in 2009.

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