Hi from Turkey

[Mertcan]

Hi everyone. I'm really curious about Armenian people and culture. I was following the forum for a long time but I decided to be a member now.

In the genocide issue, what I know is there were a lot Armenians (and other Christians) here before 20th century. They are not here anymore. I want to understand how and why this happened. I'm also in favor of compensating any harm done to Armenian people.

Turkey is still full of brainless nationalists and fascists, I also want to strengthen my arguments against them. I hope we will have good discussions here.

[Mos]

Re: Hi from Turkey

It's good to have forward thinking Turks, hopefully more and more Turks will start thinking in such a forward manner and lead their country from nationalists/fascists.

what I know is there were a lot Armenians (and other Christians) here before 20th century. They are not here anymore. I want to understand how and why this happened

Genocide is why.

[KanadaHye]

Re: Hi from Turkey

Pan-Turkism
Western Intervention
Collapse of Ottoman Empire
Genocide
Assimilation
Oppression

Not necessarily in that order

[Mertcan]

Re: Hi from Turkey

Genocide is why.

I have no doubt that it was a genocide. What I want to learn is who were responsible. Only government and army or did local people also collaborated with them? How Kurds were involved. How Ataturk was involved. I have read many articles but I'm still confused, I want to learn more.

I'm discussing about this a lot on Turkish web sites. If I know what really happened more deeply, I will be more effective. I'm trying to convince people that a genocide occurred.

[Davo88]

Re: Hi from Turkey

Welcome to the forum!
As you may already know, the Young Turks perpetrated the Armenian genocide in 1915-1918 with the clear intent to destroy the Armenian population of Anatolia. Afterwards, Mustafa Kemal continued massacring Armenians especially in the Cilicia region which was held by the French. Moreover, the Kemalist regime did not allow for the remaining Armenians' return to Turkey.

Read the English-language Wikipedia article on the Armenian genocide for more details:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide

I would also encourage you to examine German archives on the genocide here: http://www.armenocide.de/armenocide/...n?OpenFrameset

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Hi from Turkey

I have no doubt that it was a genocide. What I want to learn is who were responsible. Only government and army or did local people also collaborated with them? How Kurds were involved. How Ataturk was involved. I have read many articles but I'm still confused, I want to learn more.

I'm discussing about this a lot on Turkish web sites. If I know what really happened more deeply, I will be more effective. I'm trying to convince people that a genocide occurred.

When local civilian populations were involved, and when "hands on" killing occured (as opposed to killing by placing people in situations where death would inevitably result), it does seem to have been mostly Kurds who did it. This is based on eyewitness and survivor accounts that are in English and that I've read. How much those Kurds knew about the bigger picture isn't clear - often they just seem to be doing what they usually do, but on a far greater scale and with official encouragement. In some areas, in Northern Syria for example, certain ethnic minorities, immigrants from the Caucasus, also participated in the killing. But almost every Turkish Muslim collaborated, and they were the ones who profited financially from the genocide.

The above is for the 1915/1916 period of the Genocide. In the post-WW1 period most of the killings, especially those in Cilicia, were done by Turks.

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Hi from Turkey

Welcome to the forum!
Afterwards, Mustafa Kemal continued massacring Armenians especially in the Cilicia region which was held by the French. Moreover, the Kemalist regime did not allow for the remaining Armenians' return to Turkey.

Most surviving Armenians did return in the immediate post-WW1 period, when Turkey was still the Ottoman Empire. The Kemalist regime was responsible for expelling those survivors (with massacres and threats of massacres as an "encouragement").

[Mertcan]

Re: Hi from Turkey

Thank you for your answers. I actually meant I will try to find out during reading and writing in the forum. I want you to know that I'm really on your side. I'm an anti-nationalist but I excuse Armenian nationalism because you fight for your survival.

[jameson]

Re: Hi from Turkey

religious freaks provoked people to kill armenians

imams offered heaven to people who killed armenian people.

islam is a religion of hate and dumbness


look at all muslim countries.. at show me only one country that lives in peace or in wealth.

they shhit where they eat.. therefore their countries like that..