Turkey's Islamist PM Tayyip Erdoğan is definitely under strain. Today, on on the eve of the day Armenians world wide memorialize the victims of the Turkish genocide that occurred in 1915, Erdoğan became the first Turkish politician in history to actually admit that something evil just might have occurred:
Turkey has issued a first-ever statement offering condolences to the descendants of slain Ottoman Armenians just a day before of 99th anniversary of the mass killings of Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire during World War I.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan highlighted the “shared pain” endured during the 1915 events in a historic statement April 23 on the Armenian issue, expressing condolences on behalf of the Turkish state to the grandchildren of Armenians who lost their lives “in the context of the early 20th century.”
In a first-of-its-kind statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office, Erdoğan said April 24 carries “particular significance for our Armenian citizens and for all Armenians around the world.”
Speaking to reporters April 23, Erdoğan said it was always Turkey that had taken steps for reconciliation but that it was now the Armenian side’s turn to take steps toward Turkey.
“It is indisputable that the last years of the Ottoman Empire were a difficult period, full of suffering for Turkish, Kurdish, Arab, Armenian and millions of other Ottoman citizens, regardless of their religion or ethnic origin,” wrote Erdoğan.
“Millions of people of all religions and ethnicities lost their lives in the First World War,” he added. “Having experienced events which had inhumane consequences – such as relocation – during the First World War, should not prevent Turks and Armenians from establishing compassion and mutually humane attitudes among towards one another.”
This is typical Islamist doublespeak. Until now, rather than 'taking steps towards reconciliation', the Turks have denied the Armenian genocide ever occurred, imprisoned and even murdered Turkish writers and academics who wrote or spoke about it, and leaned on foreign governments who passed or attempted to pass resolutions mentioning it.
And contrary to Erdoğan's statement, it was the Turks doling out those 'inhumane consequences' and Greeks, Assyrians, and Armenians who were almost exclusively at the receiving end.
But this is still a surprising first step for a Turkish leader in even acknowledging what happened. An attempt at reparations by Turkey to the descendants of genocide victims similar to what Germany provided to Holocaust victims would be a necessary second one to keep the process going.
2 comments:
I have problems with the Jewish Holocost, inc. From 1895-1995, there have been many, many Genocides. The Hamididian Massacres (Armenians) 1895-1909, The Armenian Genocide 1915, the Ukranian Genicide 1932-4, The Great Leap Forward 1959, The Cultural Revolution 1966, The Cambodian Genocide 1975-8, The Islamic Genocide (Serbian) 1994, Rwandian Genocide 1994-5, the CAR Genocide (Muslims & Christians) 2013-4. Never Again, Again & Again!
Today, the Turkish PM took baby steps in recognizing the Armenian Genocide of 1915. He speaks of 'mutual pain' which is...a start. Next, he needs to recognized the deliberate plan for Genocide.
The Armenians should encourage the baby steps and not pounce for full recognization & reparations ala the Nazi Germany model. Although that may happen, now is not the time for it.
As an American, I can relate to the Turkish position, no matter how stupid & ridiculous it is. Ask any American about the Philipine-American War 1899-1914 and they will draw a blank. America first betrayed the Philipinos and then went to war with them. It was a Genocide but one that was suppressed when we captured the Agunado (sic), made him a Puppet and his family very, very RICH. Kind of like what we've done with Pres. Karsi of Afghanistan 2014. Small Steps, Armenians---Ya Gotta take SMALL StEPS!!!
'Jewish Holocaust inc'? 'pouncing for full recognization & reparations ala the Nazi Germany mode'?
I normally try and treat people respectively here, but you deserve to get the chicken fried crap kicked out of you for those snide,ignorant remarks.
Here's something you probably don't know, twit. The Jews didn't 'pounce' on anything. Thanks to the Muslim ethnic cleansing of Jews in the Middle East after Israel's founding in 1948, there were almost a million refugees who came to Israel with the clothes on their backs if they were lucky, after everything they owned was plundered.
Israel,unlike the Arabs, took in their refugees, but people were literally living in tent cities, the UN offered no help (again, unlike the Arab refugees who got millions and a whole UN agency to themselves)and with the care needed for Holocaust victims who also were taken in by Israel, the country was in financial straits when the Germans (who unlike the Turks, took full responsibility for what they had done) offered some money to those who had survived the camps. Compared with what they had suffered, it was minimal but Ben-Gurion took it because it was desperately needed.
I could go into details on why the Holocaust was a unique event different from every event you mentioned (although the Armenian Genocide comes closest)but I have no intention of wasting electrons educating an obvious bigot.
The Turks have spent decades denying what they did. Most if not all of the original victims died long before, many of them in horrendous conditions, and even many whom survived the 1915 genocide did so as sex slaves and concubines for the Turks.
Billions in property was stolen outright, and the Turks even had the nerve to go to our Ambassador, Henry Morganthau and demand the names of Armenians who had life insurance policies with U.S. companies,because the Turks had helpfully passed a law that if there were no heirs, that money would go to the state.To his credit, Morganthau refused to cooperate.
After all that, now you want the Armenians to take 'baby steps'? I hope they take the Turks for every penny they can.
Oh, and one more thing. If you want to pose 'as an American' get a clue and realize that we don't use 'recognization' as a real word.
And here's another term for you to learn, the next time you want to pose 'as an American' - you and the horse you rode in on.
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