Why Do The Turks Always Refuse To Admit The Armenian Genocide?

This is a question for a world renowned historian to answer, this very question was asked by Le Monde to Dr. Bernard Lewis an Ottoman and Islamic Historian, a New York Times Best Seller Author:

Ottoman and Islamic Historian, NYT Best Seller Bernard Lewis wrote:

You mean, the Armenian version of the history? There was an Armenian problem for the Turks created by the advance of the Russians, and also there was a population with an anti-Turkish sentiment in the Ottoman Empire who sought independence, and they overtly sympathized with the Russians advancing from the Caucasus. Also, there were Armenian bands, the Armenians bragged about their heroic exploits . . in resistance, and the Turks had trouble to maintain order under the prevailing war conditions. For the Turks it was necessary to take the punitive and preventive measure against a hostile population in a region threatened by foreign invasion. For the Armenians it was liberating their land. However, both parties agree that the repression was geographically limited; for example, those measures did not affect the Armenians who lived in the other parts of the Ottoman Empire.

No one has any doubt that terrible events took place; the Armenians, as well as the Turks suffered and perished in equal measure. Yet, no one will be able to tell what the circumstances were like, and how many people died. Consider, for instance, the case of Lebanon [Beirut] that took place recently and in full view of the entire world. During their [the Armenians] relocation to Syria [an Ottoman province at that time] hundred thousands of Armenians died on account of famine and epidemics. However, when you brought up the question of "genocide", you imply that there was a deliberate policy of extermination, to annihilate systematically the Armenian nation. This is very doubtful. The Turkish documents prove an action of relocation, not extermination.

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Why PBS Never Air Pro-Turkish Documentaries To Be Fair?

PBS Airs a Documentary Promoting Armenian Genocide "A Family Erased"

"A Family Erased" is a documentary by Armenian director George Kachadorian, depicts the journey his father and two sisters take to Eastern Turkey to find the lost homes their family had migrated from in early 1900s. The documentary has the theme of the Armenian Genocide acknowledging it and promoting it's awareness through this personal anecdote.

It is true that during 1915 and before many Armenians had migrated from Turkey, some to Erivan province where the Armenian Revolutionary Federation was powerful and recruiting soldiers for their rally against the Central Powers as they awaited aid from the Allied powers.

The story of 1915 is a fascinating one, because it is about a people who were hijacked much like the extremists hijacking Islam today; the Armenian people were hijacked by the various rebel groups, much like gangs in a city and those who opposed these gangs were murdered or tortured. The Armenian church was taken over as teaching centers for revolution rather than religion as atheist/agnostic Armenian Revolutionary Federation members began to smuggle thousands of weapons across from the Iranian and Russian borders to prepare for rebellion against the Ottoman Empire.

The rebellion did not begin because of World War I, the rebellion had begun back in the 1890s when European powers began to request that the Ottoman Empire grant more rights to the Armenian people living in the Ottoman Empire. Though the Armenian people lived well, some of them even becoming governors of Ottoman provinces, they had a few less rights because the Ottoman Empire was an Islamic Empire but tolerated all Christian minorities.

The fighting in Eastern Anatolia as well had been there since the dawn of time, even before the Ottomans as Kurdish, Armenian, Byzantine, and later Turkish forces often clashed in the vast open mountains of Eastern Anatolia.

When the rebellion got completely out of control, causing serious damage to the Ottoman war effort in World War I, the Ottoman leadership in 1915, a few months after the rebellion in Van city (where the Armenians captured an Ottoman city for the Allied Russians), decided that it was time to take emergency action to cease the rebellion. They decided to relocate Armenians only in Eastern Anatolia of suspected rebellion hotspots to the Syrian Ottoman territory. Nonetheless, the forced migration took a death toll on the Armenian population, as money was scarce in the Ottoman Empire, food shortages, the spread of violent diseases -- so much so that the Ottoman army itself went into battle starving and diseased.

Though many Armenians died, some of them leaving behind their homes and property, there was a very high survival rate. The reason Armenians claim genocide today is because once they reached Syria, many of them took Allied warships to France, Russia, the United States, and Britain. Some crossed the border to Iran and Russia disappearing from Eastern Anatolia.

And since the Turkish archives were closed up until 1990s, scholars merely assumed that the Ottoman Empire had exterminated the Armenian people. However now, these same scholars having the ability to research the Ottoman Archives and being able to visit mass graves of Turkish and Armenian villages, have now decided to not accept the Armenian Genocide thesis as it once stood.

Many world renowned scholars, such as Dr. Bernard Lewis (who once believed in the Armenian Genocide but now does not) now realize that the Ottoman Empire did everything in its power to make sure the innocent Armenians survived, they simply wanted to disrupt the ARF operations that took place within the civilian population (much like terrorist cells) in a quick fashion. Though it cost many Armenian lives, it also cost many Turkish lives as well, and the rebellion did indeed weaken. The Western Turkish-Armenians were never even touched, so how could it have been a genocide?

If the Turks just wanted Armenian money, why didn't they just take the money from the Armenians in Western Turkey who were wealthier?

If there was a genocide, why can't they find any mass Armenian graves in Syria?

Is it just possible that perhaps the Armenians that died in small numbers were because of Kurdish bandits and raiders robbing vulnerable travelers being migrated to Syria?

Is it possible that the Ottoman Empire simply wanted to stop a rebellion in war-time rather than a diabolical plan to kill all Armenians?

PBS has decided to air this documentary, but isn't PBS suppose to be fair, why is it that they never air pro-Turkish documentaries to be fair? Isn't censorship of one side of the story a way of propaganda? Write a letter to PBS if you believe it isn't fair.

We only get to the truth through debate and open uncensored discussion, not through documentaries alone.

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How Does The Armenian Hypocrisy Work? & Cumhuriyet Bayram with the Diaspora

Apparently Asbarez Armenian Daily doesn't know what October 29 is, it's the anniversary of the declaration of the birth of the Republic of Turkey-- it is Turkey's 4th of July. It is not Ataturk day. You'd think they could get something that simple right.



From Asbarez Armenian Daily



Armenian Youth Federation Demonstrates Against Gala Honoring Ataturk



LONG BEACH, CA--Over 50 members of the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) converged around the perimeter of the Long Beach Hilton Hotel Saturday night to demonstrate in protest of an annual banquet honoring the establishment of the modern Turkish republic and its founding father, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. . .



"Hosted by the Association of Turkish Americans of Southern California (ATASC), the Turkish Republic Day Ball differentiates itself from other benign cultural or social events due to its desire to celebrate the founding of the modern Turkish Republic," said Vache Thomassian of the Armenian Youth Federation. "This event, which deifies Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and other Turkish "founding fathers", seeks to commemorate the establishment of a Republic built on the ashes of 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide; a feat we believe is not worthy of celebration."



For four hours demonstrators, lined outside the hotel, chanted slogans and read short statements highlighting Turkey's past and present human rights violations, while a smaller group of AYF members inside the hotel silently demonstrated in the lobby, wearing t-shirts depicting a bloody Turkish flag and the words "republic of inhumanity."



"On October 29, 1923 Ataturk's Republic of Turkey was formed and recognized as the successor state of the Ottoman Empire," Arek Santikian screamed into a megaphone outside the hotel. "This Republic continued the oppressive and murderous policies employed by the Ottoman Empire, continuing to repress minorities, squash free speech and deny the Armenian Genocide."



Chants and statements read by AYF members outside the hotel echoed throughout the hotel lobby, reaching all the way to rooms on the hotel's top floors, according to AYF members stationed inside the Hilton.



Meanwhile, two members, inside the banquet, shouted "recognize the Armenian Genocide" repeatedly during a moment of silence held in memory of "Turkish victims" killed by Kurds, a repressed minority currently under siege in Turkey.



The demonstration's objective, according to the AYF, was to remind the event's patrons of the historical truths surrounding the establishment of the Turkish Republic.



"Undeniable human rights violations such as the denial of the Armenian Genocide, the occupation of Northern Cyprus, the massacre of Pontic Greeks, repression of minority populations and outright rejection of free speech are issues which must be brought to like during such a 'celebration'," said Thomassian. "Although we feel every ethnicity and nation has an indelible right to observe their respective cultural milestones, this instance is one which the AYF cannot remain quiet."



The demonstration was a success, according members posing as guests in the lobby. "Everyone inside the hotel lobby was talking about the demonstration and the Armenian Genocide," Thomassian said, adding that even detectives on scene sympathized with our cause.

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NOW CONTRAST THE ABOVE WITH WHAT'S POSTED BELOW:

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Professor Taner Akçam submitted the below text to IC and it is being published by his kind permission. The Middle East Studies Association Committee on Academic Freedom wrote a protest letter to the Turkish government concerning his case, which can be found here. Donations to the work of the Committee on Academic Freedom may be made here.

....

On November 30, Turkish Forum mobilized an e-mail campaign against the “Taner Akçam conference.” Members were also urged to attend the symposium and a “pre-meeting for Turks,” coordinated by Ibrahim Kurtulus.



I [Akcam] forwarded this information to the event organizers with a request that appropriate precautions be taken. I let them know that if they were going to allow intruders from Turkish Forum to leaflet my presentation and disrupt the symposium, I wasn’t going to participate. Yeshiva was concerned. An organizer who had attended the CUNY gathering on November 1 assured me that security would be increased.



As a pre-emptive step, the event committee informed the Turkish Consulate that the law school symposium was intended to be general in scope, comparative and scholarly in approach, and not focused on either Taner Akçam or Turkey. They made it clear that any disruption similar to the CUNY incident would not put Turkey in a favorable light. A Turkish consular official disavowed any government involvement in the disruption at CUNY, which he attributed to “the actions of civilians” in grassroots organizations. There was nothing the Consulate could do about them, he said. The organizers stressed that they intended to take extra security precautions and that the Consulate ought to think hard about what would happen if the symposium was invaded and its participants attacked.



Just one day before the symposium there was another phone conversation between the Turkish consular official and the organizers. He assured them that no disruption would take place and only two or three Turkish representatives would attend.



The government kept its word. The symposium was peaceful and no leaflets were distributed. The Turkish consular official attended with ATAA President-elect Gunay Evinch, both of whom were scrupulously polite. It was as though three intense weeks of mobilization had never happened.

For many Turkish intellectuals, freedom of speech has become a struggle in North America as well as in our native country. What is happening to me now could happen to any scholar who dissents from the official state version of history.





YES FRIENDS, TAKE NOTE, FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS AN INVALUABLE RIGHT THAT MUST BE PROTECTED, BUT NOT IF TURKS WANT TO SPEAK.

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What Does Obama Have To Say On The Armenian Genocide?

A person from the crowd asks Senator Barack Obama, "[Will you support S.R. 106, and will you speak to Joe Biden about his support]?" Senator Obama then responds discusses the events of 1915 and condemns the Turks for committing this genocide against the Armenian people. . .
He says "[The genocide that DID happen to the Armenian people. The Turkish government has been in denial and others too and it has become a sore spot in diplomacy, I'll check with my staff before I sign on to that resolution.]".

One question that would be asked is why he readily accepts the Armenian Genocide when he is not a historian and is not qualified to comment on this controversial issue. He didn't say "I believe" or "I think", he claims it did happen for sure, ignoring the historical disagreement on the issue.

Joe Biden his running mate, at the time of the video, he was not his running mate, but he as well has been a sponsor of Armenian Genocide bills and supported any tactics that could damage Turkish-American relations.

For decades the Democrats have sided with Armenians and Greeks, while the Republicans have sided with Republicans.

Though there are many Turks who support the Democratic party, eventually the Turks will unite together with the Republicans and begin to form strong opposition to future Armenian Genocide Resolutions. After all, the Republicans and especially Senator John McCain, has been very supportive of Turkey, Turkish relations, and opposed the Armenian Genocide resolutions and has never used the word Armenian Genocide.

It seems the Democrats will constantly say positive things about Turks in front of a Turkish audience, then turn around and say horrible things about the Turks when in front of an Armenian audience. Eventually this double standard by the Democrats will byte them in the future. The Turks will not tolerate being blamed for something they believe they have not committed.

The debate of the Armenian Genocide continues, but it is clear that the Turks will be a major Republican voting bloc in the future. After all, the Armenians are a major Democratic voting bloc already, very few of them ever vote Republican, and they have positioned themselves time and time again as the Anti-Turkish voting bloc.

Close to the election, Senator Obama has continued his support for Anti-Turkish policies, and so has Senator Joe Biden. His socialistic policies, inexperience, naive view of foreign policy, and his support for Anti-Turkish organizations such as the ANCA, have put him at odds, and as a result the Turks will not vote for Senator Obama.

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Who Is Yusuf Halacoglu?

* Turkish Historical Society
* Yusuf Halacoglu's Position on the Armenian Genocide
* Recent History


Dr. Yusuf Halacoglu is a world renowned Turkish professor of history and former president of the Turkish Historical Society. He is an expert on the Armenian Genocide allegations and Turkish-Ottoman history.

Yusuf Halacoglu was born in Adana, Turkey in 1949. In 1971 he graduated from the History Department in Istanbul University. He joined Istanbul University's Modern History staff in 1974. In 1978 he obtained his doctorate and became an associate professor by 1982, and a full professor by March of 1989.
Turkish Historical Society

Dr. Yusuf Halacoglu joined the Turkish Historical Society, and was appointed as Head of Ottoman Archives in the Directorate-General of State Archives and by 1990 he became its deputy director-general. Dr. Yusuf Halacoglu resigned that post to work at Marmara University in Istanbul in 1992. In 1993, he was appointed Director of the Turkish Historical Society.

As director of the Turkish Historical Society, Yusuf Halacoglu began to increase research on the 1915 events between Ottomans and Armenians. Numerous hate campaigns had begun to target Turks as perpetrators of genocide around the world run by Armenian organizations as well as increase in Armenian terrorism in 1980s targeting US, French, and Turkish citizens had begun in the United States. These campaigns prompted the Turkish government to work with the Turkish historical society to research the 1915 era of the Ottoman Empire and what had happened to the Armenian people.

It was always common knowledge in Turkey that the Armenians were relocated after numerous rebellions to aid the Allies in World War One. However, accusations of genocide were not well known until the 1980s.

Dr. Yusuf Halacoglu worked with others to catalog Ottoman archives that related to the treatment of Armenians. By early 1990, the Ottoman archives were opened to the public, though millions of archival documents still had to be cataloged, funding and manpower was a problem.

Yusuf Halacoglu's Position on the Armenian Genocide

Nonetheless today, thousands of historians interested in the Armenian Genocide allegations come to Istanbul every year to research the events. This is the reason why the Armenian Genocide thesis was so well accepted, because Ottoman archives were not available for research; today, the Armenian Genocide thesis is under heavy criticism and is not as widely accepted anymore as it was in the 1980s. Researchers and famous historians of Ottoman and Islamic studies have argued against the Armenian Genocide, such as world renowned historian Dr. Bernard Lewis and Dr. Yusuf Halacoglu.

Yusuf Halacoglu, had uncovered thousands of documents that questioned long-held beliefs that the Turks were cruel to the Armenian people. Uncovering archival material on Ottoman orders and reports, Yusuf Halacoglu wrote in his books that evidence was simply not there to support a genocide conclusion. In contrast, Yusuf Halacoglu writes in his book "The Story of 1915: What Happened to the Ottoman Armenians?":

Yusuf Halacoglu wrote:

Research shows that in 1915, the relocated Armenians and Greeks received 3 krs. (Ottoman currency) a day if they were adults and 60 paras (Ottoman currency) a day for food...Talat Pasha had instructed that Armenians' debts to the state should not be collected.

Yusuf Halacoglu explains that the government spent money on the Armenian relocations for providing the Armenian people with food, water, protection, and shelter and that they also spent significant time writing laws, regulations, and telegrams to ensure that the Armenians reached their destinations and were able to resettle in their designated relocation areas.

In addition, Yusuf Halacoglu provides proof that many Armenians during the same government were given permission to return to their homes and their property was returned to them.

Yusuf Halacoglu explains that the reason for the lower population is the significant Armenian migrations through Allied ships which had helped Armenian populations of the Ottoman Empire migrate to Russia, America, and France, where there are significant populations of Armenians today.

Yusuf Halacoglu wrote:
I always receive proposals from Dashnak (Armenian Revolutionary Federation) members who want to find out what really happened. If Armenians are sincere, it will be known soon.

Recent History

Dr. Yusuf Halacoglu released several books dealing with the Armenian Relocations of 1915 in Turkey. He has even released English books such as "The Story of 1915: What Happened to the Ottoman Armenians".

Yusuf Halacoglu was recently removed from Directorship of the Turkish Historical Society for reasons that were never clarified but may have been related to the erratic political movements by the AKP government during the summer of 2008. He had served in the Turkish Historical Society as Director for 15 years.

Yusuf Halacoglu has become an expert on the Armenian Genocide thesis and explains he is ready to debate anyone publicly at any moment regarding the issue.

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