On April 24 this year, “Gunluk,” the Kurds’ only newspaper in Turkey printed in the Turkish language, featured a big headline above its logo that read: “We remember, we share your grief,” in Armenian with Armenian lettering.
Gunluk is the last representative of the Kurds’ newspaper tradition—often called the “Gundem tradition”—which started in 1991 (although the Kurdish press has a history of more than a century in this country) and continued under different names (“Ulkede Gundem,” “Ozgur Gundem,” “Yasamda Gundem,” “Ozgur Ulke,” etc.), as each one of them was closed down to reopen under a new name. During these years, many of its journalists, columnists, and distributors were arrested and tortured, and 46 of them were murdered; many of those murders remain unsolved.
The climax was the bombing of Ozgur Ulke in 1994, when the building was completely destroyed down to the ground. Nothing was left, not even a pencil, and one newspaper personnel died during the blast.
It was one of the representatives of this tradition, Ulkede Ozgur Gundem, which appeared on April 24 five years ago with the front-page headline: “We Apologize.” This was a first for the press in Turkey. The paper published numerous articles about the Armenian and Assyrian Genocide throughout its existence; after it closed down, Gunluk took over the heritage.
To the memory of our grandmothers
This year, Gunluk, with the Armenian inscription on the front page, featured two long articles about the genocide, covering one full page. One of them, with the heading “Don’t let our grandmothers’ sufferings be forgotten,” was written by Emin Turk, from the Diyarbekir prison—clearly a Kurd with a grandmother who was a genocide survivor. He put a note at the bottom, which read: “To the memory of my grandmother Rihan.”
In his long article, Emin Turk starts by saying that the politicians’ suggestion to leave the matter of the genocide to historians and the invitations to study the Ottoman archives is a more or less refined way of denial; he asks if there can be any archive of such a destruction, a total extermination with the last trace of a nation’s existence. He goes on to describe how his awareness of what his grandmother and her people suffered in 1915 sharpened in 1993, when Kurds, who had been used in the extermination of Armenians, themselves became the victims of violence, persecution, and forced displacement, and saw the destruction of their villages. He understood in depth how the suffering multiplies when one has to suppress the pain, keep silent about the horrible experience, and live among others who act as if nothing has happened. “It was then,” he writes, “when I swore on my grandmother’s memory that I will do everything to make the truth known, tell everybody I come across, and try to deserve the honor of being her grandson. I apologize to you all who suffered the genocide, I apologize to my grandmother, I apologize to Hrant Dink, and I bow before your memory to pay my respect to you all. Let them deny the genocide. The only truly independent judge is the human conscience.”
In the same issue of Gunluk, an article by Gulisor Akkum, a sociologist, appeared with the heading: “Every Armenian Is a Novel.” She starts by saying, “I knew only three Armenians my whole life, and it was enough for me. Meet only three Armenians anywhere in the world, you will know all Armenians.” Towards the end of the article, after relating how her dear friend, Uncle Anton, refused to comment on her words—that she and her people, the Kurds and Turks, owe Armenians a big debt to pay—she concludes: “It will not make a difference if you know only one or a thousand Armenians. No matter how hard you try to provoke them, they will by no means put aside a bit of their urban civility typical of a notable, which they have inherited from their history. They will not embarrass you, they will only leave you alone with your own conscience.” Many, including myself, would find such a generalization very contentious, but the underlying message the writer is attempting to convey is her feeling of indebtedness and the shame of our ancestors’ crime.
Also, on April 20, Ragip Zarakolu’s article “The Concept of Genocide, UN Genocide Convention, and the Crime of Genocide in the Turkish Penal Code” appeared in Gunluk. Zarakolu here dwells on the definition of genocide, on genocide as a legal, social, and cultural phenomena, and on Turkish denialism, and analyzes denialist arguments, pointing out their failure to gain any credibility.
Silence around the April 24 commemoration
The reason I wanted to write about this year’s April 24 issue of the Gunluk at length and in such detail was to illustrate the striking contrast in Turkey on the “Armenian Question.” It was only Gunluk, the daily of the Kurds, in Turkey that commemorated the genocide victims—not with a few words, but by dedicating the entire issue to the genocide.
On April 24, the same day Gunluk published its special genocide issue, the Human Rights Association of Turkey organized a commemoration around the message that denial is of no use and that we need to know the truth—the truth that a genocide was committed here in this country in 1915. Armenian Weekly readers will remember from my coverage of the event that three great Armenian poets and the brilliant intellectual of the time, Krikor Zohrab, were commemorated then; and a live performance of Armenian and Assyrian songs was held, followed by an Arabic peace song calling the peoples of the Middle East to friendship. The meeting room was under the media cameras’ attack, so much so that the audience complained they could not follow the event. Among the media present were major TV channels like NTV and journalists from Hurriyet asking for the texts of the speeches and arranging for interviews with the organizers. The next day, the Turkish media was completely silent about the event, again with the exception of the Kurds’ Gunluk.
It’s not only a matter of overlooking the IHD’s [Human Rights Association] commemoration event and not covering it on April 25. On April 24, the anniversary of the genocide, nothing, not even a neutral reference to this special day, was made by even the “leftist” “Radikal” and the resolute dissident of the militaristic, nationalist system “Taraf.” In the context of the “Armenian Question,” the entire mainstream and seemingly oppositionist media was preoccupied with Obama’s evasion of the “G-word” and the diplomatic process between Armenia and Turkey.
Not only the ultra-nationalists, but also the pro-government and the mainstream media, were infuriated with President Obama’s words uttered on April 24. Here are some headlines from the Hurriyet, one of the biggest-circulation newspapers in Turkey, positioned in the center politically, three days after his statement:
“Turkey is not a country to pat and deceive” — Words of the Prime Minister.
“Stop Armenian Lies” — Demonstration in New York by “Young Turks Association.”
“Imperialism’s Change of Color” (the heading of a four-column article).
“Armenian Lies of 100 Years” (the heading of a three-column article).
In short, thanks to the media and all the prominent opinion makers, Turkish public opinion seems to talk and sing in a perfectly harmonious chorus. However ,there is a dynamic in Turkey, no matter how marginal and how feeble it is for the time being, that recognizes the great, inconceivable, unforgivable crime that was committed in the homeland of the Armenians and Assyrians. But when you look at Turkey, at the TV channels, the mainstream media, and everything that shapes public opinion, you would believe that the people in Turkey are a monolithic block on the side of Turkish denialism.
A crack in the monolithic block
It is, of course, progress that no violent demonstrations were staged in front of the building where the event was held—or even inside, as was the case several times in recent years—and that for the time being no legal case has been brought against the IHD Istanbul branch, although since the 90th anniversary of the genocide, the association branch has organized commemorative events.
So this silence over commemorating the genocide is in fact a step forward in Turkey, but it is also indicative of the fact that there is a determined effort to create the impression that Turkey is a united whole behind the official ideology. So now they make us invisible. Until very recently, they physically attacked the events and meetings of nonconformists, terrorizing people and proving, with murders, that they would realize their threats. Since the Ergenekon case, they don’t show up. However, now they make us invisible. We are like an isolated island in a vast geography populated with people completely strange to all that we represent. So, what we should do is break this isolation and make ourselves more visible in Turkey. (In the meantime, our becoming more visible outside the country may have a meaning in the context of a better understanding of Turkey, but it will have little impact on changing Turkey.)
Some sincere dissidents, who have really devoted their lives to make a change in this country towards more democracy, believe that this isolation can only be broken if more acceptable language and arguments are used in communicating with the majority. I don’t deny that this may be helpful in the long and arduous process of change. Therefore, I am not against their efforts (though I reserve the right to oppose certain points); but, I am one of those who wants complete freedom at least in the way I think, believe, and express myself. I don’t want to let the fear of others—fears fabricated by the ruling system—shape my convictions. So, let these two different ways of combating prejudices co-exist side by side and contribute in their own way to the process of change.
To return to our starting point, the genocide of the Armenians and Assyrians in the Ottoman Empire is recognized by the ones who are directly, unavoidably, and materially part of this country, no matter how they want to portray us as aliens, even enemies of Turkey. We do exist, and we are undeniably real. It’s important to note that our existence does not make Turkey cease to be what it is: a predominantly anti-democratic system lagging far behind the international standards of human rights, and a denier of historical facts. But we represent a crack in the monolithic block and Kurds play an important part in this process.
Ayse Gunaysu
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Haven’t the Kurds been the ones that committed most of the atrocities during this genocide?
Yes, they played a huge part. The most chilling thing I ever read was a Kurd’s response when he asked if he ever felt ashamed of what he had done. One time, he said, he did feel ashamed (although he had killed many Armenians). One time, a little boy, aged 6 or 7 was able to somehow escape a building (might have been a church, don’t remember) the Kurd had just set on fire. When the little boy saw the Kurd, he stopped, looked at him, then ran back into the burning building. I guess the realization that he (the Kurd) was more horrifying than death by fire caused him to feel ashamed.
These are the people (I use the term loosely) crying crocodile tears now. The same people who are claiming our lands of Van and Dikranagerd. Despite their Indo-European origins, the Kurds might as well be Turks as far as I’m concerned.
Yes the Kurds willingly committed much of the atrocities.
Part of it is the “enemy of the enemy is a friend” principle in effect. Part of it is that Kurds have not denied the Genocide in the manner that the Turks have. It all kind of gets whitewashed. Kurds don’t harp on it, Armenians don’t point it out since they are “friends”.
What I find ironic is Armenians speak of wanting their lands back. Lands which we have Kurds living on .. not Turks.
KURDS are starting to come forward and tell the truth about the armenian and assyrian genocide
which they were the henchmen for the turks. When they are going thru the deportations
forced assimlation and being killed, now they relise what they did to armenians or how it feels to be a victim.
They the Kurds should return every property of the Armenians and Assyrians which they killed the owners and took their properties and their children too.
In a way, the Kurds have admitted, not with pride, their part of the genocide. I believe it was in a 1992 edition of National Geographic magazine while interviewing a Kurd commenting about the Armenian genocide “. . .it was a dark day in our history. . .”
The Kurds participated in the genocide and do not deny the facts. They made there mistakes and don’t pretend it never happened. They are open minded and not HYPOCRITES. They apologized for the mistake, something the turks are to ignorant and blind to do or see. Life is all about learning from mistakes but majority of turks do not understand that, which is why there is always war and blood shed.
Kurds come forward because there is no land to give back and etc….
If we don’t like a person just because he is Kurdish, or Armenian or Turkish or Muslim or Christian and we have no qualms about writing it to expose our bigotry, then we clearly do not want any improvement in the relations between the ethnicities/cultures. Armenians, Kurds and Turks lived together and shared the same culture for at least a millennium (and they still do.) Let us not forget previous hardships in the same exact geographical location nominally instigated by Ivan the Terrible. Timur, Jengiz Khan, The Crusaders, Scythians, Arab invaders, Alexander the Great, Xerxes, Gog Magog etc etc. The conflict existed at the same exact location even when the said ethnicities did not even exist. Free your mind!
I find it fascinating that Armenians are always reprimanded for “not liking” Turks and Kurds just because they are Turks or Kurds (as if this is some horrible thing) when it was absolutely fine for Turks and Kurds to KILL Armenians just because they were Armenian. Let’s see…not liking compared to KILLING. I think the Turks and Kurds have not earned the right to tell Armenians what to feel or think or to call them bigots. As for this nonsense of living together peacefully for hundreds of years…please, let’s put that one to rest once and for all. The only peaceful people of the 3 were the Armenians, much to our disadvantage. The Turks used to conduct massacres about once every 20 years or so to keep Armenian numbers down all along (after arriving in the area from their original homeland–if only they had never left). I read it in an old Encyclopedia Britannica with yellowed pages, years ago when I was in junior high school.
… who committed most of the atrocities? If you look at the map of eastern Turkey, you’ll see that the Kurds asked, back then, for the more or less same portion of territory than the Armenians. Being closer to the Turks than the Armenians could be, the young Turks manipulated the Kurds by promising them a land if they would get rid of Armenians. Which the Kurds did. But, at the end, they didn’t get anything.
It is said that the Kurds committed much of the atrocities against the Armenians during the Genocide. This is certainly true but it should be pointed out that these atrocities were masterminded by the Young Turk government; Kurds were simply used as mercenaries against the Armenians. Morevover, when we say “Kurds,” we should be clear: it was the feudal Kurdish clan leadership that collaborated with the Ottoman Government and is to blame for most of these killings, not the masses of Kurdish people.
Indeed, like Armenians, many Kurds were themselves forced from their homes, put on deportations, and over 1000 were killed during WWI due to the Turkish government’s mistrust and antagonism towards them. Many of the Yezidi Kurds living in Armenia today are themselves refugees from the era of the Armenian Genocide and the atrocities committed by the Turkish government. We also know that many regular Kurds and families took in Armenians during the Genocide to save them from what was happening.
What’s more, despite the attacks against Armenians by Kurdish tribal elements and the divide and conquer policies executed by the Turkish state, Kurds and Armenians share a long history of solidarity. During the resistance to Sultan Abdul Hamid’s Ottoman regime, there were even Kurdish fedayees who stood shoulder to shoulder with Armenians. Following the Genocide, Armenian leaders such as Vahan Papazian worked with Kurds to bring them together against the repressive policies now being turned against them by the Kemalist state.
As the 1940s came around, Kurds began increasingly breaking the grip of the old feudal clan system over their people and started forming broad based political organizations. Today, the leading Kurdish groups and institutions openly acknowledge the role played by Kurds in the Armenian Genocide, share their grievances, and most recognize the need for justice for the Armenian Cause.
Also, the argument that Kurds and Armenians have contradictory claims over the same area of land is an overblown one. To keep it brief, both Kurds and Armenians stake their international legal claims for their historical homeland on the Treaty of Sevres, which allows for both an Armenian homeland and a Kurdish semiautonomous state.
Besides all of this, the simple fact remains that, like Armenians, the Kurdish people are a brutally oppressed minority in Turkey. They have had their language and identity suppressed and criminalized; their schools and cultural monuments ransacked; their political parties and newspapers closed down and attacked; their villages and towns depopulated and burned to the ground by the thousands; their families terrorized and killed; their children’s and community names turkified; and their human rights workers and journalists abducted and murdered.
They are, today, the victims of the repressive Turkish state fighting for their basic human rights, democratic freedoms, and national right to self-determination. There is no better example of the horrific consequences of allowing Turkey to get away with the Genocide than what is happening today to the Kurds. Allowing a crime to go upunished only tells the criminal that they can get away with the same crimes over and over again.
As Armenians, we know all too well what the Kurds are going through and it should be incumbent upon us to support their struggle. I commend the Armenian Weekly for being on the forefront of featuring stories on the links between Armenians and Kurds.
I am Kurdish and I would just like to comment something…
Many of you here seem to be implying that we are admitting the genocide as shameful and saddening history simply because we have realized the wrongdoings of the Kurdish tribes who participated in the gross event against the Armenian people only after the Turks have committed wrongdoings against us. This is simply not true.
I am an active Kurdish-American in the Kurdish communities here in the States and in the Middle East, and believe me when I tell you that I have been to countless Kurdish events where Kurds have taken a moment to recognize the Armenian Genocide (even when no Armenians or non-Kurds were present at the events). We do so because we recognize the Armenian genocide as the single-most darkest and shameful point in our people’s history. We do not wish to ask the Armenians for anything in return but for the simple acceptance of our apologies for the gross acts of the specific Kurdish tribes that collaborated with the Turks in that black page in not just our history or Armenian history, but in the history of the world. Kurds have remembered and condemned and will continue to remember and condemn the acts of the specific Kurdish tribes that took part in these events.
AND, might I add, there unfortunately still are Kurdish tribes that collaborate with the Turkish Stateto this very day against the Kurdish people. These collaboraters are who we (the larger Kurdish nation) regard as the descendants of the criminal Kurdish tribes that allied with the Young Turks in the early 20th century, ally themselves with the Turkish State today as well.
We hope that the Armenian people accept our continued recognition of such a dark page in history and we hope that one day, all our people (Armenians, Assyrians, Kurds and all others who have suffered in the region) can be freed from under the shadows of oppression that still plague the regions that both our peoples live today. Whether Van or Ararat is Armenia or Kurdistan tomorrow means nothing. What is meaningful for Kurds is that Van and Ararat see freedom one day and that the rich history of the region – a region that we lived peacefully together for many centuries before – is revived once again. Long live brotherhood between our peoples and we hope for a brighter and more hopeful future for us all.
Ketstse Eghbayrutyun / Biji birayetiya gelan
It is amazing to me that everybody who wrote a comment here (including the author of the article) have a doctoral degree in history, specifically concentrating on the Turkish-Kurdish-Armenian relationships. It is sad to see that all these people who are writing the comments are so brainwashed that they are not even considering the idea of an independent commission of historians determining the facts after reviewing all the records and the facts that are out there. The Armenian claim is that they think even the records might have been destructed or modified. So they are afraid that a multinational historians committee might not conclude the tragic events of 1915 the same way as Armenians have. This is of course quite scary for a nation who has relied heavily on convincing Turks and other nations on pronouncing and acknowledging the word “Genocide”. There is clearly no other economical or social solution to today’s Armenia’s financial challenges. Whatever has happened in the past which might very well be a genocide, the decision on blaming an entire nation on such a terrible act should be based on more than the personal stories of a brainwashed clan of people but the facts. This is also valid for the stories we have been hearing from the other side of the fence. Such as the claims that Armenian’s killed hundreds of thousands of Turks at the very beginning of these events. There needs to be a way to determine what has actually happened and that way is definitely not relying on some individuals’ comments on the incidents. If we put history aside for a little bit, I wonder why Armenians are not fixing their current actions on the Azerbaijan issue. Everybody knows and acknowledges that Armenians have been killing Azerbaijanis and occupying their land for many many years. And we do not need a group of historians to get together to prove this because it is happening right now. So this question is for those only “peaceful” people of the Turkish, Kurdish, Armenian triangle. Why not first fix your mistakes and apologize for thousands of Azeris that you killed in the March of 1918 and for occupying their land right now? Do you think it is fair for you to demand any apology under these circumstances and under the assumption that your genocide claims are true and real. I am sorry that I could not support your story with my comment, just like many countries still have not (including the new government of USA). It is true however that many people died during those years. It is unbelievably sad to know this fact alone. But we all need to be very careful before we blame an entire nation (in the past and in the present) on something that might or not have happened. I invite all parties of this tragic conflict to agree on the historians determining the facts so we can all take a deep breathe and finally find closure. I do not know if my comment will be published or not (due to my opposition to the Armenian claims) but if it is published, I would like to wish all of you, peace and closure as soon as possible.
Hagop, don’t you have any kind, loving words for G? He sounds so wonderful.
Of course they remember. They were taking part in the killings.
Let us think about the gist. How we (Zazas, Kurds and Armenians) could manage to live together in the same land in the past. What reason could impose us to separate? Did we betray one another? Or did just Turanists (some nationalist Turks who aim to create a country called Turan) manage to separate us. …….
The book “The Kurds” published by Oxford University Press writes that Armenians murdered six hundred thousand Kurds during the world war. Explain that before talking about sharing grief.
I agree with Serouj and I think it is not right to point our fingers to Kurds in general when we address the issue of their involvement in Armenian Genocide. I met a lot of Kurds some of them don’t even know about Armenian Genocide. We need to take into consideration that Kurds do exist in Syria, Iran and Iraq and had nothing to do with Armenian Genocide. Also, I had many chances to meet Kurds from Turkey who know the history well and they recognize the mistake of their involvement in killing Armenians. Lets not forget that not all Kurdish nation took part in the Armenian massacres, on the contrary they did protect Armenians and some of them fought with us against the Turks. They fought along side with Antranig Pasha in 1918, and recently Yezidy Kurds fought along side with Armenians in Karapagh against Azeris,Arab Moujahedines and Chechens.
Our history with Kurds goes long way, we have influenced each other’s culture and tradition. Try to listen to ethnic Kurdish music or watch their ethnic dance “shurch bar” and you can tell how close they are to ours.
By the way there is a Kurdish newspaper called “Soma”, the editor is Armeian.
For G. written on the 16th of May 2009, submitted 5.55 pm.
If and when you open this page, please be kind to read the following in answer to your very wrong comments.
I see your response is written in good English, I am sure you are not a new immigrant in this part of the world. Are you not one of the rented fingers to muddy the reality? Let me remind you:
First, ask yourself why did Garry Kasparov the Chess champion run away from Baku under heavy guard. He is born in Baku, he speaks and writes in Azeri, he was the pride of Azerbayjan before the collapse of Soviet Union. Suddenly what happened that, the Azeries do not remember him.
Second, do You remember Sumgayit atrocities committed by Azerbaijanies against the Armenians? Do you?, or you have no memory at all. Do you want me to write it (it will be a very long list) down? do you suffer from amnesia? or intentionally you pretend it didnot happen.
If you are a human being, not only shame on you but shame to all your compatriots. In Armenian there is a curse which is hardly used as it is very degrading,and I have not used it at all during my long life, as I am an old woman, who used to volunteer for peace keeping, but in YOUR case I am going to use it.”LET THE WOMB OF THE WOMAN THAT BROUGHT YOU TO THIS WORLD BE BARREN.” You are arrogant, ignorant, cruel and useless being. With all your intentions and nice words for peace, you even deny to yourself self forgiveness and understanding of the whole situation. Do you know your history? Your recent history. Do you want me to remind you? I do not have doctorate degree and I am not pretending something I am not. My heart is full of sadness not revenge. Look into the mirror, look to see what your eyes say. As a human being, show some humiliation. Remember the Koran? or you are one of Godless zombies, who has no shame and no conscious.
What a shame, there are so many irrelevant beings like you in this world.
Why do you deny to yourself repentance and
Why do you deny to yourself repentance and find an excuse to clear your soul. But as usual it seems you deny even to yourself the smallest gesture of self examination.
I have met very conscientious although very few Azeries in Baku, who have apologised for all recent and historical wrong doings of their country men. I respect and honour them, though they were afraid to say loud. In the orient there is a proverb which says ‘ do not dig a hole for others, you will drop dead into it.’ I wish you well when you are in that hole.
Dear G:
In WW II, 7.5 million Germans died. Almost 5.5 of the dead were military. More Germans died then Jews… that logic of many people died, sad time, confusion of war is about the most ignorant, low-level, weak-minded argument you can possibly make.
As I read some of the comments posted in here I am disturbed by the fact that most people do not realize that The Turkish Government master-minded the genocide and used Kurds to implement their plans. The government has historically left the Kurds uneducated and has used religion as a means to use them in any way they want to. The majority of Kurds were taught until very recently that it is a sin to call themselves Kurds as it is racist and were taught to call themselves Muslim. This is a government that denies covered women access to the Universities in the west. As an educated Kurd, I acknowledge the terrifying and inhumane history and the role that the Kurds have played in Turk’s genocide but I also encourage the readers to recognize that the Kurds back then were not cognizant of their identity. Only recently Kurds have become conscious of their identity and resist the government use of religion as a means of assimilation. Today, even most of my religious Kurdish friends acknowledge the genocide support the Armenian thesis. This is happening because the Kurds are able to go to school now as compared to 100 years ago. Similarly, my grandfather told me that they hid 6 Armenian kids for 3 months in our house before they were able to safely transport them to their families who were able to escape to Syria.
So the idea is that instead of blaming the individuals who were coerced and convinced by the government and their own ignorance lets blame the government. I think this will help us move forward.
G- ‘Turkish ploys’ – ongoing, deterring, delaying, and then, Turkey’s need for ‘an independent commission of historians’ is an insult to intelligent peoples the world over. Wake up! History exists of the Armenian Genocide of the Armenian nation perpetrated by a Turkey of the Ottomans, then pursued by all the subsequent Turkeys since. Turkey’s pursuit to eliminate the Armenians from their own lands of nearly 4,000 years has been written in many languages. Of the Asian hordes who came upon the Christian Armenians, not only to gain their lands but took all facets of civilized Armenian culture which the Turks took – as their own – since they evidently had not any history of their own.
Today: Twenty (20) nations the world over, International Genocide organizations, Forty-three (43) of the 50 states of the United States of America, and further, Archives, the world over (in civilized nations) the Vatican, Washington DC, all of these possess in their Archives that which the world knows and recognizes – but not a Turkey. Turkey ‘s vile attempts to remove from their own lands the Armenians via slaughter, rapes, terrorism, families torn assunder, all in order for a Turkey to have a nation, a culture – Turkey for Turkeys. Howsomever, in the nearly one hundred (100) years since, the so-called ‘democracy’ of the Turkish nation, today, still revels in its ‘Ottoman’ mode in the treatments of even their own citizens… The Armenian Genocide by the Turks is history appearing in many books, in many languages – but of course, not for consumption by the Turkish citizenry… nor the Turkish leaderships… Manooshag
Merhaba arkadaşlar.
Ben tartışma konusu olan yazılardan, birinin yazarıyım.
Ermeni arkadaşlarımın şunu bilmesini isterim ki; Ermeni, süryani, Keldani, Alevi, Yezidi… Bunların soykırıma ve tehcire tabi tutulması; Anadolu’yu kör, bacakksız ve kolsuz bırakmıştır.
Ama olay, 1.Dünya, Emperyalist Paylaşım Savaşı’nın sonucuydu. Bunda, bütün dünyanın payı vardı.
Almanlar, Ruslar, Fransızlar ve İngilizler de buna seyirci kalarak soykırıma ortak olmadılar mı? Ermenilerden boşalan yerlerde koloniler kurmaya çalışmadılar mı? Antakya’yı Türklere verip, ermenileri kendi kaderlerine terk etmediler mi?
Evet, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu Kürt, Türk ve Arapları kullanarak, soykırıma alet etti.
Ama soykırım, Osmanlı imparatorluğu ile Avrupa Emperyalizminin, Dünyayı paylaşma planlarının sonucuydu.
Kuşkularınızı anlıyorum. Ama inanın, yeryüzünde hala güzel düşünen insanlar var…
Benimle iletişime geçmek isteyeyen ERMENİ DOSTLARIM için e-mail adresim:
gulisorakkum@hotmail.com