During the past week, the world witnessed an amazing performance by a government leader that even the most accomplished Hollywood actor could not match!
Turkey’s Prime Minister deserves an Oscar for presenting himself as a great humanitarian and protector of Palestinians. The people of Gaza are certainly oppressed and deprived, but Erdogan is not their knight in shining armor. One cannot champion human rights with unclean hands. This is the height of hypocrisy.
- How can Turkey blockade Armenia for 17 years and credibly call on Israel to lift its blockade of Gaza?
- How can Erdogan condemn Israeli attacks on Palestinians when Turkish jets regularly bomb Northern Iraq (Kurdistan), killing and maiming innocent men, women, and children?
- How can Erdogan condemn Israel’s mistreatment of Palestinians when his own country deprives Alevis, Armenians, Assyrians, Greeks, Jews, and Kurds of their most basic rights?
- How can Turkey oppose the occupation of Palestine and Karabagh (Artsakh) while it occupies Northern Cyprus and Western Armenia?
- How can Turkish leaders accuse Israel and China of committing “genocide” when they deny the reality of Turkey’s own genocide of 1.5 million Armenians?
- How can Turkey claim to be champion of the Palestinian cause and leader of the Islamic world, while being Israel’s closest military ally in the Middle East for over a half century and allowing Israeli jets to carry out practice bombing runs in Turkish airspace against Arab countries and Iran?
- How can Syria, Iraq, and Iran trust Turkey when the latter jeopardizes their national security by permitting Israeli listening posts along the border to collect intelligence?
- How can Erdogan be a guardian of human rights while journalists, attorneys, clergymen, and human rights activists are persecuted and even assassinated in his own country?
- How can Turkish leaders claim that Israel is a “terrorist state” while they continue to maintain a military alliance and multi-billion dollar trade with the Jewish state? Turkey pretended to side with Arab states, all the while conspiring with Israel to damage their national security!
Israel and the United States share responsibility for Turkey’s hypocritical behavior—they joined in supporting, defending, and covering up numerous Turkish violations of human rights, the denial of the Armenian Genocide, and the suppression and ethnic cleansing of the Kurdish minority. In the past 60 years, the United States and other NATO members have given billions of dollars in foreign aid and military assistance to Turkey, vainly expecting to win its loyalty. This was a massive waste of U.S. resources, as Turkey did not even allow American troops to go across its border at the start of the Iraq War.
Turkey cleverly exploited Israel’s ill-advised attack on the Gaza aid flotilla and sought to fill the vacuum created by the irresponsible inaction of Arab states. Erdogan is just as guilty as Israel’s leaders for causing the killing and wounding of the aid activists. He tacitly encouraged them to set sail to Gaza, knowing full well that there would be a bloody confrontation that would boost his own standing at home and abroad. Turkey’s junior brother, Azerbaijan, also gets a medal for hypocrisy as it issued a timid condemnation of Israel so it could continue to buy arms and sell oil to that country. So much for Turkish-Azeri solidarity!
Of course, over the years, the Israeli government has acted just as hypocritically as Turkey’s leaders. While countering any and all manifestations of Holocaust revisionism, Israeli officials have shown no reluctance in supporting Turkey’s denials of the Armenian Genocide. But now that Erdogan has raised his voice against Israel to a fever pitch, Israelis have jumped at the opportunity to use the possibility of recognizing the Armenian Genocide as a weapon against Turkey. Armenians must reject such dishonesty. The Israeli government was not sincere when it denied the Armenian Genocide, and it is not sincere now in supporting its recognition. It is shameful to play cheap political games with an issue as horrendous and devastating as genocide. Israel and others should recognize the Armenian Genocide for only one reason: It is the absolute truth.
So far, Turkey has been all talk and no action on the Palestinian issue. Erdogan has not gone beyond giving fiery speeches against Israel. If he is honest about defending the Palestinians, he might consider:
1. Canceling all military contacts and contracts with Israel;
2. Abrogating all public and secret military and strategic agreements with Israel, including intelligence-sharing; and
3. Closing down the Turkish Embassy in Tel Aviv and Israel’s Embassy in Ankara.
In the aftermath of last week’s bloody confrontation, a major domestic controversy erupted in Turkey when Erdogan accused Israel of breaking one of the Ten Commandments. After saying “Thou Shalt not Kill” in Turkish, he repeated it in English and Hebrew, to make sure that Jews “could understand” his words. In response, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of CHP opposition party, told the Turkish public that Erdogan himself had broken two other Commandments: “Thou Shalt not Steal” and “Thou Shalt not Lie.”
Harut Sassounian
TURKISH HYPOCRISY WINS FIRST PRIZE! Very well said Mr. Sassounian.
Ever heard of the Armenian Genocide Erdogan? Did you not understand? Ok i’ll say it in Turkish: Ermeni Soykirimi.
Perhaps it’s time for the folks at AIPAC and JINSA to remind their Turkish counterparts where they stand in the larger scheme of inhumanity when dealing with injustice and genocide.
Kemal Kılıcdaroglu, is one Turk I would love to sit down and have a chat with.
Thank you Harut for clearly highlighting the hypocrisy of Erdogan’s rhetoric. Turkey has clearly decided that it wants to be a mover and a shaker on the world stage and I am sad to recognize that the US, has played into their hands by allowing them to have so much sway over our positions. Not a proud moment for me as a US citizen.
Hye, and the WOODROW WILSON AWARD… to a Turk??
Manooshag
Well let’s hope Turley gives a lesson to both USA and Israel. And then let’s hope Israel and USA gives what Turkey deserves.
Let me use Armenian Journalists’ terminology, as referred to Turkey, Israel, Armenia, and the world military powers —
Armenia — Turkey 1-3
Israel — Turkey 2-2
USA — Turkey 1-1
Israel — USA — Rain, no game
Israel — Russia 0-0
Russia — Armenia — Horse race, no game
Russia — USA — Undecided
Armenia — USA 1-0
Kurds, Palestinians are not in championship yet!
Nice article, thank you for saying that genocide is the absolute truth.
Just stupid, this site is not armenian, it’s simply hate turkey propaganda :D
comedy chanel for people that love to hate
Thank you Harout for this Artickle.
Armenians do not need Israelis help Armenians could manage their
live very well without the Israelis fake help.
If they stay away from Armenians way and stoping back stebbing the Armenians
thats the best help they can do.
Mr Sassounian.
reference Basic Rights?
why do we worry about what turkey did to the Jews administrations and followers?Basic rights.do you think their Administrations deserve any basic rights?are we playing politics now?such as shimon (Persky)Peres he did not worry about our Basic Rights they still don’t but they lobbied with the Turks in 2000 against the resolution for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.and his comment made towards the Armenians(we reject attempts to create a similarity between the Holocaust and the Armenian allegations nothing similar to a Holocaust occur it was a tragedy what the Armenians went through but not a genocide.
I will say it again if any Armenian organisation embrace the likes of Simon Perskey`s and his administration deniers kind of people then they sure are as hypocrites are they are.
Hey Turk… you said
Just stupid, this site is not armenian, it’s simply hate turkey propaganda
comedy chanel for people that love to hate
you think this site is stupid because what it is said on these sites are true and puts a BIG SPOTLIGHT on how conyving, manipulative, two faced and hypocrite your govt is and you can’t stand it? or do you think this site is stupid because the contents of these articles are too complex for your educational level… ?
If you ask me.. this site is absolutely educational for all including yourself to learn and seek the true undertone on how your govt is playing both side of the card…it is absolutely disgusting to see not only the govt that represent the devil himself doing such things but also to see some people such as yourself supporting such crap…
I want you to know that Armenians don’t love to hate. we love to point out the truth about the hateful acts your govt tries to put upon others/especially Armenia by manipulation, lies, fakeness, and cover ups.. sad but true..
This article definintely hits the bull’s eye…
Gayane
Imagine how productive the Armenian diaspora would be if they didn’t focus on Turkey all the time. It is amazing how much effort is spent tracking and critiquing Turkey’s every move. What happens if the U.S. recognizes the genocide – will all these sites go away?
Why not use the energy and lobbying funds to better the state of your homeland? I guess any persecuted minority will always have a chip on its shoulder. Too bad no one is listening.
Response to Troy York.
The only sensible words you said (nobody is listening) you’re dead right. But
The Armenian Genocide is not an allegation it is real. And as I mentioned above to what a Jewish administrator Shimon Preskey`s to come up and making comparisons between their dead Jewish people and the Armenian dead people. As a politician and not a historian. Making such comments and getting away with it. And I blame our ARF going soft ,on promises made by so many American presidents towards the recognition of the Armenian genocide. The USA should have Hang Shimon Perskey and not Sadam Hussein.
Persecuted minority will always have a chip on its shoulder.
As the saying goes every dog has its day.
Antoine .. very well said…
Troy York.. you might want to study what is going on before commenting on such matters that you do not understand well enough… Armenian Diaspora IS and WILL concentrate on anything and everything to better our homeland but Turkey will not be off our radar… got that? Turkey and people like you want exactly that.. for Diaspora to forget it and remove the spotlight from Turkey on to somethig else..but that will never happen.. as long as Diaspora lives, Turkey will suffer from the pressure of the Diasporan Armenians around the world…even if it takes centuries…
Gayane