My Turn
Sassounian: The Unmasking of Turkish Ambassador Namik Tan
I received a revealing message last week from Benjamin Yafet, a Turkish-Jew who immigrated to the United States in 1976. He is a retired professor and high-tech entrepreneur in Arizona.
Yafet disclosed that in recent years he has been transformed from a staunch supporter of Turkey to an anti-Turkey crusader. He explained that he was "disgusted" with Turkey when Hitler's Mein Kampf became a bestseller in that country. Since then, he has had "1,001 reasons" for being totally "fed up" with Turke
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Between the lines here you could read that the only constant is Yafet’s support of Israel. His support of Turkey (his native land) simply depends on whether or not Turkey’s interests align with his own.
Honestly, I wouldn’t want to alienate our good friend Yafet (even though it is clear that he’d throw us all to the dogs if need be) so let’s just be grateful for his revelation of these facts (similar to which we have a lot of and they always fall on deaf ears anyway).
Thank you Benjamin.
I read the Armenian Weekly almost every day, mostly because almost all the articles are about Turkey and there is also a difference perspective you cannot see in any other media.
But the problem of Armenian Weekly is, they are not looking for a solution or reconciliation. All the articles are about despising and demonizing Turkey and Turkish people with heavily biased views. If the English-language Armenian media is like this, I can’t even imagine the Armenian-language media.
So what is the purpose of this article? Why is it here?
I see that you are not a commercially motivated website so what are you trying to do?
Mert, this one statement alone shows your Anti-Armenian bias (well, Anti-AW bias, but one flows from the other): ‘All the articles are about despising and demonizing Turkey and Turkish people with heavily biased views’ (emphasis mine)
First: not ‘all’ articles @AW are about Turks or Turkey. Most are about Armenia, Armenian Disapora, and Armenians.
Second: Turks and Turkey have had a catastrophic effect on the Armenian nation, and still do: naturally, Turkish issues that affect Armenia and Armenians will be covered in an online publications whose name is ArmenianWeekly.
Third: provide 3 examples of articles @AW that in your opinion are about ‘despising and demonizing Turkey and Turkish people’.
If you fail to do so, make sure you post an apology to @AW.
Dear Garrek :
It is true that my attitude towards Turkey has changed and I am not hiding it. Let’s say that it took me some time to discover the REAL Turkey, learn about the Armenian Genocide, learn about the legitimate battle of the Kurds, etc. I also understand that countries do have permanant interests and not permanant friends, but my problem with the (majority of ) the Turks and Turkey goes deeper than that. And I am a person and not a country and I do not know how to assure you that “I will not throw you to the dogs”. For almost 9 years now, I have been constantly “anti-Turkish”, working to align the positions of the Jewish and Armenan lobbies, explain to the world that the PKK is no more “terrorist” than the PLO, etc. Time will show my constancy and in the meantime I hope to gain your trust, despite my past “sins”.
Mr. Yafet, I am touched by your forthrightness. You appear to be a man of courage and integrity.
I thought about the comment I left last night and felt remorse for presenting my opinion in such negative and pessimistic light. Glad to get a chance to set things straight again.
Also very glad to here that you are sincere and acknowledging of your past position.
Unfortunately, people passionate about politics and social issues do a lot of damage out of zeal before they’ve had a chance to observe things the way they are closest representative of reality. Passionate readers whether Turkish, Azeri, Jewish, Armenian or etc need to focus on gathering info and observing before they become activists/active and take sides.
And beyond all this, the truth seems not to matter anyway. Leverage matters, power and money matter, international politics matter, the degree to which one would allow themselves to get violent matters, truth doesn’t.
We Armenians aren’t perfect either, I would be remiss if I didn’t add. But no matter how bad we didn’t deserve an attempt to be wiped out of existence and denial of this to today only makes matters worse.
My grandmothers 11 siblings including one girl and their father were burned alive in a barn according to eyewitness accounts of my great grandfather who escaped at age 5 with one older sister from Dsithankov near the Ani region in current Turkey. Those people lost, were my wealth. I’ve been robbed of a large extended family and in any other civilized situation the perpetrators would have been punished but alas….