ANKARA, Turkey (A.W.)—Earlier this week, Turkey’s National Security Council (MGK) approved changes in its national security document, removing Armenia from and adding Israel to the list of countries that pose a “major threat” to Turkey.
Iran, Syria, Georgia, and Bulgaria were also removed from the “major threat” list.
In addition to referring to it as a threat, the document accuses Israel of driving the entire region into an arms race.
Other threats added to the list are global warming and online terror.
The document, also referred to as “The Red Book,” notes the country’s policy towards its neighbors, and is generally revised every five years.
The relations between Turkey and Israel have deteriorated in recent months. Most recently, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would boycott a climate conference in Athens if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends.
i guess this red book is here in the name of european solidarity.
The “threat” was and always has been Armenianess, not Armenia.
Turks are threatened for the secret to get out, that they are ARMENIANS, GREEK and ASSYRIANS more than they are Tuco-Mongols.
They came and destroyed, stole Christians for Islamisation, and confiscated national treasures, cultural and historic. They stole vineyards and farms! They look Armenian, to boot! Hagop Martaian codified their language and alphabet with his team of Armenian linguists. Rafi wrote of the situation eloquently.
The World Court should request a DNA test. Even a voluntary one. What kind of a mess will that make?
As a Turkish person, I want to say there’s no reason for Turkish people to see Armenians as a threat and I really find this ridiculous. Turkish schools just teach state propaganda and that’s why people are brainwashed, they don’t really know anything about Armenians. Now Internet brought some freedom, that’s why some people became warmer to Armenians. If they knew the truth, there would be no reason for this. This is really sad.
Should we consider this as good news for Armenia or bad?
First of all we didn’t know that Turkey has such RED book and more importantly has Armenia on the list, where even if we knew we wouldn’t be caring because as we say in Armenian:
“Yerani ayn ardin vor khoz-u (the hog) iranits k khrove” :-)))
Let me try to translate this for non-Armenians:
“Lucky is the field which is being disliked by hog“
We use this for example when I don’t like the “XYZ person” and someone else approaches me and says “Do you know that the “XYZ person” doesn’t like you?” and it is a humorous way of saying I DON’T CARE AND I’M GLAD…..
It is very funny because those countries who recognized the Armenian Genocide are sort of putting Turkey in their RED books for its past crimes against Armenians until they stop denying and start doing what is already past due for almost a century, instead now we find out that Turkey sometime during a century ago an today; put Armenia, that is the victimized people; in their RED book and now all of sudden voluntarily is removing it; is this a prelude to stop the denials and start to the recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the rest? Or some new dirty politics are in conception again?
As long as those questions are not answered I’m considering this as a BAD NEWS for Armenia and Armenians.
PS,
The reference to HOG in above saying by no means is intended to insult anyone or anything and just refers to the unpleasant extensive damage that specific animal causes to agricultural products.
Hye, Turkey Red Book has spoken… world notice, that the Turks have revised their listings of enemies of the Turks… removed Armenia, and added an Israel… and more.
Who cares what the Turk thinks – it changes from day to day, week to week, and with all their PLOYS and lies… what to believe, when to believe, now a Red Book.
Howsomever, do believe that what the Turks include in their education of their students is to hate the victims of the Turkish Genocides… Too, yet omitted from their history books, not taught to their students, are all the Genocides the Turks have perpetrated, over the 19th, 20th, and the 21st centuries… Genocides at which the Turks excel and – today, the Kurds! Too, believe that the Turks pay exUSA congressmen millions of dollars to lobby for the Turkish lies… as a Turkey will not recall committing Genocides!
Manooshag
Mert.. it is absolutely sad that Turkish govt feeds such lies and hate in school children… it is absolutely sad that Turkish people do not stand up and question all the things the Turkish govt is doing.. it is absolutely sad that you still have many Turks who believe ARmenians are their enemies and we are the ones who slaughtered Turks….. You are right.. it is absolutely sad.
However, I am glad to read that you may be one of the Turks who crossed over into the new world where you use your own brain and knowledge to learn about the history in the right away… you did that which helped you to see the picture clearer… internet is definintely a tool that many can use even though I understand Turkey bans full access to many sites… as you can see Turkey has done great damage by covering the truth about Armenians and our Genocide.. now it is up to Turks like you to open the eyes and educate others to get rid of this taboo that Turkish govt instilled in her citizens about ARmenians..
I did not even know about this RED book Turkish govt is talking about.. I have to agree with Osik.. without any detail and explanation this could be bad news for Armenia.. and like Osik said.. this could be another ploy on the Turkish govt.. i know it is… Turkish govt will nto do anything unless it THINKS will benefit her at the end…
I hope this one backfires as well…
Thank you
Gayane
Good, good that they are smart enough to remove Armenia and good to put Israel. Zionists is the ones who initiated all these problems, Young Turks also were many Zionists and trying to overthrow Sultan so it will be easier to take Palestine. Jews did never like Armenians, they just use different groups of people to achieve their goal. This new party in Turkey is Islamist as oppose to the ultranationalist Turks and military who are pro Jewish and pan Turkic.
the Israelis are gonna have a fit.
Yes, and despite the devastation of 1915, it was an Armenian who created the name iconic brand name ‘Ataturk’ for Mustafa Kemal and another who devised his official signature! Of course Armenians are not a threat to Turkey…they helped to create it over the past 1000 years…and their imprint is everywhere across the country…from Istanbul to Kars to Urfa, where the Armenian footprint is probably about 10,000 years old or even older than that.
Rita, only some Young Turks are believed to have been Crypto-Jews (so-called Sabbatean Jews or Dönmeh) and I vehemently oppose false generalizations that Jews might have been the primary cause of the genocide of Armenians. Almost entire central part and eastern vilayets of Turkish society were involved in massacring, mutilating, raping, burning and burying Armenians alive, looting, occupying their homes, stealing their properties and bank accounts. It’s a very dangerous point of view to hold that a bunch of Crypto-Jews could have done the work of such a magnitude in massacring the Armenians for hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of other central and provincial government officials, governors, army generals, gendarmes, soldiers, the chettes, and ordinary people, who were ethnically Turks. Young Turks were the official government of Turkey and annihilation of Armenians was carried out at the orders of that government. Awkward viewpoints like yours bear danger of accusing whole nations for the crimes of an individual or a group of individuals who might have been ethnically kin. Stalin’s 1930s purges and killings of tens of millions of people are the crime of the Russian Soviet government, and not the nation of Georgia whose ethnic representative Stalin (Djughashvili) was.
Turkey’s “threat list” is for propaganda purposes only. I am surprised that people actually buy any of it.
If Turkey sees no threats, why does it have the largest standing army in NATO? In fact, why is it in NATO at all? To protect Poland and Germany? Ha!
In addition, Israel is not a threat to Turkey. Israel has been and still is an ally of Turkey, despite the obvious tension. Are we to believe that Israel plans to attack Turkey? No way. Turks seem to be obsessed with Israel and Jews lately. We need to ask ourselves whether Turkey’s record is any better. The answer is no.
We also need to ask ourselves *honestly* if Israel’s human rights record is any worse than that of its Muslim neighbors. The truth is that, with some exceptions, Israel’s record is much better.
Israel and Turkey are the same, both states built on ethnic cleansing of the indigenous people. Both denying Armenian Genocide. Both colonizing Palestinians and Armenians.
No wonder Armenian and Palestinian freedom fighters fought together to get pay back on Turks and Jews.
Armenia should also add Israel to their threat list as Israel is supplying weapons to Azerbaijan and supporting Azeri aggression, actively denying the Armenian Genocide, and committing a Genocide on our historic Armenian community in Palestine.
osik- countries that recognized the genocide are putting turkey in their red books? what are you talking about? i didnt hear the european countries saying anything, i didnt hear lebanon saying anything. i think you do not know what you talk about. it is the countries who DENY armenian genocide like usa and israel which are now putting turkey in their red books
Mert is absoulately not turk
Lets see, for decades, Armenian refugees flooded into Arab counties. The Arabs protected and helped us. We built churches, communities, Armenian schools, etc. We were represented in government, we passed Genocide legislation, our religious sites were respected and our religion continued to grow in these countries.
This is especially pertaining to Palestine. Palestinian Arabs have always lived with Armenians, since Armenians have had a presence in the Holy land for almost 2000 years. But especially after the Armenian Genocide, Palestinian Arabs welcomed Armenians into their lands. Many Arabs gave property to Armenians and we grew in Palestine and formed a prosperous community. When Israel was created, Zionists decided to cleanse the Armenian population (along with the rest of non-Jews) from Palestine. As if our first cleansing from Western Armenia was not enough. My family was cleansed from Yafa, my grandfather survived and became a refugee in a camp in Jordan. Most of the Armenians and Arabs in Palestine had the same fate. In 1948, the Jewish Hagana militia shelled the Armenian Quarter. Until today, Israel is practicing the ethnic cleansing of Armenians from the Holy City. There are only hundreds left today, compared to the thousands we had before Israel was created. Today, the Jews are trying to take over the Armenian Quarter in order to expand the Jewish Quarter. Armenians are harassed, priests are persecuted, property is stolen, IDs are revoked. This is respect Israel has for non-Jews.
Doe anyone have any clue HOW MUCH contributions were made by Armenians to the Turkish culture? Palaces, linguistics, commerce and so much more!!! We were never a threat to that land. We loved it as much as they did/do. Israel is a threat to the whole region because it is the result of Zionism. They want a home land to provide space for the jews of the world. simple as that. Every state around it is at threat. Israel is taking a stand against anything threatening its existence.
Turks have not ‘warred’ since the WWI… only joined the ‘Allies’ ww2 at the very latest possible to gain points as having been ‘on board’…
Too, being on the losing side during WWI… Turkey has not needed an army – Turkey uses Genocides… no fear of losing a Genocide (as at WWI)… ]
SO, why does Turkey need so many armaments…
SO, to whom and why does a Turkey buy all its armaments?? Against the Kurds?
OR for Muslims??
Manooshag
So, Jews/Israelis, eliminating the Armenians from Palestine over the years, eliminating Palestinians from Palestine over the years… doesn’t this smell of the Turkish Genocides? Are holocaust survivors and their generation following… too, are eliminating a nation, eliminating peoples – for an Israel. Manooshag
So,if the shoe ‘fits’….
Manooshag
Armenia has NEVER been a threat to Turkey! Only 3 million versus 80 million Turks! No way! Why did they even have Armenia on that list/
Whereas, Turkey is a threat to Armenia and willl ALWAYS be a threat! Armenia and Georgia are the only things blocking Turkey from pan-Turkism–linking up with Azeribaijan and other Turkic republics.
Van Armenia, you are right about the Turks. They think they are Turks (oriental/Mongol), but look at them. They look like the original inhabitants of Anatolia (Greeks, Assryians, and Armenians). When they invaded Byzantine Empire, it was the 3 I just mentioned living there. After all they spoke Greek in the Byzantine Empire–Armenians did to for the large part. This is HOW they went from being oriental looking to Caucasiod looking.
You are right Taline:
Armenians owe much to our Arab brothers: Syria and Lebanon, in particular, accepted 10s of thousands of Genocide survivors, treated them and have been treating them as their own. Armenians have contributed greatly to the success of both Syria and Lebanon. Children of Armenian Genocide survivors from Syria and Lebanon completed the cycle of survival by immigrating by the 10s of thousands into Soviet Armenia in 1946 – and saved her from being absorbed into the ‘brotherly’ republics of Georgia and Azerbaijan: that would have sealed the fate of Armenia as an independent Republic: look what has happened to Nakhichevan, Javakhk, and what almost happened to Artsakh.
I know what Israel has done to Armenians in Palestine, to the Armenian Church properties in Jerusalem, and how much Israel has supported Turkey and Azerbaijan.
However, we also have to be realistic. We Armenians have finite resources: worldwide we are only about 10-12 million. And we do not have the financial might of our Jewish friends (Note: I do not equate Jews, particularly those outside of it, with the State of Israel). Armenia and Artsakh are relatively safe for now, but are always under threat of attack by Azerbaijan. We can’t fight on multiple fronts. We have our hands full with the Turks and Azeris as it is.
I feel for Palestinians – truly do – but I am not going to sacrifice the survival of Armenia for Palestine or anybody else. Palestinians have about 300 million of their Arab brothers to help them: Who do we have ? Their brother nations – Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia- are almost as hostile to them as Israel. Why aren’t the Arab Gulf States with their $Billions of cash helping their Palestinian brothers ? Why isn’t Egypt with her 80 million strong population helping Palestinian fighters ? Why does Egypt still keep the border with Gaza closed ? Do you remember what King Hussein of Jordan did to Palestinians during ‘Black September’ ?
During the Atrsakh war of (survival and) liberation how many Arabs or Palestinians do you suppose fought on our side ? None. In addition to Turks, plus other ethnic Turkmens and such, lots of Afghans and Chechens fought on the side of Azeris, that is to say on the side of invaders who were attempting a 2nd Armenian Genocide: I don’t have any hard facts, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there were Arab fighters on the Azeri side as well, since Arabs and Afghans fought against the Soviets side-by-side in Afghanistan, and were comrades in arms. Other than a few of our Russian brothers and other Slavs, it was almost exclusively Armenians, both local and from diaspora, that fought and died to save their brothers and sisters from annihilation.
Also, let’s put emotions aside and look at hard numbers: Israel has killed and murdered thousands of Palestinians – both fighters and unarmed civilians, maybe 10s of thousands. But it is an undeniable fact that the bulk of Palestinians were not killed; they were pushed out of their ancestral homes and lands, but they are alive – living near Palestine – and their numbers are increasing at a healthy clip. Israelis are deathly afraid – and not without reason – that Palestinians will simply outbreed them and erase Israel as a Jewish state in a few decades without firing a shot. In contrast, out of the 3 million Armenians living in their ancestral lands of Western Armenia in 1915, only about 20,000 or so now remain in Turkey today. Population of Armenia has stabilized and is slowly increasing, but not as fast as Azeris and Turks: need I say more ?
If a boat full of children was sinking, and you were the only one available to help, would you try save your own children in the boat first or not – despite the horror of witnessing other children drown ?
Or you’d try to save everybody and end up drowning yourself – together with all the children in the boat ?
I don’t know any other nation or nationality that would endanger its own survival for another: do you ? Let’s worry about our own survival before we go to fight on behalf of so many other oppressed people in the world
I agree with Paul:
It is a lot of fun, I suppose, to sit around and blame Jews and/or Zionists for all the problems that befell Armenians.
It’s like the proverbial rocking chair: it’s a lot fun, but you don’t get anywhere.
Here is a question to those who believe Jews or Zionists were somehow involved in the Armenian Genocide: it makes no sense to me, but let’s say, for arguments sake, ‘World Jewry’ or ‘World Zionism’ was responsible for the Armenian Genocide.
OK, Now What ? Who are you going to sue for damages ?
Which Jewish/Zionist organization are you going to sue to get our looted wealth back ? Do you have any evidence that you can present to the World Court ? From which Jewish/Zionist groups are you going to demand our lands back ?
Zionists may or may not have either organized or participated in the Armenian Genocide: I don’t know, but since there is no hard evidence, I have to say they didn’t.
Conversely, we have hard facts and evidence:
1) Turks and the country of Turkey are the ones now occupying ancestral Armenian lands
2) Ottoman Turkish records, eyewitness accounts, photographic evidence – amply document Turkish leaders, Turkish General Staff, Turkish officer corps, Turk troops and Turk militia being the ones who carried out the horrific annihilation of the unarmed Armenian civilians.
3) Quite possible that some Turkish leaders had Jewish backgrounds: so what ? who actually carried out the mass murder ? Turks.
4) A long list of Turkish leaders and officials – Ozal,…, Demirel,.., Erdogan, Gul, Davutoglu – have vehemently denied and continue denying the Armenian Genocide ever happened, and have consistently tried to strangle Armenia in concert with Azerbaijan (even at the time of Soviet Armenia).
5) Priceless historical Armenian churches – architectural masterpieces – have been outright destroyed, have deteriorated due to deliberate neglect, or converted to ‘museums’ by who ? Jews/Zionists or Turks ?
So, yes, let’s be aware of how world politics is played, not trust any country or nationality 100%, but let’s concentrate our limited resources on reality.
Removing part is true. But adding isrel to threat list is hoax.
im half armenian and half israeli by blood
recently ive visited my family in malatsia yerevan
after seeing for myself how you speak of us i dont want any relation to your nation
you are in no way better than your enemies
you have crowd mentality to just hate people you were thought to hate without really knowing anything about them
the armenian community in israel under attack?
me and my father go weekly to an armenian church in yaffa where armenians from the area gather to socialize on weekends
you should be ashamed of yourselves for having such strong negative opinions about people you know nothing about
hye heghapoghaganerou yev baghasteensi heghapoghaganerou baykare nouyn e
we are not terrorists, but resistance fighters against turkish and israeli colonization and genocide on our indigenous peoples
Let’s consider that all of the most revered and historic Jewish stories and myths from the Bible actually took place in Armenia…not Israel. This is important: consider that Abraham was born in Urfa, Mt. Ararat – the re-birthplace of all humanity is in historic Armenia, Noah first planted his grapes in Armenian soil, Adam and Eve lived in the garden that was at the head of the Tigris & Euphrates in Armenia, etc, etc, etc. The list is long. Why would all of their most cherished myths take place in Armenia…not in their revered homeland? On top of that, there has been a constant war against Armenians by the Jews for thousands of years that continues to this very day in Jerusalem. What other people on earth have their most ancient history in another land? A completely different country and culture? It makes no sense whatsoever…none, unless your goal was to steal it and make it your own.
Sometimes I wonder the reason why some Armenians feel so compelled to relate to Jewish myths and Biblical stories to validate their existence, or their importance on the face of the Earth. Jewish history belongs to Jews and they should be proud of it. Armenian culture has its own rich history and myths that are as old as any other myths of the same region.
We don’t need Noah on Ararat mountain or Abraham from Urfa to feel special about ourselves. I have not seen any reliable source that mentions Abraham from Urfa; on the contrary, most of the sources place the origin of Abraham in the city of Ur which is in Southern Iraq. Also, according to the recent archeological findings Garden of Eden is not located where the two rivers (Tigris and Euphrates) spring, but where the two rivers diverge in south of Iraq.
I have met Armenians who even claim that Jesus was Armenian, and I say this simply to make a point that how far some Armenians have gone in adopting something that is foreign to us just for the sake of feeling special.
While growing up in the Diaspora, Armenian schools (Evangelical schools) rarely taught Armenian Mythology, it was briefly mentioned in our Armenian History books. We were never taught about Aramazd or Anahid or Dzovinar, but we were forcefully taught the Jewish history. I still can recite names of Jewish Biblical kings and prophets, which has nothing to do with my identity.
We have Haig Nahabed, Vahagn, Aruyds Mher and Dork Ankegh, let us be proud of our own heritage.
To Tashnag,
I disagree with you, Palestinian revolutionaries are not same as Armenian ones, and we are not in seventies any more. I’m pretty certain, once Palestinians gain their independent State they will not support the Armenian cause (independence of Artsakh) or the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. They will align with their Arab and Muslim brothers and will vote against both cases at any opportunity just to please their new leader, Erdogan.
If you follow the recent Geopolitical developments in the Middle East, you would notice the heightened Turkish political maneuvers in that area. Turkey has been very successful in expanding its circle of influence all over Middle East, specifically in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine. I’m sure you are aware of the recent Turkish/Israeli political scandal over the shipment of humanitarian aid to Gaza Strip. You should also be aware of the primary instigator of that fiasco, I will not go into the details of that incident, you can research it for yourself.
So, after all the show that the Turkish government is presenting to his Arab audience for the sake of the Palestinian cause, do you still think that the Palestinians will support the “the Armenian Revolutionaries”?
A good reference for this topic would be Arabic News Media.
Bible is the Word of God, Karekin, not “Jewish stories and myths”. Even if you have a “special” opinion or are a Buddhist, or maybe a Muslim Turk, don‘t you realize that you can offend feelings of the faithful by such slanders? Is this all you came to learn in religiously tolerant America? To hurt religious feelings? Just imagine what they’d done to you had you dared to utter this rubbish in a public place anywhere in the U.S. But here, on these pages, you think you can? Then at your core, you are a coward. I’m amazed how this denigration is allowed by the moderators…
Grant, not all Armenians are hateful, and not all of them are anti-Jewish. You can find many on these pages denouncing attempts to depict Turkish crypto-Jews as the primary cause of the Armenian genocide. Many more Armenians sympathize with the Jews, because the prominence of Jews in human civilization and the Shoah are archetypes for the contributions of Armenians and the tragic fate they suffered in the hands of the Ottoman Young Turk government. Please understand that detestation of some Armenians is directed at the State of Israel that, to its great shame, continues to deny the genocide of Armenians, the genocide that Hitler used as a justification for extermination of the East European Jews. And I’d agree that it is inexcusable for a nation that was subjected to genocide not to honor the similar catastrophe befallen the other nation. It’s a shame.
Just a reminder to tashnag,
A recent Palestinian poll shows that the most popular names in Palestine for their newborns are Erdogan and Kemal.
israel is a threat to world peace, go Turkey!
Funny… He thinks that the rest of the world is interested in his attendance! And it’s funny to see Turkey taking care of global worming! almost as funny as if it would be China taking care of global worming! These two industrialized countries contribute much to global warming! The fact that Turkey removed Armenia from the list means they don’t take it seriously anymore! Armenia is to weak both politically and economically to pose a threat to Turkey!
It’s also funny that Turkey is concerned about arms race taking into accounting their “arms race” against curds!
Please, Read Factual Fresh News…
Erdugan is playing games
To win Arabian oil market
But Literate Arabs knows him very well,
Arabs travel there and see their mistakes
Specially those women who close their face
Turks push them away…
Even a civilized place like Istanbul
When they questions
They say, You are from Arabistan…?
Without saying please…they push them away…
Please i worn Armenians to be polite with them
They are covered but all educated race…
Most completed their university…
Mostly they do English and send their children to English schools
And have Philipinie maids…
They have seen all Europe…USA
They are able to travel everywhere
They see the difference between Turks and Europeians
One push them away, the other respect them…
Although Turkey is Islamic State
They don’t respect humans…!
Most of them they they tell me…
“We will never visit their country…once again.”
Some of these covered faces are from
Anazi…Shammar…Dufair…Mutair Tribes
And some from Gulf Royal families
Some have grandmother’s are orphans from Armenian Genocide
I have discovered lately
My new book will “Arabs from Armenian ancestries”
So please when you see them respect them
Their tradition forcing them to cover their face
Most tell me we don’t like
But what we can do…this is our style
Things can’t be changed easily…
Thanks for reading…
Sylva
“My new book will “Arab from Armenia ancestres”
Sylvia,
so cute to use AW for free advertisement…one stone , 2 birds..
BTW: you are too racist to be a poet..
If Daron is sure as Sylva about the Gulf Arabs.You see there is distiction between Gulf Arabs(major part of these are rich and have travelled and know turks well.Whereas the palestinian Arabs are of a different level of education (I´m not referring to all of them ,I know quite well the Young educated Palestinians in EU or USA are totally different from those in Palestine.
So best would be to steer away from forming partnership with any IN TIMES OF PEACE…we may automatically become allies when our struggle be against common enemy…I trust this clears it all up.We don´t want Kemal named arabs or even kurds on our side,when they can side with our adversaries trucro azeris.
Once again be non committal to all of our neighbours as rgds partnerships or being WITH THEM. We ought to be with ourselves ,period.
Armenia and Armenians First, whether Tashnag, maoist , marxist , Ramgavar or whatver ideology pertinency Armens.We are and must first feel WE ARE ARMENIANS!!!!!!
Necati and you are too genocidal to be among humans. You cant and dint have the right to voice your messed up comments toward our Sylva. Are you jealous of the fact that your book of hatred and ridiculeous quotes dont get the recognition? Awweeee so sorry missy
Gayane-Jan
You made me laugh …
you are too-too honest for this world …
We are all honest for that reason
We lost our case…
We need to be cunning foxes
But how we can get that gene…?
Doesn’t exist in Us …
Can we create…
To teach others how to fair…
I doubt…!
Sylva
Who call them real Turks on this site
Let them know…
I treat many children… who are Turks…
and they trust me…
Because I am Armenian
Their parents confess about Armenian Genocide
and they never deny…!
I tell them clearly what happened to my grandparents in Diyarbakir
and why we are immigrant…!
Sylva
Sylva
Sylva
I will never trust you and your words. If I end up to be your patient . You cut me into pieces and cook for your dinner. Never, never, It is too scary