Turkish Assembly Claims Genocide Resolution would Undo Accord
Posted By shirley on February 24, 2010
Mr. Gunay Evinch, president of the Assembly of Turkish Americans Washington (does this not sound like a lobbying special interest group?) complains that the genocide resolution proposed in Congress (for the millionth time) would depoliticize what is really a question for historians. This he writes in response to an article, I presume, by a one David Phillips of the Boston Globe.
Not having seen the original article, I am concentrating on Mr. Evinch’s response. He believes all this lobbying will torpedo recent peace objectives between the two countries of Armenia and Turkey. Further, he suggests that the Joint Historical Commission is the appropriate party to determine “the truth.”
It is an irritant in and of itself that every time the subject comes up, Turkey has a way of torpedoing (see, they do it too) in their own way any sort of mention of the word genocide. From the making of the movie, The Forty Days of Musa Dagh, in the 1930s to the genocide resolution of this very day.
Mr. Evinch would do well, if he really truly wants to not offend people and bring harmony, take into consideration how this offends Armenians who listened all their lives to their parents and grandparents story of missing, killed, mutilated, marched into the desert mothers, fathers, children, siblings, to their ultimate death and destruction. A whole nation that was once a strong presence in Eastern Turkey somehow disappeared almost without a trace. The few who were left were “Turkified” and if not, they were killed as Hrant Dink. Mr. Dink was murdered in his place of residence, a newspaper office, by Turkish nationalists. Perhaps the truth that Hrant Dink editorialized was no doubt too hard for these Turks to take.
I hope for the best for these two nations to work out a peaceable solution to these issues. But for Turkey to continue denying the genocide that happened, is also a road block in this road to reconciliation. I propose that Mr. Evinch do some of his own research and realize this issue has long been discussed, documented, corroborated, and was at one time a historical fact in the American society until Turkey and politics tore it apart.
I would like Mr. Evinch to know that his little retort seriously offended me. Somehow, I doubt that he cares. He should be enlightened to the fact that denial of an abuse has a way of putting the victim through that abuse all over again. These constant denials will only continue to keep the fire alive.
He wants his fair day in court? The verdict was long ago announced, the sentence has, however, never been carried out.
US recognition of a bogus genocide and thus legislating falsified version of history into law, to appease the well-oiled Armenian lobby and to secure future votes and dollars from Armenians, while expedient, would be a travesty of justice, fairness, honesty, scholarship, critical thinking, and free speech. Even more gravely, it would make a mockery of the U.S. Congress’ own records, as the following among many other such documents, clearly refute Armenian claims once and for all:
a- “American Military Mission to Armenia” (General Harbord) Report 1920 and the Annex Report Nat. Archives 184.021/175 –which does not mention any “race extermination” but, on the contrary, refers to “…refinements of cruelty by Armenians to Muslims…”
b- Joint U.S. CONGRESS RESOLUTION NO. 192, APRIL 22, 1922 relative to the activities of Near East Relief ending 31 December 1921 which has unanimously resolved that a total of 1,414,000 Armenians were alive (which makes killing of 1.5 million Armenians an impossibility, since the total Armenian population was around 1.5 million at the time.)
c- George Montgomery, a member of the U.S. delegation at the Paris Conference, had presented a detailed tabulation in 1919, showing a total of 1,104,000 Armenians alive, apart from those who had already immigrated to other countries.
d- 29 March 1919 report of the Paris Conference subcommittee on atrocities, chaired by the U.S. secretary of State Lansing, lists Armenian losses as “…more than 200,000…” Even this number is exaggerated as they got their information from the Armenian church, not exactly an impartial source. The Turkish Historical Society documented the deaths of 53,000 Armenians using Ottoman police reports field on site, of which number only about 8,400 are reported as victims of massacres. The paragraphs a, b, and c jointly point to the THS number being closer to reality.
Who, then may have jacked this number of Armenian casualties from the original 54,000 first to 200,000 in March 1919, 600,000 in May 1919 (in a poster created by Armenians) to one million in 1970s and finally to the current 1.5 million? (I have even heard figures of 2 million, 2.5 million, 3 million even more than 3 million?)
Take a guess!
Hmmm…Dear Mr. Oakley. A quick peruse of your rant shows me that you have your references to prove your point. However, I could counter with my own set of references, but what would be the point? You have your mind made up and you do not want to be confused with the truth.
And I’m wondering why it matters whether it was 200,000 or 1 million? The fact remains that it was a systematic effort to eradicate the Armenian population from their ancient homeland. My own mother and her parents were marched into the desert, my grandmother losing two precious children and her in-laws on this grueling trip. I dare say your blather has no affect on me.
After 1919 they went back because they were told the war was over. When they went back (with my mother in their arms), their home had been ransacked and everything was gone. Then Attaturk came with his army and finished the town of Aintab, ridding it of every Armenian. My grandfather fought to save the town, but to no avail.
Also, you should know that birth records and historical records were kept in the Armenian churches, they were the keepers of their population count. I think that, therefore, the churches would have a very accurate accounting.
As well, many Armenian young girls were snatched by Turkish soldiers. My own grandmother’s sister was taken this way at 8 yrs old only to marry the man later. She only told her children she was Armenian after her husband died. I know this for a fact. I spent a whole 6 months with her when she came to visit. Dear Mr. Oakely, I feel sorry for you. You are so sure of yourself. But you can’t change real life experiences.
Thank you for reading and commenting, however.
Take a look at the photos of Armenian gangs, armed to the teeth, in this link:
http://www.ethocide.com
Do they look like “poor,starving Armenians” to you?
Do you know what the “six T’s of the Turkish-Armenian conflict” are?
It seems we all have been duped by Armenian propaganda and brainwashing for 100 years. No one know the other side of the story becuse it is censored,ismissed or ignored. But acts and facts do not disappear just because we want them to.
Hello Mr. Oakley, again. I see you have shown me a picture of Armenian fighters. I have pictures on my page also of Armenian fighters. Yes, I talk about this under the section of Armenian history. There was a faction of Armenian fighters who thought they would be able to secure a nation for themselves. That doesn’t give the excuse to march all the Armenians into the desert and kill off parents while Turkish soldiers get to have the little girls, does it? If you think that’s just all a part of war, then I see no reason to keep talking to you.
PS – I just want you to know that I have no ill will towards you Mr. Oakley. We are talking about things from the past, this is today. Today if you came to my house I would treat you as a friend and invite you to dinner.
Dear Ms Shirley, by disagreeing with you, I do not mean any disrespect. The problem with Armenian narratives is that they ignore the six T’s of the conflict altogether. They belittle, dismiss, or ignore Turkish suffering st the hands of Armenians because if they acknowledge it, they can no longer talk abouyt a genocide. Since you acknowledge Armenian fighters, you agree that it was no genocide. You write about individual cases of pain and suffering and there are plenty of those on all sides. You talk about war crimes, hate crimes, and other such violations of human rights. They may all be true, but there are sufficient laws in the books to deal with all. Genocide, on the other hand, is a totally different realm. One needs a verdict by a competent tribunal (a la Nuremberg) as required ny the 1948 UN Convention which the Armenians lack. You are describing wartime suffering, which engulfed all sides, not just Armenians. Wartime suffering is not a no genocide.
Wartime suffering is not genocide. They are not one and the same. They are not interchangeable. They are vastly different. One is a result of intercommunal warfare fought bu Christian and Muslim irregualrs; the other one side intending and attempting partial or complete extermination. Armenians try to pass the first as the second. That is unfair, untrue, unethical, and unAmerican. That what I am trying to tell you.
Yes, I know exactly what you’re trying to tell me and I’m trying to tell you you’re wrong. We simply don’t agree. However, calling it unAmerican is a cheap shot in my book. Low blows only make your argument less effective. Anyway, I think we have reached an impasse. Toodles and have a good life.