Mouradian: ‘Missing Hitler’s Spirit’: The Problematic Post-Flotilla Discourse in Turkey
By Khatchig Mouradian // Posted on June 7, 2010 in News // 76 Comments // 
Email
// 
Print
On June 5, at a demonstration organized in Istanbul by the Islamic Saadet Party, one of the banners read, in Turkish: “Legendary leader Hitler, our patience is running out, we need your spirit.” The incident was just one of countless anti-Semitic statements, slogans, and banners made during rallies in Turkey after the Israeli attack on the flotilla of ships attempting to break the blockade on Gaza. I spoke to writers and activists from Turkey about the implications of this discourse.
Banner from protest in Turkey: “Legendary leader Adolf Hitler, our patience is running out, we need your spirit.”
“Israel’s lawless and irrational act of violence unleashed an exaggerated display of bravado on the part of the government in Turkey,” said Ayse Gunaysu, a human rights activist from Turkey. Gunaysu’s concerned about the anti-Semitic discourse used by the protesters and the way that Turkish intellectuals have been overlooking its dangerous undertones, even before the attack on the flotilla. She gives the example of a public rally on May 8, during which one speaker said, “From now on all Jews everywhere in the world and even all Jews in Turkey are our targets” (see http://fr.video.yahoo.com/watch/7462019/19667659 ).
“The protesters are not concerned about peace,” Gunaysu explained. “They are calling for more violence and more bloodshed. Because they—particularly Islamic protesters, at times backed by leftists groups as well—are not against a particular Israeli government and its particular policies, but against the existence of Israel itself.”
“It is sickening to hear the government suddenly assume the role of champion of international law, never mind that in 1974, the Turkish armed forces crossed the international waters, invaded a sovereign country [Cyprus], and its occupation continues to date,” she added. “Not to mention the decades-long war in Turkey [against the Kurds], which has caused tens of thousands of deaths, hundreds of disappearances, and the destruction and evacuation of thousands of villages.”
For Gunaysu, the hypocrisy is astounding. “The killing of civilians by the Israeli special forces is outrageous. But it is equally upsetting to know that there is such fury here against what happened to fellow Muslims in another part of the world, while Turkey feels quite alright with its own denial of the genocide of Asia Minor’s Christian population, a legacy on which the Turkish republic was founded.”
Congratulating the Nazis: "Ellerinize Saglik" (Well done!). Photo from the same demonstration. Source: http://www.habervesaire.com/haber/1868/
On May 31, Bilgin Ayata, a scholar from Turkey, was in Taksim Square, where several rallies were held. She recounted what she saw: “The general atmosphere was very tense and full of anger, and some of the slogans targeted Jews, not just the Israeli state. The angry atmosphere takes sustenance from Prime Minister [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan’s fierce comments and attitude that fuels the anger against Israel.”
Ayata also raises the issue of hypocrisy. “There is a strange schizophrenia at place: Erdogan described the attacks of Israel as ‘state terrorism’ and declared that Hamas is not a terrorist organization. It would be nice if he would apply the same standards to his own country. Unfortunately, it seems that the opposite is happening. On June 4, Sevahir Bayindir, a Kurdish MP, was attacked by the police and hurt in Silopi during a protest against the military operations in the Kurdish regions. A day earlier, Firat Basan, a 14-year-old Kurdish boy, was killed when a tank rolled over him during a similar protest in Sirnak. Also on June 4, Irfan Aktar, a Kurdish journalist, received a prison sentence of one year because of an article he wrote on the Kurdish issue in a magazine. Over 1,400 members of the pro-Kurdish party DTP are in prison since 2009—some of them are elected mayors and prominent members of human rights organizations. More than one million Kurds have been displaced in Turkey in the past decade, and they can not go back to their villages because the state does not clear landmines. Paramilitary forces and military operations are leading even to new cases of displacement.”
“I wholeheartedly condemn the violence employed by the Israeli state last week, just as I did when I was actively working in the region and writing about the Palestinian issue,” said Talin Suciyan, a journalist from Turkey. “But the social and political atmosphere created in Turkey has other dimensions. On the one hand, there are journalists, artists, and public opinion leaders talking about ‘banging up Israel’ with literature and arts, while there are others who carry posters asking Hitler to send them his spirit. And frequently, ‘Tekbir’ (chanting ‘Allahu ekber’) accompanies these. In the past, such reactions have invariably led to hostile attitudes against citizens of Turkey—in this case the Turkish Jews. One always has to keep in mind that the republican and also pre-republican history is full of such attacks against Armenians, Greeks, and Jews, incited in the aftermath of international events.”
“If this is an issue of condemning state violence,” she continued, “I have to say I have not, to this day, encountered such decisive attitude, when it comes to issues concerning the people of Turkey itself.”
Ayata agrees. “If PM Erdogan really has a problem with state terrorism, he should stop it in his own country.”
I agree with Eliyahu. As an Armenian, I’m also aware that there were probably just as many Armenian and Greek traitors who sold out their own people.Blaming the Jews for what the Turks and Kurds did is wrong. The Ottoman Empire was based on divided and conquer and Armenians, Greek, and Jews still suffer from this. And yes, the Israelis have the right to defend themselves from Islamist thugs
Murat, Armenian were successful in commerce despite the Turks and not because of them. Similar to Jews in Russia, Germany, Poland, etc prior to both the Russian Revolution and then the Holocaust.
Yes, perhaps the Ottoman Jews were of limited influence and importance….but the donmeh are/were quite another thing…Shall we go thru the list of key donmeh figures in Turkey? The list would quite long and include quite important including key members of the CUP (i.e, its founders), and those who ordered the genocide, along with quite a few later on as well. The difficult part is that donmeh, by definition, are secretive about their affiliation, but please don’t underestimate their role in the Armenian genocide, because that would be like saying the neo-cons had no role in the US invasion of Iraq.
I want to bring to your attention that some of the most important witnesses to the Armenian genocide and some of the most important transmitters of such information were Jews and Zionists. Besides Ambassador Morgenthau, there was the NILI spy groups of Jews from Israel, Zionists, who were very instrumental in getting info about the massacres to the British. Sarah Aaronsohn took a train from Constantinople to her home in Haifa and witnessed the forced marches, the corpses of the starving, etc. Eitan Belkind was on the Euphrates near Deir ez-Zor. See some of his observations at the links below. Sarah’s brother Aaron wrote a report for the British called Pro-Armenia. The British didn’t act on it but that was not Aaron’s fault. He also was in touch with the Armenian delegation at the Versailes conference and urged them to declare an independent state as soon as possible.
http://ziontruth.blogspot.com/2008/05/activist-zionists-armenian-genocide-in.html
http://ziontruth.blogspot.com/2008/05/activist-zionists-armenian-genocide.html
http://ziontruth.blogspot.com/2008/07/armenian-genocide-german-role-in-it-as.html
I thank Joseph for his understanding.
Karekin claims that “Iran has not threatened anyone.” Iran led by A-jad threatens Israel about once a week or more.
Carl believes that the Turks are the Arabs’ “former colonial masters.” In fact, many Arabs held high posts in the Ottoman state, including Arab belonging to notable families the Land of Israel. These sons of notable families who held high posts include Husseinis, Khalidis, and Abdul-Hadis. Both the Turkish nationalist historian Ziya Gok Alp and the Arab historian Zeine N Zeine believed that the Ottoman Empire was a Turkish-Arab empire in which the majority of Arabs, as Sunni Muslims, held a status on a level with the Turks.
Karekin… I believe I already pointed out to the difference between CUP that in its ranks had several crypto-Jews or the Donmeh, and American neo-cons, but you’re still advancing these two incomparable cases. Listen, CUP was the supreme authority, the official government of Turkey at the time of the Armenian genocide. Whether some of them were Jews or Zulus doesn’t matter: they represented the highest authority, a legitimate government of Turkey. It is this government that ordered race annihilation of the Armenians. Why are you concentrating so heavily on a few Donmeh? Stalin was a Georgian, should we say that all Georgian nation is to blame for purges? Bloody Sultan Abdul Hamid II was half-Armenian, but he massacred up to 300,000 Ottoman Armenians. What is it according to your mentality? A self-massacre? The majority of the Bolsheviks were Jews, shall we put the blame on the whole Jewish nation for the widespread atrocities, the Red Terror, that the Bolsheviks unleashed? I fully agree with Eliyahu: individuals of a certain ethnicity cannot be blamed for the crime committed by a government. This is a typical Nazi approach that we, Armenians, never had and will never have with regard to the Jews. Jews are an archetype nation, a greatly suffered nation that is close to the Armenian fate. Our only frustration with the Jews is that as victims of the Holocaust, Jews might be expected to stand beside the Armenians and their genocide that occurred earlier.
As I was saying: http://sabbah.biz/mt/archives/2010/06/16/stephen-m-walt-the-critic-of-my-friend-is-my-enemy/
Eliyahu…yes, that might be the case. But it hardly qualifies the Arab states as being anything other than colonial vassals of the Ottoman Empire, or any of its previous incarnations. Just because some members from those states happen to be in high and privileged positions doesn’t make them any less a vassal than it would’ve been if a poor man/woman had’ve attained those positions. Many Indian families attained privileged positions in the British Raj, many were also in those positions before the Raj, but that didn’t give them the rights as equal citizens of the regime. Ask the ordinary person in the street what they thought of the Ottoman Turk, and what they Turk thought of them. Most small minorities that managed to attain privileged positions usually do it through either being in those positions within their own societies prior to occupation or weasel their way into power through graft, corruption or outright betrayal of their own people….in effect, quislings. You have to be careful about taking the words of historians as gospel, simply because they usually have ulterior motives for writing what they do. History is almost invariably written from the perspective of the victors, or from the opinions of one person writing in hindsight. The problem with that is the perspective invariably becomes skewed and much of the original detail becomes either lost or morphed into something else that it was never intended to be.
The nature of antisemitism is that everyone thinks the Jews are all communists, just as the nature of prejudice against Italians is the Italians are all mafia, just the as the nature of prejudice against the Germans is the Germans are all nazis.
This prejudice against Jews was propagated a lot by the antisemitic Russians; that a Jew could get in high places has always been the case’ and they were called “court Jews.” but they led a precarious life.
As for Italians, only a small portion of them are mafia; and not all Germans are nazis, esp. in the USA where they fought their own people in WWII.
Jews in the USA have constantly to fight this prejudice that says they are all communists (bolsheviks). My family came from orthodox Jews and the ones in Israel are religious. The religious and secular people are fighting everywhere in the world now. Should we become a world of religious extremists, like in Iran, for instance, or should we battle to keep moderates in control. Prejudice against Jews exists in Iran, Turkey, etc. In fact, in Turkey they have always disliked the Zionists (Zionists conspiracy theories) and that prominent Jewish people were able to intervene and save some Jews in Turkey and the Ottoman Empire before they were murdered like the Armenians is why they weren’t exterminated also. Even in friendly Morroco that saved the Jews from the Inquisition, I read that the King ordered a pogrom against the Zionists.
anonymous,
Not everyone thinks the Jews are all communists, just like not everyone thinks that Turkish crypto-Jews, the Sabbateans, were the instigators of the Armenian Genocide. On these pages you’ve seen many Armenians who denounced, and I believe, honestly so, any attempts to equate the Jewish nation with a few crypto-Jews in the Young Turk government or many Jews in the communist Bolshevik government. Armenians generally consider the Jews as an archetype nation both in terms of being one of the most ancient nations in the world and having a similar tragic page in their history such as race annihilation. Like I said before, our only frustration with the Jews is that, as victims of the Holocaust, Jews might be expected to stand beside the Armenians and be the first to recognize the genocide that occurred much earlier than the Shoah.
Also, please refrain from using the term ‘anti-Semitism’ as antagonistic attitude or prejudice against Jews only. Arabs, too, are a Semitic people, therefore the term should be narrowed to ‘anti-Jewish’ or ‘anti-Jewishness.’
This is ridicules, this column has been turned to a Ping Pong game, if the guy who called us “Uneducated” and the rest of those participants want to educate us then thank you very much I don’t know why I should know that someone’s “Jewish grandfather was friend with a Menshevik who was less Anti-Semitic” if this makes you proud and solves some of your complexes just be aware that we are not guilty of anything to be punished with such worthless information; I didn’t know that there is a measuring unit for something virtual like this; that would be educational for me to read; otherwise I’m suggesting “The Armenian Weekly” to delete this article and give us a break from this nonsense.
Thank you Zaven.
I am really sorry I have offended you or troubled you with non information. I shouldn’t post here.
I read the articles in the Armenian Weekly with interest. I don’t think this article, which is a good one, should be deleted.
I have only one thing to say to Zaven, who I like, and that is after reading the article by the psychologist who deals with ethnic conflicts, and who discussed the Jews and Israel after the Holocaust, is that I abstraced from the article that the Jews in Israel have become ethnocentric. Zaven is frustrated they don’t feel his pain. Having Armenian relatives and being Jewish, I am familiar with what happened to the Armenians. Many Jews in Israel really don’t know what happened; and the Israelis have become ethnocentric like every other country.
Ethnocentrism and ethnic conflict, the “clash of civilizations” is very real.
I don’t want to say more because I think many of you are not interested in what I have to say. I am just better understanding things. That may be a personal matter and not of interest to you. I apologize. But to Zaven, I ask you to read the article by the psychologist about Israel after the Holocaust. This psychologist is an expert in the Israel/Palestine conflict. You have to understand ethnocentrism and how we have to overcome it to resolve conflicts.
I have one more thing to say. I want to refer you to the article by Andriani:”Echoes of the Past: Some of the Underlying Nuances of Holocaust Trauma in Israel,” in Armenian Weekly, June 3, 2010.
I am interested in ethnic conflicts and how to resolve them. My relatives live in Israel;they all lost relatives in the Holocaust. I also have relatives who are Armenian genocide survivors.
I am truly amazed at what goes on in Israel. I read Haaretz everyday. I am becoming familiar with many books and studies mentioned in the Adriani article which they have read already. I was truly glad to read this article in Armenian Weekly, of all places.
It may take a psychiatrist to heal ethnic conflicts. The article by Adriani plus articles I read in Haaretz have enabled me to understand some of what is happening and why in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.
I can only explain it to the Armenians as ethnocentrism. Every tribe and country is ethnocentric; and it has to be overcome to resolve conflicts.
Even Meretz party which will be bringing up the Armenian genocide in Knesset is ethnocentric Zionist. Sorry Zaven, if that is what is bothering the Armenian people. I am sure Meretz have good intentions, but ethnocentrism causes misunderstandings between people.
Look…as much as people might want to equate the Jewish experience w/ that of the Armenians, they are fundamentally not the same for a number of reasons. The main difference is that Armenians were turned into refugees and foreigners ON THEIR OWN LAND and murdered there by the millions by any number of invaders – the most recent being the Turks. The only comparison is probably that of the native Americans, but not the Jews. Sadly, while the Holocaust was a Christian, German, European event, lots of people who had nothing to do with it are being made to pay the price. The Palestinians are first on that list, but let’s not forget others who have and are being accused of all kinds of hateful behaviors in the face of horrific actions by Israel. One by one, the list expands…and if you are not totally 100% with Israel, then you are seen as being against them…and some kind of terrorist. Yet, these stones are being thrown from a glass house that has lots of blood on it. Armenians have not behaved that way and considering the lifesaving help given to them by the Arabs, Persians and others….I hope they never forget who their friends have been over the last 100 years. Donmeh or not, the major Jewish organizations have acted against Armenians very consistently…if you can defend them in the face of this kind of behavior, something is very wrong. If the tables were turned, you would never be forgiven…believe me.
“Anonymous”,
You did it again and said “I am just better understanding things”.
That was a very self-conceited and arrogant comment, you are suppose to write about the subject not to promote yourself and your family; It looks like something is missing in your life and that’s the recognition by others; in ancient cultures; like Armenian, Hindu and Persian cultures; wise people never brag about themselves, and even there is a saying about this which says “Those branches carrying more fruit lean down more” that means you should be humble and wait, if others notice enough fruit on you eventually will recognize you.
In my previous comment I tried to explain the same thing but in other language.
Be humble like a fruitful tree and don’t worry; when people taste your fruit and like it then will recognize you, because recognition is not a right it’s privilege.
No, Osik. It is not missing in my life. Some of my relatives from Israel just went to Nepal to work with the poor. I have given to children in Armenia through World Vision. I am trying to explain to you the concept of ethnocentrism is what keeps nations apart. You have to change the way children are taught in Turkey, Israel, USA and Russia to not be ethnocentric in order for nations to get along and avoid war.
I get along with people of other cultures and enjoy studying them.
Perhaps it might be ‘ethnocentrism’ that keeps peoples apart, but let’s not forget some very real and tangible things like WALLS. Building physical walls is the most obvious sign that one group of people wants to keep others out. There is a very long tradition of this behavior among Jews, particularly the orthodox, and it comes in the form of an ‘eruv’…which is, in fact, a wall, real or invisible. Bottom line…this is not an ‘inclusive’ thing…it is exclusive, by design, and when this concept is part of your religious tradition, it’s very hard to shake it. The result is that all kinds of walls get built or psychologically created, boundaries, if you will…that create animosity and division amongst peoples. Instead of walls, how about a totally open society and mindset?
Where did you guys find this buzz word “Ethnocentrism” from? The good old “Discrimination” is the mother of all these new words, but I should admit this one sounds more Sexy!
What about calling some food Kosher and some not Kosher or calling some people “Najis” and some not “Najis”; are those “Ethnocentrism” too? Because I personally had the experience; being a Christian some of my Muslim classmates and neighbors were calling us and Jews “Najis”; and none of Jews were eating our and Muslim’s food because it wasn’t Kosher, but to be honest I should say the later group still continues even more modern ways; that is Kosher labeling but from Muslims I haven’t heard calling us “Najis” lately.
(As they say “This is a true story”, is not a fabrication and I hope it doesn’t constitute Anti-Semitism)
Karekin, yes, an `eruv” is an invisible wall. What is done is to put wire or cord around poles and/or buildings to mark off an area in which certain things can be carried without the violating the regular prohibition on carrying things on the Sabbath. So an `eruv is really not a wall at all. So why do you claim that is a kind of wall?? The wire or cord is high above the ground and does not interfere with anyone’s movement.
More seriously, you seem unaware that the Land of Israel, called by the Greeks and Romans Judea [IVDAEA in Latin; IOUDAIA in Greek] or Provincia Iudaea, was the homeland of the Jews [Ioudaioi in Greek]. Even the Christian New Testament calls the country “Land of Israel” [book of Matthew, chap 2, verses 20-21]. Verse
22 of Matthew 2, calls the country Judea. Multitudes of Jews were taken prisoner in the Roman suppression of the great Jewish revolts and taken into exile. The Romans excluded Jews from Jerusalem after they had suppressed the Jewish Bar Kokhba revolt in 135 CE.
Other Jews went into exile because of later oppression by the Arab/Muslim conquerors.
So in this way the Armenians resemble the Jews, that is, both peoples lost all or part of their homelands.