ANCA Condemns Anti-Armenian Protests in Turkey
By Weekly Staff // Posted on February 26, 2012 in News // 122 Comments // 
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Calls on U.S. Ambassador Ricciardone to Denounce Government-Sanctioned Rallies Aimed at Inciting Violence
WASHINGTON—The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), sharply criticizing the government-sanctioned anti-Armenian demonstrations held throughout Turkey on Feb. 26, called on U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone to forcefully condemn this latest attempt by Ankara to foment hatred and violence against Armenians.
'You are all Armenians, You are all bastards'
“Today’s anti-Armenian demonstrations in the streets of Istanbul—with the interior minister and prominent political parties at the helm—were clearly aimed at inciting increased racism and renewed violence against Turkey’s own Armenian citizens and neighboring Armenia,” stated ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “These are not simply the violent echoes of a post-genocidal state, but the determined actions of a pre-genocidal Turkish society that is angrily lashing out at its imagined enemies and seeking out its next target. We urge U.S. Ambassador Ricciardone to immediately, forcefully, and publicly condemn this government-sanctioned incitement to violence.”
International news agencies have reported that 20,000 to 50,000 people participated in the anti-Armenian protests, with professionally printed signs that read, “You are all Armenians, You are all bastards,” and “Today Taksim, Tomorrow Yerevan: We will descend upon you suddenly in the night.” Among the speakers at the demonstration in Turkey’s famous Taksim Square was Turkish Interior Minister Idris Naim Sahin, among other leaders of Erdogan’s AK Party.
According to statements issued by the protest organizers, similar demonstrations have been planned in over 50 cities in Turkey.
For updates and extensive photos, visit the Armenian Weekly Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/ArmenianWeekly.
Hate breeds hate. Not a huge mystery here.
Tell it to your racist, hate-filled Turk denialist brothers and sisters.
The ones with the Anti-Armenian slogans proudly parading around in public.
We are the recipient of the Mother of All Hates: your ancestors invaded the homeland of my ancestors and started the centuries long hate-fest that continues to date.
Your ancestors exterminated 2 million – that we know of – of my ancestors , including 1.5 million during the Armenian Genocide (1915-1923).
Oh, sorry I forgot: you believe AG is a “myth”, a “manufactured history”.
So much non-hate coming from a Denialist Turk fills one’s heart with joy and feelings of brotherly love.
Necati, Murat and other Turkish posters, any time that innocent civilians die in a war is a tragedy, and compassionate Turks have every right to commemorate the deaths in Khojali. In fact, I am sure most Armenians feel compassion for those who lost loved ones in this tragic event. And I am also sure that since Turks feel so much compassion for the death of people in Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabagh, we can expect an even greater outpouring of compassion on the anniversaries of the pogroms against Armenians in Baku, Sumgait, etc., and more still on April 24th for the 1.5 million Armenians who lost their lives on ‘Turkish soil’ during WWI. Am I right?
Let us not be naive. The demonstrations were not just about compassion. It was about solidarity. More significantly, especially the racist elements were probably riled by the ongoing hateful campaign carried out by Armenians. The recent French law was a factor probably. Also the oportunity to stick it to Armenian nationalists, those who day and day out sermonize about barbaric Turks was too good to pass up. Just look at the hipocrites here explain away mass murder!
Murat explain what ‘hateful campaign’ you are referring to. Is it a ‘hateful campaign’ to pursue justice for yourself and your ancestors? When denial comes at you from every direction, in overt and covert forms, is it a ‘hateful campaign’ to try every angle you can to achieve your goal? This is twisted thinking!
Turkey holds the key to ending this ‘hateful campaign’ by simply ending its hateful campaign of denial.
And what is more hate based than to forge solidarity as Turks against Armenians?
Yes, Avery. But the Turks thought process is flawed/twisted. So they don’t recognize the AG but call it war time happenings. Then, when we talk about the happenings in the Khojali it becomes a massacre. Why because their kind was killed? But, if it were Armenians that were killed they would call it war time happenings. This is a racist theme that repeats itself throughout history with the Turkish minorities, blaming the victims of their atrocities with twisted explanations. And, yes the Turkish government officials are not clear with the differences in the definitions between causalities of war vs massacre vs genocide. Maybe, they need to be educated with a lecture given to them by United Nations War Crimes Commission.
And, I wonder where all those that protest Khojali were two day ago on 2/27, the anniversary of the 1988 Azerbaijani program in Sumgait, against its own Armenian population. But, then again it’s not them or their kind that it happened to, so who cares.
Seeking justice breeds stronger justice seeking.Not huge mystery for Armenians here.
Like Vache said before, instead of fighting with these worthless Turks, we will be better off to make Armenia and Artsakh stronger in democracy, militarily, and economically, get rid of oligarchic regime, make sure there will be enough room for Armenia in EU dept. then we can deal with world power one by one including Turkic tribes!! For now our unity is more important than Turkish demo…We can not change anti-Armenian feeling among Turkish population…..they can have their wolfy dance as much as they want, let Europeans worry about these savage people in Europe and US, as long as they are not in Armenian soil!!
Hurriyet:
*Turkey ‘ready to share pain’ with Armenians*
_Ankara offers up a possible olive branch in the wake of the French judiciary’s rejection of an Armenian ‘genocide’ denial bill, with Foreign Minister Davutoğlu saying: ‘We want to share the pain of those who are ready to share it with us’_
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-ready-to-share-pain-with-armenians.aspx?pageID=238&nID=14993&NewsCatID=338
——
Here we are again!
Just before 24th April every year, *Turks wear their human mask AGAIN*.
__The shameless Turkish government first sponsors and organizes anti-Armenian demonstrations throughout Turkey and other countries, spread and provoke racial hatred… and then comes their phony OLIVE BRANCH__
What does “share our pain” mean? Yes, another springtime deflection.
The Turks should incite censure the genocidal racists in their society. Instead of doing so, Erdogan referred to the genocidal protestors last week as participating in ‘isolated incidents.”
RVDV
What do you mean by “Sumgait, Kirovabad, Baku were pogroms […] which INCLUDE(?!) Azeris murdering Armenians”? What else do you imply the pogroms “included”? By using the verb “include” do you dare to imply that it was Armenians who rose to murder Azeris in those cities?!
They also included clashes between Soviet soldiers and Azeris.
RVDV,
I want to get back to a different issue raised by the article.
What percentage of Turkish citizens, do you think, hate Armenians to this genocidal degree?
In its worst and most powerful days, even the Ku Klux Klan did not have public rallies dreaming of dead Black people, although they murdered them often.
The widespread use of signs against Armenians at Taksim is very reminiscent of Brownshirt Nazis terrorizing Jews in Germany.
I read somewhere you signed the apology petition. That took guts, and in the long run you and 30,000 others advanced human rights in Turkey.
Finally, since you are a liberal, where is the Turkish liberal diaspora voice? Why is it not standing up to ATAA?
I challenge you to counter-demonstrate in April against the Embassy Turks who dance and hold signs about the joy of raping Armenian women. You can see this shameful spectacle on youtube. Each year Tan welcomes and fetes them after they dance for joy at the spectre of dead Armenian children.
And yet Davatoglu, who instructs Tan, says he wants to share our pain.
My guess would be about 65 to 70 percent. The other 30 percent being SOME liberals, Kurds, and Alevis. The issue with liberals in Turkey is that the center left party in Turkey is the CHP- Republican People’s Party- Ataturks party. Even they side with the right wing on some of these issues. The ATAA represent the Turkish government, the do as told. Anger should be directed not to them but the Turkish government. There is not a big Turkish community where I live and the nearest Turkish consulate is a 1.5 hour plane ride away, so my demonstration opportunities are limited.
70%?? I’d say 10% who hates Armenians, 1% genocidal degree. The rest loves/sympathizes/doesn’t care. You can find lots of racist/genocidal comments in the internet but those are the opinion of very very very few, and mostly teens who are pissed off and playing war video games.
Tokado,
If the vast majority of Turks were not genocidal, which for the first time I believe, and which RVDV asserts, how do we explain the lack of scandal and outrage in general Turkish society to the outrages when ultra nationalists – Nazis-speak with glee of killing Armenians?
There is more than the last week. There is the not guilty verdict, the wearing of white hats, the laughing policemen with Samast, the killing of the Priests, the torture killing of Protestants, the list is longer than what I glean from the USA.
If we assume for the sake of argument that only 10 per cent is genocidal, why are these acts not the subject of mass demonstrations and revulsion?
Or, maybe the 90 per cent don’t care if Nazis run their country. Most Germans weren’t Nazis, after all.
All I can say is following to .-First to Grish Begian,you are right but please turn words into action cooperaqte with me and all others TEAMWORK is best!!
To Hairenakitz ,likewise,we (most of us)do know what faceless or better yet ¨¨Yergyers¨¨ double faced those turks are.Note from now oin I shall not write turk in capital letters….
Do not waste time on them.If some have extra time then try to educate them.
My motto????
M i a p a n i l (not Miasnutyun) latter given and promoted amongst us by turkish Armenian speaking agents…because in advanced countries no political party affiliate Unites with the opposing ideology one(say in France, italy etc.,) but THEY COOPERATE…
This is first lesson we must learn .Example? mysself.-I admire and accept rightfull.clever beneficial suggestion-for Armenia/Armenians- from any ideology member Armenian. Because he/she also is ARMENIAN…
never mind his being maoist, Tashnag or Ramgavar etc.,capiche???
Next, if you really mean business,let us work togehjter towards what I ´m about to post in http://www.armeniannews.info….my Manifesto the Final one for not only us Armenians our patria but any other nation on earth who will take it.
best,
g.p
Clashes between Soviet troops, who were belatedly sent to Sumgait to stop Azeri-Turkic barbarity, cannot by definition be a part of Sumgait, Kirovabad, and Baku pogroms, because pogroms in their entirety were perpetrated by Azeris against Armenians. Be careful with definitions in the online publication where descendants of a victim-nation post.
Had the Soviet soldiers been sent on time all three of the pogroms could have been avoided, so I think they play a very big part in the three massacres.
“Avery …Care to explain?”
Gladly RVDV:
{“What percentage of Turkish citizens, do you think, hate Armenians to this genocidal degree?”} (question posed to RVDV in another thread).
RVDV responds: {“My guess would be about 65 to 70 percent. “}
This thread:
Armen writes: {“….do not represent all Turks”. }
I reply: {“Did anybody here say they did ?”}
Murat writes: {“…sentiments of the population in general.”}
I reply {“Of course it does.”}
‘all’ = 100%
‘population in general’ = 50%.
RVDV estimates Turks who hate Armenians “to this genocidal degree” at 65%-70%.
Nice try RVDV, but no cigar. Better luck next time.
PS: Kudos to RVDV for estimating it fairly accurately and honestly at 65%-70%.
My estimates are in the same ballpark.
I would certainly like to have someone like you on my side during an argument. I reluctantly concede that your explanation does in fact make sense my friend. Live to fight another day I guess
CORRECTION: {‘population in general’ = 50%.}
I used the ‘greater than’ and ‘less than’ symbols, but looks like the software did not like it and flushed it.
In text: “population in general” means less than 100%, but greater than 50%.
Agree, RVDV. But, nonetheless, Azeris’ clashes with the Soviet troops who were belatedly sent to restore law and order cannot in any way be equated (or be a part of) with the pogroms and massacres of Armenians perpetrated by the Azeris. Azeris demonstrated their savagery, backwardness, and ethnic intolerance. In other Soviet republic, Estonia, at about the same time, there was a stand-off between local Estonians and ethnic Russians and there were no Soviet troops in sight. Nevertheless, Estonians didn’t strip Russian women naked, made them dance, rape, and then burn alive. This is what we, Armenians, came to believe as being largely (not entirely, of course) characteristic to Ottoman Tuks and their Turkic brethren Azeris.
I agree there. Soviets emphasized the Soviet identity above the individual ethnic identities so they might have even just been unsuspecting of the violence. I forget which of the 3 pogroms, but in one, all the murders were by knife wounds- not a single gunshot. Killing someone is one thing, but drawing it out with stab wounds, now that’s just subhuman.
I have lived through the Lebanon war & have witnessed the MASSACRES of unarmed innocent Lebanese & Palestinians civilians in Sabra & Chatilla refugee camps in 1982. I’m sure all commentators here have heard about this subject. These MASSACRES were committed at a time of peace (when Arafat & his guerrillas had already left Lebanon) & when these camps were protected & the safety of civilians was guaranteed by the multinational forces of US, France & Italy. Israeli troops were present at the perimeter of these camps watching when the phalange troops entered & committed these atrocities of rape, killings.The Israelis knew what was happening inside the camps, did not act to prevent & stop it. This was a MASSACRE.
1. Azerbaijan
RAPE & MASSACRES of Sumgait, Baku, Kirovabad of unarmed innocent Armenian CIVILIANS were committed when there was no fighting & war of two opposite armed forces & very similar to Sabra & Chatilla massacres, it happened during time of peace. The Azeri forces encouraged & participated in these killings, similar to the Israelis & their crony phalange troops. This was how the Armenians of Azerbaijan had to flee the country to save their lives leaving behind their unburied dead & belongings.
2. Armenia
There was not a single rape & killing of Azeris living in Armenia proper when they fled together with their belongings after the Sumgait, Baku, Kirovabad massacres of Armenians. Above all the Armenian government made sure that no harm would come to fleeing unarmed Azeri civilians.
3. Khojali
However in Khojali’s case, there was fighting going on between two opposite forces. Artsakh forces had warned weeks before for the civilians to evacuate through a safe corridor left open. There are many explanations & stories as to why some the civilians were left behind. There are stories that cattle was evacuated by Azeri helicopters & not civilians. Majority of Khojali inhabitants were Meshketian Turks from Uzbekistan who were settled there by the Azeri government. The Meshketians were considered as 2nd class citizens by the Azeri… Azeri troops hid behind innocent civilians & used them as shields similar to the Palestinian guerrillas in Beirut (1982) who used to shoot at Israeli aircraft from civilian areas thinking that the Israelis will not reciprocate which they did with thousands of casualties of innocent Lebanese civilians.
It is always very painful the killings, massacres & loss of life of innocent, unarmed civilians whether they were Meshketian Turks, Azeri or Armenians. However one thing is very clear that this happened during WAR & not during peace time.
Unfortunately CORRUPT Aliyev & his clan, twist this tragedy to stay in power longer. Denialists & Armenian from their comfortable accommodations in Ankara (n) & London (M) repeat same like parrots without doing proper study & research.
Correction:
Denialists & Armenian HATERS from their comfortable accommodations in Ankara (n) & London (M) repeat same like parrots without doing proper study & research.
VTiger,
Your No. 2 above is so much correct.I was in Yerevan,about that time when the Azeri omon forces drove the shahumian Armenianbs out,hardly letting them take more than personal clothing..anyhow in Yerevan in the Metro
I started conversation as to what happened to over 150,000 azeris living in yerevan mainly.Response was and I quote¨we put them on carpets(Gorkeri vra) and ssent them away..
So let us stop worrying what azeris or their allies wish to imply to us that our forces committed massacres in Khojali…
They will not stop it is their VOJ .style…to lie , falsify ,present the opposite of what happened,thus gaining -if Euro ams and others can believe them-that their version of the happenings are correct and true.
You cannot change theeir VOJ…an impossibility…
So please take it easy, foiget it…let them grind their oxydated axe as much as they wish.
Let us be on our right Track and forge ahead…..
Never believe their extended hand.sure take it in their fashion insincerely…say yes to their friendship such aas just two days ago¨¨we are ready to share with armenians the HAPPENED ….BOTH THEIR PRES. AND OTHERS SAID SO….BELIEVE IT AS SINCERE…AND WHAT WITHOUT ANY REPENTENCE???? GIT OUT OF MY FACE….
This action in Turkey can be likened to Nazi growth in Germany to foster, intensify a deep seated animosity that obviously still exists among Turks.
I think it’s an effort to bolster Turkey’s image among its own and they probably hope the world (to make the Armenians look bad) in an attempt to counteract any forthcoming activities for worldwide remembrance for the Armenian Genocide in 2015.