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AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
Dec 24 2008
Fraud revealed in Turkish apology campaign
24-12-2008 03:50:24
An apparent fraud has been revealed in an online signature campaign
launched by a group of Turkish citizens to apologize to Armenians for
the alleged World War I-era killings of their countrymen.
It has now been revealed that most of the Turks included in the list
of people voting for the "apology" have either died or are
non-existent. Additionally, some of the persons listed were not aware
that they had been included in the campaign.
The initiative, launched on the www.ozurdiliyoruz.com website on
December 15 by up to 200 Turkish scholars, journalists, men of art and
NGO representatives, seeks to extend an apology for the alleged mass
killings in the Ottoman Empire that Armenians term as genocide, a
claim strenuously denied by Ankara. Supporters of the campaign vote by
including their names, city of residence and email addresses on the
web-page. An opportunity has also been created for non-users of the
Internet to submit their votes by mail. The campaign is expected to
last a year.
The website claimed that among those apologizing to the Armenians was
Turkey`s ambassador to France Ismayil Erezi, who was slain by Armenian
terrorists in Paris in 1975.
The web site further says that over 13,000 people have already joined
the campaign, but it is unknown which of the published names are
forged. After the persons whose names had been included in the list
without their knowledge appealed to the prosecutor`s office, the
website`s sections saying "Katilanlar" (Those joining) and "Katilmak
ichin tiklayin" (Click to join) were removed.
It is of note that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other
Turkish officials have condemned the campaign.
"I do not understand the organizers of this campaign and believe they
are wrong," the Turkish premier said. "One has to commit a crime to
ask for an apology afterwards.
Treating matters with good will is one thing, while apologizing in the
absence of any crime is completely another."The Turkish Armed Forces
Headquarters has labeled the online "apology" campaign as a move that
will be harmful to the country, with Armed Forces official, Metin
Gurak, calling the move erroneous.
Turkish Ambassador in Baku, Hulusi Kilic, has also come out against
the initiative, saying Turkey is not apologizing to Armenians, but, on
the contrary, is expecting an apology from them.
"The Turkish nation does not owe an apology to any other nation,"
Kilic told reporters.
Some 60 former ambassadors denounced the "apology" initiative as
running opposite of the country`s national interests. In a statement,
they said the re-settlement of Armenians carried out in 1915 in the
conditions of war had caused bitter consequences. However, the Turks`
losses due to Armenian terror and riots, were no less heavy.
To counter the initiative, Turkish intellectuals have lately launched
a campaign called "We are not apologizing." The signature collection
campaign is being carried out on the www.ozurdilemiyoruz.com website.
Meanwhile, the Turkish embassy in Baku has expressed concern over the
baseless reports in local as well as Azerbaijani media claiming that
President Abdullah Gul`s maternal side is ethnic Armenian. A source
from the embassy told AssA-Irada that Gul has made a formal statement
regarding his family`s roots, saying his generation comes from
traditional Muslim Turks.
After all officials in Ankara except President Gul condemned this "act
of propaganda", a representative of Turkey`s opposition Nationalist
Movement Party claimed that Gul`s relatives on his maternal side are
ethnic Armenian Turkish citizens who originally come from the Kayseri
region. The embassy said Armenia was sticking to its unequivocal
stance on the purported genocide and its relations with the
neighboring country. It noted that the head of state has repeatedly
offered to Yerevan to open up historical archives to study the Ottoman
Turkey developments, in order to prove the falsehood of the genocide
claims.Armenia and Turkey maintain no diplomatic ties and the border
between the two countries has been closed since 1993 on Ankara`s
insistence in response to Armenia`s policy of occupation of
Azerbaijani territories and the Armenian "genocide" claims. However,
relations between the two countries have begun to improve of
late. Following secret talks between Turkish and Armenian diplomats in
Bern in July, the two countries` leaders attended a 2010 World Cup
qualifying soccer match together in Yerevan early in September when
Abdullah Gul became the first Turkish president to visit
Armenia. Further, Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian visited
Turkey on November 24 where both countries discussed ways of
normalizing relations between Ankara and Yerevan. Documented evidence
A document has been discovered that exposes the fraudulent nature of
Armenia`s genocide allegations. According to the Turkish media, the
document says that the then Armenian patriarch and a group of
Armenians from his entourage launched a signature-raising campaign to
put forward territorial claims against Turkey. "The Turks tormented us
in 1917 and endangered our lives and property", the document said.
In response to this statement, the Anatolian Armenians and Greeks
circulated a statement of their own.
"We, the Anatolian Armenians and Greeks, have lived in peace and
stability with the Turks for years, and this will continue," the
historical document says. "There is no pressure against us
whatsoever. This is a ploy by those interested in muddying the
waters. We are very pleased with our lives."
http://www.azernews.az/site/shownews .php?news_id=9536
Dec 24 2008
Fraud revealed in Turkish apology campaign
24-12-2008 03:50:24
An apparent fraud has been revealed in an online signature campaign
launched by a group of Turkish citizens to apologize to Armenians for
the alleged World War I-era killings of their countrymen.
It has now been revealed that most of the Turks included in the list
of people voting for the "apology" have either died or are
non-existent. Additionally, some of the persons listed were not aware
that they had been included in the campaign.
The initiative, launched on the www.ozurdiliyoruz.com website on
December 15 by up to 200 Turkish scholars, journalists, men of art and
NGO representatives, seeks to extend an apology for the alleged mass
killings in the Ottoman Empire that Armenians term as genocide, a
claim strenuously denied by Ankara. Supporters of the campaign vote by
including their names, city of residence and email addresses on the
web-page. An opportunity has also been created for non-users of the
Internet to submit their votes by mail. The campaign is expected to
last a year.
The website claimed that among those apologizing to the Armenians was
Turkey`s ambassador to France Ismayil Erezi, who was slain by Armenian
terrorists in Paris in 1975.
The web site further says that over 13,000 people have already joined
the campaign, but it is unknown which of the published names are
forged. After the persons whose names had been included in the list
without their knowledge appealed to the prosecutor`s office, the
website`s sections saying "Katilanlar" (Those joining) and "Katilmak
ichin tiklayin" (Click to join) were removed.
It is of note that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other
Turkish officials have condemned the campaign.
"I do not understand the organizers of this campaign and believe they
are wrong," the Turkish premier said. "One has to commit a crime to
ask for an apology afterwards.
Treating matters with good will is one thing, while apologizing in the
absence of any crime is completely another."The Turkish Armed Forces
Headquarters has labeled the online "apology" campaign as a move that
will be harmful to the country, with Armed Forces official, Metin
Gurak, calling the move erroneous.
Turkish Ambassador in Baku, Hulusi Kilic, has also come out against
the initiative, saying Turkey is not apologizing to Armenians, but, on
the contrary, is expecting an apology from them.
"The Turkish nation does not owe an apology to any other nation,"
Kilic told reporters.
Some 60 former ambassadors denounced the "apology" initiative as
running opposite of the country`s national interests. In a statement,
they said the re-settlement of Armenians carried out in 1915 in the
conditions of war had caused bitter consequences. However, the Turks`
losses due to Armenian terror and riots, were no less heavy.
To counter the initiative, Turkish intellectuals have lately launched
a campaign called "We are not apologizing." The signature collection
campaign is being carried out on the www.ozurdilemiyoruz.com website.
Meanwhile, the Turkish embassy in Baku has expressed concern over the
baseless reports in local as well as Azerbaijani media claiming that
President Abdullah Gul`s maternal side is ethnic Armenian. A source
from the embassy told AssA-Irada that Gul has made a formal statement
regarding his family`s roots, saying his generation comes from
traditional Muslim Turks.
After all officials in Ankara except President Gul condemned this "act
of propaganda", a representative of Turkey`s opposition Nationalist
Movement Party claimed that Gul`s relatives on his maternal side are
ethnic Armenian Turkish citizens who originally come from the Kayseri
region. The embassy said Armenia was sticking to its unequivocal
stance on the purported genocide and its relations with the
neighboring country. It noted that the head of state has repeatedly
offered to Yerevan to open up historical archives to study the Ottoman
Turkey developments, in order to prove the falsehood of the genocide
claims.Armenia and Turkey maintain no diplomatic ties and the border
between the two countries has been closed since 1993 on Ankara`s
insistence in response to Armenia`s policy of occupation of
Azerbaijani territories and the Armenian "genocide" claims. However,
relations between the two countries have begun to improve of
late. Following secret talks between Turkish and Armenian diplomats in
Bern in July, the two countries` leaders attended a 2010 World Cup
qualifying soccer match together in Yerevan early in September when
Abdullah Gul became the first Turkish president to visit
Armenia. Further, Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian visited
Turkey on November 24 where both countries discussed ways of
normalizing relations between Ankara and Yerevan. Documented evidence
A document has been discovered that exposes the fraudulent nature of
Armenia`s genocide allegations. According to the Turkish media, the
document says that the then Armenian patriarch and a group of
Armenians from his entourage launched a signature-raising campaign to
put forward territorial claims against Turkey. "The Turks tormented us
in 1917 and endangered our lives and property", the document said.
In response to this statement, the Anatolian Armenians and Greeks
circulated a statement of their own.
"We, the Anatolian Armenians and Greeks, have lived in peace and
stability with the Turks for years, and this will continue," the
historical document says. "There is no pressure against us
whatsoever. This is a ploy by those interested in muddying the
waters. We are very pleased with our lives."
http://www.azernews.az/site/shownews .php?news_id=9536