Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Aug 3 2014
Genocide is NOT permissible
by YUSUF KANLI
An article titled "When Genocide is Permissible," written by Yochanan
Gordon, published Sunday, Aug. 3, in the Times of Israel and posted on
the paper's website, as well as at 5TJT.com (The Five Towns Jewish
Times) became a very hot issue immediately and moments later was
withdrawn from both websites. The article reflected what most of us
feared: A Jewish ultra-nationalist obsession to eradicate all
Palestinians discriminately with a genocidal approach, very much like
the Holocaust Jews were subjected to by Nazi Germany.
It is wrong, of course, to try to draw parallels between the 1940s and
today, nor is appropriate to try to make a comparison between the
Holocaust and the mass massacre of Palestinians by the murder machine
that is the Israeli state. Yet, if a state killed almost 2,000 people,
mostly civilians - small children, women and the elderly - be it in
the 1940s or in 2014 and be it Turkey, Israel or Germany, it is an act
of state terrorism.
If anyone is claiming, "Well, thousands of people were killed because
a state was trying to fight a very venomous terrorist force; such
killings were collateral damage of security operations," the answer is
simple: Is such a mentality sane?
Some of my Jewish readers wrote back complaining that in Turkey's
history, indeed in recent history, there were as well mass murders of
Armenians, Greeks and still the Kurds. Even if Turkey was engaged, or
still is engaged, in something horrendous, such Turkish actions cannot
legitimize the Israeli genocide of Palestinians. There are, of course,
a lot of ugly episodes in Turkish history. The 1915 events might still
be disputable as regards to how it happened and how many Armenians
perished, the Turkish losses and the Kurds' role in it...
The Armenian issue is rather complicated and one is required to know
not only Armenian claims, but also the situation in Anatolia,
Turkish-Russian relations, the French, British, as well as American
contributions to the already complicated situation of the time. What
was Kurds' contribution to the Armenian sufferings? Was it indeed the
Kurdish volunteers' brigade (Hamidiye Brigade) that attacked the
Armenians who were subjected to the forced internal replacement by the
Ottoman government because of the war's situation? In any case, the
Armenian people of this land suffered a lot and had to flee. I am not
proud at all with what they were compelled to go through in the first
quarter of the last century. We need to scientifically explore and
come out with answers. That's why Turkey has offered the creation of a
commission of historians and has vowed to respect whatever the outcome
will be. Armenia has so far refused to collaborate.
As regards Greek "mass murders" by Turks, Jewish readers might be
referring to the Asia Minor catastrophe of the Greek army. Well,
Greeks were the occupying force - like today's Israel in Gaza - and
Turks fought them out of their territory. No apologies for saving the
homeland and that was no massacre to speak of. If, however, my friends
are talking about the Sept. 5-6, 1955 events, you are perfectly right;
we lost our other half by forcing the Greeks of Istanbul to immigrate
to Greece. That was a shameful page on our history and one that all
Turks must regret.
Turks have done many wrongdoings to the Kurds as well. We are
presently in some sort of a reconciliation process that will hopefully
help us overcome this hurdle and become one big family once again.
Yet, dear Jewish friends, if you come across any article by a Turk
suggesting "genocide is permissible," then I will apologize for
branding Israeli attacks on Gaza with the pretext of fighting Hamas
and saying they were indeed a genocidal program aimed at forcing
Palestinians to surrender en masse.
Genocide can no longer be permissible.
August/04/2014
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/genocide-is-not-permissible.aspx?pageID=449&nID=69914&NewsCatID=42 5
Aug 3 2014
Genocide is NOT permissible
by YUSUF KANLI
An article titled "When Genocide is Permissible," written by Yochanan
Gordon, published Sunday, Aug. 3, in the Times of Israel and posted on
the paper's website, as well as at 5TJT.com (The Five Towns Jewish
Times) became a very hot issue immediately and moments later was
withdrawn from both websites. The article reflected what most of us
feared: A Jewish ultra-nationalist obsession to eradicate all
Palestinians discriminately with a genocidal approach, very much like
the Holocaust Jews were subjected to by Nazi Germany.
It is wrong, of course, to try to draw parallels between the 1940s and
today, nor is appropriate to try to make a comparison between the
Holocaust and the mass massacre of Palestinians by the murder machine
that is the Israeli state. Yet, if a state killed almost 2,000 people,
mostly civilians - small children, women and the elderly - be it in
the 1940s or in 2014 and be it Turkey, Israel or Germany, it is an act
of state terrorism.
If anyone is claiming, "Well, thousands of people were killed because
a state was trying to fight a very venomous terrorist force; such
killings were collateral damage of security operations," the answer is
simple: Is such a mentality sane?
Some of my Jewish readers wrote back complaining that in Turkey's
history, indeed in recent history, there were as well mass murders of
Armenians, Greeks and still the Kurds. Even if Turkey was engaged, or
still is engaged, in something horrendous, such Turkish actions cannot
legitimize the Israeli genocide of Palestinians. There are, of course,
a lot of ugly episodes in Turkish history. The 1915 events might still
be disputable as regards to how it happened and how many Armenians
perished, the Turkish losses and the Kurds' role in it...
The Armenian issue is rather complicated and one is required to know
not only Armenian claims, but also the situation in Anatolia,
Turkish-Russian relations, the French, British, as well as American
contributions to the already complicated situation of the time. What
was Kurds' contribution to the Armenian sufferings? Was it indeed the
Kurdish volunteers' brigade (Hamidiye Brigade) that attacked the
Armenians who were subjected to the forced internal replacement by the
Ottoman government because of the war's situation? In any case, the
Armenian people of this land suffered a lot and had to flee. I am not
proud at all with what they were compelled to go through in the first
quarter of the last century. We need to scientifically explore and
come out with answers. That's why Turkey has offered the creation of a
commission of historians and has vowed to respect whatever the outcome
will be. Armenia has so far refused to collaborate.
As regards Greek "mass murders" by Turks, Jewish readers might be
referring to the Asia Minor catastrophe of the Greek army. Well,
Greeks were the occupying force - like today's Israel in Gaza - and
Turks fought them out of their territory. No apologies for saving the
homeland and that was no massacre to speak of. If, however, my friends
are talking about the Sept. 5-6, 1955 events, you are perfectly right;
we lost our other half by forcing the Greeks of Istanbul to immigrate
to Greece. That was a shameful page on our history and one that all
Turks must regret.
Turks have done many wrongdoings to the Kurds as well. We are
presently in some sort of a reconciliation process that will hopefully
help us overcome this hurdle and become one big family once again.
Yet, dear Jewish friends, if you come across any article by a Turk
suggesting "genocide is permissible," then I will apologize for
branding Israeli attacks on Gaza with the pretext of fighting Hamas
and saying they were indeed a genocidal program aimed at forcing
Palestinians to surrender en masse.
Genocide can no longer be permissible.
August/04/2014
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/genocide-is-not-permissible.aspx?pageID=449&nID=69914&NewsCatID=42 5