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World Bulletin, Turkey
April 5 2015
American Turks launch new campaign over 1915 events
The "Let History Decide" campaign in the U.S. will counter Armenian
allegations over the events of 1915 involving the Ottoman Empire
during World War I.
World Bulletin / News Desk
American Turks have launched the "Let History Decide" campaign in the
U.S. to counter Armenian allegations over the events of 1915 involving
the Ottoman Empire during World War I.
The campaign has been organized by the Turkish American Steering
Committee, which consists of 145 Turkish American organizations.
Several events have been planned under the campaign that will take
place in different parts of the U.S., including Washington DC, New
York and Texas.
The main slogan of the campaign is: "Unite us, not divide us."
According to the Turkish American Steering Committee's website, a
peace and solidarity walk is being organized on April 24 in Washington
DC, which will begin in front of the White House and end at the
Turkish Embassy.
After the walk, American Turks and their campaign supporters will
remain in front of the embassy in response to the Armenian groups, who
too gather there on April 24 each year to "occupy the sidewalk," a
committee representative says.
The committee has said it will also launch a Twitter hashtag
#lethistorydecide on April 18.
Turkish citizens at home and abroad feel that smear campaigns
involving the 1915 events have turned into attacks against Turkey.
In early March when a group of Congressmen introduced the "Armenian
Genocide Truth and Justice Resolution", Republican Congressman Curt
Clawson called President Barack Obama to form a committee to reconcile
Turkish-Armenian relations and seek support for his resolution in
Congress.
"Turkey and Armenia are very important to the American interests,"
Clawson wrote in a letter to House colleagues. "U.S interests (in the
region) can be advanced by both countries acting to cultivate peace
and understanding."
- 1915 events
The 1915 events took place during World War I when a portion of the
Armenian population living in the Ottoman Empire sided with the
invading Russians and revolted against the empire.
A decision by the Ottoman Empire to relocate Armenians in eastern
Anatolia followed the revolts and there were some Armenian casualties
during the relocation process.
Armenia has demanded an apology and compensation, while Turkey
officially refutes Armenian allegations over the incidents, saying
that, although Armenians died during relocations, many Turks also lost
their lives in attacks carried out by Armenian gangs in Anatolia.
The debate and differing opinions between present day Turkish
government and the Armenian diaspora, along with the current
administration in Yerevan, still generates political tension between
Turks and Armenians.
- Turkey's position
Ankara acknowledges that past experiences were a great tragedy and
that both parties suffered heavy casualties, including hundreds of
Muslim Turks.
Turkey also agrees that there were certainly Armenian casualties
during World War I.
In January, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent invitation
letters to more than 100 leaders, including Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan, to participate in the commemoration of the Battle of
Canakkale on April 24.
Sargsyan reportedly denounced Erdogan's invitation as a
"short-sighted" attempt to overshadow the 100th anniversary of the
1915 events, according to armenianow.com.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/america-canada/157425/american-turks-launch-new-campaign-over-1915-events
April 5 2015
American Turks launch new campaign over 1915 events
The "Let History Decide" campaign in the U.S. will counter Armenian
allegations over the events of 1915 involving the Ottoman Empire
during World War I.
World Bulletin / News Desk
American Turks have launched the "Let History Decide" campaign in the
U.S. to counter Armenian allegations over the events of 1915 involving
the Ottoman Empire during World War I.
The campaign has been organized by the Turkish American Steering
Committee, which consists of 145 Turkish American organizations.
Several events have been planned under the campaign that will take
place in different parts of the U.S., including Washington DC, New
York and Texas.
The main slogan of the campaign is: "Unite us, not divide us."
According to the Turkish American Steering Committee's website, a
peace and solidarity walk is being organized on April 24 in Washington
DC, which will begin in front of the White House and end at the
Turkish Embassy.
After the walk, American Turks and their campaign supporters will
remain in front of the embassy in response to the Armenian groups, who
too gather there on April 24 each year to "occupy the sidewalk," a
committee representative says.
The committee has said it will also launch a Twitter hashtag
#lethistorydecide on April 18.
Turkish citizens at home and abroad feel that smear campaigns
involving the 1915 events have turned into attacks against Turkey.
In early March when a group of Congressmen introduced the "Armenian
Genocide Truth and Justice Resolution", Republican Congressman Curt
Clawson called President Barack Obama to form a committee to reconcile
Turkish-Armenian relations and seek support for his resolution in
Congress.
"Turkey and Armenia are very important to the American interests,"
Clawson wrote in a letter to House colleagues. "U.S interests (in the
region) can be advanced by both countries acting to cultivate peace
and understanding."
- 1915 events
The 1915 events took place during World War I when a portion of the
Armenian population living in the Ottoman Empire sided with the
invading Russians and revolted against the empire.
A decision by the Ottoman Empire to relocate Armenians in eastern
Anatolia followed the revolts and there were some Armenian casualties
during the relocation process.
Armenia has demanded an apology and compensation, while Turkey
officially refutes Armenian allegations over the incidents, saying
that, although Armenians died during relocations, many Turks also lost
their lives in attacks carried out by Armenian gangs in Anatolia.
The debate and differing opinions between present day Turkish
government and the Armenian diaspora, along with the current
administration in Yerevan, still generates political tension between
Turks and Armenians.
- Turkey's position
Ankara acknowledges that past experiences were a great tragedy and
that both parties suffered heavy casualties, including hundreds of
Muslim Turks.
Turkey also agrees that there were certainly Armenian casualties
during World War I.
In January, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent invitation
letters to more than 100 leaders, including Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan, to participate in the commemoration of the Battle of
Canakkale on April 24.
Sargsyan reportedly denounced Erdogan's invitation as a
"short-sighted" attempt to overshadow the 100th anniversary of the
1915 events, according to armenianow.com.
http://www.worldbulletin.net/america-canada/157425/american-turks-launch-new-campaign-over-1915-events