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Please read this Hi, and welcome. Take a deep breath and relax your eyebrows. If you are about ready to explode it is suggested that you stop for a minute and relax, because that indeed may happen after sifting through these heated debates. This is a controversial topic, and always has been.

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Please do not edit archived pages. If you want to react to a statement made in a archived discussion, please make a new header on THIS page. -- Mgm| 09:20, Feb 23, 2005 (UTC) Archives: Archive 1 Archive 2 Archive 3 Archive 4 Archive 5 Archive 6 Archive 7 Archive 8 Archive 9 Archive 10 Archive 11 Archive 12 Archive 13 Archive 14 Fadix Analysis A Letter from The International Association of Genocide Scholars

Mass Graves Found In Eastern Turkey

I think we should add this information in this article about the findings of mass graves in Eastern Turkey believed to date from the 1915 Armenian and Assyrian Genocides. http://www.aina.org/news/20061128104356.htm Also in Turkish http://www.kurdistan-post.com/News-file-article-sid-13065.html Also if Turkey claims there was no Genocide than why is the Turkish government trying to hide this finding and the military personnel forbade the villagers to tell anyone about the site and then they closed the site. Although this information was leaked Turkey pressed the villagers to give the names of those responsible for it.

I read about this too. To me, this incident isn't surprising and it's probably one of the more blatant examples of Armenian Genocide denial (like you said, if there was no genocide, then why is the Turkish government so concerned about these bones?) This news is important and should be posted on both this article and the article on Nisibis (Nusaybin). -- Clevelander 22:55, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

I do not think that AINA is a credible source. Besides excavated mass graves of Turks exist too, but no one has bothered to mention them

--Hasanidin 02:38, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Hasanidin you just told me my source is not credible and you gave me a source that is also not credible either for your claim. Fine if that source is not credible I can give you another source http://www.topix.net/forum/blogs/T319LCRCGEIVKNP17 or or ROOB323 03:14, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

The accc.org.uk is Armenian controlled, whereas regnum.ru is a Russian nationalist website, which features as a top story in its Russian verision an article denying the Ukrainian Holodomor. I checked the news in Turkish newspapers though, and it seems that the Turkish newspaper Özgür Gündem has indeed reported on the discovery of some bones and it seems also that it has been suspended for 15 days after remarks by a Turkish general of it being the mouthpiece of the PKK as reported by Radikal . For now, I would refrain from any speculations on this apparent mass grave and await an investigation by experts. --Hasanidin 04:42, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Since the Turkish government closed off this site and told the villagers that found the site to remain silent. I really don't think there is any other way for experts to come and investigate this findings if the Turkish government is trying to keep silent regarding the finding, since this site was discovered on October 17, 2006 and kept secret until one of the villagers leaked the story. ROOB323 05:01, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

all news sources refer to a single newspaper here "Özgür gündem" the newspaper of the PKK terorist organisation. However if you could have read Turkish you would have seen that Kurdistan news tell the story quite different. stating that the villagers have found the grave while trying burry their death. and they covered the grave with stones. No mention of soldiers coming and closing the grave and warning people to remain silent. it is just said that villagers were asked to close the grave and not to do anything (obviously not to damage the site)and it is stated in the upcomig days the place will be investigated. this is simply a thing that any goverment will do. just two monts ago Türk history society challanged Armenians to come and find the mass graves of Armenians in a joined efford. This has not hit the head lines of course. So it is unfair to give an impression as if Turkey is trying to hide something. Finding a mass grave is not surprising since many people were killed during that period. what is interesting is that suddenly Swedish foreign minister jumped into that. the history is repeating it self over and over. Turkish mass graves found in so many places are no news. yet a gossib about a possible Armenian/Christian mass grave moves the Sweden parliment so deeply.neurobio 09:54, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

If the Turkish government is not trying to hide anything than we will see if the Turkish government will respond to Insan Haklari Derneği (IHD), a Turkish organisation working with human rights issues, which has sent an open letter to the Turkish ministry of the interior demanding an investigation of the mass grave discovery, to answer if the mass graves that were found near Nusaybin has something to do with the Assyrian and Armenian genicides. By the way since the Turkish government kept quiet for a while after discovering this graves the only newspapaer in Turkey that took pictures and reported about this findings they dug further into it and came into contact with professor David Gaunt at Södertörn University in Stockholm who has done a lot of research about the Assyrian genocide and the news about the mass finding was distributed by Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå (TT), Sweden's top news agency and was thereafter published in several Swedish media, including the two leading morning papers Dagens Nyheter (DN) and Svenska Dagbladet (Svd) this is why "moves the Sweden parliment so deeply" like you said. Also you claim there were "Turkish mass graves found in so many places" can you give me reliable sources for your claim? I want to see what your sources are from, when you accuse me of having a false source from a terrorist organization newspaper. ROOB323 22:59, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

No one is accusing you of anything. "özgür gündem" is the newspaper of PKK and if these newspapers are using it as a source it is their fault not yours of course. here you can read an article on Turkish mass graves http://www.tbmm.gov.tr/yayinlar/yayin1/7-Konukcu(143-154).pdf. and here you can see the pictures and details of excavation http://www.ermenisorunu.gen.tr/english/massacres/assesment.html neurobio 23:16, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Neurobio I went to those websites that you gave me, but both of those sites were from a Turkish websites and I tried using google to find out if other countries websites claimed the same thing that were on the websites of Turkey, but I couldn't find any. I don't think that is a reliable source since only Turkish websites had those claims and the stuff I was reading were anti-Armenian website. ROOB323 03:31, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

that only confirms what I have said most of these graves were opened decades ago. there were foreign professors present at the excavation. Still you can not find a single word about it in the international press. But these are scolarly documented. that is the reason why Armenian genocide issue has become common knowledge. For example you cant find a word about the malta tribunal or the armenian rebelion except for Turkish web sites. Despite the perfect documentation. such as this one.

To call these "scholarly documented" is a bit of a joke. I have read private reports from (non-Armenian or Turk) individuals who have examined much of this "evidence" and who have noted in some cases quite a bit of doctoring of what otherwise are likely Christian/Armenians to make it look as if they are Muslims. The same hold true for a number of artifats that are kept is supposed museums that depict Muslims slaughtered by Armenians. Much of this is very amaturish with obvious mitakes that in fact shows the opposite of what is being presented/portrayed. Again, I'm not claiming that there was none of this - Armenians killing innocent Turks. When Russians took over areas Russian Armenians, Cossaks, Russians and even Ottoman Armenian men who had fled the Genocide - did torch towns and villages and commit atrocities. And as sad as these criminal acts of war are - they still do not equate - in any respect - concerning government intent and policy and the totality and severity of the acts carried out against innocent woeman and children and such - the CUP directed program to annhilate its ethnic and religious minorities - of which the Armenians were first and formost on the list to be eliminated. Let us not forget that Assyrians and Greeks were similarly (later) treated to the same fate. Were Assyrians and Greeks likewise claimed to be colaborators with enemy forces commiting atrocities against Muslims? And even if there were some Assyrian and (Ottoman) Greek individuals or even forces that happened to join the Allies (such as Jews and Jewish units that joined the allies in WW2) do we then accept that the government directed and prosecuted genocides against these people never happened?--THOTH 15:49, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Denial section

Just removed the entries of the same university after some names. Would be good if someone can provide a data that these academician have also lectured at the university of Bilkent, otherwise I will see it as a cheap attempt to promote some university. xeryus 19:36, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

In regards to the Washington Post article on the left, read the text, it refers to the Russian Armenian Army in the city of Kars, moving in the Ottoman Empire. Kars had been under Russian control since 1878 so by then, any Armenians living there were subjects of the Russian Tsar, not the Ottoman Empire. This was a poor attempt to prove that Armenians had already sided with the Russians in November 1914 but it seems otherwise useful so thanks for uploading it..--MarshallBagramyan 06:33, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

it says: The Russian Army of Armenia, whose base is on Kars, Transcaucasia, is approaching the Turkish fortress of Erzerum.

In several towns occupied by the Russians the Armenian students have shown themselves ready to join the invading army. Reports tell of armed conflicts arising from the refusal of Armenians to become Turkish conscripts and surrender their arms. It is now rumored that the important city of Van is besieged by Armenian guerilla bands in great force. In Feitun the Armenians are said to exceed 20.000 in number and they are reported to have defeated all the Turkish Troops sent against them causing the Turks heavy losses.

what does occupied and invade mean??? Where is Van? where is Feitun. "Zeytun" in Turkish. Needless to say in Ottoman bordes of course. and how Russian armenians can be asked to join turkish army. please... it seems that Armenian rebelion is not only a Turkish myth after all.neurobio 06:45, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

And where exactly do the sources come from, Petrograd or Constantinople?--MarshallBagramyan 06:55, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

it is under the section that starts as "An official communication from the general staff of the Caucasian army under date of Nov. 10, says". an in the entire article the names of the cities that all the reports are taken are Rome, London, Petrograd. neurobio 07:00, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

But who is the exact source that communiqued that the Armenians are in a mass uprising (20,000 is indeed a very large number)? And do other news articles at the time carry the same headline? Rome, London and Petrograd are simply the locations of the news bureau chiefs.--MarshallBagramyan 07:04, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Winston Churchil himself noted that at least 150,000 Armenian rebells joined the Russian army during its invasion of Turkey, and as many of them had fallen in battle, Armenians had to gather again around 35,000 to maintain the front against the Turks in what he called "liberated" Armenian territories. Why are you denying this mass uprising of the Armenians?

The Russian Caucasian army, which occupied the liberated Western Armenian provinces, was in disorder and rapidly disintegrating, and the Russian soldiers deserted to return to their homes. The first task of the new Caucasian government, limited though its means were, was to gather an army which could maintain the Turkish front. Since the Tatars refused to fight their Turkish cousins and the Georgian Mensheviks were under the sway of an inconvenient and illogical pacifism, the entire burden of the war fell upon the shoulders of the Armenians. Winston Churchill writes: “At the beginning of 1918 the Russian army abandoned the front in Asia Minor and became a scattered flock whose only desire was to return home. Russians left the front very quickly and the Turks had not yet advanced. The Armenians who stayed behind made a desperate attempt to defend their country, Armenia, and the Armenians in the Russian army gathered and, with the volunteer units, for a time, were able to stop the Turkish advance. Of the 150 000 soldiers that the Armenians had supplied to the Russian army, all had fallen in battle or were scattered over the empire, so that the Armenians were not able to gather more than 35 000 men.”

At the start of 1918, the Armenian army, continuing in Armenian military traditions, the hope and the condition for an independent Armenian government, took up position at the Western Armenian front. The Armenian army was led by commanders such as General Nazarbekian, General Andranik (known as the Armenian Garibaldi) and Colonel Morel, the Russian officer who was its founder and protector. The army fought without respite to defend Western Armenia and Transcaucasia, a 400 km front, against the Turkish army. General Brehman subsequently recorded: “The efforts of the Armenians at this remote front has been concealed from the European general public, but their place in history should be assured with the heroic deeds carried out during these battle.

Source: --Hasanidin 15:56, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

how should I know the exact source? the section starts as "An official communication from the general staff of the Caucasian army". Also the Newyork times from the same time (there maybe several days of difference) has exactly the same news I dont have the original though just the quote from a book. also many more articles report simmilar thing from later time points. Marshall I admire your scepticism and it is well placed especially when it comes to newspapers but do you ask the same question when it fits your ideas? I wish you could have.neurobio 07:23, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

and generally they state the source especialy when it comes from a Turkish sourse such as this one.

Iowa Recorder - 1914 june 1 Destroy Many Towns

According to a dispatch from the Vali of Bitlis, Asiatic Turkey, seventeen villages have been destroyed by Armenian insurgents in the district of Sassun. More than 600 Armenian families have taken refuge at Mush, a town in Bitlis.neurobio 07:27, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

I'm only curious Neuro. I only ask these questions whenever a particular source does not make sense and deserves scrutiny. It would be more sound if the information was coming from, for example, consulate officials or missionaries in the region or intl. observers rather than for obvious reasons, the government of the Ottoman Empire. In the case of the NYT article that appears on this article, it clearly states who is the source (i.e. the American Relief Society) and subsequent newspapers also state where their information is coming from (US Consuls, Ambassador so and so, etc.) Naturally the argument for the Genocide implies that all other Turkish officials, the valis and the kaymakams included, were privy to what was going to occur so such statements are of the norm.How many times have I asked for raising your opinions on the cited information on this article? --MarshallBagramyan 07:40, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Unfortunatelly I regard missionary sources as the most dubious ones. Simply because they actively took part in the Greek and Bulgarian independence wars. Also think about therir deeds in the oldworld in America continent and Africa. these "men of god" unfortunately has served as tools of invasion and propaganda for a century. They also gave the same news of atrocities from these places while all turkish population was continuously massacred and exiled there. No one still ask what happened to Turks that lived in Greee and Bulgaria. their population now is almost non existant. I lost hope here because my simples adits like "some western scolars also has the idea as the Turks" are just removed in an instant. As you know I respect your attitute but please try to read other sources also. here I have found another article and the source is petrograd. Basicly the same story. but with some aditional data. transcription is there. neurobio 07:55, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Are we now establishing a policy that whatever is printed in an American Newspaper regarding the Armenian Genocide and suroundign events is entirely factual? If so that I would guess that we might have hundreds of entires - if not thousands to add to the database. In any event - so these articles present that some Armenian "students" have taken up arms against the Ottoman Turks - well this should be no surprise - after several generations of abuse - and recent massacres of very large numbers - that some Armenian have become disatisfied with the protections offered by the ottoman State - or lack therof - and have taken it upon themselves to be prepared to defend themselvs and their families. As for rumours of numbers and towns such as Van being besieged - they are just that - rumours - whose sources most likely are Turkish Government connected or otherwise questionable. If of course we see that these thigs are being reported from a variety of sources (not just from a variety of newspapers using the same source) then perhaps we can judge them credible. Until then we will take the word of actual eyewitnesses to these events and rely on information that it is clearly cooroborated by multiple sources.--THOTH 15:37, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Considering that's how most information is acquired in this world, yes. But to help bolster those news reports come testimonies from everyone: Armenians themselves, Germans, Americans, Austrians, Swedes, Danes, Norwegians and even Turks that Turkish government soldiers with the help of irregular brigands took part in widespread massacres without any regard for age, indiscriminate, sadistic, systematic killing.

Yes, many Armenians deserted the Turkish army when they saw the Russians coming in. Would you blame if some of them did (and this some is at most, several hundred)? They had been desperate to leave the miserable conditions the Empire had been forcing upon them and had been deluded by the CUP's promises for constitutional reform. Reread Ramsey's quote and see how he describes that Armenians and Greeks were "dogs to be spat upon". After all those massacres and outrages and abridged rights they had been living under for centuries, would any normal human being still tolerate them and risk his life in fighting for that same government.

Unfortunately, yes, they would as the vast majority of Armenians poured their hearts into wishing well the armies of the Ottoman Empire, of blessing Armenian troops who were to be drafted, of pledging to donate foodstuffs, of condemning Armenian soldiers who deserted, of telling their people not to fight back if provoked. And look where all that blind obedience led to. A two year old child living in the heart of Turkey at that time was in no way complicit in the acts of a minority group (Russian supporters) and the fact that that child died in the Syrian desert is proof as to why the Genocide is undeniably true.--MarshallBagramyan 18:06, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

ok marshall can you do something like that. check your sources about previous "Turkish crimes" and mark them on the map. you will see they are cumulated in an area where revolutionarists were active. Mainly Van, sasun, bitlis. But armenians were living every where. No real big thing ever happened in other areas that armenians lived. This centuries of massacres is simply un true. everything started after 1870s when Russia offically got the right to be the protector of ottoman Armenians. Every thing happened in the area is politically motivated. there has never been a racial hatered agains Armenians. one this is true about the Ottoman empire it supresses any uprising most brutally. But this holds true for anybody the same thing happened to pure Turks of Aydin, Kurds of diyabakir. No speial treatment ro Armenians due to hate. there are thousands of quotes about the fairness of Ottoman rule one must have tried hard to find that piece "dogs to be spat upon". this is just the most stupid accusation ever. Armenians had hundrest of high ranking officers in the Ottoman empire. Read Armenian survivors testimonies at least they tell about their life there. you see I read the real Armenian sources but you do not. please read Hrant sariyans diary and see that the miss treatment is confined to the areas in uproar. Are you like Clevelander who can not stand any thing against his dogma.

If have talked what genocide is hundred times still you say it is undeniable the act. Many people died this is the undeniable fact but calling it genocide is simply outrageous. lets say all your claims are true but still if Armenians rebelled and joined the enemy and helped them this shows that the actions taken by the goverment is because o military or political conditions. Genocide can only be present in the highes level of hatered against a group. there is no such thing.

It is a shame that no one in wiki took action agains Clevelanders Vandal acts (see history). this page is dead... neurobio 22:28, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

We have already discussed this before. Just because the Germans had never attempted to exterminate a race until 1941, did not mean that they didn't commit genocide in that time period. Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians and Jews were dogs to be spat upon in the eyes of Muslims. All that nonsense coming from Voltaire and other Europeans who traveled through the region is worth nil; they never had their wives taken from them with impunity, they never were forced to pay multiple taxes, they never lived under that system so they are unable to make those judgments that the Sultan was as benevolent as they described him as. Ramsay lived there for twelve years and that's what makes his account much more credible. Armenians, Christians and Jews for that matter, did not start truly begin integrating and serving in the military until the Balkan Wars of 1912.

Even claiming that Armenians held such high positions (economic wise, the Ottoman Mint, ammunition, etc.) was due to the Islamic law which precluded Muslims from entering banking or interest loaning, that's the worst excuse of the "equality" argument of all.

but calling it genocide is simply outrageous I don't make up the evidence, the fact that nearly every single person living there at the time, Turkish ally or not, stated that they saw Armenians being destroyed systematically. The fact that much of the evidence in private correspondence (telegrams, letters, etc.) comes from Turkey's allies is what makes it so damning when wartime censorship in Germany strictly omitted such references.--MarshallBagramyan 23:16, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

The status of the Armenians in the Empire

How about the POV in the pre-CUP history? The life of Ottoman second-class citizens was not nearly as repressive as the author makes it sound. Non-Muslim Ottomans could testify in religious court, but their testimony meant less. Like, say, if there is a believer's word against an "infidel"'s word. Mind, this was only the state within the religious courts. These always dealt with the more domestic side of the law and, even in this capacity, tended to touch and less-and-less upon the regular legal proceedings within the empire throughout the modern era. Until the fervour of nationalism infected the decaying empire, the non-Muslim Ottoman was not more often spit on than doffed a hat to; the Non-Muslim Ottoman was granted rights to facilitate the practices of his or her own faith and, before the seizure of power by the CUP, Christians and Jews had enjoyed two generations of being priveleged enough to choose between serving in or paying into the army. Armenian Ottomans dominated European land trade in and out of the empire. Members of the Armenian populace could win, by their merits, the respect of their Muslim, Greek and Jewish neighbours. I would also like to add that citing a European travelogue to characterize the treatment of Christians in the Ottoman Empire can only cast doubt on the validity of your characterization, based, as it seems to be, on unqualified Orientalist pulp. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 207.81.123.57 (talk • contribs) 07:03, 3 December 2006 (UTC).

Well, still no change on this part of the article. I dare not make an attempt because I know this is such a sensitive and highly controversial topic; my changes would probably not last a minute. I just can't understand why people so jealously protect their status as victims. I can imagine it must be hurtful when parties claim that your murdered ancestors were never murdered (or that they deserved what they got), but inacurately painting the everyday treatment of non-Muslims in the Ottoman Empire does nothing to lift the veils from these eyes. It must be that hateful philosophy, nationalism, that makes some Turks vehemently deny the CUP's crimes as if today's Turk would have to inherit the blame of the atrocities if they would admit the verity of them. It must be an attempt to appease the dead that makes some Armenians wish to paint with such dark colours the daily lives of their ancestors. I must repeat, Armenians did not live in constant danger, fear and disrepspect from the time that the first Turcoman tribes trickled into their homeland until the establishment of an Armenian-Nation State. We need to examine the purpose of such slander. How does it help the debate between Turks and Armenians when we make it look like only non-Muslims were subject to the whims of the arbitrary and intrusive state? Wasn't it the case that all Ottoman subjects were affected by the rare occasion that the Sublime Port managed to intrude into provincial matters? Wasn't there ever any neighbourliness between Muslim and non-Muslim Ottomans? What purpose is served by ignoring the data which contradicts this British ethnographer and his friends in Wikiland? If you care, check out Colin Imber, Donald Quataert or Mark Mazower and stop trying to stir up ghosts. It hurts an impartial observer to watch this. I say I'm impartial, but I am not alien to claims of victimhood. I'm Irish, but you don't see me flinging red paint at today's English. It has recently come to my attention that I may be allergic to wheat as a direct result of English prohibitions on my ancestors' diets! This, at least, is a crime against my very person. Unfortunately, none live today whom I can punish for the crime. Admittedly, few would dare deny the crimes committed against my people (and I haven't heard any accusations of genocide leveled against my forebares), so you can say that I'm speaking from privilege. All I can say in response is that no ghost is lain to rest when you greedily clutch at claims to victimhood from a position of willful denial.

Proposals for changes

Fad (ix) asked me to explain here the reasons behind my proposals for a significant modification of the paragraph. The text which I endorse would go as follows:

In principle, Armenians, like Greeks, Jews, and other Christian communities across the Middle East were originally subject to a corpus of laws and regulations which gave them a different legal status within the Empire than their Muslim counterparts. Armenians were barred from serving in the military (and instead forced to pay an exemption tax), their testimony in Islamic courts was inadmissible against Muslims, they were not allowed to bear weapons.

In practice, the status of ethnic Armenians varied widely based upon geographical location and socio-economical conditions. Whereas ethnic Armenians might have been treated as second-class citizens in rural, conservative areas of Eastern Anatolia, others living in cities like Istanbul and Izmir were able to reach a considerably high status and even serve in the high ranks of the public administration.

During the Tanzimat period, a series of constitutional reforms provided a limited modernization of the Ottoman Empire. In 1856, the Hatt-ı Hümayun promised equality for all Ottoman citizens irrespective of their ethnicity and confession, widening the scope of the 1839 Hatt-ı Şerif of Gülhane. The reformist period peaked with the Constitution which was promulgated on 23 November 1876 and which established freedom of belief and equality of all citizens before the law.

This constitution, however, was short-lived, since Sultan Abdülhamid II suspended the constitution on 13 February 1878, inaugurating a period of rather repressive and authoritarian rule over the Empire.

The single event that possibly triggered the chain of events is most likely the Russian victory over the Ottoman Empire in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78. At the end of the war the Russians took control over a large portion of territory inhabited by ethnic Armenians but ceded much of it after the Treaty of Berlin was signed. The Russians claimed they were the supporters of Orthodox Christians within the Ottoman Empire. The weakening control of the Ottoman government over its empire in the following 15 years led many Armenians to believe that they could gain independence from it.

First paragraph: The current content is expressed in a more neutral way. A reference to alleged "heavy taxation" (which suggests an ethnic-based selective fiscal burden, while not providing figures and references) is deleted. You may want to check out on İNALCIK & QUATAERT, An Economic and Social History of the Ottoman Empire, 1300-1914, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1994 or ZÜRCHER, Turkey: A Modern History, London, I B Tauris, 1993 to know more about fiscality in the Ottoman Empire.

Second paragraph: The sentence they were treated overall as second-class subjects is a subjective opinion that could spark endless debate. While it is fair to say that there was no "equality before the law" in the contemporary Western acception, I think that it should be mentioned that geographical and socio-economical parameters had a huge impact on the status de facto of Armenian individuals and communities. For Armenians serving in the Ottoman administration, see for example AKARLI, The Long Peace. Ottoman Lebanon, 1861-1920, Berkeley, University of California Press, 1993.

Deletion of Ramsay's quote: This passage must be put in the proper context. The cultural background of a 19th century English traveller might include a "propensity" (not to say bias) in favour of Christian populations which could include prejudices and sterotypes against Turks (and/or Muslims in general). If you read the autobiography of Helmuth von Moltke you can read a much more complex depiction of that society, even though again through the eyes of a European observer.

Third paragraph: These are historical facts expressed in a way that I assess fair and balanced. I think that adding these details gives a more correct explanation of what was going on at that time, instead than just writing (in a quite sloppy way) that Abdülhamid ruled as he saw fit.

Fourth paragraph: There is a minor correction. Russia endorsed the rights of Orthodox Christians.

I hope this offers a positive contribution. Your feedback will be welcome. FrancescoMazzucotelli 22:22, 29 December 2006 (UTC)

The Special Organization (Teşkilat-ı Mahsusa)

This article has more information than any of the other articles about the Special Organization or the other one. Can anybody fix those articles, and source this one? --AW 21:41, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

In two days I will have few hours free in my hands, I will add those. Fad (ix) 01:51, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

Turkish Thesis

Guys, it is not my job to say that it did happen or it didn't happen, but I have a few problems with the style of te article. The word "deny" has a completely different meaning than the word "doesn't accept". I urge all wikipedians to change "deny"s to "doesn't accept"s and there is also some information on Misplaced Pages in Turkish. I hope that no one will not object when I translate those texts to English Wiki. Both sides have their right to express their solutions to the issue.Caglarkoca 21:10, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

The Turkish government denies the reality of the Armenian Genocide. Period. There's no reason to change the diction. Serouj 21:57, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

In the Turkish Misplaced Pages, you can reach the information that Armenia rejected the Turkish offer to make the government archives. Anyone can reach the Turkish archives from http://www.devletarsivleri.gov.tr/yayin/osmanli/o_b_ermeniler/obermeniler.htm Unfortunately the site is in Turkish. (of course it is Turkish archives) But I am willing to translate some texts from them if anyone wants to read them.Caglarkoca 22:13, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

I don't see how that relates to Genocide denial by the Turkish government, and changing the diction of the word "deny." Serouj 22:18, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

It is well known, however, that the Ottoman archives remained closed for decades to Western scholars. In the meantime, it is highly likely that the Turkish government took the time to sort through them and remove any evidence of the Armenian Genocide. What else would explain keeping the archives closed to Western scholars for 85 years? Cheers. Serouj 22:18, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

If you can find for us the proceedings of the Ottoman military tribunal which convicted the Young Turk triumvirate of crimes against humanity, that would be great! Thanks. Serouj 22:20, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Allright, I don't want to discuss whether it is happened or not. It is historians' job. I am an engineer, sorry:) Why are the armenian archives still closed? I am open to other points of information about translating Turkish Armenian Genocide to English and add it to wiki. You cannot just reject Turkish side.Caglarkoca 22:27, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

No problem. Which Armenian archives are you referring to? Genocide scholars continue to be denied access to the Ottoman archives. Serouj 22:31, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

The article which you offer is dated 1997 which means that it is out of date. Besides, can you find me a website which includes Armenian Archives as the Turkish archives webpage http://www.devletarsivleri.gov.tr/yayin/osmanli/o_b_ermeniler/obermeniler.htmCaglarkoca 22:41, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Correction. Hilmar Kaiser was recently regranted access to the Ottoman archives, but important parts of it still remain closed; importantly, the Ottoman Ministry of the Interior's Directorate for Public Security, 2nd Department (Armenian Department). ref. Serouj 22:39, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Turkish archives are open since 1993. Hence the document that you are offering has no reliability. The date is taken from http://www.devletarsivleri.gov.tr/yayin/osmanli/o_b_ermeniler/sunus.htm. It is a governmental website.Caglarkoca 22:45, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

That Dr. Hilmar Kaiser, a German archival historian and genocide scholar, has not been granted access to the archives of the Ottoman Ministry of the Interior's Directorate for Public Security, 2nd Department (Armenian Department) is a documented fact. I don't understand Turkish, but maybe you can help here. Does the site you are referencing include all the material from the Ottoman Ministry of the Interior's Directorate for Public Security, 2nd Department (Armenian Department)? Serouj 22:47, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for a worthy comment:) I am not sure whether it includes all archive, but the whole archive is open now. I cannot possibly provide you the link which tells that all archive is available due to the fact that the link given in the Turkish wiki doesn't work. I'll give you any necessary information from here. If you want to reach Turkish wiki http://tr.wikipedia.org/Ermeni_Soyk%C4%B1r%C4%B1m%C4%B1. I will be busy with translating the page in a few days.Caglarkoca 22:54, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

hilmar kaiser and Ara sarafin and many other armenians worked in the Turkish archives and the copied some 3000 to 8000 archive documents. after working for a long time he was thrown out due to his disregard to Archvive rules. Meaning unauthorised copying and smuggling of documents. And the only noteworthy thing Ara sarafian published as far as I know is he found that the number of armenian deporties as documented by ottoman archives was not 700.000 as formerly believed. he found that that number was actually the Turkish deporties. No proof of genocide or what so ever came out.neurobio 20:58, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

Adolf Hitler

On August 22, 1939 Adolf Hitler gave a speech outlining his plan for Lebensraum. Lebensraum was Hitler's plan for wiping out the Jews and the Poles to create living space for his new Third Riech. In this speech Hitler refers to a little known event that he calls the Annihilation of the Armenians. Hitler pointed out that very few poeple and no genvernments recognize or even remember what happened to the Armenians during WWI. Basically Hitler was using the Armenian Genocide as an example of what he would be able to get away with while dealing with the Jews of Europe. 206.78.245.35 16:55, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

And your sources are? yandman 16:56, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

In 1942 American author Louis Lochner published a book titled "What About Germany", my source comes from him. His source comes from a transcript of the speech Hitler gave to the commanders of the Wehrmacht. The third paragraph of the speech also hangs in the Holocaust Museum in Washington. There is also a Misplaced Pages article dealing with this quotation. See - Armenian Quote.206.78.245.35 20:50, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Here's the article. Armenian quote. it says it's in dispute. But 206.78.245.35, you should really sign up for a user name --AW 20:56, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Whether the Misplaced Pages article says so or not, the reason the quote is in dispute has to do with the fact that the Turks want to hide this embarassing part of their history. Western European governments as well as the US do not wish to upset the Turkish government or people because Turkey is new to the EU and NATO and serves as an important jumping off point for wars that are fought in the region (ie Iraq). There is more to gain on all sides if the Armenian Genocide just goes away (thus the growing denial movement). There is very little to gain in making up the Armenian Genocide as the world community - and the UN - doesn't really do anything about genocides as you can see from what's happening in Sudan and what has happened in Rwanda, Shri Lanka, Somalia, and many dozens of other places around the globe. (As for logging in, I'm brand new to Misplaced Pages and not very computer saavy and I really don't know how).206.78.245.35 22:33, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Remember the simple fact that the "document" containing the hitler quote was rejected as "unreliable" in Nurenberg trials. the presence of this quote in the genocide museum actually shows how reluctant The armenians are abouth accepting the truth. In the same museum the proven forgeries Andonian document are also presented. not to mention the 1.5 milion figure. neurobio 22:53, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Not a single claim you make here is accurate or truthful. The truth is that the "Lochner" version of the Hitler speech(s)was known and accepted as the most thorough of the three versions (all from notes taken as there was no prepared text or such). The reason it was not used was that the portion of the speech that was useful to the nuremburg prosecuters concerned pre-meditation of the attack on and Hitler's plans against Poland and all of the documents contained the passages related to this. The prosecutors were aware of the aggressive cross examination and attempts b the defense to discredit documents and even though all were confident of the accuracy of the Lochner document (and have maintained this under oath) the issue had to do with the veracity of the chain of possesion of the documents. As the other two versions were taken directly from captured German Officers (at wars end) they were much more difficult to challenge then a version obtained much earlier (1939) through Lochner. Thus there was no need to enter into evidence a document that could cause delay or such from a defense challenge. And the "so-called" Andonian documents have never been proven to be forgeries. However they are difficult to verify as the originals of the documents have been lost. However, the primary content of the telegrams has been verified and corroborated through other sources - thus one can assume that these documents are in fact accurate as nothing in them has ever actually been contradicted and they conform with what is known from other sources. However, much like as with the "Lochner" version of Hitler's speech(s) the "Andonian" documents are unecessary as a proof of the Genocide as there exists a plethora of corraborated and sourced and clearly reliable data that prove the Armenian genocide with more then sufficient detail and confidence. 1.5 million figure for the Armenian genocide is at least as accurate as the 6 million figure for the Jewish Holocaust and both figures can be thought of similarly - as an approximate number useful to guage the size of the crime in terms of general numner of individuals killed. In each case whether the actual figure is somwhat more or somewhat less is immaterial. What is important is the utter devestation of the ethnic communitiy and the deliberate systamatic plan engaged to exterminate such. And what is also noteworth is how deniers of each genocide continually harp on these figures and attempt to dispute the accuracy of such as if this actually matters or changes anything. It doesen't. What it does is show the lengths that deniers will go and exposes the paucity of argument that they have to dispute the basic and known and important facts of the matter. And in this regard, as in most others, genocide deniers only show their true colors to the world.--THOTH 01:47, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

according to what I have read the document was rejected because some pages were changed by some one. Andonian documents are proven forgeries. No single scolar even your genocide scolars do not use these documets any more. Even good old deciever Dadrian.neurobio 21:06, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

Well you've heard wrong. I always find it funny that some Turks would even attempt to make the claim that there was a conspiracy during/just after WWII to link Hitler with the Armenian Genocide (claiming that thses statements were fabricated...by who? For what reason? There was absolutly no Armenian effort towards Genocide recognition at this time and no involvement of any Armenians in this besides - it is an absurd claim and bespeaks of Turkihs paranoia and desperation) And indeed these are not the only statements made by Hitler concerning the Turkish extermination of Armenians - there are several on record - this one is just the most famous. And again - no one has ever "proven" the so-called "Andonian" telegrams as forgories...based on what? - official Turkish scholorship??? please - are you trying to make a joke...I'm certainly laughing. And that you call Dadrian - the absolute most respect scholar on this issue a deciever is quite telling. --THOTH 05:07, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

they are forged for robust and simple reason. 1. in one of the telegrams the person who sends the telegram was not working in that region at that time. 2. the guy who forged the telegram made another fatal eror by forgeting the time difference between regular calender and the callender used my muslims. 3. the paper style does not match the papers used in otoman communication and archives 4. the signatures are not real (doesnt match the real signature) as proven by forensic experts. 5. the real documents are not around no one has seen the originals but the copies. And dadriann is really respected. he was the chanpion on defending the andonian documents. Even the quote that you wrote made here citing the book "two commitees two massacres" is a distorted translatian and sipmly a scientific crime.neurobio 13:22, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

All those issues have already been addressed in Dadrian's own paper which you comment when you haven't even read it. His paper about the Andonians could be found here. So much goes of the said scientific crime. Fad (ix) 03:11, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Just out of curiosity, when you say the Armenians are reluctant to accept the truth, which truth are you refering to? That the genocide did in fact happen, or that it did not. 206.78.245.35 23:29, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

the fact that Andonian documents are proven forgeries and still they are presented in your genocide museum. thats what I am talking about. It is rather strange to present totaly fake documents in your sacret monument. I dont expect any Armenian to say there is no genocide.neurobio 21:06, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

Remember the simple fact that the "document" containing the hitler quote was rejected as "unreliable" in Nurenberg trials. Even if it was, Hitler referenced the fate of Armenians at least 3-5 times prior to the war and even prior to its rise to power in interviews and personal avowals.--MarshallBagramyan 23:54, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

I have no info about previous talks of hitler. Maybe you are right but it is just a meaningles debate in terms of proving a genocide. He serves just to gain sympathy Armenian cause and draw analogy between holocaust and Armenian issue.neurobio 21:06, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

Lock Request

I think it would be wise to place a lock on this article, such that only registered users may edit it, given the number of vandalisms we've had in the last day; I counted 16. Thanks. (Can the lock be made long-term?) Serouj 20:12, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

I agree with Serouj, we need to lock this article. I think admins must place semi protection to this page. It is a sensitive issue and some people think that vandalism can solve it. Caglarkoca 22:33, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Done. Khoikhoi 22:37, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Link to Genocide Denial

We currently have the following link to a Turkish Genocide Denial article: http://www.ermenisorunu.gen.tr/english/intro/index.html. Doesn't this belong in the Denial of the Armenian Genocide article, under the "Websites opposing the genocide theses" heading? Serouj 20:19, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

I think the policy means it should be in the article about denial, in the same way that evolution has no links to sites supporting creationism. yandman 20:28, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Done. The Denial of the Armenian Genocide article already has said link in the right header. Serouj 22:39, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

New contributions

Someone is trying to rewrite this as a translation of the article on the Turkish Misplaced Pages. Is there anyone who doesn't think this is a very bad idea? yandman 15:59, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

This idea belongs to me. I am here to ask you why are you so stressed about translation? It might seem as a bad idea to you, but anyone using wikipedia has the right to learn about the Turkish Thesis as well. Such an attempt will not violate WP:NPOV#Undue weight and is in fully accordance with WP:NPOV Caglarkoca 16:44, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

This article is part of WikiProject Turkey so such changes are essential to Misplaced Pages. Thanks. Caglarkoca 16:46, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

Copied from your talk page:

1. We have to cite "reliable sources" when writing articles. Concerning the Armenian genocide, the Turkish government is far from being reliable.
2. Everything you put in the article was already there. Much of it is also in Denial of the Armenian Genocide.
3. We have to respect the "Undue Weight" policy. We can't present two theories as equal if one is only supported by a small minority. In this case, the minority view is put in it's own section. Consider the Holocaust. We put all the arguments denying it in this chapter of the article (An important note: I'm not comparing the two, I repeat: I'm not comparing the two). The same is done on Armenian Genocide.

Now I see you're from Turkey, so I'm sure you're making these edits in good faith, but don't forget that the Turkish view (be it true or not) is not the generally accepted one, and as a tertiary source, we have to say what's said, not what's true. Cheers. yandman 16:48, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

We already have a section called "Denial" in the article, and we point to the main article Denial of the Armenian Genocide. That type of information would belong in the latter article. On a related note, Caglarkoca, have you thought about making the reverse translation as well? (That is, taking information from the English language Misplaced Pages article on the Armenian Genocide and transferring it over to the Turkish one, which seems awfully short to me compared to the English one.) Serouj 21:20, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

Legal Vandalism

Some people prevented me from translating Turkish article on Armenian genocide to English and add it to the main article as a section without changing the content of the main article. Considering the fact that almost everyone making a research does not visit the related pages, it is a pity to not to mention of Turkish thesis in the main page. It can be accepted by most of the people that the name of the events took place in 1915 in Turkey is genocide, but the people disagreeing are not few in number. Hence, Turkish minority has the right to express themselves in the main page. The same people who prevented me from the translation were complaining about the vandals in Misplaced Pages. My problem is that if the page were not in the position that they do like, then they would most probably be vandals themselves. They prevent other opinions to be expressed in order to protect their opinion to be served as the best and the only opinion. It is quite unfortunate that wikipedia itself is considered to be a reliable source, but it is certainly not objective. Until such vandalism is stopped, I will not continue editing the site. It might be until forever but who cares. Thanks to Khoikhoi and Alex Bakharev who at least tried to understand me. Caglarkoca 21:49, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

The translation is more than welcome, I don't know if I am hallucinating, but it seems that large junk of text presenting the anti-thesis have just disapeared in the last few months. I am not following this article much anymore since I am lost with all the changes happing here and because I don't have time. Just provide your translations in my talk page, and I will neutralise it and see what can go there. Regards. Fad (ix) 23:14, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

It was removed a while back. Neurobio sent me some documents on Halacoglu's work, but I've never had the time or energy to turn them into a summary of his arguments. But I haven't forgotten them. Angus McLellan (Talk) 23:25, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

We never had an OK summary of the official Turkey's position, it was rather an Halacoglu section. This is why I believe it would be interesting that he translate it to see what relevent material could be retrieved. Fad (ix) 00:51, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Don't preach to us about vandalism. One of the largest vandalisms in written history was carried out by your government during the creation of the modern day republic of Turkey, and in the words of the late American ambassador to Turkey, Henry Morgenthau, "Whatever crimes the most perverted instincts of the human mind can devise, and whatever refinements of persecution and injustice the most debased imagination can conceive, became the daily misfortunes of this devoted people."

Don't talk to me about vandalism. That of the approximately 2,500 Armenian monasteries and churches in Turkey, only 6 remain in existence, that constitutes vandalism, and was perpetrated by your government which created a country from the looted property, money, and treasures of the Armenian people, and has blood all over its hands.

Don't talk to me about vandalism. That my maternal grandfather narrowly escaped death from the hands of the Turks in Diyarbekir in 1915; that my grandfather was sentenced to death because he was an Armenian Apostolic Christian; that with the quick-thinking of his mother and while the Turkish guards were looking the other way she pushed my grandfather with the other much smaller set of children who were Armenian Protestants and who were not going to be massacred due to the presence of American missionaries; that without this whim of a woman, without that random thought I would not be alive today haunts me to this day...

And yet you, who are ignorant of your own country's past, come here preaching vandalism? You, whose grandparents and great-grandparents have removed the Armenian people from their historic homeland while killing off 2/3 of them; who ripped open unborn fetuses from the belies of pregnant women; who raped Armenian women in front of their husbands before killing both; who took the most beautiful women for themselves; who plundered, burned, ruined, and destroyed forever any remaining evidence of Armenian churches, monasteries, libraries, illuminated manuscripts, books, metal artwork, church icons, khatchkars (stone crosses), embroidery and needlework, carpets, antiques, sculptures, tombstones, woodcarvings, alfresco paintings, and medieval documents, as well as many other specimens of Armenian culture; whose vandalism lead to the irretrievable loss of the culture and the arts of the Armenian people whose value cannot be measured in any way.

Go! Read the Trial of Soghomon Tehlirian , the man who assassinated one of the masterminds of the Genocide - Talaat Pasha - and who was found "not guilty" in a German court. Read the eyewitness accounts of the genocide in that trial. And then go tell your countrymen about it; tell your parents, your girlfriend, and all your friends about what your great-grandparents did to the Armenians living in your country. Tell them how Turkey was founded. The ghosts of the dead and the cries of the living will forever haunt you, otherwise. Serouj 23:45, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

Assume good faith, he is a new user, and is apparent he is still not well aware of the policies, but there is nothing he did that could bring me to believe that he is acting in bad faith. Don't drive him away, (Personal attack removed). Besides, you haven't yourself been that wikipedias way either as new editor at first. Fad (ix) 00:51, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Caglarkoca, I would also welcome your translations and encourage you to continue. Lima6 18:36, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

Irrelevant posts

Do not post messages that have nothing to do with the content of the article nor improvements that can be made. Any such messages can be removed per Wiki policies. This is not a personal forum, nor does it belong to anyone except the Misplaced Pages Foundation. If you would like to post personal messages, use e-mail, MSN or create your own website. Baristarim 23:53, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

Serouj, your comments were rather uncivil, and directed at a user who doesn't seem to be acting in bad faith. His message was rather unpleasant (and a bit silly), I agree, but then again english clearly isn't his mother tongue, and he's new, so it's mean to lash out like that. However, Baris, I wouldn't remove them, as it could be argued that they're relevant to the underlying content dispute here: That Cagaloka believes... Well, you know the story. If Serouj would retract his comments, that would be nice. If not, tant pis. Come on people, let's not get bogged down in this again, or else I'm going to go and flame the people on Talk: France for invading us back in 1066... yandman 08:36, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Thanks. Caglarkoca may be acting in good faith. I don't want to remove my comment, because I think it addresses and puts into perspective where the word "vandalism" should really be used when talking about this subject. Lashing out at a newbie was not right; it was an impulsive and emotional response on my part, given my family's involvement in this matter — just being human. Caglarkoca, please continue on with the translation, and let the group know when it's ready. Thanks. Serouj 11:46, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Ok, I also apologize if I kinda jumped in there, but there have been too many instances of such conversations getting out of hand. The problem is not the posts themselves actually, but really the only thing that worries me is that when such conversations get out of hand, it contributes to the creation of a hostile working environment (even more than usual :)) I tried to contact caglarkoca to try to explain him that if he wanted he might rather want to get involved in less "hot" articles until he has understood the atmosphere in Wiki English. Cheers! Baristarim 12:38, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

The Turkish government section

OK, I've read the translation, it is an end by itself, not what I have hopped, I have contacted Garnet as I don't see who else I could contact about it and I ask Caglarkoca to work with Garnet on this issue. Maybe Baristarim is interested too. Fad (ix) 02:12, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Just an indicator, starting with the foreign ministry site, Kamuran Gurun etc., would be a good start. Fad (ix) 02:14, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

There is much to translate, and I will continue translating. But I am not a native speaker, so it will need a review for grammer mistakes and minor corrections. I will ask baristarim to help me when I finish it. Thanks Caglarkoca 12:28, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

I fail to see the point of why everyone is so interested in the Turkish Misplaced Pages version...we have our own Turks here who do more then enough to provide us with unsupportable excuses and explanations with holes in them miles wide. Really now - I totally fail to see what value this is supposed to add. Gurun? Haven't we heard enough of the Turkish political denial? It has no place here.--THOTH 04:33, 16 December 2006 (UTC)

Just A Comment

The Armenian Genocide was commited by the young turks, right? As I understand, The young turks existed during the ottoman empire, so therefore, why does the republic have to put up with accusations when technically it was the ottoman empire, a different state, that executed these crimes against the armenians.

What I am trying to say is, Why should the Republic of Turkey shoulder responsibility for what the Ottoman empire did? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Mert Baris Akgul (talk • contribs) 10:56, 18 December 2006 (UTC).

Please use this talk page to suggest improvements to the article. This is not the place to debate about and discuss the subject of the article. Aecis 11:00, 18 December 2006 (UTC)

The Holocaust was commited by the Nazis right?...--THOTH 01:19, 19 December 2006 (UTC)

in the article there is a section that goes like:

An Ottoman naval officer in the War Office described the planning:

In order to justify this enormous crime the requisite propaganda material was thorougly prepared in Istanbul. "the Armenians are in league with the enemy. They will launch an uprising in Istanbul, kill off the Ittihadist leaders and will succeed in opening the straits ." These vile and malicious incitements could persuade only people who were not even able to feel the pangs of their own hunger.

Who is this officer can some on give the original name and source (not the dadrioan book the original name).193.175.73.201 18:43, 18 December 2006 (UTC)

Altinay Refik, Iki Komite Iki Kital (Two Committees and Two Massacres) (Istanbul, 1919), p. 40. The author later became Professor of history at the U. of Istanbul.--MarshallBagramyan 22:50, 18 December 2006 (UTC)

THOTH, The Nazi's told the people of Germany what was going to happen to all of the Jewish faith and yet the Germans still voted for Hitler.Mert Baris Akgul 05:53, 19 December 2006 (UTC)

Not so. The "final solution" was kept very much in secret. Even the Wehrmacht was largely unaware of it. Everyone knew that the Jews were going to have a hard time. Only the Nazis knew how hard. Anyway, this is for discussing the article, ñot the subject of the article. Thanks. yandman 08:06, 19 December 2006 (UTC)

Oh Ok, I also have a suggestion, why are most of the pictures shown are armenians suffering, it shows the armenians as victims. I thought this was meant to be a neutral article like most of the wikipedia articles. my suggestion? replace those pictures with the concentration camps they were "supposedly" slaughtered at or better yet, add some maps of concentration camps to the suffering armenians as well.61.68.137.27 11:52, 19 December 2006 (UTC)

I don't think that showing pictures of the victims in an article on a genocide is PoV. There is a map of the major camps in the article. yandman 13:28, 19 December 2006 (UTC)

I also have some problems with the pictures. The source is www.armeniapedia.org, and such a website cannot be neutal on this issue. Let's consider it as POV and due to WP:NPOV#Undue weight, these pictures are in the scope of wikipedia. I understand this fact. But, none of the pictures include dates, and some doesn't even include the producers. How is the reader supposed to understand that they are taken in Anatolia and the suffering people are Armenian? Thanks Caglarkoca 15:17, 19 December 2006 (UTC)

I know the author of that site, while the pictures are from there, they are confirmed pictures, he got the written permission from the Wallstein Verlag of Wegner pictures, I asked him to obtain for Misplaced Pages use too, which he has obtained. There are plently of works including those pictures, they have been presented during the exibiton of Wegner pictures and are confirmed, in this cases the scan comes from him, but only because he had the written permission. The other picture which I have loaded, comes from the Soviet Union and confirmed by reports of that cites of mass burning as the description of the picture says from those who took the picture. But if you have any doubt about any of those pictures, do ask. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Fadix (talk • contribs) 17:22, 19 December 2006 (UTC).

Allright, thanks Fadix, I do not really know much about the topic so I have just mentioned my concerns. Thank you for the acknowledgement. But I would advise you to include such information in picture details. I do not know how this can be done, (I am a newcomer, you know) but otherwise, the pictures will remain questionable. Caglarkoca 22:53, 19 December 2006 (UTC)

Well, this page should not be the place to discuss those, but since it has started, and since I think it might help to improve the article and the talk page empathy-wise, I’ll be posting it here. We can later move it to the arguments article if it’s more appropriate. I hope that you read all of it.

First of all, I’ll try not to use the word “Genocide”, not because I deny it, but because I think it’s a major dialogue-cutter, and as soon as someone blurts out the words “genocide” or “not a genocide” it’s not possible to discuss anymore.

I’ll start with briefly commenting on the very first entry under this header which said “Republic of Turkey should not shoulder the responsibility for what the Ottoman Empire did” and responses to that;

I personally do not believe in any kind of behavior inheritance. One should neither be credited nor criticized for what his predecessors have done. He can be proud or embarrassed of his ancestors, but since he is not an allottee, he is not the one to be praised or accused.

And in this case of “the disgraceful event in 1915” (that’s how Atatürk called it), the new Turkish Republic certainly bears no responsibilities. The administration who were responsible for the event were exiled from the new republic; and Enver pasha (the brain behind it) even tried to lead a Soviet backed military coup against the republic. And THOTH, to your question; yes, it was the Nazis who committed the Holocaust; not the people. The German nation was just their pawns. They might be held responsible for bringing them to power, but not even strongly for that. Let me explain;

I attend to those children camps named CISV, and there we have an interesting game called “Peace war peace”. You split the kids into groups, and let the each group to build their “Perfect city” (made of cardboards/paints/scissors etc. :) ) for couple of hours. Then you send each group to a different city, and order them to destroy it. There is a brief moment of hesitation, until somebody starts smashing. And as soon as kids see their “Perfect city” getting smashed, they just smash the others’ more passionately. In the end we ask each of them why they did it, and the answer is same all the time; because they were ordered to do it…

Now you may oppose me by saying grown-ups should know better than kids. But believe me they do not. Misguidance supported with biased information can make people act in a way that they would never do or believe in things that they would never believe. Today, we are in the age of information and there are still so many people deceived by the biased information. (Just the other day I was trying to convince a Greek guy that in Turkish maps we do not show Greece as a part of Turkey) And yet a century ago, without mass media or Internet, misguiding the people was way easier for the rulers to. (Günter Grass was an SS for god’s sake)

And one more point to this discussion; the history imposed to us is deflected to begin with. I think a quote by George Orwell is best to explain it. “He who controls the past, commands the future. He who commands the future, conquers the past” The reason why Holocaust is so widely known is because of the Allied propaganda to justify their prior massacres and war-crimes, and the powerful Jewish Diaspora. If it was the Axis who won the war, we would probably listen to the stories about massacres in the British colonies and American natives wiped out in the new world. Yet USA, the only country to use a nuclear missile and thus is responsible of its direct or indirect effects on six million people (and this just made me think another thing, could you held the American citizens responsible for that?), today launches itself as the symbol of Democracy. Ever wondered why only a few know about Dresden Bombing, a civilian massacre in the once considered the most beautiful city in the Europe after it was certified that the Axis lost the war. I am not defending Hitler or whatsoever, looking at what he did he was a terrible guy, all I am saying he was not “the” terrible guy. And don’t forget that the new-arising genocide recognitions are –unfortunately- nothing but political games. Ask an average French or an Argentine about the Armenian genocide and they probably do not have any idea about it.

Back in the subject. Right now I am almost about to finish a pro-Armenian Genocide book called “the Great Calamity” by a Turkish scholar Halil Berktay. I believe I can see it from Armenian point of view. It’s simple, a nation seeking independence just like Greeks and Bulgarians, backed up by Tsardom of Russia of the Allied to finish up already wounded Ottoman Empire. Then I can see the Ottoman point of view, once a world renowned glorious empire, now leaking, trying to cleanse the infidels from every bit of its land left. Combining it with the misguidance I mentioned above, I bet even the Armenian ultra-nationalist of today would take part in the Ottoman side in the 1915 events if they were born Turkish, and vice versa.

I clearly remember the first time I heard about the massacre in 1998, when I was 15. That was in Italy. Before that, I had never heard anything, not even a word about it because of our Governments’ policies. I was asked about what I think about it, and I had no idea. It’s not that I am constantly doing researches about the subject, but since then I had been thoroughly reading everything that I come across. And I think that both Turkish and Armenian approaches to the subject are awful. Turkish education system trains people to be ignorant defendants parroting the word “relocation”, while the Armenians are getting filled up with rage and hatred against the “bloodthirsty Turks”.

In my humble opinion, acceptance or denial of the Armenian genocide should not be the issue at this point. I, as a Turk, personally feel embarrassed of what some of my people did in 1915, but I think even Armenians should feel a portion of that – As a human. “The disgraceful act” should remain in the past, never to be forgotten, but not to be burdened on the shoulders of the new Turkish generation.Ombudsee 17:14, 25 December 2006 (UTC)

I will try to answer the points you bring up. First, if there is no justice done to the perpetrators (or their descendants) then history quite simply repeats itself. And this is why legal institutions have been created.

In regards to your empathy point, try this on for size: How would you feel if a future "temporary" Armenian government (similar to the CUP in intent and time of power) attempted to annihilate Turkey, but only be able to wipe out 2/3 of Turkey's population and confiscate the property and assets owned by 99% of the Turkish population; politically went out of power; and the new Armenian government denied it ever happened, hired historians to rewrite that chapter in Armenia's history, taught subsequent generations of Armenian people that the incident never happened, destroyed any Turkish mosque or other cultural building in the part of the territory which it attacked (even 50 years after the fact), removed all traces of the word "Turkish" from Eastern Anatolian tourist guides, and claimed that even if the Turkish Genocide was true, that the new government could not be held responsible, since it was a different government who perpetrated it. Have you thought about how you might feel about that? Are you implying that it would be alright if Armenians completely disclaimed any responsibility, accountability, and even association, if they allowed such a "crazy" Armenian government to temporarily come to power, wipe out the bulk of the Turkish population, and then be replaced by a new government?

In the U.S., when a new president is elected or a republican-controlled Congress is voted out and replaced by a Democratic one, the new president or Congress (and the American people who brought them to power) continues to bear responsibility for any liabilities incurred by the outgoing administration (as much as they reap the benefits of any inherited assets). Once president George W. Bush is gone, the incumbent president won't be able to say, "Iraq is not our responsibility, we're pulling out. Fallujah? What is that?", or "You remember that 8 trillion dollar national debt from a year ago. Well, that was just part of the old administration. They had nothing to do with us. We're a new start, everyone deserves a fresh start. How do you expect us to be held liable for what they did? They're long gone." You see, no matter what government controls a country, the people are ultimately responsible for bringing that party to power. The continuum here is the people, and although leaders change, the people who bring them to power don't, and therefore are collectively responsible for their actions in the past, just as future generations will be for their collective actions in the present.

As an aside, there is ample evidence of the participation of the local Turkish population in the massacres during the Hamidian massacres as well as the Armenian Genocide. The sentiments of the Turkish locals were displayed in their preference of using bludgeons to beat to death their Armenian neighbors. (Albeit it can be argued that not all Turkish locals felt this way, but evidently the sentiment against the Armenians ultimately won out the sentiment for the Armenians among the Turkish people.) Serouj 19:12, 25 December 2006 (UTC)

Calm down Serouj. That’s good, at least now we are beginning to talk.

First of all you just can not hold responsible the descendants of the perpetrators. That is against the law. That would be like sending you to the jail because your father committed a crime and died before he was punished. Your example about US Government is totally irrelevant. Change of administration is one thing, finding a new government, overthrowing the old one, and sending the old executives to exile is another. And plus, it was not the Turkish people who brought the Enver Pasha to power to begin with.

About your story of empathy; As I said, I am not defending Turkish point of view. Nevertheless I am criticizing it. I just said that I have never heard about this tragic event until I was 15. So I am on your side about the unfair behavior done to your people. What I am saying is, you could hear another empathy story from a Turkish ultra-nationalist as; (your style - changing the words Turkish and Armenian) “How would you feel if Armenian men were on a battle in Eastern Armenia, and the Turkish gangs attack on the undefended Armenian women and children in western Armenia, gathering them together in a church and burn them alive”. -That’s exactly what I mean-. It’s probably not only our history that was re-written and biased – Yours is too. Right now you think of the Dashnaks as valiant partisans fought for their independence. For many Turkish people lived in the Eastern Ottoman Empire they were bloodthirsty villains! It’s clear that both of our histories look at this event from two extends, and truth is somewhere in between.

About the Turkish population joining the massacres, of course they did! In the end it was not only Enver Pasha himself committed the crime. I already told it in the misguidance part of my first post. Again what I am saying was that the Armenians people also reacted the same way to Turkish locals (Action – Reaction). It happened almost a century ago, and neither you nor me are in responsible for any of these; but we humans, don’t we love to sow seeds of hatred for generations.Ombudsee 20:13, 25 December 2006 (UTC)

1. Ombudsee: "First of all you just can not hold responsible the descendants of the perpetrators. That is against the law."

I'm not sure what law you're referring to and in which country, but there is no statute of limitations for crimes within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court; this includes war crimes and crimes against humanity (e.g. genocide).(See ROME STATUTE OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT)

2. Ombudsee: "And plus, it was not the Turkish people who brought the Enver Pasha to power to begin with."

Then who? The Morrocans?

3. Ombudsee: "... gathering them together in a church and burn them alive”.

I'd like to see a reference to that account you're referring to, wherein Armenians rounded up Turks and burnt them in a mosque. It sounds fabricated, to me.

4. Ombudsee: "Again what I am saying was that the Armenians people also reacted the same way to Turkish locals (Action – Reaction)."

Wrong. Armenians didn't react in the same way, because they couldn't. The Ottoman government disarmed all the able-bodied Armenian men who were recruited into the Ottoman army and who were fighting on the side of the Ottoman Empire, they were forced to work in labor battalions, and were subsequently slaughtered. Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire couldn't react the same way, because there were no able-bodied men to protect the civilian population in most of Anatolia - hence the unabated forced marches of the civilian population into the deserts and in circles. (Now once the news spread of the massacres, the small portion communities which could defend themselves did.)

5. Ombudsee: "but we humans, don’t we love to sow seeds of hatred for generations."

Obtaining due justice for the crime of the Armenian Genocide is not to "sow seeds of hatred." Rather, it is about sowing seeds of justice, an act of enforcing international law, for a more peaceful world. How? By deterring those intent on enacting genocide in the present and in the future. So that future generations will understand that the act of genocide is a crime punishable by the law, that it is a crime that is enforced, not something lost to time and fading memories. And, importantly, that crimes against humanity have no statute of limitations, that there is no legal loophole wherein one government can commit a genocide, only to have a subsequent government deny association and responsibility. This is the crux of genocide law.

Ultimately, genocide law enforcement is about creating a more sustainable world for future generations of humans. Serouj 20:56, 25 December 2006 (UTC)

You are way off the charts Serouj:

1* You have no idea what the ICC is about. + see the principle of the non-retroactivity of the penal statutes. I left a very detailed explanation about this couple of weeks ago, in which I explained the position of the international law on this. I suggest you take a look at it again. I explained what conventions, courts apply/don't apply, and for which jurisdictions or acts. No court on the face of this earth has the authority to judge this except a "half-court" which can only do so if it is seized by concerned nation-states, and that only for an opinion, not a judgement. I am not going to waste my time writing all my opinion again, it is up there. ICC cannot even judge the American soldiers in Iraq, what r u talking about? :)

2* What he meant was the analogy with the Nazis: Nazis were elected, however Enver Pasha & co. came to power via a ~palace coup (kinda).

For the rest.. I don't want to get in since I am not a historian. But also know that your last paragraph was completely false and filled with half-truths: a) there is no statute of limitations for crimes against humanity but there is no retroactivity either. In any case, they apply for individuals, and they are all dead b) ditto for genocide law. I am an intl lawyer, and if you find a legal precedent that says the Genocide convention is retroactive without its express modification and ratification by its signatories (something that was not even proposed until today), then I will throw my Bar membership to the garbage. :)

In any case, this article is currently based on historical analysis. So do not bring in modern political disputes into it. As for crimes against humanity, you can sue the individuals, but they are all dead. As for genocide, can't sue Turkey since the convention is not retroactive. Simple really. So stick to the historical analysis and establishment of dialogue between Turkey and Armenia so both sides can share their stories: no need to speculate about other things like compensation, territory etc.Baristarim 21:26, 25 December 2006 (UTC)

Legal loopholes in this are as big as the Ozone hole btw.. I suppose that's why the whole rambling is about unfortunately. Whatever people might say, law provides the real closure for humans, not historians. It would actually be nice if this issue could have been settled by some courts back in the day either way. Then at least people could get a move on. I am just saying that, unfortunately, the obscurity surrounding the legal situation (in its entireity: genocide question + the issues concerning individuals) will continue until the end of time, unless there is some sort of extremely unexpected event that takes place (i don't know what that would be).Baristarim 21:35, 25 December 2006 (UTC)

Serouj, in each post of yours, we are going back to square one.

1. I actually wrote about it, but being a lawyer Baristarim explained it well better.

2. No, not the Moroccans. Enver Pasha took over the government with the Coup of 1913. And he was the de facto dictator during Armenian Genocide. Read more before your sputtering attacks. I am trying to be as objective as possible, yet you always seem aggressive.

3. Actually (and ironically), might be surprising to you, but I read that event from that Pro-Armenian Genocide book I mentioned before. And just the feed your appetite quickly, I typed the words "burn, mosque, Armenian, alive" to Google; and reached this web site; http://genocide.blogcu.com/1280868/ Towards the end, you'll see the English version of it. Now you'll probably say that it is a POV source - And that's what I had been saying from the beginning! We – both – have – biased – POV – sources. But there’s “a portion of truth” in all of them, and “the truth” is somewhere in between.

4. You picture Armenians as sole defenseless victims that showed no resistance while massacred. (Or maybe that’s how your history told you so) However, there was a constant fight between the Armenian gangs, fed by Tsar’s Russia, and the Armenian nation was unfairly punished for that. I want to put a stress on unfairly, since I strictly believe that wars are between armies, not an army against civilians. Actually Baristarim is again right in this issue. I may have gone too far in this reply though I am not a historian. But sincerely, those are the sum of my readings (of both thesis) up to now, presented as objective as possible.

5. How can you even talk about punishing The Turkish people of today for a more peaceful world? To me, you sound no different than the Turkish ultra-nationalists who says that there was not a single Armenian that was killed, but all of them were peacefully relocated. Take a deep breath, and think about it.

Omar Khayyam states in one of his Rubais; (Sorry for the possible inaccuracy in the translation) “If you act maliciously towards me, because of my malignant act; then what’s the difference between you and me”. (Actually that was his interpretation of Hell, but also fits here perfectly) Yet again, the seeds of peace is not sown by punishing (that is like beating your kid when he does something wrong); but by forgiving, listening to the other side, and never forgetting. Your lust for revenge won’t bring back the massacred people of you, but a step towards may prevent the similar events of the future.

I hope you understand that. Ombudsee 22:26, 25 December 2006 (UTC)

First, please quit the personal attacks of "aggression" against my person; there is no basis for that.

3. "I read that event from that Pro-Armenian Genocide book I mentioned before."

If you don't mind, please re-cite the book and the page number.

4. "You picture Armenians as sole defenseless victims that showed no resistance while massacred. (Or maybe that’s how your history told you so)"

I studied the Armenian Genocide at the University of California. Armenians were defenseless in the vast majority of their communities in the Ottoman Empire, once able-bodied men were enlisted in the Ottoman army, disarmed, and subsequently slaughtered.

5. "How can you even talk about punishing The Turkish people of today for a more peaceful world?"

In the same way I, and the rest of the world, can talk about holding Germany accountable for the crimes of the Third Reich.

6. "the seeds of peace is not sown by punishing (that is like beating your kid when he does something wrong); but by forgiving, listening to the other side, and never forgetting."

And in this utopia of yours, do murderers, rapists, and robbers roam the Earth as free men? "Forgiven" and "listened to," even befriended by the families of their victims? Or are they incarcerated? Or some how held accountable for their crimes? I, and the civilized world, certainly prefer accountability; that's why we have created laws and corresponding penalties when those laws are broken.

7. To answer Baristarim and you regarding genocide law, international law as all law is continually evolving and is meant to maximize sustainability of human life on Earth. To this end, maximizing justice (which includes amending and reforming current law) benefits all of humanity, because it leads to greater peace (by deterring others from carrying out the same crime). Will international law on genocide be applied retroactively in the future? Perhaps, if in so doing human sustainability is increased (and with sufficient diligence on the part of humanity). History is in the making today, and we're all a part of it. Serouj 23:17, 25 December 2006 (UTC)

Ok, This will be the last post of mine, since it seems like it’s going completely to the other direction of my primal intentions;

3. I don’t mind at all. The name of the book is “Büyük felaket; 1915 Katliamı ve Ermeni Sorunu, Belgeler, tanıklıklar ve Halil Berktay, Taner Akçam, Stefanos Yerasimos’un yorumlarıyla”, rawly translated as “The Great Calamity, 1915 Massacres and Armenian incident; Documents, eyewitnesses and the comments by Halil Berktay, Taner Akçam and Stefanos Yerasimos” page 8 - A memory by Suat Yalaz. Plus; I came across something else in the same book and would like to share that; It is from the Interview by Die Zeit, of Charles Aznavour, the French artist with Armenian ancestry whose parents migrated to Paris from Istanbul (as you probably knew before), who is one of the biggest defendants of recognition of Armenian Genocide by the French Government. He states “why should one weigh down the hunchback of 1915 Genocide on the today’s Turkish Generation? Yes, why? Why should today’s generation carry this burden! It’s obvious that what has been done, how it has been done and who has done it.”

4. This sounds like a parrot cry. You are repeating the same things; I am not going to do that. It’s not even important how it has happened – It was a disgraceful act anyways. I say that I am sharing your pain of what has happened to Armenian nation; and I feel obligated to say that I would never join such a treacherous act if it happened now (not that there’s a slightest possibility that it will) – And there’s nothing else I can do about it.

5, 6 and 7. Your alternative to “my utopia” is punishing the children of the murderers, rapists, and robbers. Not the actual criminals. Besides, it’s even more of an utopia to apply retroactivity in crimes. One third of the USA would join Mexico, while the other two third of Americans go back to Europe – because their ancestors committed crime against American Indians. Let’s please be realistic and a little bit positive while we still have a chance. We can not change the past, but we can reminisce, respect and learn from it. Your solutions are only to turn the problem to a feud.

I wish that one day my country officially recognize the terrible massacre done against the Armenians. I don’t think the word “genocide” is important at all. In my humble opinion, we should not fight over the wording of what has happened in 1915, but instead commemorate and show respect to the unfortunate common history we have. The only way we can punish the ones who were responsible is by building a future together thus proving them wrong. Ombudsee 01:04, 26 December 2006 (UTC)

(edit conflict) (to Serouj) You really made me smile, and I am not being sarcastic! I really wish that the world was that romantic and idealistic. Unfortunately, it is not. I wish some of the things you said about law were true.. Law doesn't exist to maximize the sustainibility of human life on earth per se, it exists to provide "order" first and foremost. From a Marxist point of view, you can also say that it serves to "legitimize" the violence of the rich against the poorer classes. However, what's tricky is that, "maximizing the sustainibility of human life/the greater good" doesn't mean the "ideological good". "Good" is a matter of interpretation. I definitely don't see the genocide convention being amended, and not at all because of Turkey/Armenia: because of much greater wars and "genocides" that took place in China, Africa, Soviet Union, with much greater casualties. Besides, from a philosophical point of view, retroactivibility of notions is not correct: it can lead to anachronisms and confusion of notions with eras. But who knows, maybe it will be amended one day. But what will it bring at the end of the day?

I also prefer accountability, however one should also not forget to be pragmatic and remember one of the basic tenets of nature: "time". Human creations of "law" and "ideology" are no match for the creations of nature: "time". It has been nearly a century, there won't be any "accountability". Not to mention the increasing fuzziness about what happened. My grandfather was born 1910, what r u talking about? Acccountability of what to whom precisely? Time took care of that: there are no second takes in life. So, I agree: history for historians.

And nobody should emotionalize the issue: that's not a good outlook on life. Life is hard&complicating, and emotionalizing issues won't get people somewhere. So get a grip. In any case, this is not a forum: how is this discussion relevant to the article? Baristarim 01:14, 26 December 2006 (UTC)

1. "Your solutions are only to turn the problem to a feud."

I don't think so. Germany was held accountable for the crimes of the Third Reich, and relations between Israel and Germany are quite alright, no feud there.

2. We're talking about the Armenian Genocide here; not the genocide of the Rwandans, Native Americans, etc. Each of those are significant and have their separate articles, so please stick to the subject.

3. "we should not fight over the wording of what has happened in 1915, but instead commemorate and show respect to the unfortunate common history we have."

Right. Turks should accept the Armenian Genocide for what it is.

4. "Your alternative to “my utopia” is punishing the children of the murderers, rapists, and robbers. Not the actual criminals."

Some entity has to be held accountable, and that is the republic of Turkey, which inherited the Ottoman Empire and has been politically considered to be the same state. In the same way that Turkey has inherited the assets and liabilities of the Ottoman Empire, it also has inherited accountability to war crimes and genocide.

5. "we should not fight over the wording of what has happened in 1915, but instead commemorate and show respect to the unfortunate common history we have."

I think the average Turk turned out okay in the end: he got his Armenian neighbor's house, property, money, and perhaps his best-looking daughter as a concubine or wife — all for free. So I fail to see the unfortunate "common" history.

6. "The only way we can punish the ones who were responsible is by building a future together thus proving them wrong."

The last time Armenians agreed to build such a future "together" with the Turks was with the Committee of Union and Progress. Same promises, same hopes, and we know what that future looks like: physical genocide, cultural genocide, and now denial of genocide. (Indeed, the Dashnaks were among those who signed up for this "collective future" and helped the CUP come to power, which I think is one of the ironies of the Armenian Genocide.) You must therefore take me for an imbecile. I don't think the collective memory of Armenians are that short-sighted (mine certainly isn't) to sign up with Turks again, especially with today's Turkey not even admitting guilt on the part of the Ottoman Empire.

A crime unpunished is a crime encouraged. Serouj 05:34, 26 December 2006 (UTC)

Well, historical "guilt" could be a tricky one, particularly if "guilt" is not clearly attributed and/or not defined. Frankly, I think that people should just get a move on. None of us were alive back then, even my granpa was six years old during the FWW. And he is already dead. So I don't understand why people of today should start guilt-tripping. "Recognition" won't bring anything either. Even if one day Turkish parliament says "yes, Turks are genocidal barbarians", I know exactly what will happen: nothing. What is it going to bring? The only thing, that I have felt over the years, that would bring "closure" to some people would be to establish some sort of Great Armenia et al. Well, there you enter modern politics and exit the realm of history. In fact, sometimes I think that the only thing keeping alive the Armenian identity is the fact that Turkey contests the attribution of the g-word. If it ever did, I think that a majority of the Armenian identity would dissolve and Armenia become an ordinary small state of the world. So, it's a double-edged sword: do people want Turkey to use the g-word knowing that doing so would lead to the dissolution of the Armenian identity in a few generations? That's the food for thought 4 today :) Baristarim 10:01, 26 December 2006 (UTC)

You're absolutely right. Nevermind the Armenian language, Armenian traditions, Armenian architecture, Armenian stone masonry, the 1700 year old Armenian Church, Armenian literature of 1600 years, Armenian embroidery, the 1600-year-old Armenian alphabet, Armenian dance, Armenian food, Armenian songs and music, Armenian cultural monuments of millenia, and 2,500 years of Armenian history. Certainly none of those can be considered Armenian culture and the basis of Armenian identity. After all, just like other humans, Armenians are limited to only 100 years of memory, and the Armenian clock therefore starts ticking shortly before the Armenian Genocide in 1915... Surely not back to 500 B.C... Who remembers that long?

You're absolutely right. Just like the Jews, Armenians will forget their identity once the genocide perpetrated against them has seen justice.

Surely as the Jews dissolved Israel after the Nuremberg Trials, after the Armenian Genocide is properly recognized and justice served, Armenians, too, will have an identity crisis, will dissolve Armenia, and call their 2500-year-old collective existence quits.

NOT! That doesn't fly with me!

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

Like the Holocaust was for the Jews, the Armenian Genocide was a wakeup call to Armenians on the true intentions of Turkey and its leaders: a Pan-Turan across Asia; and that means there's no room for Armenians nor Armenia. Their respective genocides is something that neither group can forget, and indeed has become part of the psyche of any group surviving such unimaginable suffering. Furthermore, Armenians can never forget the deception of the Turks (specifically, the governing CUP) up to the very last moments of the Armenian Genocide. Serouj 19:43, 26 December 2006 (UTC)

Well, I think this marks a new trend in genocide denial. Here's a brief history:

1. "Genocide? What Armenian Genocide? They were harmless deportations and relocations, inter communal warfare."

2. "Alright, genocide, but on the part of the Ottoman Empire; not Turkey! Certainly you can't hold us accountable, even though we did inherit everything else belonging to the Ottoman Empire, and are in fact the same state legally."

3. "Okay. Okay. The Ottoman Empire executed the premeditated genocide of the Armenian people, and Turkey should be held accountable, as did Germany after the Third Reich. But so what? What does that change? That didn't change the relationship between Germany and Israel an inch!"

4. And finally today... "Do Armenians really, truly, surely want recognition of the Armenian Genocide? Surely they can't be that short-sighted; after all, with the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, Armenians will lose their their 2500 year old identity! Stop now, Armenians, while you can! It's a geno-suicide!"

Indeed, the human mind can be quite creative when it doesn't want to believe something — an interesting evolutionary trait of man. Serouj 19:43, 26 December 2006 (UTC)

"Frankly, I think that people should just get a move on. None of us were alive back then, even my granpa was six years old during the FWW. And he is already dead."

No one is forcing you to stay out of your free will. Fortunately, enough eyewitness accounts (both third-parties in the Ottoman Empire, as well as survivors of the genocide) have been documented and disseminated, thanks to the inventions of writing and the printing press (and, of course, the camera) that we don't need to have those eyewitnesses alive today; their testimonies have been written in books (e.g. by Henry Morgenthau, Sr.) (and sometimes with cross-examination, in the case of the trial of Soghomon Tehlirian). Serouj 20:20, 26 December 2006 (UTC)

"So I don't understand why people of today should start guilt-tripping."

There's no more "guilt-tripping" here than there has been for the pressing by Jews and others who suffered at the hands of the Nazis for proper recognition and justice for the Holocaust. Serouj 20:20, 26 December 2006 (UTC)

Aha.. The difference between Israel is that the Israeli people do not wish to carve back today's German lands for themselves. Secundo, analogy with the Jews is not correct: it is just a tool to get greater publicity, I am sorry to say. In any case, to clear a misunderstanding, I was referring primarily to the Armenian diaspora. Armenia will stay there obviously, but it is a very small country - that's all I was trying to say. + what are you talking about germany having been held accountable and all? Germany was never held accountable, and the treaties signed after the second world war specifically specified that Germany will not be held accountable for anything against anyone, neither against any individual or any state. Nuremberg trials were for the individuals, not the country. My father's uncle married a German Jew back in the 50s, and the only compensation they ever received was part of a settlement in 2000 between the German companies who had used Jewish labor and their descendants. That's all. Germany never a) paid a cent b) compensated with territory c) done anything except attending memorial ceremonies. Was that right? Maybe not, but all I am trying to say is: put things in context. That's all. This whole issue has become definitely not historical: This whole thing has become a mix of pyschological and sociological projections, some at the deepest level, reflected on a wide range of issues supported by various obscure and undeterminable traits of human nature, all with completely different aims. This goes for everyone involved by the way. Baristarim 20:32, 26 December 2006 (UTC)

Theres nothing tricky about historical guilt the ottomans were responsible for thousands of Armenians death the turks say they were simply relocated Armenians that actually falls in the category of 'Ethnic cleansing" the ottoman empire had a population of almost 2 million Armenians while they were slowly disappearing. There were many wars during the noted genocide years so you can't blame the Turkish government for all that. But nower days people are doing very bad things the newer generations are breeding hate so much on both sides its sick very sick people fighting over these things obviously a historical debate will not help all that would do is cause more constriversy if one side doesn't aggree after. Millions of Armenians were simply "Relocated" that caused them to suffer and die without homes, refuges, homeless etc. Also theres nothing wrong with recognizing a crime you have done Germany took it well so should turkey if it wasn't a genocide it was a massacre either way thousands of Armenians were being persecuted in the hands of there governments, or discriminated against, maybe the militias started this but thats no reason to take it out on the poor civilians and propaganda is no way to look at this. The Assyrians and Kurds were also victimized by the ottoman empire. Even if it was genocide or not millions were being deported from there homes the turks dislike this and they cant believe there ancestors would commit such crimes i guess. Both sides suffered alot thousands were killed the fact is turkey denying such a thing is irrational to the Armenians while the some turks claim Armenians killed one million turks Eh let the historians debate this. Nareklm 10:43, 26 December 2006 (UTC)

OK, let's say Turkey recognise the events that happend to the Armenians as genocide, What next? You think the hatred will stop? I think not.Mert Baris Akgul 07:41, 28 December 2006 (UTC)

Also what hatred i hope your not referring to Armenians, the other thing is the "Lands" of course. Nareklm 07:44, 28 December 2006 (UTC)

Well, whatever "hatred" there is, nothing much will happen at the society level until the general situation in the Caucausus, Middle East and Western Asia improves. I mean, the situation is so s... in that part of the world (not because of Armenia/Turkey, but with all sorts of weird political stuff happening in every km square), that I am sometimes surprised that things are holding out the way they are now. That's why historical discussions are not taking place in a healthy environement. The day there are no borders and there is some sort of unity between the states of the region like in the EU, there won't be any problems at a social level either. France and Germany kicked each other's a... for centuries, but all is cool now. That's the only way, and nothing else. Otherwise every ethnicity in the region will continue to be at each other's throats for a long time to come. I wonder if I will ever see the day when I can go around in Western Asia like I can in the EU... Really sad you know. Baristarim 08:39, 28 December 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, I guess "hatred' is overstepping the markMert Baris Akgul 12:01, 28 December 2006 (UTC)

Whooa !! 29th December 2006

Warning - Edit war in progress - at least cite something boys and girls rather than this juvenile stick throwing. Pedro1999a |  Talk  21:26, 29 December 2006 (UTC)

Misplaced Pages:Requests_for_arbitration#Armenian_Genocide

Feel free to comment on the arbitration case. --Cat out 21:49, 29 December 2006 (UTC)

• Unassessed Armenian articles
• Unknown-importance Armenian articles
• WikiProject Armenia articles
• B-Class Turkey articles
• High-importance Turkey articles
• All WikiProject Turkey pages
• Old requests for peer review
• Unassessed Disaster management articles
• Unknown-importance Disaster management articles