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You are a braver man than me. Or at least you have more time
to read hate mail. My mother would kill me if I set up a website like this, or at least
she would sit around crying all day, waiting for me to be bombed by ASALA or something.
Anyway, your site is very well done; we should get the Turkish-American associations to
launch a campaign to get Google to direct the inquiry "Armenian Genocide" to
your site, in some small way this might help educate people.
I had planned to be an Ottoman scholar, but was disuaded by my
mother, who said she would sit around all day crying waiting for me to be bombed by ASALA.
Sigh. Anyway, if there's anything I can do to help, let me know.
Thanks,
John
Jan, 5, 2004
RESPONSE SENT:
Thank you very much for your kind letter, John.
That is the problem... there is an immense void of
information explaining the counter-perspective on this topic. However, I'm not as
brave as you say... otherwise I'd be revealing my real name!
And if you want to be a scholar, I think you should
go ahead with it... you sound like a very bright man, and I doubt the Armenians would go
after you (I don't believe ASALA is that active; the latest terror campaign lies in
attempting to ruin peoples' reputations, run by "legitimate" Armenian
organizations and individuals) -- unless you make a specific point of strictly speaking
about the "genocide." There's a lot more to being an Ottoman scholar than this
historic area.
My very best to you,
Holdwater
Jan. 14, 2004
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Effect of Propaganda on American
Education
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Hi, I just wanted to thank you for making this greatly needed website. I
like how you present the information in a straight forward way. I am a grad student
that constantly faces challenges in school due to the delicate situation between
Turkiye and the Armenian "genocide".
Last year, one of my classes was held in an Armenian church where they dedicated a
room to the "genocide". They had a very articulate speaker who is a
Professor at NYU (ironically, he teaches Ottoman history at NYU, go figure). By the
end of his speech, he had my class and professor believing everything he said. Of
course, I got very frustrated and I approached him after class and told him that I
didn't think he was fair in his presentation. He basically tried to give me facts
about the Ottomans and even stated that pan Turkism was very strong at that time and
that it led to the genocide. He mentioned Enver Pasha and others. Then he gave me
his email and said that I can contact him with any questions and that I am free to
visit the genocide library anytime. This was the first time I was put in this type
of situtation. I knew that the Armenians were active in spreading the genocide idea
but I was never in the position where I had to address it personally. Anyway, long
story short, I told the professor who took my class on this trip if I can write a
paper on the other side of the so called genocide and she said that I wouldn't be
allowed to because as a historian one has to be objective. I asked her if the
Armenian professor and arguments were objective and she basically said that they
were the accepted argument by many and that some Turks (scholars, university
students in Turkey and other countries) are accepting the genocide and blame the
Turkish gov't. for 1 sided facts. She suggested that I read a paper on the
"Armenian genocide" by Fatma Muge Gocek, a Turkish scholar at
Michigan State Univ. I read her paper and was appalled of what she had to say. She
basically suggested that the genocide did happen and that there is a silent majority
in Turkey who are educated and are silenced on this subject or choose not to speak
due to fear of what the gov't. and public in Turkey will say.
Anyway, since I was not allowed to write a paper and make a presentation on the
other side to the so called genocide, I decided to write about the Turkish diaspora
and wrote about how Turks migrated from all over Russia, Asia and Europe and what
the reasons were. I figured at least this way, I can show under what conditions and
circumstances Turks had to leave the countries they had lived for in hundreds of
years. Complaining a higher authority in my school was not an option to me since
most people are not educated in this issue and will most likely side with a
professor who has tenure. I felt it would get me nowhere.
It's hard to explain to others about the facts when you are limited with sources and
people think that since I am a Turk, I am automatically siding with my government. I
think that the ATAA need to be a stronger tool for Turkish citizens to use. The
Armenians have speakers, museums, libraries in their churches that teach the
"genocide" to an average of 3-5 university classes per week. They have
succeeded in building good relations with schools and their professors who choose to
make a class trip to the Armenian church. I hope that in the near future, Turks can
also form stronger organizations that do similar grass roots efforts. Also, We need
more websites like yours. A lot of students look to the internet when doing
research.
Thank you for making this website. It was refreshing to see it.
Sincerely,
(name withheld)
Dec. 24, 2003
RESPONSE (EXCERPT):
I was very interested in
reading your experience. Isn't this horribly frustrating? The one-sided propaganda
has been so deeply worked into peoples' consciousness, people who ought to know
better... such as "historians," whose duty is to get at the truth...
cannot even open up their minds.
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| A
Scarred Armenian-Turkish Lady Reflects on "Genocide" |
Hello dear friend of Turks,
First of all, I congratulate you for your honorable struggle you have carried on for many
years in behalf of Turkey. Also I ask you to accept my endless thanks on behalf of me and
my family. As the Turkish society, unfortunately we can't find any time to think about our
real problems according to living in the imaginary spotlights. I guess this is the reason
why people don't seem to be interested in your endeavor. I myself sent this email I
received (regarding a piece about the TAT site circulating in the
Turkish press — Holdwater) to everybody in my contact list and to
Yahoogroups which has about 1,000,000 members including me from all around the world. I
hope it helps. For many years the claims of the alleged Armenian genocide has been
disturbing me so much as a patriot and a grandson of a soldier. I also thank you for
giving me the opportunity to express my protests. I would like to end my letter with
telling one of my memories from childhood many years ago: I was 13-14 years old; there was
an Armenian family, our neighbors from our summerhouse. We liked each other very much.
They were like us as much as a Turkish family, and sincere. For many years we lived as
neighbors full of happy and joyful memories.
One day, we were going to the sea with their mother who was pretty old that time. The
answer she gave me when I asked her about the scars I saw on her body which I couldn't
dare ask before showed clearly how right your struggle was. "They are bayonet
scars." She said. "Who did it?" I asked. "The Turks did." she
replied. "You mean Turks tried to kill you?" I asked with astonishment and
horror. "Yes," she said. "I was 16, we were living in Kayseri; and however
we were Armenians, our homeland is Turkey, and we always saw ourselves as Turks and Turks
did so too. We lived together for many years, we laughed together, we cried together. But
the Armenians showed so much of animosity, persecuted them so badly...One day Turks felt
they had enough. Ungrateful, the Armenians are; they forgot the good deeds of this country
to them, they betrayed her. They burned houses, destroyed many families, cut many Turks
alive. And our Turks punished them thoroughly; I was just accidentally in the ones who got
punished." "All right," I said. "But didn't you and your family feel
so hostile to the Turks after this incident?"
"Why should we?" she said. "The ones who caused these aren't Turks, they
are Armenians. They started them all. Our country is Turkey, and we will die as
Turks." I remember this conversation word by word after 30 years, because there were
these claims in that time too, and after this I never believed those lies of Armenians. I
am sure if she was alive; Aunt Vartuyi would tell all this to whole world one day without
hesitating. But unfortunately, she lived as a downright Turk just like she said, and
passed away many years ago. But I haven't ever forgotten either her or the things she told
me. I won't…
Arsel Erginbas, May 25, 2006
(Translation thanks to Damla Ozdemir.
[Original Turkish])
MERHABA SEVGILI TURK DOSTU,
ONCELIKLE YURKIYE ADINA YILLARDIR SUDURDUGUNUZ BU ONURLU MUCADELENIZDEN DOLAYI SIZI
TEBRIK EDERIM.AYNI ZAMANDA SONSUZ TESEKKURLERIMI ,KENDIM VE AILEM ADINA KABUL ETMENIZI
RICA EDERIM.BIZLER TURK TOPLUMU OLARAK NE YAZIKKI BIZIM ICIN HAZIRLANMIS SANAL
GUNDEMLERI YASAMAKTAN GERCEK SORUNLARIMIZI DUSUNMEYE PEK VAKIT BULAMIYORUZ. SIZIN
CABALARINIZA OLAN ILGISIZLIK DE SANIRIM BUNDAN KAYNAKLANIYOR.BEN KENDI ADIMA BANA ULASAN
MAILI ADRES DEFTERIMDEKI TUM ADRESLERE VE UYESI OLDUGUM YAKLASIK TUM DUNYADAN 1.000.000.
KISILIK BIR GRUBA ULASAN YAHOOGROUPS'A YOLLADIM. UMARIM FAYDASI OLUR. YILLARDIR
ERMENILERIN YAPTIGI SOZDE SOYKIRIM IDDALARI VATANSEVER BIRTURK INSANI VE BIR ASKER
TORUNU OLARAK BENI COK RAHATSIZ ETMEKTEYDI. BU KONUDAKI TEPKIMI DILE GETIRME YOLUNU BANA
ACTIGINIZ ICIN DE AYRICA TESEKKUR EDERIM.YILLAR ONCE COCUKLUGUMDA YASADIGIM BIR ANIMI
ANLATARAK MEKTUBUMU BITIRMEK ISTIYORUM.13-14 YASLARINDAYDIM, YAZLIK EVIMIZDE KOMSU
OLDUGUMUZ ERMENI BIR AILE VARDI BIRBIRIMIZI COK SEVERDIK. BIR TURK AILESI KADAR
BIZDEN,VE ICTENDILER. YILLARCA DOSTLUGUMUZ VE KOMSULUGUMUZ KEYIF VE MUTLU ANILARLA DOLU
OLARAK YASANDI.
BIR GUN, OZAMANLAR OLDUKCA YASLI OLAN ANNELERI ILE BERABER DENIZE GIRIYORDUK. UZUN
ZAMANDIR VUCUNDA GORDUGUM VE SORMAYA CESARET EDEMEDIGIM YARA IZLERINI KENDISINE
SORDUGUMDA ALDIGIM CEVAP SIZIN CABALARINIZIN NE KADAR HAKLI OLDUGUNU TUM CIPLAKLIGI ILE
ORTAYA KOYUYORDU.
''ONLAR SUNGU YARALARI ''DEDI .'' KIM YAPTI'' DEDIM. ''TURKLER YAPTI ''DEDI.''YANI
TURKLER SENI OLDURMEYE MI CALISTILAR'' DIYE HAYRET VE DEHSETLE SORDUM.'' EVET'' DEDI VE
DEVAM ETTI.'' 16 YASINDAYDIM KAYSERI DE YASIYORDUK, BIZ HER NE KADAR ERMENIDE OLSAK
MEMLEKETIMIZ TURKIYE ,VE KENDIMIZI HEP TURK OLARAK GORDUK, TURKLERDE BIZI OYLE GORDULER.
BIRLIKTE YASADIK YILLARCA, BIRLIKTE AGLADIK, BIRLIKTE GULDUK. AMA ERMENILER TURKLERE O
KADAR DUSMANLIKLAR YAPTILAR O KADAR ZULUMLER ISLEDILER KI. TURKLERINDE BIR GUN GELDI
SABRI TASTI.NANKORDUR ERMENILER KENDILERINE BU MEMLEKETIN IYILIKLERINI UNUTTULAR HAINLIK
YAPTILAR.EVLERINI YAKTILAR,OCAKLARINI SONDURDULER CANLI CANLI KESTILER BINLERCE TURKU.
BIZIM TURKLERDE ONLARI BIR GUZEL CEZALANDIRDI. BEN DE ISTE ARADA KAZAYA KURBAN GITTIM''
DEDI.PEKI DEDIM'' BU OLAYDAN DOLAYI SEN VE AILEN TURKLERE DUSMAN OLMADINIZMI'' '' NIYE
OLALIMKI ''DEDI VE DEVAM ETTI '' BUNLARA NEDEN OLAN TURKLER DEGIL KI ERMENILER. HER SEYI
ONLAR BASLATTI .BIZIM VATANIMIZ TURKIYE VE BIZDE TURK OLARAK OLECEGIZ'' ARADAN GECEN
OTUZ YILA RAGMEN KELIMESI KELIMESINE HATIRLIYORUM BU KONUSMAYI CUNKI O ZAMANLARDA DA BU
IDDALAR VARDI VE BEN BUNDAN SONRA ERMENILERIN SOYLEDIGI BU YALANLARA ASLA INANMADIM EGER
YASADAYDI EMINIMKI VARTUYI TEYZE, BU GUN DE CIKAR BUTUN BUNLARI TUM DUNYAYA CEKINMEDEN
ANLATIRDI.AMA NEYAZIKKI DEDIGI GIBI TAM BIR TURK OLARAK YASADI VE YILLAR ONCE VEFAT
ETTI.AMA BEN NE ONU NE DE ANLATTIKLARINI HICBIR ZAMAN UNUTMADIM.UNUTMAYACAGIM...
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