We all need to know the true picture of our blood-stained country. And we should look straight and courageously at it.
Zabel Eseyan
Speech at the International Conference of the Peoples of Asia Minor in Berlin on January 28/29, 2017
It is very important to organize such a meeting where the architect of the Genocide, Talat, saw the light for the last time. The meeting took place on extremely difficult conditions. While some friends are not allowed and their passports are confiscated by the state. Since some friends could not get permission from the top because of various excuses and could not be here with us. The non-participation is understandable. In the later part of my speech, I will address more this issue in fact this handicap.
In Turkey, the 1915 genocide process is “a thousand and one nights tale”. The genocide is being told to the peoples of the Asia Minor and Mesopotamia who have suffered genocide perpetually. The Armenian genocide, Pontic Greeks, Assyrian-Syriac, Yazidis … already know what they have been through, they didn’t forget and it is in their collective memory. If you tell them to tell to the communities who are actors of genocide, they will be silent. Secondly, they do not respond to the question about where they stand on this unforgivable crime against humanity but they will beat around the bush. The answer is deathful; because there is almost no one who did not participate in the genocide. Indemnity and compensation touch themselves. In this respect, Anatolia has no conscience. It will never have. The morality of the society who obtained everything, family, house, job, and the society from the genocide is problematical. It is pointless to search for the conscience of the morality established in 1915. Moreover, they remain pledged by the fear of losing what they obtained.
People are as described, if we ask for the situation of the press, which is the fourth power, it is not independent from the people. I think that it will be more clear if we note that that the press of an Armenian that is seized, is on the baseline of the most important “opposition” press today.
In this respect, the press in Turkey has never had a public function, and it has not been able to go beyond than being the propaganda and disinformation tool of the truth of the governments.
Speaking at the 6th anniversary of the murder of Hrant Dink, a young academician from Western Armenia who started his speech as follows;
“How did Turkish come to me?
I didn’t a learn Turkish at a school to add another foreign language to my CV.
The day when I was born it was given to me as a grace. Although I did not demand it, it was not possible to turn it down.
This language came to me with the voice of my grandmother (paternal).
For you, Turkish is your mother tongue.
But for me, it’s my grandmother’s language.”
He made a historical speech by ending his words as follows;
“What is needed is the justice required is itself.
So today I return here the language of death and dispossession.
And in response, here today, I demand the language of justice on behalf of my grandfather’s Khachadour and Meline Mouradian, Ardashes and Aghavni Gharibian. “
We do not have he footages of this historical speech. Because the news agency that undertook the responsibility of filming this panel, removed this academician’s speech from the panel footages and gave us the DVD of the panel without this speech.
The academician mentioned in Turkish language that Western Armenia is colonized by Turks, Kurds and unfortunately by Alevites. An Agency’s members of an ethnic minority-who present themselves as opponents and victims- have had a run of bad luck. Despite all this, I recently gave support to this the agency, they had 13 arrested correspondents. I guess the number has not changed.
This situation is not incomprehensible. Because one part of the society is taken over by the government while the other part is taken over by the armed opposition. Everyone and every organization in Turkey describe themselves as taking sides with the government or with the armed opposition. I think it is pointless hereto describe further the CHPas the inheritor of the Committee of Union and Progress.
We should keep in mind that recently, three political parties that two of them are opposition parties caused the sentence of Garo Paylan, Armenian parliamentarian, to non-participation of three session of the Parliament because of using the word “genocide” at parliamentary platform. He said that his party recognizes genocide in its program, but the program of his party does not have any mention to the recognition of the genocide. There is no political party in Turkey that recognizes the genocide at their program except for the Green Party and the Left Future Party.
Garo Paylan’s speech is censored when it is written to minutes. We condemn the censorship of president of the Parliament, well then how do we do regarding the behaviour of a “respected” publisher censoring sections discussing the responsibles of the genocide. “Jurists” who leak money from the grieved family!
While three political parties were punishing the Armenian parliamentarian, on 18th of April last year, forwhat purpose the independence medal given to Urfa to the historic Edessa was passed at the general assembly with a common decision? Urfa is a historical Christian city. It was the last point of the Armenian resistance in the process of 1915 genocide. It was the last point, let’s just say that after the Western powers have agreed with the Kemalist forces after the armistice, and left silently and let down all Armenians that survived and returned back.
I can’t help telling. In the 100th anniversary of the genocide, we were asked to support a conference about genocide, which would be held in a historic Christian city that has become a Kurdish city today. Speakers and the program would be determined by us. We prepared everything. 15 days before the date of the conference HDP Provincial President did not give the permission for the conference. If you ask what they did that day, they organized mawlid, Islamic memorial service, for Genocide perpetrator saidi Nursi.
In the case of genocide, the change of the signboards of the parties does not change anything. Having Armenian parliamentary in the party is only a windows dressing. Is this valid only for the parties at the Parlement ? No. The party that organized several meetings with Armenian revolutionary Paramaz, does not mention genocide not only in their part code or program but even at the latest congress declaration. When I condemned them, they changed the declaration and made a false declaration to the public.
There are several examples in this subject I would like to give a final example: In the report read on the anniversary of Hrant’s death, while the treatments that Kurdish people faced recently mentioned to a great extent, there is not a single word about Sevan Nişanyan, the upright son of the Armenian people, who had exiled to prison several times that I have difficulty to remember the number of exiles. Because Sevan Nisanyan was an outspoken Armenian, he was sentenced by using law as an instrument for his opposition to the construction law. Sevan Nisanyan will be able to leave the prison on 30.08.2030.
The Armenian type desired by Turkey and Turks should be like Artin Penik who burned himself in 1982 to protest “Asala acts”. He must destroy itself under any strain. Against the oppression of the period Artin Penik felt so helpless that he saw death as salvation.
Some Armenians take an identity that will give them less harm when they cannot hide themselves. In this respect, there are famous Armenians besides ordinary Armenians who express themselves as Syriac or Greek.
Being Armenian in Turkey is as difficult as stated by Ara Güler. The hegemony of those who are in power in Turkey over powerless is infinite …
A famous Armenian (Ara Güler) explains the reason for his “hideout” as “This is a strange land. There are assholes, they become obsessif. Otherwise I am the most native of this land. “
Ishak Benlioglu, a famous businessman who was imprisoned for the murder he committed in a ginmill (meyhane), was circumcised in prison and converted to Islam. Ishak Benlioglu was given a lifetime imprisonment penalty without any remission, yet in Turkish courts, all criminal offenses, including murder, are subject to remissions turning penalties to very minimum penalty effects. Ishak Benlioglu’s circumcision and being a Muslim did not benefit him.
So, This is the situation for the Armenians living in Turkey. What about Armenians willing or trying to come back? Their situation is much worser. The Vartan Hotel case is a good example:
Viktor Bedoyan, a US citizen of Kayseri and Harput initiates an investment in Turkey by purchasing a hotel in Van. He changed the name of the hotel to Vartan. From this moment on, it is claimed by the press that the Vartan name means ‘victory’ in Armenian. However, it means ‘rosegiver’. – a smearing and discretisation campaign started; the campaign extended to the parliament. Eventually the hotel was closed. In the absence of Bedoyan, the hotel was dispossessed with the use of some documents whose fraudulences was criminally proved. The intervention of the US embassy and foreign ministry does not change the final result. The cooperation between justice and confiscated the Bedoyan property as a derelict. Bedoyan’s loss was at least a million dollars.
It is difficult for Armenians to stand upright in Turkey. Standing upright, critical Armenian is not desirable. Do not be mistaken with the fact that at the last election, three Armenian deputies entered the parliament but there is a limit to what these friends say. Their words and criticism is limited as in the case of Garo Paylan.
Armenians who are different and critical like Hrant Dink, live in a distress in Turkey and they are murdered within everyone’s knowledge.
If you argue the toss, you will be sentenced to a punishment that will be beyond a lifetime because of a unlicenced construction “made-up” blame in an illegal construction paradise, Turkey.
There is another case related to this, which became quite evident in the 100th anniversary of the Genocide: “The Rescuers of Genocide”!
In fact, it has been exaggerated in recent days and turned into collection of the interest at 100th year anniversary for the money deposited 100 years ago. Both people in Turkey (Turks, Kurds …) and Armenians in the Diaspora and Assyrians in the diaspora … are helping to spread and exploit this situation.
It is a very clear truth: Turks, Kurds … 100 years ago, executed a massacre in the historical lands of Armenians, Assyrians, Syriacs, Chaldeans, Nasturians, Pontic Greeks… They have benefited from the Genocide by restraining their daughters and children as well as confiscating their property. After 100 years their grandchildren are immersed in transporting these confiscations to Armenia. This is equivalent to collecting the interest of the money deposited into the bank a hundred years ago.
In a few words, the competent is always are lucky and gainful!
Today, publications of the grandchildren such as “recognition of genocide”, “apology”, “grandchildren”, “my grandmother”, etc … are far away from the criticism of the genocide but does not have a meaning rather than taking advantage of the genocide and collection of the interest.
As for the losses and the confiscation of properties, accumulations, and everything of Christians, my speech will be incompletein case of not giving any examples regarding to the effects of sharing Christian assets in the development of Turkish-Muslim capital and examples from the black history of the Turkish bourgeoisie.
Recently, in Turkey, a serious newspaper, Taraf Gazetesi, published a news prepared by a correspondent close to Fethullah Gulen community and to the police, Mehmet Baransu. This news was also featured in another important newspaper, Radikal. In the news, an important Turkish capital group was associated with the murder. The newspaper reported to the readers that the Demirören Group President Erdoğan Demirören,father of the Turkish Football Federation President, Yıldırım Demirören, and is associated with the murder of Archimedis company’s owner, Greek Cypriot businessman Papadopoulos and his family and in the confiscation of their assets.
This murder and its connection with Demirören and the handover of Arsimidis were detailed in the document attached to the report of the National Intelligence Agency dated 23.11.1984. On the same days, the former emergency state governor is found dead at home. According to the news of Taraf newspaper, this death is linked to the handover of the Arsimidis company. Baransu writes that Hayri Kozakçıoğlu was the Istanbul Chief of Police when Demirören seized, Arkimidis company with fake police documents. According to Baransu, there is a very close relationship between Demirören and Kozakçıoğlu, which is also known by the public, and Kozakçıoğlu’s son has also been working with high salaries at Demirören’s companies for years.
Here we open a parentheses and underline that these events are not individual, we will give two more examples
ARCHAG BAGHDASSARİAN OR SAİT YÜNKES CASE
The first one is the Archag Baghdassarian or Sait Yünkes case. Orhan Yünkes, son of Archag Baghdassarian, whose name was changed to Sait Yünkes in 1934 according to the surname law enacted in 1934 to impose Turkification of surnames and conceal the identities of the genocide criminals, filed a claim at Urfa Civil Court.on November 6, 1975, to retrieve from usurpers lands corresponding to 40 deeds of real estate in Viransehir inherited from his father. The case lasts ten years. On August 20, 1985, the court ruled in favour of Orhan Yünkes and gave the judgment of return of the property from his ancestors to Orhan Yunkes. The court, unusually, made a decision in favor of the Armenian claimant. However, Orhan Yünkes was killed by Ahmet Ozkan at 14:00 o’clock on the same day with six bullets to his head in front of the Urfa Municipal Club. Archag Baghdassarian’s other son, Nurhan, left the land and immigrated to Europe.
ŞEMUN AKCAN CASE
Another example relates to an Assyrian: The legal struggle initiated by Şemun Akcan to get back thereal estate of approximately 7600 acres in Nusaybin district of Mardin, started in 1964 and continues till today.
After the murders of uncles of Şemun Akcan, Gevriye and Melki, on the real estate in question in 1936-1937, the Akcan family was forced to migrate to Midyat. Some of the properties were sold to others by the decision of the village chief (mukhtar) even though the deeds of the real-estate were in possession of Akcan. Some of the properties belonging to Akcan family are occupied by Mehmet Aslan from Nusaybin.
While Akcan continues his struggle to retrieve their real estate, the State intervenes and makes a claim on these real estates. As stated in the appeal dated 13.9.1985 by M. Ali Aslan, Fiscal Director of Nusaybin District, to the Court of Cassation, the real estate belongs to Armenians and the heirs of the Armenians are the state. Thus, the understanding that “the usurpation of the Armenian property is legal” is approved by the state.
However, the state representatives who participated in the court on behalf of the state did not make a defence other than the above-mentioned petition given to the Court of Cassation till today, the intervention of the state serves to the continuation of the usurpation of the property belonging to Assyrian family of Akcan.
Şemun Akcan passed away without having any result, and its heirs giving up on justice, left their homeland and immigrated to Europe.
Confiscated properties are not just the properties of the individuals. All kinds of Christians’ savings are subject to confiscation. The properties of religious institutions are also confiscated. Let’s put the older examples aside, I will content with giving two examples of the monastery land confiscated recently. The territory of the Mor Gabriel Monastery is occupied by the supporters of the central government, the guards supporting AKP, the land of the Mor Avgin Monastery is occupied by the local competence, HDP.
Besides, according to the decision of the Constitutional Court in 1963, we can say that the heirs of the Christians are the state.
We can understand systematic injustices against the minorities of Union and Progress Committee mindset. But we are unable to understand; the affirmations of a sort of genocide by political representatives of an ethnic minority who have been suffered for years from Union and Progress Committee mindset. rather than standing against the historical injustice,
The attitude of the representatives of a community who has faced with many dimensions of injustice for decades is beyond sadness. We are facing a state of being inflicted by a mental detention, taking into consideration the attitude of the dominant political movementwhen it is mentioned that Asia Minor’s autochthonous people are eradicated by the genocide from their historical lands. I do not know what can be said for optimism in this environment.
Another hostage taken!
I will say hostage taken and I would like to continue my speech with your permission. In the speech of Abdullah Öcalan, who is accepted as the leader of Kurdish national movement and millions of Kurds accepted his will, as his will, in his speech at the date of 7.5.2011, “The criticism on Armenian nationalism found odd by some, I would like to be understood correctly. I say that Armenian nationalism is the ground of genocide. I find it as dangerous as the nationalism of the Union and Progress.”I think these sentences summarizes the abdication of reason. How can saying Armenians are the reason of the genocide be conscientiously? Let’s assumethere was “Armenian Nationalism”. Assyrian-Syriacs were peasants, they had no awareness about nationalism. Why were they subject to genocide?
This dominant political organization’s attitude against the rights-seeking people who are suffering from the Genocide is hostile. It is hard to explain Öcalan’s statements: “There are 3 parallel states working in Turkey. These relationships have begun to be sabotaged. Not ordinary lobbies, but Jewish, Armenian, Greek Cypriots in the US are strategically and tactically intervening. All the three are generated from Anatolia “(February 23, 2013 İmralı negotiations)” apart from hostility.
Moreover, despite the fact that they were disgraced by the words “All of you are Armenian!”…
The explanations ofÖcalan and the executives of and the organization it manages complement each other. It has been following the same direction since its establishment. Statements in its foundation manifesto that the Greek-Macedonians, the Armenians, the Romans, the Parthians and the Sassanids in the were the tribes that constantly invaded the Kurds’ homeland in slavery times and transformed it into a battlefield between them.” showing Armenians as an invader in their historical lands is more than not knowing the history but the distortion of the history. This distortion overlaps the role of Kurds in the genocide.
Moreover, this historical distortion affects all the organizations and the PKK rhetoric is captured by it. Organizations that are being influenced by the PKK, and that imitate it repeat the same words, and they give false consciousness to the mass they are influencing even a small entity.
Here we can easily say that the PKK has taken hostage the environment around it. If this attitude occurred only after Ocalan’s surrender, it was possible to explain the situation with different arguments. However, since the establishment of the PKK, the insistence on the Christian hostility line is the source of gravity. It is also the main reason of lack of solution.
Garbis Altınoğlu summarizes Öcalan’s line: ”He points out that a Turkish-Kurdish partnership would strengthen the Turkish state and raise it to a hegemonic position against regional countries and seeking some “democratic reforms” were from the Turkish leaders. When the most difficult problem of the history of the Republic is solved, Turkey will have the power to move as a leading country in the region with the strength it receives from its internal peace. Leadership in the Middle East will mean to be effective from Central Asia to Balkans and the Caucasus. The power of solution of the democratic system will also lead to a righteous intervention and support to these zones, where there are problems related to peace and many contradictions and problems”. These statements and the following statement “Being no longer a military problem of PKK will also mean that it will open the way for the political solution of the Kurdish question and will mean it won’t no longer be a problem. It will enter into the process of empowering the unity of the state instead of forcing the unity of the state. As the road to democratic integration with the state is opened, the position against the state will be overcome” it will point out the main political direction. There is to inconvenience to take these statements as unconditional support to “TC” (Turkish Republic)
Since the 7th century, we know that Kurds are swords of Islam in spreading Islam in the Armenian, Assyrian-Syriac, Greek, Pontos … geographical regions. Öcalan reiterated his approach of obscurantist and hostile to Christian peoplesin his New Year’s message, as Garbis Altınoğlu underlined. In this message, he continued to spread empty and obscurantist dreams about the Turkish obscurantists who shed the blood of the Syrian people by arming and supporting in any way the obscurantist Islamist organizations and groups with US and EU imperialists.
“In the Turkish principalities and sultanates, after the Turkish people, in terms of their importance, Kurds play a second role This role is characteristic in the Kurdish history. It is a destiny for them to be the main backup of political power beside them. This is in essence the spirit of the servant and serf system, and there is a class-based foundation. It is different from the fraternity and the solidarity among peoples. The summary of the association with the Turks does not leave a need to say anything else.
It is difficult to think of justice in this environment where the association of government and the opposition is kept against the genocide. The establishment of justice is not a question unless the ideological hegemony of the PKK is broken and the status of “being hostage” has been removed.
“If the alliance between the Kurds and the Turks had not been provided with the leadership of Mustafa Kemal, the geography of Kurdistan, where the Kurds live, would be divided into more parts today. Today most of the lands in the east, such as Erzurum, Van, Diyarbakir, would remain in the borders of Armenia. “Iraq will be fully Arabic, a small state like Assyria will be established in the north of Syria. Sirnak, Hakkari, Siirt would may be given to Kurds. The Turks would also stay stuck in a small area in Central Anatolia like Konya, Niğde, Nevşehir. The small states formed in this way would not be independent, they would be under the power of French and British imperialism. “
“The Armenians and the Pontic Greeks, relying on the imperialists of that time, be deceived by them and lost their game. They are exterminated. Because the Ottoman power, which is the sovereign power, acted with the logic of “I will kill you instead you kill me” and this bitter picture came up.
“In this country, Kurds and Turks made the history together. They have a common share in all empires established. The present state is also built together. When we look at the history, the following must be seen: The Kurds are seeking freedom in togetherness with the Turks. Why did this happen? Let’s take a look at the settlement in geography: the closest to the Kurds is the Turks. However, there is no such relationship with Arabs, Armenians and other neighbouring peoples “
“The Kurds are looking for a place for themselves. The Kurds have been excluded from the state at the last century. Even Abdulhamid gave them place. Mustafa Kemal also gave the place at first. The Israeli lobby, the Armenian and Greek Cypriots coming into play, say, “The more Kurds are excluded, the better they will be.” This is a parallel state. It is a thousand years old. “
How Alparslan in 1071 regulated relations with the Kurds in Silvan, Yavuz in 1516 organized relations with Kurds – even at a sovereign base – , how Mustafa Kemal organized relations with the Kurds in the 1920s, today’s Turkish intellectuals should think like those related to the Kurds. I also make a call to the Prime Minister … If you are faithful to Allah and His Prophet, approach your Kurdish brothers.
It is useless to expect justice from the dominant Kurdish political movement, who carry those statements as a flag, and the sections of its hegemony and its periphery.
If you paid attention, I didn’t mention anything about the government. It is meaningless to say something about the government if the opposition is in this situation.” I want to underline that I don’t have hope. Genocide is the greatest crime committed against humanity. There is no period limitation. Genocide is the problem of mankind. The Genocide crime committed against the exiled from their homeland, exterminated peoples of Asia Minor in 1915, is also a problem of mankind. In terms of the values that mankind has attained today, if the source of this injustice that has lasted for 100 years is the actors of the Genocide, the unresolvedness for 100 years, is the shame of mankind. If the values of mankind today are not rhetorical, we can say that it is too late for the solution. The Western discourse should be executed and pay the debts left from 1915, Humanity must return to the values it left in Malta and pay its debt to mankind, end sufferings of the people of Asia Minor who suffered from the Genocide by ensuring the fulfilment of the demands and fulfil justice. For Justice we do not seem to have any other way than calling out to Human.