62 replies to this topic

[Taguhi]

How many of you could have a turkish friend,husband or wife?
Have we got a lot of antipathy to modern Turks or not?

[armeniangirl83]

Never of mine life an Turkish husband or friend!!!!!!
I can't understand that some Armenian girls married with Turkish boys. I can tell you some thing: I know on girl who was married with an Turkish boy and the girls family said: it;s a modern Turkish boy.
Oke and waht have they for music on the marriage?? A song like this: Aldim gavour kizi! (for the persons who can understand Turkish). One a turkish always a turk!

[Taguhi]

What about you guys?
Would you like to have a turkish girfriend?

[edg]

Hell nooooo.

[DoC]

I see nothing wrong with having a turkish girlfriend/friend. If I enjoy the person's personality and other qualities, then who cares where their ancestors were from?

[shiner]

I don't think I would.

[Kazza]

I have never been out out with a Turkish boy. I have never made close friends with any one Turkish but I wouldnt mind. I would be friends with anyone as long as they show me respect, and freindship. They also have to repect my armenian side because that somes with the package!

My mum has turkish freinds, and they are nice, there hasnt been problems. You can't say because some one is Turkish, black, white, green, you dont like them, that would make me a total bigot. But I am aware that the Turkish Govt. hasnt changed it's attittude , and I am still careful about this and they fact some turks feel this way too.

As for a serious relationship/marriage with a Turk, for one I doubt it would happen because I am not attracted to Turkish men! Or greek men for that matter. But I think iit would some thing to consider VERY carefully and think of how this would affect children and family. NOT something to entered int lightlty, if possible considering our unresolved history, try to aviod it I'm afraid. But if people really love each other they can get through anything.

[Anna]

My Armenian pride would never ever let me to even talk to a Turk.
I respect all the Armenians who fought & died for Armenia & for Armenians, so today we can have our own land & be free from those animals. Turks are the scums of this earth.
Wake up people, I can not believe what some of you are saying. What you mean you wouldn't mind having a turkish friend??? ok, who cares if he/she's nice, did you guys foroget about 1915, 1905, 1885??? Did you forget that most of Aremnia is in Turkey now, did you forget that they are destroying our 2,000 year old churches in Turkey, & making money out of it, or sometimes even saying that those churches are Turkish??
Once a turk always a turk.
Too bad ASALA isn't active today.
I'm sure that your friend's ancestors hated Armenians. & what's the difference modern or ancient??? They are doing the same thing in 21st century, on Kurds. Just because they aren't called the "Ottoman Turks" doesn't mean that they are changed or they aren't the same "Ottomans".
I just wish that there wasn't such a thing as a Turk or Turkey.
They discriminate Armenians living in Turkey even to this day.

[art]

I would want a know a Turkish man so I could understand their feelings towards Armenians. But to go as far as to have a Turkish girlfriend, I don't think so.

[Taguhi]

I know some Turks who don't deny the Armenian Genocide and want to know something more about it. I met even some turkish people in Turkey who are not affraid to talk about it.But there are olso a lot of people who don't heard about it and they can't belive that it was happend.
Sometimes Armenians warning me to not tell in Turkey that I'm Armenian. But I always say it. Sometimes some intelligent Turks starting to tell me about great Armenians in turkish history or something like this.
But most of them don't know anything just that Armenian are their neigbours.
One day when I said that I'm Armenian one turkish man asked IN ARMENIAN "Hayes du?"
I was so suprised. He said that his best friend is an Armenian and he learned some words from him.

[Des]

I'm sure there are some Turks who are very against what the Ottoman's did to the Armenians and Greeks.
Being both British and Chinese, I am ashamed of what the British did in India and Africa, and what the Chinese are doing to day to the Uyghurs and Tibetans, and I would hate to meet and Indian, Uyghur, and Tibetan who refuses to talk to me just because of my nationality.
The same way even in Nazi Germany, there were many German gentiles who were against what Hitler was doing to the Jews.
After all it's been so many years and you cannot always live in the past.

[MJ]

I have not known Turks, personally, other than having a student once. For me, he was just another student - not better, not worse.

If life would bring me across an honest Turkish person, I wouldn't hesitate to treat him/her, as I would do it with a person of any other nation - including Armenian. I would also prefer a good Turk to a bad Armenian.

I don't have any animosity towards any Turks, as long as they don't radiate animosity, themselves. This doesn't imply that I would compromise on my beliefs and expectations of justice.

Nor I think my pride would make me to have one or another attitude towards Turks. Less pride - better person I would be. After all, pride is the source of all ills of mankind.

I can perfectly coexist also with a Turk, who honestly believes that no Genocide has taken place, or believes that Armenians have come from Alaska. I cannot tolerate it, however, if the person wouldn't accept, at least theoretically, that the Genocide might've happened, and wouldn't want to investigate, and instead would make strong statements of the opposite character.

[Gayane]

I met a couple of turkish guys (my only experience with actual turks) a couple of years ago at a national poli sci conference. They were very intelligent, had a great sense of humor, great conversationalists, a pleasure to spend time with, really. When we found out each other's nationalities we just had to smile and raise a glass to our shared history. It was very cute If they weren't all the way from Michigan I'd be friends with them still (I don't know that I'd marry one though, the kids might have major identity problems)

[Azat]

You guys are better men and women than I am. I would be honest and tell you that I would have a very hard time having Turkish friends. I can't tell you the reasons why I feel this way, but I know I just could not trust them. And I am not one of those radical Armenians who thinks that all Turks are bad, but personally I could not be friends with them.

Gayancho it is great to have you back. Are you on spring break?

[Azat]

You guys I have been thinking about this alot in the last couple of days. I always consider myself as being open minded and as not being a racist, however this may not be true because of this issue.

Many of you seem to say that you have no problems having a Turkish friend. I want to change the question little, however I would understand if any of you do not wish to answer my question.

The question that I have is "Do you HAVE any Turkish friends?" Because I am wondering if you guys are just saying you have no problems having them as a friend, but in reality do not make friends with them.

Doc - Why have you not tried to have a Turkish girlfriend/friend if you think it is okay to have one. Gayane, you said that you would have been friends with them if they were in LA, however, even two years ago there was email. How come you did not try to keep in touch with them via email?

I am not trying to prove anything except that maybe my racism against the Turks is not such a horrible thing. Or maybe I am wrong, and if I am please feel free to tell me that I am a total bonehead.

[MJ]

For the same reason I don't have a Vietnamese friend, per se - haven't come across.

[Azat]

I think you know the point that I was trying to make.

I have a feeling that many of you are JUST saying that you have no problem having Turkish friends.

[ April 14, 2001: Message edited by: Azat ]

[MJ]

Dear Azat,

What shoud we do to prove it?

[Azat]

nothing

[bellthecat]

Well, you obviously know nothing of what Britain did FOR India or Africa. And you must be just about the only Chinese person I have ever heard say ANYTHING against China! After the US spyplane incident, am I alone in noticing how similar China is to Turkey in its extreme nationalistic / Fascistic behaviour towards the rest of the world? Infact, Turkey seems almost civilised by comparison.

Steve