skhara Posted November 27, 2004 Report Share Posted November 27, 2004 (edited) http://uk.news.yahoo.com/041126/325/f7e6g.html Turk lawmaker says US in Iraq worse than Hitler By Gareth Jones TURKISH PROTEST Click to enlarge photo ANKARA (Reuters) - The head of Turkey's parliamentary human rights group has accused Washington of genocide in Iraq and behaving worse than Adolf Hitler, in remarks underscoring the depth of opposition in Turkey to U.S. policy in the region. The United Sates embassy said the comments were potentially damaging to Turkish-U.S. relations. "The occupation has turned into barbarism," Friday's Yeni Safak newspaper quoted Mehmet Elkatmis, head of parliament's human rights commission, as saying. "The U.S. administration is committing genocide...in Iraq. "Never in human history have such genocide and cruelty been witnessed. Such a genocide was never seen in the time of the pharoahs (of ancient Egypt), nor of Hitler nor of (Italy's fascist leader Benito) Mussolini," he said. "This occupation has entirely imperialist aims," he was quoted as telling the human rights commission on Thursday. Elkatmis does not speak for Turkey's government but he is a prominent member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), a centre-right grouping with Islamist roots which has become increasingly critical of U.S. actions in Iraq. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul played down Elkatmis's comments but defended Turks' right to speak freely. "In open societies everybody can say what they want," Gul told reporters. "Regarding U.S.-Turkey relations we can comfortably discuss any subject," he added. The U.S. embassy in Ankara rejected Elkatmis's accusations. "EXAGGERATED CLAIMS" "Such unfounded, inaccurate, exaggerated claims are not good for relations, especially at a time of strain when Turkish public opinion is so critical of what the United States is trying to do in Iraq," one U.S. diplomat told Reuters. Tellingly, Elkatmis's comments, which might have sparked outrage in many Western countries, drew barely a flicker of interest in Turkey, where opinion polls point to a growing tide of anti-American sentiment. Turkey has been especially disturbed by the recent U.S. offensive against insurgents in the city of Falluja in which civilians also died and mosques were damaged. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan relayed Turkish concerns over the Falluja offensive in two recent telephone calls to U.S. President George W. Bush and to Vice-President Dick Cheney. Elkatmis accused U.S. forces of deliberately targeting mosques and schools in Falluja. Washington says the Falluja campaign was necessary to bring the Sunni Muslim city back under the control of the central Baghdad government ahead of planned Iraqi elections in January. The U.S. diplomat said Elkatmis had overlooked the fact that Iraqi insurgents like those in Falluja had abducted and beheaded a number of Turkish truck drivers in recent months. Underlying Turkish criticism of U.S. policy in Iraq is the fear that Kurds in the north of the country may use the general turmoil as an excuse to seek independence from Baghdad, a move which could reignite separatism among Turkey's own Kurds. Last year, the Ankara parliament, motivated partly by such fears, refused to allow U.S. troops to cross Turkish territory into Iraq at the start of the campaign to oust Saddam Hussein. I would say that others can critisize US actions in Iraq, but where the hell do the Turks get off talking about morals and genocide? Edited November 27, 2004 by skhara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armat Posted November 27, 2004 Report Share Posted November 27, 2004 Most turks are in collective national amnesia regards to slaughtering of Greeks, Assyrians and Armenians. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted November 27, 2004 Report Share Posted November 27, 2004 Armat jan es HAmo Bidzu n@kar@ inchu hanir ??? Araqini Papik er forumin tesq er talis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armat Posted November 27, 2004 Report Share Posted November 27, 2004 Armat jan es HAmo Bidzu n@kar@ inchu hanir ??? Araqini Papik er forumin tesq er talis style_images/master/snapback.png Mosjan co kgater kdnem het Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted November 27, 2004 Report Share Posted November 27, 2004 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamavor Posted November 27, 2004 Report Share Posted November 27, 2004 Most turks are in collective national amnesia regards to slaughtering of Greeks, Assyrians and Armenians. style_images/master/snapback.png Their American Masters generously helped them in their collective amnesia and now rightfully they voice their concern over the abuse of human rights in Iraq. What goes around comes around! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skhara Posted November 28, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2004 Their American Masters generously helped them in their collective amnesia and now rightfully they voice their concern over the abuse of human rights in Iraq. I don't think they have any amnesia. In open statements they deny it, but in reality they are quite proud of their actions. They know it is political suicide to aknowlege that they don't belong on the land they occupy. And the genocide claim in the above article is ridiculous. Like I said, who the hell do they think they are to talk about genocide? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamavor Posted November 28, 2004 Report Share Posted November 28, 2004 I don't think they have any amnesia. In open statements they deny it, but in reality they are quite proud of their actions. They know it is political suicide to aknowlege that they don't belong on the land they occupy. And the genocide claim in the above article is ridiculous. Like I said, who the hell do they think they are to talk about genocide? style_images/master/snapback.png Sweetie, if it wasn't the holy USA and the Jewish Lobby, turkey would have forever remained the name of a bird that some enjoy at Thanksgiving. I don't, it is too dry for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skhara Posted November 28, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2004 Sweetie, if it wasn't the holy USA and the Jewish Lobby, turkey would have forever remained the name of a bird that some enjoy at Thanksgiving. I don't, it is too dry for me! style_images/master/snapback.png Well, we agree on that. The Turks are actually biting the hand that feeds them. I did a search on US foreign aid since the 90s and since 1994 many of the countries on that list changed, while Turkey was and still remains one of the top US aid receivers, with Israel as the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormig Posted November 28, 2004 Report Share Posted November 28, 2004 I think "collective amnesia" is a correct term with regard to what happened to the Christian subjects. It doesn't mean facts cannot be stated as they are, though. It would have been ironic indeed if this had come from a Chinese politician who knew exactly what has been going on in Tibet and Xinjiang, within recent memory (even if the collective population was duh about it). A coupla years ago another statement had come from a Turkish politician re: Palestine with special reference to the word "genocide" and it had sparked uproar indeed. Now there is this statement again, only this time it is against the U.S., nobody really cares much, and the diplomat who "rejects the claims" is from the same profession as the diplomat who resigned from his post way back when this whole Iraq shenanigans started. And to use the word "genocide" is nothing compared to giving Amerikanskis a hard time with their bases, so what hand-biting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasun Posted November 28, 2004 Report Share Posted November 28, 2004 Sometimes a slap at the right moment is all that's needed to end amnesia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DominO123 Posted November 30, 2004 Report Share Posted November 30, 2004 (edited) I think "collective amnesia" is a correct term with regard to what happened to the Christian subjects. It doesn't mean facts cannot be stated as they are, though. It would have been ironic indeed if this had come from a Chinese politician who knew exactly what has been going on in Tibet and Xinjiang, within recent memory (even if the collective population was duh about it). A coupla years ago another statement had come from a Turkish politician re: Palestine with special reference to the word "genocide" and it had sparked uproar indeed. Now there is this statement again, only this time it is against the U.S., nobody really cares much, and the diplomat who "rejects the claims" is from the same profession as the diplomat who resigned from his post way back when this whole Iraq shenanigans started. And to use the word "genocide" is nothing compared to giving Amerikanskis a hard time with their bases, so what hand-biting? style_images/master/snapback.png I won't call it "collective amnesia" anymore, but rather collective psychosis. A modification of perceptual reality. Edited November 30, 2004 by Fadix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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