Gönül blunders in remark on history

[Yervant1]

Is it a blunder? Or admittance of the truth with the slip of the tongue.

Sometimes humans utter the truth without realising that they are supposed to avoid.

 

HURRIYET: Nov 12, 08

 

Gönül blunders in remark on history

 

ANKARA - With remarks in honor of Atatürk, the ruling AKP's defense

minister recalls the population exchanges between Greece and Turkey

after World War I, attracting criticism for his nationalist language

and the drift toward pro-state stances.

 

The population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1923, which led

hundreds of thousands of people to leave their ancestral homelands,

was revisited by a politician recently, putting the controversial

85-year process under scrutiny.

 

At the Turkish Embassy in Brussels on Monday, Defense Minister Vecdi

Gönül said the population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1923

was a necessary step toward building a nation-state at the time.

The Prime Minister has recently come under fire for his use of more

nationalist language and pro-state policies on some critical political

issues, including the Kurdish problem, but this time it was Gönül who

embraced the nationalist discourse.

 

"One of the great achievements of Atatürk, who abolished the caliphate

to establish a nation, is the population exchange between Greece and

Turkey in 1923," he said, speaking at the commemoration of the 70th

anniversary of the death of modern Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal

Atatürk. "Could Turkey be the same national country had the Greek

community still lived in the Aegean or Armenians lived in many parts

of Turkey. We can't ignore the contribution of those [the Armenians]

who feel themselves victim due to the expulsion that resulted in the

removal of many Armenians from Anatolia."

Although Gönül made a public excuse saying his words were

misunderstood, the experts reacted strongly to his remarks.

 

"A nation-building process is

a homogeneity project and was what all the world's countries were

trying to do at that time. He didn't bring attention to this fact,

instead he presented the issue as if the population exchange was a

desirable and positive thing," Soli Özel, political science professor

at Bilgi University told the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic

Review. "He was expected to say that after 80 years the move has

resulted in social and cultural impoverishment for Turkey," he said.

 

Gönül also said neither Greece nor Turkey wanted different religious

elements in their societies as they formed their identity at the time,

implying that it wasn't a one-sided event and the exchange was

desirable by both communities.

 

The exchange took place between Turkish citizens of the Greek Orthodox

religion established in Turkish territory and of Greek citizens of the

Muslim religion established in Greek territory under the Treaty of

Lausanne signed by the Greek and Turkish governments in 1923. About

400,000 Turks moved from Greece to Anatolia and about 1.1 million

Greeks moved from Anatolia and Eastern Thrace to Greece in the

exchange.

 

Racist discourse

 

For retired ambassador Yalým Eralp, Gönül's remarks were unfortunate

as his remarks echoed of racist language. "Should the existence of

Turks in Germany disturb Germany, for instance?" he said.

 

"Turkey was a war-weary country at the time and it had some concerns

about its unity. The exchange was vital in the social and political

context of the time. Gönül however ignores these facts; his intention

is totally different. His remarks are racist," Eralp said.

 

Criticizing Gönül's remarks, Professor Baskýn Oran said the

displacement of Greeks and Armenians from Anatolia delayed Turkey's

industrialization, economically speaking, by at least 50 years and the

ethnic and religious cleanups eliminated Turkey's pluralism,

politically speaking.

 

Oran implied it was the deep conservatism and limited worldview

embraced by both the founders of and voters for the ruling Justice and

Development Party that have inspired its politicians to reveal such

thoughts. Other political scientists related the population exchange

to the 14 points, a peace program presented at the end of World War I

by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson is defense of autonomous development

for non-Turkish people of the Ottoman Empire.

 

Homogeneus society

For Nilüfer Narlý, sociology professor at Bahçeþehir University, the

story had two sides and its historical context should be considered.

"In the 1920's we didn't talk about multi-cultural societies. It is

something that we talk about right now, in the 21st century. The

concepts of nation-state and nationalism were the dominating ideas at

the time," she said. "Likewise not only Turkey but Greece tried to

establish an identity and society based on homogeneity. Greece sought

a new national identity and developed one by differentiating itself

from all elements related to the Ottoman Empire and the Turkish

Republic. Even the hostility became part of their new identity," she

said.

 

Foreign policy expert Mensur Akgün, meanwhile, said Gönül had no right

to make such sociological and political comments on population

exchange, a topic current international law considers a crime. "He

praises a Turkish nation that hosts no minorities. He doesn't see the

multi-cultural composition of the society," he said.

 

 

 

[Yervant1]

TURKISH DEFENSE MINISTER STATES THAT HIS WORDS WERE MISINTERPRETED

 

ArmInfo

2008-11-11 20:34:00

 

ArmInfo. Turkish Defense Minister Vedgdi Genul assurs that his Nov

10 statement that migration of Armenians and Greeks from the Turkish

territory was an important step towards establishment of the Turkish

state was misinterpreted, Radio Liberty reports with reference to

Anadolu news agency.

 

According to the source, on November 10 at the Turkish embassy in

Brussels Genul said: "Would today's national Turkish state exist

if Greeks remained in the areas near the Aegean Sea, and Armenians

continued living in part of Turkish territories? I don't know what

words one can use to explain the significance of this change of

population, but if one looks at the population proportion of that time,

this becomes obvious", he said. He added that Ankara had been populated

with Jews, Islamists, Armenians and Greeks before the Turkish republic

was established. According to Reuters agency, Genul said today that

he was misinterpreted, but at the same time, he gave no comments.

 

[Arpa]

Very good Yervant.

Don’t these items better fit here?

Hit the Fan-Hit the panic button?

http://hyeforum.com/index.php?showtopic=18...mp;#entry251527

Or, Comedistan?

http://hyeforum.com/index.php?showtopic=17935

Of course not! As this is a serious matter and should be treated as such.

Also, to not forget the proverbial “Freudian Slip”, subconscious , or rather CONSCIOUS suppression of the TRUTH.. In plain English -LYING.

Yet again, perhaps these clowns don’t deserve the dignification of a serious discourse, but RIDICULE.

AZG Armenian Daily #209, 12/11/2008

ԹՈՒՐՔԻԱՅԻ ՊԱՇՏՊԱՆՈՒԹՅԱՆ ՆԱԽԱՐԱՐԻՆ, ԻԲՐ, ՍԽԱԼ ԵՆ ՀԱՍԿԱՑԵԼ

Թուրքիայի պաշտպանության նախարար Վեջդի Գյոնուլը վստահեցրել է, թե իրեն սխալ են հասկացել` իր հայտարարությունը մեկնաբանելով որպես հույների եւ հայերի տեղահանությունը արդի Թուրքիայի ստեղծման ճանապարհին կարեւոր քայլ համարող գնահատական, հաղորդում է «Ազատություն» ռադիոկայանը: Թուրքիայի հիմնադիր Մուսթաֆա Քեմալ Աթաթուրքի մահվան տարելիցի կապակցությամբ Բրյուսելում Թուրքիայի դեսպանատանը կայացած արարողության ժամանակ Գյոնուլը, մասնավորապես, հայտարարել էր. «Կլինե՞ր արդյոք Թուրքիան ազգային պետություն, եթե հույները մնային Էգեյանի տարածաշրջանում, իսկ հայերը` Թուրքիայի մի շարք մասերում: Չգիտեմ, թե ինչ բառեր օգտագործեմ բնակչության այդ փոփոխության կարեւորությունը բացատրելու համար, սակայն եթե նայեք (բնակչության) հին համամասնությանը, դրա կարեւորությունը շատ պարզորոշ կերեւա»: Նա հավելել էր, թե մինչեւ հանրապետության հիմնումը Անկարան բնակեցված էր հրեաներով, մահմեդականներով, հայերով եւ հույներով: «Ռոյթեր» գործակալության հաղորդագրության համաձայն` երեկ հայտարարելով, թե իրեն սխալ են հասկացել, Գյոնուլը, միաժամանակ, ձեռնպահ է մնացել մեկնաբանություններից: Ուշացած ինքնասրբագրում:

 

 

Edited November 12, 2008 by Arpa

[Yervant1]

But I wonder if it is a blunder or deliberate?

Lately the Turks are talking about the AG a lot more than us. Could it be that they are preparing their public to the unavoidable?

[Yervant1]

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO BE RECOGNIZED

 

Panorama.am

18:18 11/11/2008

 

"Solidarity" union cooperates with "Solidarity and Freedom" party,

and on this occasion the representatives of the movement left for

Turkey on October 30, says Sargis Avetisyan, the coordinator of

the movement in a press conference today. According to him, it was

decided to carry out their mission not only in Armenia but in regional

countries also. "We've decided to communicate with those parties,

and movements which have common ideology and the first meeting was

held with our Turkish colleagues, and that was not by chance," he says.

 

The coordinator of the movement says that "Solidarity and Freedom"

party is the only party in Turkish Majlis which raised the problem

of Armenian Genocide. According to the members of the party there

is no peace in region without good relationship with Armenia. It was

agreed that in December the members of the Turkish party will visit

Armenia and recognize Armenian Genocide.

 

[Arpa]

But I wonder if it is a blunder or deliberate?

Lately the Turks are talking about the AG a lot more than us. Could it be that they are preparing their public to the unavoidable?

Good point.

But, see what their "comedian in chief" said;

ABDULLAH GUL: "IF BARACK OABAMA RECOGNIZES "ARMENIANS GENOCIDE" IT WOULD MEAN THAT HE SETS UP THE UNREAL THINGS FOR THE REALITY"

Today.Az

http://www.today.az/news/politics/48874.html

Nov 10 2008

Azerbaijan

"Politicians must not engage in the issue of "Armenians genocide",

said Turkey President Abdullah Gul in his interview to Belgian magazine

Le Vif/L'Express.

"If the newly elected US president Barack Obama recognizes "the

Armenian genocide", it would mean that he sets up the unreal things

for reality", noted Gul.

He said politicians must not engage in this issue.

"No one should forget the fact that Turkish and Armenians lived

peacefully for centuries and these events were not the only problem

between the two people, especially in a specific situation during

the first world war", noted Gul.

Is it a coincidence that his name, among others, means "laughter"?

All we have to is "laugh" that clown to "the comedians' hall of fame".

Yes, of course. The slaves lived "peacefully" with the "slavemasters",. When the Arnmians were the gunsmiths, "Tufenkjians and Topjians" who made the guns that was used against their own kind.

Until, that is, Barack broke those chains and shackles, to show who the "slaves" and the "slavemasters" are.

When will "Barko" the kurd or "Barakian" the Armenian become the president of "furkistan" aka "comedistan"?

 

 

 

 

 

[phantom22]

Gonul only stated what most Turkish leaders accept as truth. His "mistake" was "letting the "cat out of the bag."