Sheriff Condemns Turkish Consul

[Armat]

Sheriff Condemns Turkish Consul 11/06/2003

 

Sheriff Condemns Turkish Consul

For Insulting Letter on Genocide

 

By Harut Sassounian

Publisher, The California Courier

 

Turkish officials never miss an opportunity to counter and attack all those

who make even a passing reference to the Armenian Genocide. The Turks are

quick to condemn and silence journalists, writers, filmmakers, artists, or

politicians around the world who dare to mention the Genocide.

It is ironic that instead of feeling ashamed of the atrocious crimes

committed by their ancestors, Turkish officials have the audacity to condemn

those who dare to tell the truth.

The Turks seem to be unaware that in their fanatical zeal to counter all

mention of the Armenian Genocide, they are damaging their own interests. By

lashing out at those who do not toe the Turkish line, the Turks are not only

drawing more attention to the Armenian Genocide, but also are antagonizing

many of these professionals to the point of developing anti-Turkish

feelings!

It is not always possible to document their Genocide denial efforts since

the Turkish diplomats rarely make public their covert attempts to silence

their critics. Once in a while, however, the Turks pick on the wrong

American official who courageously "tells them off" and exposes their little

scheme. This is exactly what happened when Aykut Berk, the Ambassador -

Consul General of the Republic of Turkey in Los Angeles, wrote the following

letter to Los Angeles County Sheriff Leroy Baca on May 1, 2000, for

attending an Armenian Genocide commemoration on April 24:

"I was deeply disturbed when I saw your name among the participants of the

Remembrance Day, held last week in Los Angeles, for the so-called 'Armenian

Genocide.' Your participation in this event shows us that you are totally

misled and misinformed on this matter. Such meetings during which baseless

allegations are leveled against Turkey are nothing but blatant insults to

those Turks, young and old, women and children who lost their lives in the

hands of the armed Armenian thugs during World War I, as well as to the

entire Turkish Nation.

"I hope that politicians and high officials would refrain from giving the

impression that they adhere to only one side of a story made up by the

distorted presentation of history and instead work to foster mutual

confidence and friendship between peoples. Support given to biased Armenian

allegations under whatever considerations has been interpreted in the past

as the justification and encouragement of Armenian terrorist acts

perpetrated against civilians and Turkish diplomats, three of whom - two

Consuls General and a Consul - were brutally murdered in the state of

California."

The Turkish diplomat definitely picked on the wrong guy in this case.

Sheriff Baca is a highly educated official. He has a Ph.D. from the

University of Southern California and knows perfectly well the facts of the

Armenian Genocide. He commands the largest Sheriff's Department in the

United States with over 15,000 sworn and professional staff. The Los Angeles

County Sheriff's Department is the law enforcement provider to 41

incorporated cities, 90 unincorporated communities, 9 community colleges and

hundreds of thousands of daily commuters of the Metropolitan Transit

Authority and the Rapid Rail Transit District. Sheriff Baca has served in

the United States Marine Corps Reserves.

The Turkish Consul General's letter, besides containing several obvious

lies, is an unwarranted interference by a foreigner into the professional

duties of an American elected official. Incredibly, the Turkish diplomat was

trying to dictate to this senior American law enforcement official where in

the United States he should and should not go! Sheriff Baca was so incensed

by the insulting tone of the Turkish letter that he sent the following

harshly-worded reply to Consul General Aykut Berk:

"Thank you for contacting me w ith your thoughts about my participation in

the Armenian Genocide Commemorative Events.

"The Genocide of the Armenians is an established historical fact, recognized

as such by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in their 1985

report prepared by the Human Rights Sub-Commission on Prevention of

Discrimination and Protection of Minorities. Furthermore, our nation's

highest-ranking diplomat in Ottoman Turkey at the time of the Genocide,

Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, was so appalled by the atrocities perpetrated

against Armenian civilians, which he termed 'race extermination,' he

personally appealed to then Minster of the Interior Talaat ***** to cease

the killing.

"In order to heal the wounds of the past, it is important to come to terms

with and admit past mistakes. I participated in the Armenian Genocide

commemorative events in order to pay homage to the victims of the Genocide

and to assure that future such crimes against humanity may never again

occur....

"The people of modern Turkey are not responsible for the atrocities of the

Ottoman Empire. They, however, need leaders who will make every effort to

uncover the facts and not write insulting letters such as the one you sent

me."

It appears that the Turkish Consul General, having been put in his place,

has learned a valuable lesson. Sheriff Baca has continued to attend the

annual Armenian Genocide commemorations, but no Turkish official has dared

to criticize him again!