Posted on 12/17/2007 11:46:27 PM PST by HAL9000
Thank you!
IMO, much of the problems modern Turkey has vis-a-vis world opinion is due to the notorious but very effective Soviet Cold War disinformation.
I will omit the Armenian genocide from the charge of disinformation but add, the Ottoman Empire did it (with full knowledge and very possibly help from Germany, some say). Also news article from 1916 posted on Armenian sites accuse the Kurds of the atrocities also.
In fact American Abassador to Turkey at the time Henry Morgenthau: wrote in his book, Undoubtedly religious fanaticism was an impelling motive with the Turkish and Kurdish rabble who slew Armenians as a service to Allah. . . ."
I remember one newspaper account of that era reporting that the Kurdish atrocities against the Armenians were so gross that younger Turks (both enlisted and officers) who witnessed the brutality actually took the Kurdish captive and hanged them.
But nary a word from the Armenian diaspora demanding of our Congress that we (the U.S.) condemn Turkey. I say, go back to Armenia and fight your war against Turkey. We got enough problems.
I know the world does not revolve around logic, but it seems that the Kurds have the makings of a country that would include the eastern part of Turkey, part of Iran and of course the province in Iraq.
Thank you for that concise statement -- it helped me immensely!
Yes, some think that that's the plan. I think that the Kurds also claim a little of Armenia -- unless the claim overlaps Armenia's claim to eastern Turkey.
It's something that Ankara is not happy about. They keep a watchful eye on just how much independence the Kurdish Regional Government winds up getting. There's also the issue of how the Turkman minority is treated in the Kurdish region.
There's also Armenia's claims on eastern Turkey which the Armenians call Western Armenia. The more Armenia (a "republic" in the old Soviet Union) can build up hatred for the Turks the more likely, they think, they will get territory and reparations from Turkey. Armenia has already seized and occupies disputed land in Azerbaijan.
These are all totally separate from the PKK which in comparison is a very minor issue.
thanks for the links
bmflr
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According to Intrade, the winner of the December 12th GOP debate was... Duncan Hunter.
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