| Dear Senator Ferguson,
As a Turk living in Ankara, Turkey, I was informed of your Turkish-Australian community speech in the Senate on 18 March 2009. I would like to express that most of the Turks respect their enemies although Turks suffered a lot facing invading armies and their collaborators. As you may know, Turks and Muslims experienced massive death, exile and atrocities in the final period of Ottoman Empire. My grandfather fought in the World War I including Gallipoli front and later in the War of Independence against Greek army. In spite of all these wars and sufferings, we, Turks, do not feel hatred and animosity against our former enemies, their country and people.
Unfortunately, most of the Greeks and Armenians continue anti-Turkish racist hate campaigns with the aim of gaining support from politicians and government officials in different parts of the world including Australia. They give a distorted picture of events in Turkey between 1915-1923. Armenians who collaborated with invading Russian army in eastern Anatolia in World War I caused mass killings of more than five hundred thousand Muslims and Greeks committed atrocities against Turks with the occupation of Greek army although those Christian communities enjoyed peace and prosperity in the Ottoman Empire for centuries.
I thank you for your fair and objective position on the history of and modern-day Turkey. Your remarks will undoubtedly contribute a lot to the friendship of Australia and Turkey.
With warmest regards,
Nihat Canikli
Ankara, Turkey
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From: Turkish Consulate General Sent: Friday, March 20, 2009 12:21 PM To: Turkish Consulate General Subject: Duyuru (1000 adrese dagitimli) Sayi: 1247
Tarih: 20/03/2009
Sayi: Melburn – 1247
E-Konsolosluk:
Melburn, 20 Mart 2009
Kanberra Buyukelciligimizin girisimi ile Guney Avustralya Senatoru Alan Ferguson’un 18 Mart 2009 tarihinde Avustralya Parlamentosu’nda yaptıgı konusma:
Senator Ferguson, gundem dısı soz alarak yaptıgı konusmada, Adelaide’daki Goc Muzesi’nde 20 Aralık 2008’de acılan “Pontus” plaketi ve bu munasebetle Guney Avustralya Eyaleti Cokkulturluluk, Adalet ve Muharip Gaziler Bakanı Atkinson’un konusmasına yonelik tepkisini ortaya koymaktadır.
Vatandaslarimiza saygi ile duyurulur.
T.C. Melburn Baskonsoloslugu
Level 8, 24 Albert Road, South Melbourne VIC 3205
Tel: 03 9696 6046
Fax: 03 9696 6104
email: turkcons@bigpond.com
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From: atamanatlas@hotmail.com Sent: Friday, March 20, 2009 1:31 PM To: senator.ferguson@aph.gov.au Subject: RE: Your Speech on 18 March 2009 Turkish – Australian Relations
Dear Senator Ferguson, I have had the privilege of reading your speech in relation to the above mentioned topic in the Senate on the 18 March 2009. I would like to convey my most heart felt gratitude to you and your family for such an inspiring speech. One can well glean from the content, text and context of your speech that you are a man of honour and integrity, which are two very rare character traits in many politicians of the modern era. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for putting onto the public record such important facts as you have. I myself am a Turkish born Australian citizen and it is very rare that we as a community ever get the Australian “Fair Go” from any politician but especially the Australian Media. I grew up in this beautiful nation of ours facing racism and continual allegations about how barbaric the Turkish race was and still is. The political ploy employed by Pope Urban when he called on the first crusades is still alive and being used to this very date. The most disappointing and hurtful of all is when democratically elected Politicians use the same or similar rhetoric as used by Pope Urban all those centuries ago, and the fact that the Australian Media by and large fall for it hook line and sinker. Yet when a Turk tries to put forward their side of the story (whatever issue or topic it may be on) we are continually shut down and not heard. This great Nation of ours needs more men and women of integrity and honour such as yourself if we are to successfully navigate through the troubled waters that lay ahead of us. Sir I wish to mention that I was like many other Turks a committed Labor voter for many years until relatively recent times, however after your speech and dare I say the former Prime Minister Howard’s stance on the fallacious Armenian Genocide issue I will forever VOTE Liberal and I will try and convey that message to as many Turks as I can all over Australia. Regardless of any perceived faults that Mr Howard may have had, I also admire him and his utmost honourable stance on the alleged Armenian Genocide issue which in reality cost him his seat at the last Federal Elections. That fact has not been missed by the Australian Turkish Community. He too could have pandered to the Armenian Voters in his former electorate like that grubby vote grabbing dishonest Maxine Mckew. Mr Howard will always be remembered by the Australian Turkish Community as a man of principle, integrity and honour, as you will too. The month of April is nearly upon us again, and another ANZAC Day nearing, what certain sections of the Armenian community could not achieve via acts of war, treachery, treason and terrorism, they are now trying to achieve via political means. Like many thousands of other Australian Turks I hope that our voices will be heard one day by Australian politicians but especially the Australian Media and that we get a fair go in putting our side of the story to various issues. Certain sections of the Armenian community are now trying to disgrace the memory of ANZAC day in this country by supposedly connecting their fallacious genocide claims with ANZAC day. There is much that I would like to say but alas I do not wish to bore you with details. You have provided me with great hope that my three children will grow up in an Australia that is fair and Just and that they will not face the same accusations that I faced whilst at school of coming from a barbaric race that slaughtered many millions of Armenians, Greeks and others. We truly do live in the Luckiest Country in the world. Sir I can not thank you enough. My warmest regards Ataman Atlas |
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