Author: Harut Sassounian

Time for Action: Syrian-Armenians Need Your Urgent Assistance

There has been too much talk about the tragic crisis in Syria by self-described analysts and experts who have managed to spread misinformation, while inadvertently jeopardizing the safety of the Armenian community.

At this late hour, rather than propagating half-baked political ideas, the Diaspora should concentrate on providing urgently needed humanitarian assistance to Syrian-Armenians.

It is encouraging that Armenian organizations have started raising funds to meet the needs of Armenians in Syria. Going a step further, in some countries, social, religious and political organizations have formed coalitions to extend the needed help in a coordinated manner. Hopefully, these groups will shortly issue statements about the specific needs of Syrian-Armenians, the amount to be raised, and the mechanism to distribute the funds.

In the absence of a Diaspora-wide structure that would represent all Armenians worldwide and deal with their collective problems, each community is trying to form its own umbrella organization. In some instances, several joint committees are established in the same community, each dealing with a specific issue. To avoid redundancies, it would be preferable to form a single joint committee in each community with subcommittees dealing with separate tasks.

Additionally, two pan-Armenian bodies can play a critical role in this humanitarian crisis — one located outside Syria and the other inside the country tasked with the coordination and distribution of humanitarian assistance from all sources:

1) The entity outside Syria – which is yet to be formed — would not only coordinate aid from the Diaspora and Armenia, but more importantly, secure assistance from governments, international organizations (United Nations, World Council of Churches), and non-governmental organizations.

2) The recently-created pan-Armenian entity within Syria is composed of all Armenian religious and charitable organizations. It is charged with communicating the needs of the community to the outside world, receiving the incoming aid, and distributing it to Armenians throughout the country.

While a comprehensive assessment of the Syrian-Armenian community’s extensive needs has not been made, it is clear that millions of dollars are required to provide thousands of destitute families with food, water, medical care, fuel, electricity, and tuition for needy students. It is imperative that the aid be shared with all people living in or near Armenian neighborhoods, regardless of their ethnic or religious affiliation.

In order to carry out such a worldwide large-scale fundraising drive, the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund should consider dedicating its telethon this year to the Syrian-Armenian relief. Major organizations and benefactors should be asked to make generous contributions to preserve the historic Armenian presence in Syria that predates the Genocide. The All-Armenian Fund has already taken a first step by opening a special bank account in Yerevan to solicit donations for Syria which so far has raised $50,000. This amount has been spent on airlifting hundreds of children from Aleppo to summer camps in Armenia.

Funds should also be urgently raised to provide housing and living expenses to Syrians who have recently moved to Armenia either on a temporary or permanent basis. This is not the time for arguing over the difficult choice between helping Armenians stay in Syria or move out, since their very survival is at stake. Everyone must respect the wishes and judgments of Syrian-Armenians and support their personal decisions. After all, since their lives are on the line, their choices must not be questioned. This is also not the time to make judgments on the quality and quantity of assistance provided by the Armenian government to Syrian-Armenian refugees. Such assessments can be made at a later date, after the storm has subsided.

Finally, even though financial assistance is the most urgent need, equally important is conveying the message to Syrian-Armenians that they are not alone in their greatest hour of need! They should be made to feel that Armenians and good people around the world sincerely care for their well-being and are doing everything possible to safeguard their survival.

Such a hopeful and caring message is critical not only for Syrian-Armenians, but to all Armenians throughout the world. The pain of any one community must be shared by all Armenians who should rush to help the stricken community, because they are all members of one big family. This spirit of mutual support would assure all Armenian communities that in case of misfortune, they will not be abandoned to their tragic fate.

In view of the dire situation of Armenians in Syria, let’s set aside all other considerations and rush to their rescue!

September 2, 2012
Fatwa on Armenian Massacres Attracts World Attention Despite Turkish Denials

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Last week’s column on the 1909 Fatwa issued by Egypt’s top Islamic cleric condemning Turks for massacring Armenians in Adana drew widespread attention. The article was posted on websites in many countries, including Pakistan, India, Israel, France, Russia, Lebanon, Armenia, and the United States.

Although my columns are often translated and reprinted in the Turkish media, last week’s article broke all records. It appeared in summary form in dozens of Turkish newspapers and websites. In addition, prominent syndicated columnist Taha Akyol wrote a lengthy rebuttal published in Hurriyet, CNN-Turk, and others publications. Akyol is a right wing journalist who switched his allegiance from the ultra-nationalist Alpaslan Turkes, leader of the Grey Wolves, to Pres. Abdullah Gul and his ruling Islamist AKP party.

Akyol describes me as “one of the Armenian Diaspora’s fiercest leaders,” and “a Tashnak militant.” To prove to his Turkish readers that I am a “radical” Armenian, Akyol quotes from an earlier column in which I had stated that Armenians could regain Western Armenia someday when unexpected developments take place in that region, creating a power vacuum. Akyol was joined by former Turkish Ambassador Omer Engin Lutem in denouncing my views on Western Armenia. While calling me an “extreme nationalist,” Amb. Lutem depicted me as someone “highly admired and frequently read by Diaspora Armenians. In addition to the value of his writings, he is a person that must be taken seriously because of his influence over the Armenian Diaspora.”

In his article, Akyol uses standard denialist tactics by reducing the number of Armenian victims in Adana and mischaracterizing the killings as a clash between Armenians and Turks. In reality, 30,000 Armenians were killed by Turkish mobs which had been whipped into frenzy by Ismail Hakke, the Mufti of Bahce, a town near Adana. Akyol’s gross misrepresentation of the facts is contradicted by the July 31, 1909 decree of the Council of Ministers of Ottoman Turkey which placed sole responsibility for the massacres on the shoulders of provincial Turkish officials.

In a vain attempt to make his distorted views more credible, Akyol reports that he consulted Prof. Kemal Cicek, Director of the discredited Turkish Historical Society, who “had published a book last month titled, ‘The Adana Incidents of 1909 Revisited.’” In fact, the book was published a year ago, and Cicek is not the author, but editor of a volume consisting of papers presented at a 2009 Ankara conference. In response to Akyol’s question as to whether the Turkish Mufti had issued a Fatwa, Cicek reportedly stated: “I studied the Adana court records. Armenians had made such claims at the time, but no such documents or witnesses were found. There is absolutely no such Fatwa.”

Contrary to Cicek’s claims, there are a number of references confirming that Ismail Hakke, the Turkish Mufti, did issue a Fatwa to legitimize the atrocities. Dr. Ali Osman Ozturk, Professor at Canakkale’s “March 18 University,” wrote the following in the Milli Folklor Journal (2009): “The government hanged the Mufti of Bahce in Dortyol because of the Fatwa he had issued, stating that ‘Armenian blood and property are helal [religiously sanctioned].’” Historian Raymond Kevorkian also mentions the Turkish Fatwa in his monumental book, “The Armenian Genocide, a Complete History,” by referencing two sources: Z. Duckett Ferriman’s “The Young Turks and the Truth about the Holocaust at Adana, in Asia Minor, During April, 1909,” and the Turkish parliamentary commission’s report by Judges Fayk Bey and Haroutioun Mosdichian. Dr. Vahakn Dadrian also refers to several Fatwas issued by Muftis in various Turkish towns, including the Mufti of Bahce, who “surpassed in intensity and scope the atrociousness of the rest of his colleagues.” Dadrian then quotes the German newspaper Berliner Tageblatt which reported the eyewitness account of German engineers: “The Mufti had excited and agitated the fanatical and criminal rabble of Bahce and its environs.”

To his credit, Akyol does not deny the Fatwa issued by the noble Egyptian Grand Sheikh Salim al-Bishri of al-Azhar. Akyol admits the possibility that the Arab Sheikh had issued such a Fatwa. I can assure him that such a Fatwa exists, since I have in my possession a photocopy of the document, excerpts of which were published in translation in my last week’s column. Akyol also acknowledges that the Turkish Mufti of Bahce was in fact hanged for his crimes in Adana!

Over a 100 years later, the Fatwa of Grand Sheikh of al-Azhar remains a most valuable document, particularly in these turbulent times. Copies of this righteous Fatwa along with the compassionate Decree issued in 1917 by the Sharif of Mecca should be disseminated by the Armenian Republic, church leaders, and civic groups to all Muslim states, their Ambassadors, media, and mosques worldwide, particularly in Turkey, Azerbaijan, and the Arab world.

August 21, 2012
Leading Muslim Cleric Issued Fatwa, Condemning Turks for Killing Armenians

I recently came across an extremely significant Islamic document that severely criticizes Turks for using religion as a cover to killing Armenian Christians.

This rarely seen document is a Fatwa or religious decree issued in May 1909 by Grand Sheikh Salim al-Bishri of Egypt, condemning Turkish Muslims for massacring 30,000 Armenians in Adana, a major city inthe Ottoman Empire.

Sheikh al-Bishri of Al-Azhar Mosque, leader of the Muslim world’s preeminent center of Islamic studies in Cairo, issued this Fatwa in order to counter the decree issued in April 1909 by a Turkish Mufti (religious leader), urging Turks to kill Armenians because “they were against Muslims and God.”

Upon seeing a passing reference to the Egyptian fatwa on the internet, I contacted Prof. Mohammed Rifaat al-Emam, an expert on Armenian history, whom I had met during a recent visit to Cairo. Dr.al-Emam kindly sent me the original Arabic text of this important religious document, excerpts of which are presented below in English translation for the first time:

“We have seen in local newspapers agonizing news and vile reports about Muslims of some Anatolian provinces of the Ottoman Empire attacking Christians and killing them brutally. We could not believe these reports and hoped that they were false, because Islam forbids aggression, oppression, bloodshed, and harming human beings — Muslims, Christians and Jews alike.

Oh Muslims living in that region and elsewhere beware of actions prohibited by Allah in His Sharia [Islamic law] and spare the blood that Allah prohibited to spill and do not transgress on anyone since Allah does not like aggressors….

Your duty towards those who are allied with you, who entrusted their safety to you and who reside among you and next to you from Ahlul Dhimma[Jewish and Christian minorities protected under Islam], as imposed by Allah, is to uplift them as you would uplift yourselves, prevent them from what you prevent yourselves and your kinsfolk, make your strength their strength, make pride and prosperity out of your strength, and protect their monasteries and churches the way you protect your mosques and temples.

Whoever abuses their women, draws the sword on them, and oppresses them contradicts Muslims’ pledge to Allah, which is the obligation of Muslims.

Be informed that if what the public is hearing is true, then you have angered your Allah and did not satisfy your Prophet and the Sharia. You kept your Muslim brothers away from their religion, whose rejection became hideous by this heinous act, violating what is forbidden, and you let loose tongues of people ignorant of your religion to pronounce hideous words against all Muslims.

Then, hear some of what your Prophet said about conditions similar to what you are in today. He said: ‘He who kills an allied person [person joined with Islam by an agreement in order to give help and support] will not smell the fragrance of Paradise and if he smells it, that would be at a distance of 40 years.’ He also said: ‘A person who rejects a dhimmi [a person from Jewish and Christian minorities] will be whipped with flagella of fire on Judgment Day.’”

This document makes it amply clear that the Armenian massacres of 1909 and the subsequent Genocide of 1915 were not the result of religious conflict between Muslim Turks and Christian Armenians. The Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar rightly condemnedthe Turks for the mass murder of Armenians, which was committed for racist Pan-Turkic — not Pan-Islamic — reasons, along with the intent ofcapturing Armenian lands and properties. The various Fatwas issued by Turkish Muftis (clerics) were intended to provoke fanatical Turkish mobs to attack and massacre innocent Armenians.

Sheikh al-Bishri’s 1909 Fatwa was further reinforced by the decree issued in 1917 by Al-Husayn Ibn Ali, the Sharif of Mecca, ordering all Muslims to defend Armenians and “provide everything they might need … because they are the Protected People of the Muslims about whom the Prophet Muhammad said: ‘Whoever takes from them even a rope, I will be his adversary on the day of Judgment.’”

In 2009, when Turkish Prime Minister Rejeb Erdogan stated that “Muslims don’t commit genocide,” he was only partly right. He should have said: “Good Muslims don’t commit genocide.” The leaders of the Young TurkParty who masterminded the Armenian Genocide in 1915 were not faithful Muslims, judging by the teachings of the Quran — the Holy Book of Islam. They were simply criminals who used Islam as a convenient cover to carry out mass murder. The compassionate Fatwa of the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar still rings true today as the Muslim world celebrates the end of Ramadhan.

August 14, 2012
Frequently-Asked Questions On Armenian Demands from Turkey
The approaching Centennial of the Armenian Genocide in 2015 raises some fundamental questions, particularly on Armenian territorial demands from Turkey. In the weeks and months ahead, this column will address these issues by presenting the rationale for these demands and provide answers to frequently-asked questions.

Question 1: Is it true that all claims arising from the crime of genocide become invalid after one hundred years?

Answer: Not true! On November 26, 1968, the UN General Assembly adopted “The Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity,” which includes the crime of genocide. Article 1 of this Convention states that “No statutory limitation shall apply to [these crimes] … irrespective of the date of their commission.” Therefore, no matter how much time has elapsed, war crimes and crimes against humanity, including genocide, can still be prosecuted. However, for logistical reasons, it would be wise to refer such crimes to the courts as quickly as possible.

Question 2: Isn’t it a fantasy to expect that Armenians will ever regain Western Armenia?

Answer: No one should be under the illusion that Turkish leaders would voluntarily hand over to Armenians a single inch of land, let alone the territories of Western Armenia. Peaceful transfers of land are extremely rare in the practice of international relations. All too often, land is taken by force. Since Armenia is not militarily more powerful than Turkey, and is not expected to be so anytime soon, Armenians have to wait for unforeseen developments to occur in and around Turkey, such as civil war, global or regional conflict, revolution, Kurdish insurrection, natural disaster or nuclear catastrophe, to bring about a power vacuum and possible border changes in that part of the world. Meanwhile, Armenians have to keep alive and transmit their territorial demands to future generations until the opportune moment when they can claim their lawful rights.

In the meantime, it is unwise for Armenians to make minimalist demands from Turkey. Since Turkish leaders are not willing to make even the smallest territorial concession, there is no point in telling them that Armenians would be satisfied by the return of only Ararat or Ani. Armenians should ask for nothing less than “Armenia from sea to shining sea” (dsove-dsov Hayastan)! Rather than minimizing their demands, Armenians should claim the maximum, so that they can end up getting a portion of what is rightfully theirs. As all good Armenian businessmen know, you don’t start negotiating from your bottom price!

Question 3: If Western Armenia is freed, wouldn’t the overwhelming majority of the population and elected officials be Kurds and Turks, making Armenians a small minority in their own homeland?

Answer: Yes, that would be true if Western Armenia was handed to Armenians today! However, this is not likely to happen. As explained earlier, before Armenians have the opportunity to regain their historic lands, calamitous events must first occur in that part of the world. No one knows the impact of such developments on the local population. Demographic changes resulting from unforeseen circumstances in the region shall determine how many Kurds, Turks or even Armenians remain in the area. One cannot simply assume that the status quo will remain unchanged forever. Therefore, one cannot automatically conclude that Armenians would become a minority in Western Armenia.

Question 4: If someday Western Armenia is liberated, would Armenians be willing to leave their comfortable homes in the West and resettle on those inhospitable lands?

Answer: The issue here is the right of Armenians to settle in their historic homeland. Once these lands are returned, it is up to each Armenian to decide whether to relocate. This should not be a Turkish concern! Do all Jews live in Israel? Since most Lebanese, like Armenians, live outside of their homeland, do people question the reason for the existence of Lebanon as a state? Someday, when Western Armenia is freed, most Armenians who live in nearby Middle Eastern countries will probably choose to relocate there. However, there is no problem if every single Armenian from around the world does not head for the homeland. Those who remain in the Diaspora will surely play a critical role in strengthening the newly-established country economically and politically, just as Armenians worldwide are currently assisting their compatriots in the Republic of Armenia!

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14 Responses

for “Frequently-Asked Questions On Armenian Demands from Turkey”
1. eseksiksian says:
  
  August 7, 2012 at 5:17 pm
  
  4. When will the Republik of Armenia disappear?
  
  We have now to wait until Syrian and Lebanese armenians will disappear. This will be in the coming two month.
  
  After that, Iran will have regime change. This will be in 2013.
  
  So it is possible earliest in Summer 2013, or start in the Winter of 2013. After armenia will be in the ring of fire, the Russians will leave the boat, as they left Assad this week.
  
  The reconquista of Turkish Land and the Unity of all Turan will be finished in 2 weeks after the start of the liberation.
  
  All armenians will live in Russia in 2014.
  
  Reply
  - George says:
    
    August 8, 2012 at 11:35 am
    
    eseksike, This is called a wishfull thinking
    
    Reply
2. Hovhannes says:
  
  August 7, 2012 at 6:45 pm
  
  Dear Mr Sassounian, I disagree with you concerning question No 3. If Western Armenia is freed, Armenians won’t be a small minority in their own homeland, because Turks and Kurds must leave, evacuate our lands, just like happened in Gharapagh. There’s no one Azerbaijani left in Gharapagh today. The same must be the case with Turks and Kurds in Western Armenia. Only Armenians should be allowed to live in Western Armenia.
  
  Reply
3. Hovhannes says:
  
  August 7, 2012 at 7:00 pm
  
  Dear Mr Sassounian, I like to point out that, concerning question No 2, you failed to mention the legal border between Armenia and Turkey is the one determined by the treaty of Sévrès, and, regarding territorial claims, we have to mention the treaty of Sévrès again and again. We don’t minimise or maximise our demands. We are asking for the legal border between Armenia and Turkey to be re-established. And, finally, each time you get the chance, dear Mr Sassounian, remind American officials, congressmen, senators, that the legal border between Armenia and Turkey was established by US President Woodrow Wilson.
  
  Reply
  - Varmik says:
    
    August 8, 2012 at 3:02 pm
    
    Politically speaking, you are right. But that is only in politics. In reality, it is not enough for us Armenians. Wilsonian Armenia is only a fraction of our lands. Dikranagert and Cilicia aren’t even part of the Wilsonian Armenia. If we were to demand our land from a political point of view, we would ask the one determined by the Treaty of Sevres. But we all know that Turkey will never give an inch of land without war. That’s why when Turkey is weakened is the right time to get our lands back.
    
    Reply
4. Stepan says:
  
  August 7, 2012 at 7:18 pm
  
  Thank you Harut for bringing to light what many Armenians think about. The general topic of reparations is just beginning to emerge as the core of our justice equation. For too long our public discussions have centered around “recognition”. The heart of the reparation issue is the territorial demands of the Armenian nation.
  It is critical that we integrate Western Armenia into all educational processes and curriculum to give our emerging generations a working knowledge of the history and geography of this element of Armenian civilization that was horrifically altered by the Genocide. Camps, churches, schools and educational forums should ensure that our children maintain an identity with this land while the wheels of justice turn.
  I would also suggest that try to define western Armenia in the context of the maximum” approach. It is obviously more than the Wilsonian award from the Sevres Treaty. Is it including historic Cilicia? Sepastia? With the resurgence of our efforts in the last 20 years, defining these areas of reparations is fundamental. It begs the question of how will this be determined. RoA is not in a political position to lead such an effort. The time for the diaspora to unify and resolve these types of issues has arrived!!
  
  Reply
  - Varmik says:
    
    August 8, 2012 at 4:47 pm
    
    I agree with you. Armenia can’t have such demand from Turkey. It is up to us Diaspora to lay such claims. Politically speaking, Sevres Treaty is easier to claim because it was legally bound at that time. But we all know Wilsonian Armenia is not enough. We need much more like Cilicia and the other Eastern Anatolian parts. I would even go as far as to say to get lands that didn’t really belong to us in the past like the whole Central Anatolia and some Western Anatolia parts. Why not? We deserve a little more than we used to, because of all the sufferings Armenians endured all those centuries. We should think of enriching ourselves even more. If we get victorious, we get to keep all those lands.
    
    Reply
5. Kevork says:
  
  August 7, 2012 at 9:35 pm
  
  Best article, ever! Let’s keep in mind that who lives on Armenian territory now in present day eastern Turkey is irrelevant as far as Armenians are concerned. When the time comes, that will be dealt with appropriately. It is better to have all our lands back, regardless if other people are living there. Once the terrorist Turkish government is toppled, the rest can be dealt with peacefully. However, let’s keep in mind something very important.
  
  Can a nation commit genocide, deny the victims a future, deprive them of multiplying, steal their lands, populate the stolen lands with its own kind, then after bribing governments and denying genocide for 100+ years claim that those people living there must stay? HELL NO! Just like Turkey populated Armenian lands with the terrorists who committed genocide, it must depopulate them in the same way when the time comes. *THAT IS TURKEY’S RESPONSIBILITY*.
  
  Turkey is an expert country with moving its citizens around like cattle. Case in point: Cyprus. In north Cyprus, the so called “Turkish Cypriots” there are mostly settlers from the mainland, compliments of the Turkish government.
  
  Also, I wholeheartedly believe that all the governments involved in WWI are just as responsible as Turkey is. If anything, they re-armed the Turks after WWI thereby allowing them to continue the genocide, and illegally invading Armenia as well – supposedly a “war of independence” (in reality both the western governments and the Soviet Union, opposing each other and wanting Asia Minor, armed Turkey, thus all together they created a terrorist state which is in existence today, currently dominated by the US for the purpose of checking the power of Russia.) No one in their right mind would believe that after just losing WWI, destitute, starving and without an army, Turkey miraculously recovered in one year by itself and came back to take over all the lands it currently occupies. Baloney!
  
  Reply
6. bigmoustache says:
  
  August 8, 2012 at 7:23 am
  
  great points, all armenians should remember this.
  ww3 is an opportunity if it should involve russia, turkey and the kurds. we should start establishing ties with the kurds. if they ever decide to fully rebel and fight the turkish govt then armenia could provide much needed military equipment and logistics (we as a developed nation have those assets).
  the result is we share the spoils
  
  Reply
  - Varmik says:
    
    August 8, 2012 at 5:17 pm
    
    I can see your point. I don’t think it really benefits us Armenians for a number of reasons. Personally, I don’t really trust the Kurds for the following reasons:
    
    1) Kurds helped the Turks commit the Armenian genocide.
    
    2) Kurds claim Western Armenia as Kurdistan
    
    3) Kurds are Muslims.
    
    Let’s not forget Kurds helped the Turks commit genocide. They are responsible as well for the genocide. Kurds also claim Western Armenia as Kurdistan. If we arm them, they may later use it against us for their own benefit as they want their Kurdistan in our lands. That’s the main reason why I oppose arming Kurds. They may turn against us and stabs us. I don’t really trust Muslim populations. They sometimes act as traitors against us Christians and stabs us in the back.
    
    It’s time for Anatolia to be ruled by Christians.
    
    Reply
7. Karen Mkrtchyan -India says:
  
  August 8, 2012 at 8:04 am
  
  I always read HARUT SASSOUNIAN’S articles with pleasure. Thank you so much Mr.Sassounian for calling upon all Armenians to believe that one day Western Armenia will be liberated.
  Very informative and educative write up.
  Waiting for more on this topic.
  
  With best wishes and regards,
  Karen.
  New Delhi
  India
  
  Reply
8. balyarak says:
  
  August 8, 2012 at 11:21 am
  
  I am grateful that Harut has finally found a way to dealt with the Western Armenia stuff. I am sure Turks are cowards and they will disappear to allow the brave Armenians to occupy the land
  
  Reply
9. George says:
  
  August 8, 2012 at 11:38 am
  
  Inteligent Article, We waited 100 years we can wait more, who can’t wait is Turkey, PATIENCE, PATIENCE, PATIENCE,
  
  Reply
10. Varmik says:
  
  August 8, 2012 at 11:38 am
  
  Great article!!! I’m looking forward to that day when Western Armenia will belong to us Armenians. The land of Azerbaijan will belong to us as well. Armenia will stretch from sea to sea. It will border Caspian sea, Black sea and Mediterranean sea. From Caspian sea to Phrygia in Central Anatolia, Armenia will be. Western Anatolia will belong to Greece.Central Anatolia and Eastern Anatolia will belong to Armenia. Of course, that is wishful thinking, I’m not a prophet, so I can’t predict what will happen. Let’s just hope God will give us all that land, because He will decide which land will belong to who.
  
  Reply
August 7, 2012
Armenia Should Retaliate Against Turkish Ban on Buying Real Estate

Turkey’s Cabinet is in the process of finalizing a law adopted by Parliament last May which bans citizens of six countries — Armenia, Cuba, Nigeria, North Korea, Syria and Yemen — from buying real estate in Turkey, according to Sabah newspaper. No reason was given for blacklisting these countries.

The law demonstrates the persistent hostility of Turkish officials, contradicting their sugarcoated announcements about wanting to normalize relations with Armenia. After reviewing the restriction placed on its citizens, the Armenian Parliament should consider adopting retaliatory measures against citizens of Turkey interested in purchasing Armenian properties.

The proposed Turkish law is doubly provocative since it places a ban on citizens of Armenia, while expanding from 53 to 129 the list of countries authorized to invest in Turkey, and allows citizens of another 52 countries to invest with some limitations. The new law even permits nationals whose governments ban Turkish investments to purchase property in Turkey. Relaxing restrictions on foreign investments in the Turkish real estate market would bring an additional $300 billion of revenue over the next 10 years, Sabah wrote.

Here are the restrictions that the new law places on certain countries: Citizens of China, Denmark, East Timor, Fiji and Israel may only purchase a single residence in Turkey. Jordanians, on the other hand, may purchase two houses and one place of business. Russians and Ukrainians may buy real estate anywhere in Turkey, except on the Black Sea coast, while Georgians cannot buy real estate in the coastal and border regions. Greek citizens are not permitted to purchase property near the Aegean Sea and the border areas, except for those who are of Turkish origin. Citizens of Afghanistan, Egypt, Latvia, Morocco and some other African countries are not allowed to buy agricultural land, vineyards or orchards. Albanians can purchase a residence or a business, but not land.

Citizens of another 16 countries, including Iran, Palestine and India, need permission from the Ministry of Interior before acquiring real estate in Turkey. Iraqis, on the other hand, need a permit issued by the Turkish Foreign Ministry. A foreign individual or firm cannot purchase more than 10% of the land in a particular district or a total of 30 hectares in all of Turkey. The law also bans foreigners from purchasing or leasing real estate in military and security zones.

Among the 129 countries allowed to purchase property in Turkey without conditions or restrictions are: Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan.

What steps Armenia should take in retaliation for this new Turkish law? Article 31 of the constitution of the Republic of Armenia states: “foreign citizens and stateless persons shall not enjoy the right to land ownership except for cases prescribed by the law.” According to a report submitted by the Armenian government to the World Trade Organization (WTO): “foreigners are allowed to use land through lease contracts with an Armenian counterpart. Furthermore, foreigners have the right to own real estate properties built on Armenian land, and to exploit renewable and non-renewable natural resources on the basis of concession contracts granted by the Government.” Armenia’s report to the WTO also stated that “the legislation grants the Government the power to limit and prohibit foreign investment for national security concerns.”

It would be important to know the number of foreign individuals and companies that lease land or own buildings and businesses in Armenia, their names, citizenship, locations, sizes, and market value. How many of these leases are held by Turkish citizens? Raising these questions is relevant because in the past Armenian officials have stated that there is no need to restrict foreigners who are interested in investing in Armenian real estate.

While it is understandable that Armenia would encourage foreign investments, it is not known if certain sensitive border areas are exempt from leasing to foreigners such as Azeris and Turks for national security reasons. There are also lands that contain strategic reserves of certain precious metals and minerals. They too should not be leased to foreigners who are citizens of hostile nations.

In retaliation for the new Turkish law banning citizens of Armenia from purchasing real estate in Turkey, Armenia should immediately pass a law banning Turkish citizens from all purchases or leases of real estate. No exceptions should be made!

Armenians should not be too worried that they cannot buy land in Turkey. Hopefully, they will get their lands back someday without paying for it!

August 1, 2012
DNA Study Busts Myth that One Million Appalachians are of Turkish Descent

For decades, Turkish pseudo-historians and propagandists have made bizarre claims about Turks being the ancestors of various ethnic groups around the world, including Native Americans, African-Americans, and the strangest of all — Melungeons — a little-known group of dark-skinned residents of Appalachia.

To counter Armenian political activities in Washington, the Turkish government regularly reaches out to anyone who could be co-opted with all-expense paid trips, special gifts, and other financial inducements, including funding studies and conferences on the alleged Turkish origin of Melungeons. Even though these one million Appalachians do not carry much political clout in Congress, Ankara is interested in claiming them to be of Turkish descent, hoping to strengthen its political and economic clout in the United States.

The Turkish initiative faced one ‘minor’ problem: there was no evidence that Melungeons were descendants of Turks. This issue was easily resolved when the Turkish government provided a “research grant” to a Melungeon named N. Brent Kennedy. In April 1995, he flew to Istanbul and wrote a book alleging that hundreds of captured Ottoman sailors were dumped on the shores of North Carolina by Sir Francis Drake in the 16th century!

Kennedy compiled a long list of “amazing” similarities between Turks and Melungeons, such as eating beef and mashed potatoes, the habit of hugging each other, Appalachian quilts having Ottoman designs, Anatolian folk dancers performing square dance, and Turkish music sounding like bluegrass! He discovered that the Turkish word “neyaygara” sounds like Niagara, “dilhah yer” is pronounced Delaware, “tenasuh” means Tennessee, “kan tok” is Kentucky, and “allah bamya” is Alabama!

Kennedy further stated that Turkish scholars have “long believed that a connection existed between themselves and eastern seaboard American Indians, based on both physical appearance and shared words and customs.” He gathered these “important facts” from Turkish “historians” during his meetings at Marmara University in Istanbul. “Several hundred Ottoman sailors could exert a powerful genetic, cultural, and linguistic influence on the sixteenth-century Native American Tribes into which they married,” Kennedy confidently concluded.

Appalachians, however, were infuriated by the distortion of Melungeons’ ethnic origin and exploitation of their history. Historian and award-winning journalist Tim Hashaw of Houston, Texas, sent a letter asking me to “investigate the tawdry connection between the ATAA (Assembly of Turkish American Associations) and the Melungeon Heritage Association.” Hashaw asserted that “Melungeons are an obscure tri-racial (white, black, and American Indian) community in Appalachia — Virginia and Tennessee. We are not now, nor have we ever been, Turkish. Yet, Melungeons are being wrongly exploited by Turkish associations to deny the Armenian Genocide and to support questionable Turkish agendas in Washington DC.”

Hashaw revealed in his letter that Turkey “sent gifts such as water fountains (cesme) to those who deny the Armenian Genocide. They have said in the press that they expect our support in Washington DC. I kept asking myself: why is the very influential Turkic World Research Foundation bothering to pay for airfare to send waves of humble Appalachian hill folk from the US to Turkey? We are not a large or affluent people. Why do the President and Prime Minister of Turkey give personal interviews to Melungeons from Appalachia when they visit? Why are the ATAA and the Istanbul Alumni group paying to send Melungeons to New York in order to honor them in recognition for their services to Turkey?”

Hashaw’s published works regarding the ethnic origins of the Melungeons were validated by a new DNA study published in the Journal of Genetic Genealogy which disproved the “wild claims” that Melungeons are descendants of Turkish slaves. Instead, the research indicated that they were the offspring of “sub-Saharan African men and white women of northern or central European origin.” Shortly after release of this study, the red-faced leader of a Turkish-American group gave his followers the bad news: “Appalachia’s Melungeons are not Turks”!

Despite the incontestable DNA evidence, incorrigible Turkish propagandists may not be deterred by scientific studies. They will continue to claim that just about everyone on Planet Earth somehow originated from Turks! As Tim Hashaw mockingly wrote:
“Abraham Lincoln was a Turk! Elvis Presley was a Turk! American Indians are Turks! Obama’s mama was a Turk! Melungeons were born in the country of the Hatfields and McCoys. The blood feud is in our DNA. The Turks do not know yet, but they will regret bribing greedy ignorant people to deny the Armenian Genocide.”

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Special Documentary on Armenia from MTV Lebanonhttp://mtv.com.lb/Political_Specials/Armenia

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honoring Ataturk ………….by an Azeri

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July 27, 2012