Category: Authors

WİNSTON CHURCHİLL AND GALLİPOLİ COMPAİN

WİNSTON CHURCHİLL AND GALLİPOLİ COMPAİN

( 18th MARCH 1915)

( PART–2 )

İn the Autumn of 1899 a war broke out in the South African Republic             (Transvaal) and the Orange Free State. There was a new and wonderful opportunity for Churchill to exercise his talents as a war correspondent. The Morning Post quickly took advantage of his availibility. To his amazement he was offered a contract which guaranteed 250 Pound a month, plus expenses, for covering the South African conflict. While he was there and trying to make his job in the best way, his train was attacked by Boers. As a result of fighting The Boers took more than 75 prisoners. One of them was Mr. Churchill.

He was herded off to an officers’ prisoner of war camp at Pretoria. (1) Churchill with his other two friends agreed upon an escape plan and after many adventures he succeeded. İn June 1900 both Johannesburg and Pretoria were captured by the British Army. Churchill participated in both engagements. And than he returned to England. Almost ten months’ accumulated salary from the Morning Post left him extremely well of financially. He went to Oldham, the scene of his first political defeat and try once again for a seat in Parliament. This time, as being a war hero, he won the elections and in February1901 he made his first appearance as a member of the House of Common.

İn 1904 Churchill severed his connection with the Conservative Party and dramatically took a seat next to Lloyd George on the Liberal side of the House of Commons. İn the next election which was held on January 1906 Liberals won by a huge majority.The new Prime Minister appointed the 31 years old Churchill Under- Secretary for the Colonies. Despite his intense involvement in politics, Churchill found time during these early days of his political career to write a two volume biography of his father. Some critics consider this biography, entitled “Lord Randolph Churchill” to be one of his best works. İn the same time he married with Clementine Hazier on September 12, 1908 and in the course of time five children was born to the Churchills.

In 1910 he was moved to the Home Office. Toward the end of his term as Home Secretary, he was required to put down a series of violent doc and railway strikes that were sweeping the country.To preserve order Churchill called out the troops. As a result, demonstrations occurred and a number of people were killed. For his part in this bloodshed Churchill was bitterly denounced by the unions.(2)

İn the summer of 1911 an unexpected opportunity arouse for him to meet some of his ambitious. At that time during the course of a brifing about international crisis , The Asquit Government had been schocked to learn that the Admiralty was not prepared to carry out its wartime missions in support of the Army.To their amazement, Cabinet Ministers at the time were told that the Royal Navy was unable to transport British Expeditionary Force, across the English Channnel. They also learned that the Admiralty was unwilling to creat a Naval War Staff. İt became clear to Prime Minister Asquit and his colleagues that a new First Lord of the Admiralty had to be appointed to institute basic reforms. Churchill, then Home Secretary angled for the job, and his mentor Lloyd George, proposed him for it. Predictably, his candidacy was hampered by his youth.At thirty-six he was already, with a solitary exception, the youngest person ever to serve as Home Secretary; and his many enemies, who claimed that he had pushed himself forward unseemly haste, argued that he had run ahead of himself.

To them he appeared to posses in excess charasteristic faults of youth: obstinacy, inexperience, poor judgement and impulsiveness.Beside these he often changed his views;and since he always held his views passionately, his change of mind were as violent and extreme as they were fraquent. He had been a Tory and now was a Liberal. He had been the most pro-German of ministers and had became the most anti-German. He had been the leading pro-Turk in the cabinet and was to became the most anti-Turk. The other leading contender for the position of First Lord expressed warm admiration for Churchill’s energy and courage, but echoed the usual accusation that the young Home Secretary was too apt “ to act first and think afterwards.” For whatever reason, the Prime Minister decided to take a chance on Churchill. (3)

    As a First Lord of Admiralty, Winston Churchill surrounded himself with a group of well trained advisers, one of them was a retired Admiral John Fisher. He was almost 74 years old when churchill, against some opposition, called him back to the service. The two, made a wonderful team despite the differences in their ages. İn accordance with the evaluation of his one friend (doughter of Prime Minister Asquit) “ Winston found in Fisher a veritable volcano of knowledge and of inspiration.” (4) The impact of Churchill’s personality vibrated through the Admiralty. He created an efficient and capable staff, framing a joint strategy for the Navy in close union with Army.

He and his staff spend every afford to meet the urgent need to increase gun-powder and the speed of the new ships and to prepare against a sudden attack by Germany as though it may come next day. He decreed that Naval officers as well as resident clerks should be on duty night and day on week-days, Sundays and holidays, so that in the event of a surprise attack no moment should be lost in giving the alarm. Naturally there were new appointments to be made- some admirals transferred to other duties and some new comers joint the new headquarters. He also ordered a large chart of the North Sea to be hung up upon the wall behind his chair. On this chart a staff officer marked the position of German Fleet with flags. His first Job was to look at this map every morning. (5) At the result of all of these measures when England entered the First World War on August 4, 1914, the naval superiority of the British navy was undisputed.

DİPNOTLAR:

(1)     Quentin Reynolds: Winston Churchill, p.52-54 (Random House New York-1963)

(2)      Q.Reynolds, p.72-78

(3)     David Fromkin: A Peace The End All Peace, p.52 (Avan Books, New York-1990)

(4)     Violet Benham Carter: Winston Churchill, As I Knew Him,p.240 (The Reprint Society,     London- 1966)

(5)     Q.Reynolds,p.82-83

Dr. M. Galip Baysan

April 9, 2013
Istanbul Patriarchate Ignores Armenian Community’s Religious Needs

The Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul upset many Armenians in Turkey and around the world when it failed to send a clergyman to the recently renovated Saint Guiragos Church in Dikranagerd (Diyarbakir) to celebrate Divine Liturgy on Easter Sunday.

St. Guiragos is not just any Armenian church. With seven altars and a capacity for 3,000 worshipers, it is one of the largest Christian churches in the Middle East. The church’s belfry was destroyed on May 28, 1915, by Turkish artillery because it was much taller than the minarets of nearby mosques. Turkish soldiers forced the city’s Deputy Prelate, Mgrditch Vartabed Chlghadian, to watch the destruction of the belfry as he was dragged to his eventual martyrdom!

Amazingly, St. Guiragos remained a functioning church until the 1980’s with a local priest performing regular church services year round. As the few remaining descendants of Armenian Genocide survivors left the city, the church fell into disrepair and was abandoned.

In recent years, Dikranagerd Armenians who had resettled in Istanbul established the St. Guiragos Foundation which renovated the church at a cost of $3.2 million. Two thirds of the funds were donated by Armenians of Istanbul, Europe, and North America. The remaining one-third was provided by Diyarbekir’s Kurdish city government which has been highly supportive of many local Armenian initiatives.

To their great chagrin, St. Guiragos parishioners were deprived of liturgical services on Easter Sunday as the Armenian Patriarchate informed them that it could not spare a clergyman to perform Mass in their church. They were told that none of the Patriarchate’s 23 clergymen were available, as they had to officiate in Istanbul’s more than two dozen functioning churches, but were promised that a priest would arrive in Dikranagerd the Sunday after Easter.

St. Guiragos parishioners were terribly disappointed, since they had just installed new church bells procured from Moscow at great expense and effort. They had to ring the bells on Easter Sunday for the first time in almost 100 years, without a cleric’s presence to hold services! The worshipers, inspired by the majesty of the church, lit candles and recited prayers, assisted by local Armenian language teacher Kevork Fikri.

The Armenian Patriarchate does not seem to be the least bothered by its inexcusable failure to provide a clergyman to the Dikranagerd church on the joyous occasion of Easter Sunday, even though the embarrassing details of its unacceptable behavior were widely publicized in the pages of several Turkish newspapers, including Hurriyet and Radikal.

In the absence of Patriarch Mesrob Moutafian, who has been hospitalized for years with a terminal illness, the Deputy Patriarch Aram Ateshian has been running the Patriarchate’s affairs. He should have assigned a clergyman to serve in Dikranagerd not only on Easter Sunday but throughout the year. He should have also provided all possible assistance to the many Islamized and Turkified Armenians who have come forward asking to be baptized in the newly renovated church.

Even more disturbing is the fact that Aram Srpazan on several occasions has made critical remarks about Diaspora Armenians asking the Turkish government to return to the Armenian Patriarchate over 2,500 confiscated churches. He has repeatedly asserted that the Patriarchate has neither the funds nor the clergy to renovate and operate these churches. Srpazan Ateshian fails to understand that the first step is to secure the return of the church structures before worrying about renovating them. Whether the Patriarchate has the necessary funds or not, Armenians have the right to demand the return of these churches. Moreover, many of the confiscated Armenian churches owned adjacent lands and buildings that could provide the necessary income to renovate and operate these parishes.

Given Archbishop Ateshian’s lack of enthusiasm about the return of Armenian churches to the Patriarchate, it is not surprising that, even though he is a native of Dikranagerd, he has not made a sincere effort to provide a clergyman to St. Guiragos Church on Easter Sunday. One wonders if he is buckling under Turkish pressure to discourage the budding national and religious revival movement among Dikranagerd Armenians. Otherwise, making advance arrangements to send a clergyman from Istanbul, Armenia, Lebanon, Jerusalem, Europe or even the United States, would have been an easy task.

It is unfortunate that Islamized and Turkified Armenians have to confront the Patriarchate while battling the Turkish government in their quest to return to their ethnic and religious roots, and regain their usurped rights and properties.

April 9, 2013
Federal Judge Wrongfully Dismisses Lawsuit on Armenian Properties in Turkey

Federal Judge Dolly M. Gee, wrongfully claiming lack of jurisdiction, dismissed a lawsuit on March 26, filed by Armenian-Americans demanding compensation from the Republic of Turkey for confiscating their properties during the Armenian Genocide.

Attorneys Berj Boyajian, Mark Geragos, Ara Jabagchourian, and Brian Kabateck had filed a class action lawsuit on July 29, 2010, on behalf of Garbis Davoyan of Los Angeles, Hrayr Turabian of New York City, and all Armenians whose ancestors had real estate holdings in Turkey. The grandparents of Davoyan and Turabian owned land near Aintab and Adana. The complaint also charged Turkey’s Central Bank and Ziraat Bankasi of unjust enrichment by benefiting from the proceeds of the confiscated Armenian properties.

Since the Republic of Turkey and its two major banks contended that US courts lacked jurisdiction over foreign entities due to sovereign immunity, the Armenian plaintiffs argued that the lawsuit should proceed due to two exceptions to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA): “Commercial Activity” and “Expropriation.”

The Federal Judge ruled that both of these exceptions did not apply in this case. She found the banks’ commercial role in the US to be minimal and unrelated to the claimed grievances. She ruled that the expropriation exception is also not valid because the property was not “taken in violation of international law.” She stated that the appropriation of personal property contravenes international law if: 1) it does not serve a public purpose; 2) it discriminates against or singles out aliens; and 3) the foreign government does not pay compensation. Judge Gee held that Armenians were citizens of the Ottoman Empire based on the Law of Nationality of January 19, 1869, “which treated all persons found within the Ottoman Empire as Ottoman subjects.” According to the Judge, this law “remained in effect until May 23, 1927, when Law No. 1041 stripped Turkish citizenship from the Armenians who had fled or were deported from the Empire during the events at issue in this lawsuit.” She concluded: “Legally, Armenians whose property was taken and who were deported from the Ottoman Empire were citizens at the time.”

In making these rulings, Judge Gee made a series of grave factual errors and misapplied the law. Her contention that Armenians were Ottoman citizens at the time of the genocide and deportations, and therefore not subject to US court jurisdiction, is flatly wrong. In a telegram dated Sept. 9, 1915, Minister of Interior Talaat issued the following order: “The rights of Armenians to live and work on Turkish soil are totally abolished.” Thus, Talaat had revoked the Armenians’ Ottoman citizenship as of Sept. 9, 1915, making them non-citizens at the time of the expropriation of their properties. This fact alone invalidates the fundamental premise of the Judge’s ruling that the Federal Court has no jurisdiction over Turkey’s expropriation of its citizens’ property.

Furthermore, since Ottoman citizenship was imposed upon native Armenians after their territory was overrun by Ottoman armies, Armenians were forced to become the unwilling subjects of a foreign invader. The Judge’s erroneous ruling leads to the absurd and dangerous notion that the rights of people under occupation can be violated without any recourse to international law, once the conquering nation declares them to be its citizens.

Judge Gee committed a second serious error when she made the convoluted argument that expropriation of foreign properties could have fallen under the jurisdiction of her court if carried out in conjunction with acts of genocide, because “genocide violates international law.” However, she ruled that the Armenian lawsuit does not meet the foregoing criteria, because it involves a “Political Question” related to foreign policy that falls under the jurisdiction of the executive and legislative branches, not the judiciary. She completely ignored the fact that the lawsuit was not filed under a claim of genocide, but as a violation of international law that includes Crimes Against Humanity, but not necessarily genocide. Apparently, the Judge was not aware that the US government on several occasions had recognized the Armenian Genocide, making her argument about the separation of powers completely meaningless.

There is a good possibility that the Federal Court of Appeals would reverse Judge Gee’s baseless and erroneous ruling. The plaintiffs’ lawyers could strengthen their case considerably by pointing out some of the factual errors in her ruling, as well as rectifying the shortcomings in their own filing.

Lawsuits against Turkey must be filed with utmost care, preparation and professionalism, since they impact the interests of the entire Armenian nation, particularly on the eve of the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

April 3, 2013
The Book of The Week 06: Shibumi

The Book of The Week 06: Shibumi

Dear readers,

This week’s writer was a mysterious one, Trevanian, as we once knew him. Nowadays we know his real identity. He was american writer Rodney William Whitaker. Shibumi, his best novel, is chosen as the book of the week. For more information including download links in turkish:

Haftanın Kitabı 06: Şibumi

Summary: Shibumi Trevanian Publisher: Crown Publishing Group Page: 496 ISBN: 9781400098033 Nicholai Hel is the world’s most wanted man. Born in Shanghai during the chaos of World War I, he is the son of an aristocratic Russian mother and a mysterious German father and is the protégé of a Japanese Go master. Hel survived the destruction of Hiroshima to emerge as the world’s most artful lover and its most accomplished—and well-paid—assassin. Hel is a genius, a mystic, and a master of language and culture, and his secret is his determination to attain a rare kind of personal excellence, a state of effortless perfection known only as shibumi. Now living in an isolated mountain fortress with his exquisite mistress, Hel is unwillingly drawn back into the life he’d tried to leave behind when a beautiful young stranger arrives at his door, seeking help and refuge. It soon becomes clear that Hel is being tracked by his most sinister enemy—a supermonolith of international espionage known only as the Mother Company. The battle lines are drawn: ruthless power and corruption on one side, and on the other . . . shibumi..

See you later in next article, I wish you all happy reading,

Tuesday, 2nd April, 2013 Antalya, Türkiye

Harun Taner <harun.taner.antalya@gmail.com>

April 2, 2013
WİNSTON CHURCHİLL AND GALLİPOLİ COMPAİN ( PART–1 )

18 March 2013 was the 98. th anniversary of the wonderful defence of Dardanelle Straits by Turkish and German soldiers. Any one who reviews the history can easily see that, one man had the whole responsibility of these bloodshed operations. He was the First Lord of the British Admiralty, Winston Churchill. We think it would be better to recognize him in order to understand how and why Mr Churchill devoted himself so much to this operation.

The year 1874 was an eventful one for Lord Randolph- he had been elected to parliament and he had married the girl he loved.Then, on 30^th of November, his first son, Winston Leonard Spenser Churchill was born at Blenheim, the ancesteral estate of the Dukes of Malborough. Two years later he was appointed Lord-Lieutenant of İreland by Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. Winston’s earliest memories are of these Dublin-years. While his father was busily involved in advancing his political career, Lady Churchill was equally busy with social activities. As a result Winston was really brought up by his nurse, Mrs. Everest.

With his father’s encouragement, Winston began to prepare for Sandhurst, the West Point/Harp Okulu of England. He took the Sandhurst entrance examinations twice and failed both times. With his third try , Winston won the examinations and he was accepted Sandhurst. At the end of two years, he was graduated with honours from sandhurst, eight in a class of one hundred and fifty.(1) His memories with this school is as fallows:

“İn Sandhurst I had a new start. I was no longer handicapped by post neglect Latin, French or Mathematic. We had now to learn fresh things and we all started equal. Tactic, Fortification, Tophography ( map making), Military Law and Military Administration formed the whole curriculum. İn addition were Drill, Gymnastic and Riding. My father instructed his book seller Mr.Brain to send me any book I might require for my studies. So I ordered many books, including stories dealing with the American Civil, Franco-German and Russo-Turkish wars.(2) Sometimes I was invited to dine at the Staff Collage, less than a mile away, where all the cleverest officers in the Army were being trained for the high command.(3) Here the study was divisions, Army Corps and even whole Armies, of bases ,of supplies and lines of communication and railway strategy. This was thrilling. My father arranged for me to go through additional course of riding school at Knightbridge Barracks with the Royal Horse Guards. I think I was pretty well trained to sit and menage a horse. This is one of the most important things in the world.” (4)

İn March 1895, Churchill received his commision in the 4^th Hussars, a crack cavallary regiment composed of selected soldiers. İn the same year there was a revolt in Cuba against Spain. Using all his family connections, he obtain permission for himself and another subaltern.Then he went to see the editor of the London Daily Graphic and offered his services as a foreign correspondent- for a fee.The editor agreed to pay him 25 $ for each article he sent in. Early in September they arrived to Havana.(5)

İn September 1896 his main unit 4^th Hussars was sent to İndia in a ship. While he was there,he heard about the revolt of Patans who where living in the North-West frontier of İndia. Churchill lost no time in calling on the editor of a local paper, The Allahabat Pioneer and easily talk the newspaperman into putting him on the staff. Churchill’s mother , who was being kept informed by wire , used her influence in London to get him an appointment as war correspondent for the Daily Telegraph. Thus armed with assignments from two newspapers, Churchill approached his commanding officer and wheeled an extended leave to cover the fighting. For the next two months Churchill stayed with the Army that was fighting what came to be known as the Frontier War. All during this time he was sending his reports on the fighting to the Daily Telegraph and Allahabat Pioneer. Signed simply “by a young officer” his articles became a sensation in the London newspaper world. Churchill had never thoought of himself as a professional writer, but his ability on style had improved greatly since his reports on the Cuban War. He was beginning to show a real talent for writing. He collected all of his newspapers articles, added some new material and in March 1898, his “The Story of the Malakand Field Force” was published. When his publisher sent him his share of the profits, Churchill was amazed to learn that it was equal to two years of his pay as an officer. İt was then that he began to think seriously of a career as a military writer covering wars whereever they broke out in the World. He made his mind to resign from the Army as soon as the trouble in İndia was over and concentrate on writing.(6)

Soon after the end of the Frontier War, news reached İndia that a British Army under General Herbert Kitchener’s command was gethering in Egypt for an attack on rebel forces in the Anglo-Egyptian-Sudan. Some years earlier The British Commander in Sudan, General C.G.Gordon had been killed by Dervish Army elements. This time British were ready to avange the murder of General Gordon. Every officer in İndia was eager for a chance to take part in this campaign. Churchill promptly applied for a transfer for Africa. His application to join the Anglo-Egyptian Army had been approved by the war office, but the commander Sir Herbert Kitchener wanted no part of him.He did not like young upstars who wrote books that criticized and gave advice to the high command. Churchill, however, was not going to accept defeat so easily. He obteined leave from his regiment and took the next boat to London.With her mothers effords he received a letter from the private secretary of Lord Salisbury, the Prime Minister. Lord Salisbury had read his book on İndia and like it.After their meetings, Salisbury sent a telegraph to General, couldn’t Kitchener find a place for young Churchill? But Kitchener didn’t change his mind and refused to accept Churchill as a regular army officer. But several days later Churchill received the following note from the war department:

“ You have been attached as a supernumerary Lieutenant to the 21^st Lancers for the Sudan Campaign…İt is understood that you will proceed at your own expense and that in the event of your being killed or wounded in the impending operations or for any other reasons , no charge of any kind will fall on British Army Funds. Churchill hurried down to the offices of the Morning Post and persueded the editor to give him an assignement as a war correspondent.This job would at least pay his expenses. Six days later he was in Cairo.(7) Churchill expected a message from General Kitchener ordering him to leave Africa, at any moment. But he later learned that Kitchener was glad upon hearing of the young officer’s appointment. He overcomed the Dervish Army problem and Churchill wrote all the stories of war to the Morning Post newspaper. Morning Post paid more than 300 pound for his series of articles on the battle of Omdurman. His new stories on the Sudan had attracted a great deal of attention and his name was beginnig to make an impression outside social and army circles.Churchill planned to resign from the army before the end of the year and he gave considerable thought to a writing career. As an author he would earn much more money than he ever could as a professional soldier. Beside this, the opportunity for adventure and travel would be limitless.

Another possibility was a career in politics.During a visit to the Conservative Party headquarters, he was asked by a party member if he would be available to speak at a few fortcoming political events. Churchill made his first political speech in the city Bath and he was more amazed when the audience cheered him wildly. The next day Morning Post printed his speech and even published an editorial which proclaimed him a new and exciting figure on the political scene. Shortly after, he resigned from the Army.(8) During the voyage to London he spend most of his time complating a book on the Nile Campaign. Entitled “The River War”, it turned out to be a success with critics and public alike.(9) There was a special election, was being held in Oldham,Lancashire. The leaders of the Conservative Party thought that this would be a good opportunity for Churchill to get some experience in politics by seeking a seat in the House of Common. He enjoyed the campaign but lost his first election by 1300 votes.

REFERANCES:

(1)   Quentin Reynolds: Winston Churchill, p.2-12 (Random House New York-1963)

(2)   Winston S. Churchill: My Early Life, p.51 (Collins Fontana Books, 8th impression, London And Glasgow – 1972)

(3)     I have had the honour of to be a student of this school (British Staff Collage Camberley) in the year of 1971

(4)     My Early Life, p.52-53

(5)     Q.Reynolds, p.17-18

(6)     Q.Reynolds, p.33-34

(7)     Q.Reynolds, p.36-39

(8)     Q.Reynolds, p.46-49

(9)     Winston Churchill, The River War- Battle of Omdurman.



Dr. M. Galip Baysan

March 29, 2013
Mesir Paste

Mesir paste is a very old tradition in the history of Manisa, an Anatolian city in the Aegean region, dating back to almost 500 years. Mesir paste was started as a medicine invention during the Ottoman period but later on it became an important part of local festivity in this city.

According to the story about the origins of Mesir paste; Ayşe Hafsa Sultan, who became the wife of Yavuz Sultan Selim and the mother of Suleyman the Magnificent after her placement from Crimea to the Ottoman Harem in the 16th century, became very ill after the death of her husband. Unfortunately doctors couldn’t find a cure thus Sultan Suleyman consulted Merkez Muslihiddin Efendi, the head of the theological school belonging to the Yavuz Selim Mosque. He was already making medicines using herbs and spices for the sick people and built a small sort of hospital next to the school. After receiving Suleyman’s letter regarding his ill mother, he mixed 41 different types of plants and spices together to form a medicinal paste and sent it to the palace.

When Hafsa Sultan ate this paste, she was recovered and wanted to share this miraculous medicine with others. As requests from the people increased, the Sultan told Merkez Efendi to distribute the paste to the people every year in a form of festivity. For this, 22nd of March was selected because it symbolized the beginning of Spring, and the tops of the Sultan Mosque’s domes and minarets were chosen for its location. The Mesir Celebration began this way in around 1527-28. Since then, every year on or around March 21st, which is known as Spring festival Newroz, thousands of people gather in front of the Sultan Mosque to catch the Mesir Paste wrapped in paper and thrown from mosques rooftop. In 2009, due to the local municipality elections throughout the country, 469th Mesir Macun international Festival was postponed and held on April 26th. Meanwhile, in 2010 the 470th edition was held between March 21st – 28th.

March 29, 2013