FETULLAHIN LOS ANGELES FESTIVALINE FBI DESTEGI

ABD’nin Los Angeles kentinde duzenlenen Anadolu Kulturleri ve Yemek Festivalinin dev maketlerinin ABD’ye zamaninda giris yapmasini Amerikan Federal Sorusturma Burosunun (FBI) sagladigi ogrenildi. Festival oncesinde, Turkiye’den gemiyle getirilmek istenen malzemelerin Panama’da aktarmayi kacirmasi ve gemiyle gelmesinin cok zaman alacaginin ogrenilmesi uzerine, yetistirilmesi icin ek ucret odenerek, ucakla getirilme karari alindigi ve replikalarin Los Angeles LAX havaalanina getirildigi belirtildi.

Ancak gumruk islemlerinden dolayi malzemelerin festivale yetismeyeceginin ogrenilmesinin ardindan FBI’in gumruklerden sorumlu ust duzey bir yetkilisinin devreye girip, malzemelerin gumrukte en on sirada yer almasini sagladigi ogrenildi.

Malzemelerin bulundugu 5 konteynerin, festival baslamadan onceki gece alana geldigi ve gonullulerin sabaha kadar calismasiyla acilisa hazir hale getirildigi ifade edildi.

Festivalin ana organizatoru Pasifika Enstitusu Baskani Ibrahim Barlas, gumrukte devreye giren FBI yetkilisinin bu goreve gelmeden once davetlileri olarak Turkiye’yi ziyarete gittigini ve cok olumlu izlenimlerle dondugunu soyledi.

Festivalin acilis toreninde konusan Pasifika Enstitusu Baskan Yardimcisi Atilla Kahveci de Panama’da mahsur kalan konteynerlerin zamaninda yetismesine yardimci olan FBI’a tesekkur etti.

FBI’in Los Angeles biriminden sorumlu Mudur Yardimcisi Steve Martinez de acilis konusmasina bu konuda espri yaparak basladi. “FBI cok guclu bir orguttur ama eminim, sulari yarip gemileri gecirme kabiliyeti de oldugunu bilmiyordunuz” diyen Martinez, “ister nefret sucu sorusturmalari, ister halki koruma olsun, yaptiklari her iste Turk toplumunu FBI’in ortaklari olarak gorduklerini” soyledi.

Martinez, “Festivale bu kadar cesitlilik arz eden bir grubu getirebilmis olmaniz gercekten olaganustu. Bu cok iddiali bir etkinlik” dedi.
Hizmet ettikleri toplumu anlamanin FBI olarak gorevlerinin en buyuk parcalarindan biri oldugunu belirten Martinez, bu tur etkinliklerin kendileri icin firsat olusturdugunu, bu nedenle festivalde kendilerinin de bir stant actigini kaydetti. FBI, festivaldeki standinda ozellikle gelecekte kurumda calismayi dusunebilecek genclerin ilgisini cekmeye calisiyor.

-ERMENI HABER SITESI: “SAVASI KAYBEDIYORUZ”-

Ote yandan festivale Amerikan basini da ilgi gosterirken, ABD’deki Ermeni haber sitelerinden Asbarez’de yayimlanan bir kose yazisinda, festivalden ovguyle bahsedilerek, “Oyle gorunuyor ki biz cok geride kaldik ve savasi kaybediyoruz” ifadesi kullanildi.

Sitede Tamar Kevonian imzasiyla yayimlanan “Savasi Kaybetmek” baslikli yazida, “Turklerin yaklasiminin, bilimsel ve siyasi arenalarin otesine gecerek, mevcut algi ve imajin tarihsel dogruluktan cok daha onemli oldugu genis kitlelere uzandigi, Ermenilerin kitlelere yonelik acilim cabalarinin ise daha cok 1915 olaylarinin ‘soykirim’ olarak taninmasi mucadelesine odaklanmakla sinirli kaldigina” isaret edildi.
“ABD’deki en buyuk Turk festivalinin, Turk toplumunun degil, Ermeni toplumunun en fazla sayida oldugu bir kentte duzenlenmesinin tesaduf olmadigi” da ifade edilen yazida, “Ermenilerin, onlari (Turkleri) endiselendirdigini dusunmek bir teselli olabilir, ancak kamuoyu popularite yarismasinda oyle gorunuyor ki biz cok geride kaldik ve savasi kaybediyoruz” denildi.
Los Angeles Times gazetesi de dunku baskisinda festivali tanitan bir yaziya yer verdi.

WASHINGTON (A.A) – Mehmet Toroglu/Bariskan Unal
Fotograflar: AA

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From: M
Subject:This makes me feel good

Date: Friday, May 7, 2010, 9:28 PM

Turkish government does a lot of things that you and I do not want to believe (“~$2M to an event that does not honor even mention the ones who risked and sacrificed their lives for the sake of today’s civilized society in Turkey. “).

In 2009 this festival disappointed/insulted a lot of Turkish people because it de-emphasized modern Turkey and Ataturk.  Some carried Ataturk’s picture and distribute.  There was a a booth by Turkish Cultural Attache, that had information about Turkish Government and Ataturk.
The only information about Turkey was in the panos that are shown in the attached photos (2009).  It was somewhat jarring to see Ataturk and Gulen side by side.  To us it is almost insulting, but for Americans that is not so important.  I still say “my view is, it created goodwill, interest among people about Anatolia (Turkey).”

Several weeks ago I asked the VP at Pacifica to include information about modern Turkey this time.  He said he will include some videos.

I do not have a chance to see it this year as I am out of town, although I was invited to the opening on Thursday.

M.

Ali  wrote:
> From the CD that Pacifica distributed from the last year’s event (You can get it from Pacifica, or you may borrow from me)
>     – There was no Turkish Flag seen in the CD, except for the one with the  Mehteran (Ottoman Millitary  Band).
>     – You could see Anitkabir behind the music stand.
>     – There was no word or representation of establishment of Modern Turkey. Even the Urartus (presumably Armenians), Greeks (Our very last invaders),  were there.
>
> I don’t want to believe that Turkish government gave ~$2M to an event that does not honor even mention the ones who risked and sacrificed their lives for the sake of today’s civilized society in Turkey. If it is true, what a poor choice it is.
> The Cultural Ministry of Republic of Turkey was shown among the sponsors in the flier last year. This year, it  is T.C. Basbakanlik Tanitma Fonu (The Republic of Turkey Representation Fund by the Prime Minister’s Office) among the sponsors.
>
> Kevonian is dead wrong! The timing is noting to do with Armenian Relocation (or the date of their alleged, so-called “Genocide” lies). I can easily create other more plausible theories for the timing than this one.
> It is just his reaction against anything related to Turks, Turkey, Turkic whatsoever. Turk/Turkish/Turkic is a  minor element of the event. I am sure he would re-visit his thinking (but still can lie) after he visit the festival. Actually he should.
> The Association of the  Istanbul Armenians has participated/co-sponsored the last year’s event. Their logo was on the flier. They seem not there this year. I guess because of the evident pressures from the Armenian diaspora.
>
> FYI
>Ali – Irvine, CA
>
>
> ————————————————————————
> *From:* M
>
> In Irvine (at old El Toro Marine Base, that was turned into a park)
>
> This Anatolian Culture and Food Festival is put together by Pacifica Institute (Gulen) .  It was supported by ~$2M of Turkish government money last year.  Last year it was at Costa Mesa fair grounds.
> Although it could be criticized because of its dephasisi of Ataturk and putting Gulen next to him, my view is it created goodwill, interest among people about Anatolia (Turkey).
>
> Oya wrote:
> > Which city???
> >
> > On Tue, May 4, 2010 at 11:26 PM, M>>> wrote:
> >
> >   
> >
> >
> >    Friday, April 30th, 2010 | Posted by Tamar Kevonian
> >        Losing the War
> >    BY TAMAR KEVONIAN
> >
> >    “…
> >
> >    The Turks have mastered the art of diversification. Their approach has
> >    gone beyond the scholarly and political arenas into the mass market
> >    where current perception and image matter much more than historical
> >    accuracy. Demonstrations, hunger strikes, marches, banquets and
> >    athletic events serve us by keeping the Armenian spirit alive within
> >    ourselves but make no inroads in the context of the society in which
> >    we live. We still have not managed to package ourselves in an outer
> >    layer that is appealing to our neighbors when all our outreach efforts
> >    to the masses center on the topic of our fight for Genocide
> >    recognition.
> >    It is no coincidence that the largest Turkish festival in the United
> >    States does not take place in a city with the largest Turkish
> >    community but in a part of the country with the largest Armenian
> >    community. It may be a consolation to think Armenians have them
> >    worried but in the popularity contest of public opinion, it seems we
> >    have fallen far behind and are losing the war.”