Turkish Hotel Denies Accomodation to 120 Children

When was the last time you heard of an Armenian hotel doing this? Then they say I'm biased!

Monaco Beach Hotel of Turkish Kemer was to accommodate the Moscow youth. But the busses with children and teens were going from one seaside resort to another till 6:00 p.m., as the children were banned from entering the hotel hall. The youngest of them were losing consciousness due to the lack of water.

...another reason of delay was the desire of hotel authorities to get $16,000 compensation for the previous group.

Filthy. Disgusting. Genuinely Turkish.

Source: Kommersant

German Hostages Freed in Turkey

The Kurdish group PKK has released three German hostages in Turkey.

The tourists were seized from their camp on Mount Ararat in Turkey's eastern Agri province on 9 July.

The PKK had vowed not to release them unless Germany renounced its crackdown on the group, defined as a terrorist organisation by the US, EU and Turkey.

My first observation is that climbers are indeed allowed on Mount Ararat, contrary to popular Armenian belief, and the other that the PKK is becoming a real thorn on Turkey's political ambitions.

Source: BBC News

Peace Artist Killed in Turkey

Yet another murder in a backwards society that seems to value the killing of those whose opinions are disagreeable.

The naked body of Giuseppina Pasqualino di Marineo, 33, known as Pippa Bacca, was found in bushes near the northern city of Gebze on Friday.

Ms di Marineo was hitch-hiking from Milan to Israel and the Palestinian Territories with a fellow artist on their "Brides on Tour" project.

She had said she wanted to show that she could put her trust in the kindness of local people.

What is there left to say? Even peace inspires murder in Turkey.

Source: BBC News

Hockey: Armenia 13, Turkey 1

I'm happy to announce yet another Armenian victory over Turkey, but this time in an unlikely sport.

After a clear-cut victory over the Republic of South Africa, the Armenian under-20 hockey team beat Turkey 13:1 within the framework of the World Hockey Championship.

It is due to mention that our team won over Turkey during a 2007 tournament as well. Presently, Armenia and Australia top the fixture list. Armenia will compete with New Zealand on January 20.

One wonders how Australia can be anywhere near the top in an ice-based game! Oh well, we won and that's all that matters.

Source: A1+

Turks Remember Hrant Dink

It seems like yesterday but it has indeed been more than a year since Hrant Dink was assassinated in Turkey. Here is an excerpt from a BBC article:

At a short ceremony led by Mr Dink's close friends and family, crowds of people marked his murder at 1457 (1257 GMT) on 19 January 2007 with a moment of silence outside the offices of the Agos newspaper.

The trial, which began in July, is being held behind closed doors because the alleged gunman, Ogun Samast, is 17 years old.

Mr Dink's family has accused the authorities of collusion, and the court is also considering allegations of a cover-up.

Shouldn't something as crucial as this trial, at least to Turkey's future as a member of the EU, be highly public so that the entire world can see whether justice is being served or merely covered up? This simply inspires more due suspicion from the Armenians, Turks, and the world at large.

Turkey Attacks Kurds, Again

Looks like Turkey is attempting to relive its glory days once again, the days when it attempted to eradicate entire communities for sport.

Fighter planes attacked positions held by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in a 35-minute raid, the army said.

Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Levent Bilman told the BBC the United States "supplied actionable intelligence" for that operation.

Besides the healthy dose of bullshit present in the article as well as the entire conflict, the level of patriotism over U.S.-made weapons at the control of barbarians is also laughable. Frankly, I await the day when Turkey is no longer a strategic ally of the United States and is forced to return to its not-so-distant caveman past.

Source: BBC News

HayEli - Black 24

The sometimes-hypocritical HayEli brings us this latest curse-filled song. I must say, I love it.

If you're at work, be warned that there is a lot of appropriate cursing in the video.

Turkey to Change Article 301 Laws

This certainly won't bring Hrant Dink back nor return to Orhan Pamuk the time he lost overseas.

Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said a new bill would be put before the Turkish parliament in the coming days. The law, known as Article 301, bans perceived insults to Turkish identity or the country's institutions.

It has often been invoked by nationalists against those who argue the Ottoman empire committed genocide against Armenians. Earlier on Tuesday the European Commission said restrictions on freedom of expression were blocking Turkey's progress towards EU membership.

No, the Turks haven't decided to be decent: they just want to be a part of the EU really, really badly.

Source: BBC

Victory for Armenians: Genocide Bill Passes First Step!

Earlier Bush had this to say, but it seems his even his superior persuasive skills could not prevent the bill from moving forward!

It passed through the House Foreign Affairs Committee by 27 votes to 21 - the first step towards holding a vote in the House of Representatives.

After the vote, the US Undersecretary of State, Nicholas Burns, told the BBC that the Bush administration was "deeply disappointed".

Of course, there was predictable opposition from some, especially the anti-Armenian Jewish members of Congress:

"We have to weigh the desire to express our solidarity with the Armenian people... against the risk that it could cause young men and women in the uniform of the United States armed services to pay an even heavier price than they are currently paying," he said.

That was said by Tom Lantos, a Holocaust survivor and chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Source: BBC News

Bush Urges Against Armenian Genocide Resolution

I haven't blogged for a while, but what better time to restart than now?

"This resolution is not the right response to these historic mass killings," he said hours before a vote by the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

It is highly unusual for the White House to make such a dramatic last-minute intervention in Congressional business...

With the opposition Democrats now in charge in Congress, they could force a vote, dealing a potentially grave blow to the Bush administration's efforts to keep Turkey on side...

By the way, this story is the top story on BBC right now. Obviously Bush knows how close it is to getting passed and is doing everything he can to prevent that from happening.

Source: BBC News

Video: Turkish Children Circumcised by Butchers

I don't normally post things of this nature, but this video shocked me so much that I decided to publish it anyway. Here is the caption:

50 Turkish children from poor families were circumcised in a butchers in Geyve, north western Turkey on Monday, an event organised and paid for by Geyve Municipality. The children were lain down on a bench in the butcher's and circumcised one by one.

If you doubt the butcher claim, have a look at the surroundings: it's a market and the signs and writings in the video prove it.

I must warn you, this video is EXTREMELY GRAPHIC and contains mature content. If you feel you may be offended by barbaric violence, some nudity, and other reprehensible content, please DO NOT watch.



Please leave your reactions in the comments area.

The Funny & Pathetic Turks

Click to enlarge.

It seems every month there is a funny Turk story taking place and this one is no exception. Sure, it may be over two years old, but the sheer stupidity portrayed deserves an audience. In case you are wondering, here are the details:

Turkish demonstration in Washington on April 24, the 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide. You can see from the picture the outrageously ahistorical character of their claims: 3 million Turks were killed by Armenians and Greeks? This is the inversion of history. I suppose soon we will advance from Holocaust denial to the claim that Jews killed six million Germans.

There is a serious side to this, of course: that of misinformation, revision of history, and so on. Regardless, I ask all of you to look at the other side, the side which shows every single pathetically uneducated Turk making a fool of himself and herself in Washington D.C. under the guise of patriotic duty. One thing's for sure, it's utterly funny and pathetic!

Source: JihadWatch.org

Possible Imprisonment for Hrant Dink's Son

Will the madness ever stop?

The Istanbul prosecutor office urges up to 3 years of imprisonment for Arat Dink, the son of Hrant Dink. An action against Agos editor Arat Dink and his fellow Sargis Serobyan was brought for a repeated publication of Hrant Dink’s interview where he recognized the Armenian Genocide.

"The most absurd and dangerous is the fact that describing a historical event as 'genocide' is perceived as insulting Turkishness," Arat Dink said.

Absurd isn't quite the word I'd use to describe the laws and lack of freedoms in Turkey!

Source: PanArmenian

Turkey Signs $1.78 Billion Deal With United States

$1.78 billion is nearly one third of Armenia's 2006 GDP. Three guesses as to what is being bought. Got it? No?

NATO member Turkey signed a $1.78 billion deal on May 11 to buy 30 F-16 fighter jets from U.S.-based Lockheed Martin Corp as part of an ambitious program to modernize its armed forces. Under the agreement, the aircraft will be produced, assembled, tested and delivered by Turkish aerospace firm Tusas in Ankara...

In its biggest ever procurement project, Turkey signed a memorandum of understanding in January to buy 100 F-35 joint strike fighters worth nearly $10.7 billion from 2014 under a program led by Lockheed Martin.

Turkey is obviously on a buying spree. Even though the planes will be assembled in Turkey, the United States will benefit handsomely from this deal. Once more, the military gap between Turkey and Armenia widens.

This is one of the reasons that the United States has not officially recognized the Armenian Genocide. If you were on the supplying end of billions of dollars worth of defense equipment and a friend of an important NATO country in a strategic location, would you do anything to jeapordize that relationship? Forget morality, this is business and politics.

Source: DefenseNews

Video: Adam Schiff Questioning Condoleezza Rice About Armenian Genocide

Congressman Adam Schiff questioning Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice regarding the State Department's efforts to defeat legislation recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on State-Foreign Operations - March 21, 2007

April 24th

In about four hours it will be April 24th in Armenia. To those unaware, the 24th of April is the day that Armenians the world over remember and mourn the 1,500,000 who were brutally and systematically killed by Turkey. Their only crime? Being Armenian.

Take the day to remember our ancestors and the near destruction of our race. Equally important, think about how you will make a difference as one person. Will you educate? Will you inform? Will you protest? How will you do your part as an Armenian to make sure that such a devastating tragedy does not repeat once more to Armenians or any other group of people on Earth? Look at the past, think about the future.

Blogging will resume on the April 25th.

Photo by Onnik Krikorian

German Turks Support Genocide Recognition

You certainly don't see this everyday.

On the initiative of "Union against Genocide" an event will be organized in Frankfurt April 24, dedicated to the Armenian Genocide. Organizers demand to proclaim April 24 as a universal mourning day for all nations of Turkey.

"Immigrants from Turkey feel great sorrow concerning the fact, that today genocides, which took place 92 years ago and were committed between 1915-23 towards Christian nations of the Ottoman Empire with the aim to exterminate them, are being denied."

To clarify, this is a call for Turkey to recognize all of its genocides: against Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians, and others.

Source: PanArmenian

How [NOT] To: Armenian Genocide Protest

One day out of the entire year motivates Armenians to get off their butts and do something for their people: April 24th. On the 24th of every April, Armenians the world over - but especially in the Los Angeles area - take to the streets to protest the Turkish embassy for recognition of the Genocide. The younger generation especially goes out to protest.

If you're planning on doing the same, I have some tips for you:

1. April 24th is not a happy day. In fact, it marks the tortures and deaths of over 1,500,000 of our ancestors. Understand this thoroughly.
2. Don't wear your latest hot pink top or fluffy mini skirt to the protest. This isn't your bachelorette party, it's a solemn occasion. Ask yourself, "Can I wear this to a funeral?" If the answer is no, then pick something else. You will have 364 other days in that year to wear what you want.
3. April 24th is not an invitation to flirt or act like an idiot: you are there to remember those who have passed and protest to get our Genocide recognized. Laughing, playfully hitting some Armenian guy/girl, yapping on your cell phone, and in general acting like a moron is not fine. Leave your normal tendencies behind on that day, because it's not about you.
4. Turn down your music. We notice your 20" rims and limousine tint, even if we can't make out what car you're driving because of the 293 flags that you have on it. We get it: you care about the cause. Blasting Tupac so loud that people in China can hear you? Uh, no. Also, don't endanger the lives of everyone on the road: we protest to honor those who have passed and to make sure they are not forgotten, not to create a path of carnage with our cars.
5. Related to number 4, leave your fancy crap at home. Why do people attend with their LV purses, $500 cell phones, fancy jewelry, expensive clothing, and other obviously extra items? I'm not saying go to it naked, but leave your crap at home: this isn't show and tell.

If I sound a little bitter, it's because I am. Every year I see this and every year it seems to get worse. I understand: you're too young and not very bright. Kudos to you for deciding to dedicate one day out of your life to a cause greater than your own, but don't use it as an excuse to make a mockery out of everything we're fighting for. When the day comes that the Armenian Genocide is universally recognized - and that day will come - you can crash random funerals in your Infiniti G35 blasting 50 Cent - acting like and wearing whatever you please. Until then, please reconsider.

Added Note: Some people misunderstand the last two sentences. I am not suggesting that it is okay to continue with this behavior after the Genocide is recognized, because after that point - and even now - the main point of going to memorials, whether in Yerevan or Montebello or elsewhere, is to remember and mourn those who have passed. The ending is meant to be sarcastic.

Turkey Refuses Cross on Akhtamar Church

Remember the Holy Cross Church on Akhtamar Island? Sure you do! We've covered it here, here, and here. If that doesn't refresh your memory, on opening day it was the only Armenian church surrounded by Turkish flags. Oh, and there was another problem.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has rejected the proposal of Patriarch of Constantinople Mesrob Mutafyan to hoist a cross on the Holy Cross Church on Akhtamar island.

"There is not a cross even at Hagia Sofia Temple, since it’s a museum. The Church on Akhtamar will also function as a museum and hoisting a cross on its dome would be a wrong step," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

If you look at the links above, it is clear that Turkey is using a historic Armenian church to exploit tourist dollars. The restoration was shoddy and before massive protests, the slated opening date was to be April 24th. And now, they're removed basically all symbols of Armenia and Christianity in the name of it being a museum.

It is clear to anyone with half a brain that Turkey is being anti-Christian and anti-Armenian. Anyone who buys into the "Turks extending an olive branch" argument is either half-brained or just Turkish.

Source: PanArmenian

Turks Block Rwanda Genocide Exhibit...Why?

Oh my, you're going to love this one.

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) sharply condemned the Turkish government for blocking the opening of a United Nations exhibit on the Rwanda Genocide due to an indirect mention of the Armenian Genocide in one of the exhibit's display panels.

... the United Nations, bowing to Turkish protests, has delayed the opening of the exhibit...

Ahem. What does one say to this? I'm tired of repeatedly pointing out Turkish and Azerbaijani stupidity, whether at the highest levels of government or elsewhere.

Source: Yerkir