You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Europe
Turkey stumbles on WWI genocide
2006-10-01
FRENCH President Jacques Chirac has urged Turkey overnight to recognise World War I-era massacres of Armenians as genocide if it wants to join the European Union. Mr Chirac was speaking during a visit to the Armenian capital Yerevan, and his comments were likely to irritate Turkey and put a further strain on its relations with France.

He told a news conference Turkey needed to face up to its Ottoman past in response to a question on the nation's EU ambitions. Asked if he thought Turkey should recognize the 1915-1917 massacres as genocide before it joins the EU, the French president replied: "Honestly, I believe so."

"All countries grow up acknowledging their dramas and their errors," said Mr Chirac, who is on a two-day visit to Armenia, where he paid homage to Yerevan's "genocide" memorial and attended the inauguration of a "France Square" in central Yerevan.
Posted by:Oztralian

#12  And iff ANTI-SECULAR Radical Iran takes over the whole of the ME-Asia Minor, is a SECUALR + SUNNI HOLOCAUST possible???
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2006-10-01 23:34  

#11  Turkey is occupying a piece of Europe, specifically northern Cyprus. They aren't worthy.
Posted by: Snease Shaiting3550   2006-10-01 21:23  

#10  Look! Isn't that Morgan Fairchild?...
Posted by: Jise Ebbump7503   2006-10-01 14:00  

#9  Source: www.armeniapedia.org

Musa Dagh (Dagh is Turkish for mountain) or Musa Ler (Ler is Armenian for mountain) is a small mountain on the Mediterranean coast, today on the Turkish side of the Turkish-Syrian border. The Armenian villagers put up a famous defense of their lives, which was immortalized in the best-selling fictionalized? account by Franz Werfel, The Forty Days of Musa Dagh.

The true events are the inhabitants of six villages on the slopes of Musa Dagh, chose to resist in 1915 and set up fortifications on the mountain. For 53 days they repelled onslaughts by Turkish troops until French sailors sighted a banner the Armenians had tied to a tree on the mountain emblazoned with the words: “Christians in Distress: Rescue.” French and British naval ships then evacuated some 4,200 men, women and children from Musa Dagh to Port Said in Egypt. From there groups of these refugees settled in different places, and many returned after WWI, only to leave permanently in 1939 when this area was transferred from Syria to Turkey. Today, only the tiny village of Vakifli remains Armenian on Musa Ler. In fact, this is the only Christian Armenian village left anywhere in Turkey.

Many of those who were resettled after the handover to the Turks, were moved to Anjar village in Lebanon. This village remains almost wholly Armenian today. Others settled in Musa Ler Village in Armenia, just minutes west of Yerevan. There is a memorial built in the village, and each year 40 huge pots of Harisa are cooked on the anniversary of the escape to celebrate, and shared free with any visitors to their village.
Posted by: RD   2006-10-01 12:06  

#8  The Turks aren't Arabs and they haven't any oil. Finally, instead of demanding that Europe accomodate their least whims, they are willing to change to accomodate Europe's demands. Of course Bully Jack isn't going to kowtow to them.
Posted by: trailing wife   2006-10-01 11:57  

#7  After reading the Fjordman article in the opinion page, I find it hard to believe that Chirac has the balls to say anything so confrontational to one of his future masters.
Posted by: Proud Southern Son   2006-10-01 10:56  

#6  I'm curious, what's the Official EU cut-off date for doing baaaad things?

I'm not defending Turkey by any means, but shit, the Eurochumps have as much to answer for, themselves. Get Carla suited up, there's plenty of fish to be fried bored to death - and some are much closer to home...
Posted by: .com   2006-10-01 03:48  

#5  
the topic is rightous, but the messenger? E-GAD what an irritating pissant..

Jacques-strap pisse fourmi.
Posted by: RD   2006-10-01 01:29  

#4  Bah! Of course, that should read, "The 20th Century's First Genocide".
Posted by: Zenster   2006-10-01 01:07  

#3  Just like Hamas and its recognition of Israel, Turkey's admission of complicity in the 1915-1917 Armenian genocide must also be a prerequisite to any possible EU admittance.

For those of you unfamiliar with this sad page of history, please consider reading Franz Werfel's book, "The Forty Days of Musa Dagh". It is a stirring fictional yet accurate account of how 5,000 Armenians led by a handful of trained officers held off overwhelming Turkish military forces for over a month through harrowing assaults, desperate heartbreaks and surprise victories.

This is a disturbing narration of what would eventually become known as "The 21st Century's First Genocide". It served as a template for the impending Jewish Holocaust and even Adolph Hitler was recorded as having remarked:

"Afterall, who today speaks of the annihilation of the Armenians?"

From the following source:

Albert Miller, "Neue Zurcher Zeitung", May 5, 1979

I have laid flowers at Yerevan's Genocide Memorial. It is a somber stone enclosure encircling an eternal flame. Almost a century later, Turkish denial of the genocide is a fresh, rankling wound in Armenia's collective consciousness. As I have become more aware, in this post 9-11 era, of Muslim atrocities and the imperious manner in which they are conducted, I have a much deeper appreciation for exactly why Armenia is so unforgiving and unforgetting.

Holocaust denial appears to be a particularly favorite sport of Islam's genocidal fascists. Those who are fond of participating in this grisly and mendacious pastime have long outlived any usefulness in modern society.
Posted by: Zenster   2006-10-01 01:05  

#2  The statement took Le Balls.
Posted by: newc   2006-10-01 00:44  

#1  Turks are not Arabs, if they were Chirac would spare no effort to get them in to the EU asap on in kissing their rear ends.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom   2006-10-01 00:22  

00:00