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Ankara University Scholar Ataov Speaks on Jewish Holocaust  June 9, 2008 / Washington, DC - The Assembly of Turkish American Associations and the American Turkish Association of Washington DC (ATA-DC) hosted a Turkish House Event with celebrated scholar, Professor Turkkaya Ataov, "The Jewish Holocaust and Armenian-Turkish Relations".
 Professor Ataov spoke on the Western roots of anti-semitism, stating that the Holocaust was the culmination of hatred against Jews since ancient times through the Crusades and Inquisitions. He noted that Crusaders practiced for the invasion of the Holy Land by massacres Jewish villages along the way. In Germany, anti-semitism permeated at all levels of society Jews were removed from all high positions and alienated.Ataov expressed, throughout the Eastern Roman and Byzantine Empires, the Armenians had been disbursed through Anatolia and into the Balkans. Their church had been rejected. In 1071 when the Turks defeated the Byzantines in the Battle of Manazgirt, the Armenians were an ally and welcomed the Turks, for they had been so severely oppressed by the Byzantines. In 1461, the Turks were the first to recognize the Armenian Gregorian Church. It permitted the Armenian Patriarchate to rule over the Ottoman Armenians. Ataov spoke of modern Turkish - Armenian history. He stated that in WWI, the West fought to advance the interests of imperialism under the cover of human rights and civilization. It incited the myriad of ethnic and religions groups that composed the multi-cultural Ottoman to separate from the Ottoman government and form their own tiny states. The Armenians fell prey to the interests of Russia, France and Britain.  Ataov express, "But! Even during the height of the Armenian Revolt in 1914-15, where no less than 100,000 Armenian Ottoman took up arms against the Ottoman Empire, the Ottoman Foreign Minister was Armenian, many Ottoman Ambassadors to European states were Armenian, and three Ottoman Ministers of State were Armenians, and dozens of Lt. Governors were of Armenian heritage."Ataov continued, "Not once did the Jews take up arms against Germany, whereas Armenians attacked Ottoman civilians, destroyed Ottoman military logistical support, assisted the Russian invasion, and even took over the city of Van, slaughtering at least 50,000 non-Armenians in March 1915 and handing the city over to the Russians. Ataov stated that the Jews were the victims of systematic extermination based on hatred. Regarding the Armenians, those in the Russian war zones were relocated between May - November 1915, as a security measure. Ataov referred the audience to a new study by Lt. Col. Edward Erikson, "The Armenians and Ottoman Military Policy, 1915", which states that the Armenian Revolt constituted a legitimate security threat. President Elect added that according to Erikson, the relocation of Ottoman Armenians was a military measure, not a political measure. |
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©Assembly
of Turkish American Associations Home of Turkish American Associations across U.S., Canada and Türkiye 1526 18th St, NW,Washington, DC 20036 Phone: (202) 483-9090, Fax: (202) 483-9092 E-mail: assembly@ataa.org, Website: www.ataa.org |