BY GAREN YEGPARIAN
No, this is not about living room footrests.
Nor is it about the so-called “neo-Ottomanism” of Turkey’s Foreign Minister Davutoghlu.
It is about an UNBROKEN tradition of Ottoman (possibly even earlier Turkish, but still at least terminologically stolen, er, borrowed from the Persians) origin.
Who knew that the Ottoman Military Marching Band, “Mehter Takimi”, still existed? Further, it seems its core was comprised of the janissaries (yeneecheree, and more on this later). After that bloody corps was eliminated, this traditional marching band, one of the earliest in history, almost disappeared. Its revival commenced in 1911, SURVIVED THE TRANSITION FROM OTTOMAN TO REPUBLICAN TURKEY, and since 1953 (in “celebration” of the fall of Constantinople to the Turks) has been fully reconstituted as a band of the Turkish Armed Forces. Most of this is from WikipediA.
Isn’t it interesting that the core of Kemal Ataturk’s “republic”, the armed forces, are maintaining the band of a state with which the current Turkish state doesn’t easily associate itself, for obvious genocidal reasons in all likelihood?
Even worse, the janissaries, in their day, were among the most egregious murderers of Armenians and other non-Moslems in the Ottoman Empire. You’ll remember they were an elite corps composed of the children of murdered Christians whose children were raised as extremist Moslems.
So why this issue now? Well, this latter-day representative of murderers is coming to town, for the SECOND time, on October 3. They have pulled a permit from the City of Los Angeles to march and perform along Hollywood Boulevard starting at Highland. They (35 individuals according to the permit) plan to assemble at 4:00 pm, start marching at 4:30, end at 6:15, and disband (no pun intended) at 6:30.
This is a despicable thing. It is occurring during Armenian culture month, and just before the visit to the area by Catholicos Aram. It is occurring in one of the biggest concentrations of Armenians living in the LA basin. It is “related to the Anatolian Cultures & Food Festival in Costa Mesa” according to the permit—yet another manifestation of Turkish theft of indigenous culture. Plus, as mentioned above, this would be the marching band’s second appearance in the area this year, the first having been in April at the festival when it performed. Clearly, I shamefully missed being aware of that one.
It is important, terribly so, to give these representatives of Turkey and its government an unwelcoming greeting they’ll never forget! Who remembers our success two decades ago when the Red Army Band’s performance at the Shrine Auditorium was cancelled by the organizers because of our demonstration? Something like that is what we need.
It would be even better if the permit were revoked! It a failure of our community that such a permit was issued without our awareness and input. But now, our organizations must make every effort to prevent this event from becoming a success. Otherwise, we will be in a situation comparable to early- and mid-1980s New York City. Back then, the Turks, using “Children’s Day” (a legitimate holiday in Turkey, falling on April 23)as their cover, started organizing a parade, which is now annual and draws thousands, providing that genocidal state lots of positive publicity. Let’s not allow October 3, 2011 to become the wedge that creates a similar situation in Los Angeles.
Also, the Pacifica Institute, about whom I’ve written before, and which may well be connected to Turkey’s Gulen movement, and which is involved in constituting charter schools in the U.S. to spread Turkish propaganda, is a sponsor of the food festival.
Some may wonder why we should care about a mere manifestation of Turkish culture, which is the way organizers are passing this off (based on the press releases on their website). Aside from the obvious fact that culture is often used as a political tool, I always remember Leo Sarkissian’s admonition that our policy had always been: if it’s local Turks conducting an activity, that’s one thing; if it is a state-based group from Turkey, then we respond.
Clearly, Mehter Takim meets the second criterion. Let’s get to work and not let the Turkish government achieve another propaganda coup.
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Why you can put aside all your hatred bag. This is United States not Armenia. This a multicultural pot. We welcomed both you and Turks. If you do not want fruits of multiculturalism then you are more than welcome to leave US to any other place which does not allow such things
I bet you would say this to a Nazi musical chappela too, wouldn’t you? After all, thats multiculturalism. Also, a festival of the worst of the worst of ultranationalist states is not what America is about, “Michael”. Try again.
Do you think musicians are warriors, Basilius???
According to your thoughts, CDs are arms :)))
Live concerts are battleships :))))
Hey Volkan;
Your Ottoman musicians use to beat their drums to signal the killing of Armenians and calling your murderers together. Outside of our villages, ransacking, raping,killing, stealing, putting our dauthers iinto your harems, etc., you don’t get it do you?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esrhR38IJgw
here is a video of the Turkish Military Band. they are blood thirsty!!.
According to a famous “poem” that primeri lider Erdogan a minaret is a bayonett, the roof of a mosque is a helmet and believers are soldiers. Why shouldn’t CDs be arms? In Germany thr postnazi party is spreading their CDs in schools. So in a way, yes you can say that is a kind of warfare.
However I never said they were arms, I can’t see one word that
implies that. It obviously hit the spot though, this whole warriors thing was your idea.
I recomend to you history of the turkish ottoman empire by Joseph von Hammer. There you can see the reasons for genocide and all. It was the first and last time turks did that, they ruled you for 500 years, if they did that all the time then there would be no armenians, georgians, serbs, bulgarians, hungarians, romanians, greeks, list goes on and on. Yet all of them live.
Dont be butthurt
Michael,
I know Garen Yegparian very well. He does not have a “hatred bag.”
Peter (My real name)
There is no question that the Pacifica Institute is a Gulenist organization. Read this 9/2008 Wikileaks cable out of the US Consulate in Istanbul about the first Anatolian Festival event in 2009:
http://wikileaks.org/cable/2008/09/08ISTANBUL487.html
Excerpt: “The [Pacifica Institute] organizers readily acknowledged being affiliated with the Gulen Movement.”
Students from the Gulen movement’s Magnolia Science Academy charter schools are being indoctrinated with pan-Turkism and were taken on field trips to the 2009 event. Since that time, one more Gulen charter school, Pacific Technology School-Santa Ana, was opened in SoCal. I expect those students will attend the festival this year.
Speaking of the Pacifica Institute we should also look into the Accord institute and there phony consultation firm. Which milks out about a million dollars a year from the charter schools.
These organizations are financed through the arm of the charter schools. It is not just California but in 25 different states. Just to give you some idea where dollars are going….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6XcVpk8hXY
Sonoran Science Academy dba Daisy Education of Arizona tried to take control of the Mukopu STEM school in Hawaii. When they failed twice to negotiate the terms they used the Pacifica institute to lobby and to wine and dine the Hawaiian politicians to influence there decision into letting them have that charter school. To the extent a free trip (bribe) to Turkey was offered. Your tax dollars creatively laundered to spread Turkish indoctrination and propaganda all over the country.
In this festival, Roman and Byzantine period as well as the Turkish period are represented well. How does this become indoctrination in lines of pan-Turkism? Many local schools did field trips to the festival. If there is anything misrepresented, do talk about it; otherwise, do your own version of ‘indoctrination.”
You call Turks a nation of mass murderers. Does this mean that we have to see and treat every Turk as a murderer? What is the end result of calling Turks a nation of mass murderers. Since when has it become our tradition to judge certain nations by what their ancestors did?
There is not, proved in record, a single case of indoctrination or propaganda in the so-called Gulen charter schools; yet, most of the people posting here are acting purely anti-Turkish without any evidence in hand. Israelis organize similar trips to Israel; Italians do cultural trips to Italy, Prague gets visitors through cultural trips. When the Turks do the same thing, it becomes propaganda and indoctrination.
The only field trips were the Gulen Managed charter schools via expensive bus transportation…the Magnolia Science Academy. .
If there is NO proven (not spelling) issues of “Turkification” or “Turkocentric” emphasis in teaching at the Gulen Managed charter schools. Why the Turkish Olympiads? Why the Turkish Food? Classes in Turkish Character (snicker giggles), Turkish this Turkish that…oh there is PLENTY of proof. You just don’t have the guts or courage to admitt it. Each of you are SO ashamed to be followers you deny as HocaEfendi teaches you “to guard secrecy as you guard your chastity”
BTW sorry about the Louisana school that was taken back by the school district because of bribes, ethnicity bias and all the charges from American teachers of discrimination. Stop sugar coating and throwing the blame elsewhere your straw man argumentation will NOT WORK.
For your Harmony schools alone you have spent over $6 million dollars in the last 3 years on Travel Expenses. It is becuase you are co-mingling American Educational funds with your agenda. If you had PRIVATE schools as you do in most of the European countries – no one would give a s**t, I say you should have a thousand private Turkish schools in the USA if you want……it’s when you dip into OUR money that it becomes problamatic.
Until you can start addressing these issues honestly, you will continue to be denied expansion like in HI, Tenn, Colorado, LA, SC and elsewhere.
Just heard about the denial of the private Turkish school in Tyrol, Austrial…So sorry but it is obvious what you are doing with your world wide Turkish Olympiads.
Stop the lying.
I don’t judge Turks by what their ancestors did. Problem is why does Turkey HONOR these mass murderers? See my post below. Guess its ok if they are Christian “infidels” or “gavurs.”.
Turkey honor mass murderers ? If Turks were mass murderers , you and many minorities lived uder Turkish rule 400-600 years, how come you expect being alive after all ? You can not rule an empire in middle age to new age for over 600 years on the most demanded lands with 30+ minorities, 3 big religions with mass murdering mind !! If you still claim so, you should give another example to enlighten us!! Ottomans had a great management style as compared to its ages,. Instead of claiming a 1.5 million mass killings, you better explain how your total population was 1.2 million in 1914 ccording to official ottoman census!!
Armenians should give out flyers at the parade to make people aware of what the sick Janissaries and their sick masters were all about.
The Pacifica Insitute without a doubt is part of the Gulen NGO networks, it shares the same building with the Accord Insitute which serves as a management arm of the West Coast based Gulen Charter Schools (AZ, CA, NV, UT) which in turn unbrella under Pacifica, Magnolia Education Foundation, etc., Pacfica works with the Gulen Institute giving Hizmet seminars at Universities, putting on Festivals, and visiting with local, state and Federal politicians (where they have little luck on the West Coast because you Armenians are politically savvy)
Very few West Coast politicians have taken the offer of “free” Turkey trips. Accord Insitute charges per student for management, training and consultation – many school districts are debating just exactly what the schools are getting for this fee.
Then there is the service groups that are created to suck more money out of the school districts as described in the NY Times Article by pulitzer prize winning writer Stephanie Saul.
Americans are cut out of jobs as they hire unqualifed members of their group to teach brought in on fraudulent H1- B visas that they charge to educational expenses but many of these Gulen Schools have had to pay back (UT, OH, AZ)
This “group” forms businesses for food catering for the school lunches, janitorial businesses, Turkish construction companies to build the schools, the uniforms are made by Turkish Textile companies usually under Gulen’s TUSKON Business group in Turkey, even the costumes worn at the many Turkish Olympiads are supplied by “their group” no others need to apply or bid.
The contests where the students win their awards are owned and heavily sponsored by the Gulen / Turkish groups. The schools then slam the internet with their media machine (Today’s Zaman, Fountain Publishing, ERBU TV) how the schools are award winning, “exemplary” “taught by Turkish Scholars” (blah blah)
These Schools are interlinked with one another and with a Gulen NGO, many have taught at the various schools throughout the USA. Currently they are under investigation by the FBI, for money laundering, h1-b Visa fraud, mismanagement of educational funds, and other RICO racketeering charges.
Their worst behavior is paying a “Turkish” teacher more money then having them sign a Tuzuk contract whereby they must donate 40% back to the Gulen NGOs. In short, your Educational Tax money pays for the Turkish Lobbying, and other activities. As you know Gulen IS the AKP ruling party of Turkey which recently has abused their journalists by jailing over 50 of them who dare speak about Gulen controlled Turkey in their book “imam ordusu” (imam’s army)
They are abusing the human rights of decent turkish people who want to live in a secular democratic country that is more westernized.
http://www.gulenpoliticians.blogspot.com
http://www.magnoliascienceacademy.blogspot.com
http://www.GulenTurkishOlympiad.blogspot.com
You seem to be a robot just programmed to hate “some” people. If you really believe what you write, I advice you to observe those people a few steps closer, and meet them. Do not re-tell as a parrot but build up your own and original thougts, please…
Volkan where was there hate in that posting, it was just factual. Isn’t this the Gulen way to attack the “person” rather than the argument? Just like the jailing of the Turkish Journalists. Is this what you plan on teaching American children at your new Harmony School of Politicial Science and Communication? I just wonder how long America is going to allow you to get away with this?
http://www.harmonyparenttruth.blogspot.com
Volkan, sadly the only robots or sheep are those that blindly follow a cult and a fake prophet with a 5th grade education. So do you think you will ever see any of the $52 Billion that the TUSKON group, Gulen Movement enterprises worldwide are estimated to be worth? The answer is “no” and you will never restore the Ottoman Empire in Turkey.
Going back in time is a sad pathetic thing. Your cult should try moving forward with progress instead of regress.
lodge objections imediatly warn local goverment of the dangers of rioting if they take responsibility on paper then tell them to go ahead.however you will see once u pass onthe responibility on them they will cancel the permit
Why do you Armenians have to display your fear of Turks all the time?
One word, “genocide” and a country that HONORS these mass-murderers & having street names after them TODAY in Turkey.
Turkish Daily News 5 Aug 1996
ISTANBUL- A state funeral was held in Istanbul Sunday for Enver Pasha (1881-1922), the mercurial and tempestuous leader of the Young Turks revolution and a member of the triumvirate that ruled the Ottoman Empire during World War I. In military ceremonies, attended by President Suleyman Demirel, ministers, deputies and Turkey’s top generals, authorities buried the remains of the Ottoman general and former war minister, returned to Turkey Saturday from Tajikistan, at the Hrriyet-i Ebediye Tepesi, a memorial hill in the Caglayan district.
“Enver Pasha, with his faults and merits, is an important symbol of our recent history. We have no doubt that history will reach the proper judgements through evaluating past events,” President Suleyman Demirel said, adding that Enver Pasha’s separation from his home country and exile had come to an end. State Minister Abdullah Gul said that Enver Pasha was a general who had died along with thousands of others, thus attaining the status of a martyr, while fighting to unite all Muslim and Turkic countries in Asia. “We will build a monument on the spot where Enver Pasha’s grave used to be,” he said. The hill contains an impressive monument 12 meters high commemorating the 1908 Young Turks revolution that restored the constitution and ended the absolute monarchy in the Ottoman Empire as well as the tombs of many of the leaders of the Committee of Union and Progress, the political group that ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1900-1918.”
well said gary S.
Its not fear as much as disgust. As the people that have lived next to you most of the time since you learned speaking actual languages, we know you better than anyone else. Which is the reason we are disgusted everytime you show up. But no fear, living in Germany, I see that Europeans start to understand your nature better every day. And they are, with one word, disgusted.
Who’s afraid? If any one should be afraid, it should be the Turks who DENY their own past along with your Azeri brothers who lost a war against the same people you lightly refer to as “afraid”. If you seek to find fear, look among your own people!
We are the people who have the likes of Hrant Dink, who your government cowardly murdered. Despite legitimate threats to his life, Dink courageously spoke the truth about the GENOCIDE and paid the ultimate price.
The truth is, you & your government are afraid of us in the Diaspora because you’ve seen what our people in Armenia, Artsakh, and Turkey are capable of and you know there are millions more of us throughout the world!
Fear is your opinion. We don’t fear Turks, we just don’t trust them. They haven’t given us a reason to.
Solution: Armenians with musical instruments show up and drown out their music. Turkey is fond of creating provocations in Los Angeles. It is time to begin asking the Department of State to make the city off limits to Turkish diplomats for the sake of inter-communal peace.
Blah Blah Blah….
Perhaps we should bring in the Yahuddis, Assyrians, Lebanese, Pontic Greeks, Cypriot Greeks, Balkans, Serbians, Austrians, Greeks and the other long list of ethnic groups victimized by the Ottoman?
Ahmet we don’t fear you, we want to remind the world about the bloody Ottoman. There are many decent Turks that don’t identify with the terrible black eye that the Ottoman era has given modern Turks. Up to and including being shunned by most European countries.
For a country that forbids historical study prior to 1923 it is interesting that this Gulen group chooses to restore the (Golden Generation he calls it) Ottoman Empire mentality. We all know what happened to that Empire, as most empires fall.
Michael: (such a nice made up American name) we don’t hate you, we hate the ideology of the Ottoman mentality. If you respected justice and freedom you (along with the majority of Turkey) would resent this as well. Only 7% of the population of Turkey follow Hocaefendi Fetos.
This is why Gulen had to flee Turkey for his anti-secular speeches, he now remains under seclusion in his 30 acre compound in the Poconos, PA area. Many Turks believe he is protected by the CIA and used as an agitator against the arrogance of the current AKP party.
This same regime is responsible for jailing over 60 Turkish Journalists as the poster above indicated as well as trying to overtake the Turkish Military. Always a scandal or drama in Turkey, yesterday it was “Sledgehammer” today it is “Ergenekon”
Get a permit for the same day and follow right in behind them. Only in larger numbers and better equipment. Have members pass out leaflets and flyers with information about the truth of what they are all about and there history to the spectators. The money they collect a large portion does end up being wired back to Turkey to support there government. When you support any function of the Pacifica institute or the Gulen Movement you are supporting human right violations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4VfuKYraTc
Free Speech is Not a Crime !! Boycott & Protest !! all business and functions supported this group.
Only 7% support Gulen in Turkey? Disillusion…. It is the Gulen movement that got Erdogan 50% of the votes in the last election in 2011. He is a beloved Turkish nationalist in Turkey.
By the way, your hatred and fear towards Turks is wearing you out, day by day. Be aware of it…
I am not sure where or why you are talking numbers and voting here. But to answer your question , if you really want my opinion I guess it is because 43% of dead Turks are still voting in Turkey.
More Blah Blah Blah…
Kel;
Is that all the better you can do? Or is that your intellectual capacity? Oops Sorry I thought you were a Turkish Scholar of some sort.
It is estimated there are only 7-10 million people worldwide that follow Gulen and his expansionistic ideology “you must work into the arteries of the system until you reach all power centers”<——-the speech that got your "hocaefendi" exiled out of Turkey. The problem is, in Turkey his followers have followed this direction from Fetos by infiltrating and controlling the media, politics, judicary system, police, education and now the final struggle for control of the Turkish Military (good luck with that one) This same model is being attempted here in the USA and elsewhere.
So I stand on my number, Gulen is not well respected or wanted in Turkey otherwise he would have returned back to his homeland. He controls Turkey from America while using our democtratic priniciples against us. Who ever said that the elections in Turkey were clean and not rigged?
Ahmet I don't hate you or any other Turk, many of you have Armenian Ethnicity just like famous Turkish Attorney Fethiye Cetin who discovered her beloved grandmother was an Armenian orphan. I know there was some good Turkish people who saved Armenians and our orphans from certain death. But then there are the ones that bought into the black propaganda from the corrupt "young Turks" who branded Armenians as "traitors", creating an enemy out of the indigenous people who built what the world today calls ROT – Republic of Turkey est 1923 who changed the name of our beloved Constaniople to Istanbul and stole our St. Hagia Sofia Church and shamelessly turned it into a Mosque and later into a museum.
But I do want to thank your country for finally recognizing the seized and stolen property from non-Islamic groups and agreeing to return these properties to us. Lets hope you keep your word and get back some respect from the world for the past black eye that the Ottomans have given you.
Not sure why your group would want to honor a band from the Ottoman Era (they actually wear authenic Ottoman costumes) since it was this era that continues to remind the world of your negative side.
You should use your energy and time to show the world the new face of a democratic Turkey and not the same ole junk of terrorizing Kurds and demanding that Israel give you an apology for invading their waters and playing bully of the Bosphorus.
These kind of tactics will continue to backfire on Turkey and it's people.
Stop the nonsense and Turkifying of American Children, teaching them Turkish language, Turkish Singing, Turkish dancing is fascist and Turkocentric brand of teaching. This is the same treatment my grandparents had to endure while living under the Ottoman Yoke and Sword.
This will not be tolerated in America, the land of the free and the home of the brave.
@Micheal It’s not a multicultural pot, it’s a melting pot, you’ve got your adage wrong and thus your whole argument. I don’t get it, are you really pretending to me an American while saying things like “hatred bag?”
@Ahmet, Is that a rhetorical question? because there is a clear and simple answer to it. For example, you would ask in your broken english, “Why do you Armenians have to display your fear of Turks all the time?” and you would get the response “because the Turks raped and massacred the Armenian people.” Just because we’re afraid doesn’t mean that we won’t fight and win. Either way, I’m betting from the quality of your comment that you’re the same person as Micheal. I’m glad you changed your name to Ahmet since you don’t know how to spell Michael. Maybeh yea chood lev your hatered bag someplace.
I was going to wait to wait for my responses to pass moderation but I just could not sleep knowing the condition of the journalists. Ahmet, Micheal, and the rest of Gulen’s worshipers. Watch this video again.
Then pause the last frame and stare into that man’s face. Burn that image into your mind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4VfuKYraTc
I am tired of your cult coming to my blogs and infesting the comments with how wonderful your culture andGulen is. How you worship your government and how you “Feed Gulen love” That your movement is about love , peace, and tolerance for all people of the world. How can we believe anything you say when you cannot even tolerate your own people for having an opinion? We could only imagine what you would like do to those who not Turkish or a Gulenists or followers of the same faith.
I look at your paper , the Zaman and how your cult and your government would love to call him a terrorist because of his thoughts and opinions. I look at the before and I see your neighbor, your brother, your uncle, a friendly guy you probably waive to across the street, or shake hands in the market. I see a father or grandfather who probably enjoys bouncing his grand daughter on his knee. I want you to stare at that last frame for a long time.
While he is starving himself you are all feeding love to Fethos and Erdogan and Gul. I see a man who loves democracy and free speech and his countrymen and who is willing to die for it . So that the rest of you can have freedom of speech and demacracy. Your Gulen and government hates him for it. Stare at that image. He loves the people and democracy and “your” rights more than his own. Which a lot more than I can for the rich coward Fethos who ran away from his people. That man in prison is more of a man than any of you and Hoca Fendi will ever be. Keep giving your love to Hoca Fendi so this man can give his life. He believes and loves you more than the Turkish Imams and government ever will. Men like that created democracy. I can see why cowards like Gul, Gulen and Erdogan as rich and powerful as they are would see that as threat. The Fat boys feed from your love and our wallets while good men starve in prison. So that you can hopefully start thinking for yourself and formulate your thoughts , ideas and opinions. Stare into his face….Now that people are dying and giving there own lives do you still think that what you are doing is for the good of the world? I want your answers…….
Aramazd, the sad part is Ahmet or Micheal/Michael is probably a teacher for one of these Gulen Charter Schools….scarey stuff.
There was a book titled “The March of the Barbarians” about Mongols and their Turkish ilk.
Take a hint.
This should be looked upon as an opportunity for us to bring greater awareness to the GENOCIDE. Let the turks organize these events and let’s show up, in large numbers, at each and every one of them to remind and educate the world that the turks committed GENOCIDE and are trying to get away with it.
Let’s attend their parades and food festivals with our pictures evidencing their crime. The media will eat it up – the media will report that there was some turkish cultural event, but the Armenians were there to remind the world of the GENOCIDE. The more exposure and attention we can get, the more people will learn about our past and the crime committed against us, and the better positioned we will be to gain independence for Artsakh and receive reparations.
Let’s use their events against them! We’ll see how many more events they’ll organize in the future….
Let me tell something from “real” history:
There was o world of peace, all the countries were living in peace and all the races and nations loved each other so much. Those countries did not even have armies. Then suddenly a country named Ottoman consisted of mainly Turks came and killed all other countries… Just the Ottoman was guilty, the others were innocent like nuns :)))) Do you believe me? If yes, close your eyes and also believe Garen Yegparian who was shaking scared of a band consisting of musicians :))) I don’t know why a man makes disinformation and misinformation about histıry, and waves dislike-hate form a nation (Turks). I can hear the answer “genocide”… Yes, during and after the world war 1, many people suffered… But is that the only Armenians who were innocent??? Turkish government demands a commission of historians searching about the “true” history but Armenia denies it. Do you think who is uncomfortable to learn the facts??? And if there were really some mistakes, do you believe the children of children of children of children of guilty people are still guilty??? Turkish people now is bringing music, their culture, their cuisine to US, with peace and friendship. They are high-skilled (contrary to a debaters lie) and full of love and peace. Just stay a few steps back and try to see the whole picture. And calm down, please… Turkish people are in history for more than 2.000 years and will be forever. We are not enemies, we are peaceful people, we were friends, and we are still friends with Armenians and all others. Who plants hate, finds hate; who plants love finds love…
Volkan, at least your posting isn’t edited and censored here. No one cares about bringing your culture, cusine, music, etc., just do it honestly- not under the guise of Gulen NGOs and missionaries brought over to teach OUR children then cause unemployment for us American teachers and business that you have pushed out of these bids to use ONLY your buddies. This is unAmerican but then the majority of you are not American but know how to work the loose and lax American Charter School laws – that are changing and getting tougher becuase of the likes of you and your cult.
You want to speak of hate and love…try practicing it once and accepting non-Gulenists as teachers, and business owners. You only share the money within your own groups.
The only one that is making disinformation (I think you meant misinformation) is you and your schools. You block the teaching of the Holocaust, and Armenian Genocide and the Internet from your teachers and students. The World According to Gulen, is not going to cut it.
Here is a novel idea for you, take your H1-b Visa brethren, pack up and go fix Turkey and the 300,000 unemployed teachers there. Or improve your international scores., on the last OCED rankings out of 34 countries Turkey was BELOW STANDARD at 32 just above Chile and Mexico. You don’t know what is best for our children and the Turkish way, is not for you to say.
http://www.turkishinvitations.weebly.com
Notice how the flood of Hizmet comes on the boards and starts defending HocaEfendi while at the same time STILL denies ASSOCIATION and AFFILIATION with these schools. They also shamelessly act like “happy American parents” of students who attend these Gulen Charter Schools.
“Turkish people now is bringing music, their culture, their cuisine to US, ”
What Turkish music, culture, cuisine ?
You mean what your nomadic ancestors stole and misappropriated from Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians after exterminating them ? That Turkish music. culture, cuisine ?
Nomadic tribes do nor develop music, culture, cuisine: sedentary civilizations like Armenians, Greeks, and Assyrians do.
Turkish people have a history of 2,000 years ? The first mention of ‘Turk’ by Chinese is around 700 AD. That’s 1,300 years ago. It was just a nomadic tribe.Nothing more. Turks coalesced into larger grouping around 1000 years ago, when Seljuk Turks invaded Armenian Highlands.
So what 2,000 year Turkish history are you hallucinating about ?
Avery, American Congress has voted to “encourage” Turkey to return their non-Moslem properties they confiscated : schools, churches, land, etc., Turkey has thus far agreed to this.
Lets see if this is just more of Turkey “wagging the dog”
I don’t understand you Avery. You mean they weren’t growing grape leaves and wrapping sarma, and making baklava on the steppes of central asia while being pursued by the Mongols? You mean tabbouleh, falafel, mante are not turkish? By the way what is the word in turkish for water? Oh yeah you’re right they didn’t have a term for water before they settled in Asia Minor.
Turkey didn’t have an alphabet until 1923-1924 and it was “borrowe” largely from Greek and Latin.
Volcan; By the Way…
You wouldn’t know “Real” history if it bit you in your A**, your brand of history is the censored one according to Article 301 and other Turkish codes put in place to stop the truth.
Let the Journalists out and maybe the world might start believing in the truthfulness of Turkey.
Leave American children alone, take Fetos back to Turkey (if they will have him) and leave us alone.
I simply smile when I see discussion forums as naive as this one. But, I sometimes feel tempted to respond if I see something really misleading. I clicked on the youtube link provided by ohohmrbill , and realized how misleading it could be. The journalists jailed in Turkey a year ago were accused of being part of the Ergenekon criminal network, which was accused of many killings including Hirant Dink, a well-known Armenian journalist in Turkey. Do you see the irony? On a blog defending Armenians against Turks, a person comes up on the Armenian side but supports journalists who possibly had a part in killing an Armenian journalist! Be aware my friends, somebody is playing with you!
That is why your government is sick. Your Zaman is a propaganda arm of that Government and so is your Gulen. You demonize anyone who speaks out against Gulen or the government of Turkey as Ergenekon. Everyone knows it was member of Gulen’s organization that shot Hirant Dink. I did research on that 17 year old kid and guess what? He went to a Gulen school. The truth is there is no Ergenekon. It is a boogy man your government and your paper created. It is the same yelling “witch” during the Salem Witch Trials. There is not anything you can think of that has not already been before.
Second as all you have cleverly displayed here in this country that anyone who speaks out against you is part of the shadowy and mysterious Ergenekon gang, a terrorist group who is dangerous, then I have to ask “If the Gulen Cult has such dangerous enemies then why would I or anyone else who has child let them attend your schools? ”
After all you claim to be a target of a dangerous organization. So why would I let my child stand next to you or enter one of your buildings? Why would anyone let there attend one of your functions in a public area? It makes no scene to me. Yet you come here and say send us your children. If you any shred of decency you will find something better to do than to put our childrens lives and safety at risk. Your concerns are now my concerns. With that in mind, stay away from our children. You guys are either totally stupid or extremely selfish. Which is it?
Garen
Never ever use Wikipedia as a reference. It will put you in trouble. Modern Turkey, led by the Turkish military, banned Mehter Takimi, and this prohibition lasted until the end of 1990s with the exception of a state sponsored small group. The military has nothing to do with it, and I am sure they despise it. More on Janissaries: see History channel’s Ottoman History CD. It says, even though some christian children were recruited in the Janissary corps forcefully in the beginning, Christian families became eager to give their children after seeing the opportunity in it. Grand Viziers of Turkish origin was rare in the entire Ottoman history. Most of the Grand Viziers were chosen from among those christian recruits who became Muslims but never forced to forget their past. For instance, Sokullu Mehmed, one of the most famous grand viziers, used to visit his brother who was a Christian Priest in Serbia. In short, get the facts from credible sources.
This is great Garen, he questions the reality of many Christians who lived under the Ottoman turks, by referencing the History channels CD. Very credible refrerence. Extremely credible reference, I’ve seen that turkish propaganda piece, and the turcophile “experts” they interviewed.
Go ahead call your law enforcement authorities, I wonder who they will side on a bunch of fanatic muslims? Too bad this isn’t the Soviet Union; you lost out on a medal, don’t worry we might pin one on your forehead. We’ll be there with our FAR-RIGHT AMERICAN NATIONALISTS AND CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS.
Hopefully, you’ll have a copy of the bible while you’re watching the march.
Mathew 10:34
Garen
I suppose by publishing this piece, you acknowledge that you bear some responsibility if anything violent happens that day during the march. Law enforcement authorities should take this text as a serious threat against a group of people, whether their ancestors were guilty or not. I will make sure they receive a complaint against you from a couple of peaceful citizens. Hah, I just remembered how some terrorists masterminded the bombing of the late professor Stanford Shaw’s house -he was Jewish by origin, and supported the Turkish cause against Armenians- when he was teaching at UCLA.
Matt you should talk about violence you and your people invented the word. If your loser group is given the permission to parade around in Ottoman Military Uniforms playing songs of victory and Genocides. Then by All means AMERICANS have the right to express ourselves and how we feel about your non-American groups. Just the “Turkish” way, offend everyone, then when they try to fight back label them all “terrorists” (PKK, Armenians, Israel, etc.,)
Don’t you have something better to do, like bomb some Kurdish villages and jail more Kurdish children?
Turkey breaks the record worldwide on human rights violations. ONLY ONE reason you will never see the European Union, they remember.
Matt here is something else for you to chew on: Wikileaks – Ottoman records purged to hide genocide.
http://cables.mrkva.eu/cable.php?id=18607
Take your miserable Ottoman Marching band elsewhere.
Or are you possible agreeing that the AKP wishes to re store the Ottoman Empire?
Matt;
Go ahead and show up, us Armenians comprise one of the largest ethnic and political/business powers in Southern California. We will show up to “honor” your Ottoman marching band with much enthusiasm. Wild horses or your lame veiled threats couldn’t keep us away. Your post sounds very much like an International News Article this week about Turkey threatening to break the blockade in the Gaza waters this time with military naval boats. Way to go Turkey, you know how to win friends and influence people while at the same time making complete fools of yourself.
By the way, I looked at your Ottoman Military Band on Utube and your costumes look like circus clowns, I am sure my kids will enjoy watching and throwing peanuts at your silly inept group.
http://apostates.weebly.com/a-new-ottoman-empire.html
Interesting article about the AKP party of Turkey trying to recreate the Universal Caliphate of the Ottoman Empire.
When the founder of the Turkish Republic Kemal Ataturk abolished the Caliphate in 1923, he did so in part to end what, in a 1927 speech, he described as “the delusion of imagining ourselves the masters of the world.”
Dear Ahmet, Volcan and Michael
Your and Turkeys attitudes of love, peace and affiliation is always laudable and a most obvious sign of progress and hope after your adopting Kemal Ataturk’s guidelines of European style Secularism and civic institutions.
I’ve got nothing but love, admiration and praise for you, who have a loving and peaceful attitude towards us. We must always encourage you who seek outreach and rapprochement. I do thus applaud your efforts to communicate with us with outstretched hands.
The painful fact remains however that Turkey is and has been an anomaly, a benign brain in a criminal past body almost like a Frankenstein, who after breaking with its past and switching from an Islamic to a European civilization, got to be rewarded at the end of WWI by the European powers who let them keep a lot of land that wasn’t theirs.
Turkey could now forget its past, distort its history and deny its crimes against us. This does not bide well to ameliorate our pain.
Turkey annihilated our entire nation and expropriated our land and possessions. Yet through a quirk in history was rewarded for it. The atrocities it committed against us were of such scale and intensity that we simply cannot shake ourselves out of them. When you are sitting on lands and goods that you took by deceit and by brute force, at least you should concede that that’s how you got it. I cannot understand your unwillingness to face that past and seek to extricate yourself from the purely Turkish versions.
When am I going to read in your literature that you got the eastern half of what was then western Armenia only ninety years ago? When am I going to read that the eastern part of your current map used to be Armenia a mere ninety years ago? How can I forget your slaughtering the indigenous inhabitants of your eastern provinces and taking their land only a hundred years ago when it was my father and mother who were telling me the stories? No mention of this anywhere in your literature. We have this sore point here. Forgive me, but that’s the reason I am still bitter. At least you admit the truth. There are a lot of witnesses for it.
We should collectively pass out turkey whistles and overtake their band with turkey calls, then declare turkey season in hollywood and give out free turkey hunting passes.
We should collectively pass out turkey whistles and overtake their band with turkey calls!