ANKARA—Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said anti-Armenian banners unfurled during an Istanbul rally held on Feb. 26 reflect the feeling of some “raving racists,” not those of the Turkish people, reported Today’s Zaman on Tuesday.
“These banners do not reflect the feelings of Turkey but those of a few raving racists. … Necessary [legal] action has already been taken. But it is unjust to overshadow the rally marking the massacre by a few worthless banners. Nobody has the right to damage the image of Turkey based on these exceptional scenes,” Erdoğan said.
Some 20,000 to 50,000 people participated in the anti-Armenian protests on Februaru 26, with professionally printed signs that read, “You are all Armenians, You are all bastards,” and “Today Taksim, Tomorrow Yerevan: We will descend upon you suddenly in the night.” Among the speakers at the demonstration in Turkey’s famous Taksim Square was Turkish Interior Minister Idris Naim Sahin, among other leaders of Erdogan’s AK Party.
According to statements issued by the protest organizers, similar demonstrations have been planned in more than 50 cities in Turkey.
The Armenian National Committee of America, sharply criticizing the government-sanctioned anti-Armenian demonstrations held throughout Turkey on Feb. 26, called on U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone to forcefully condemn this latest attempt by Ankara to foment hatred and violence against Armenians.
“Today’s anti-Armenian demonstrations in the streets of Istanbul—with the interior minister and prominent political parties at the helm—were clearly aimed at inciting increased racism and renewed violence against Turkey’s own Armenian citizens and neighboring Armenia,” stated ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “These are not simply the violent echoes of a post-genocidal state, but the determined actions of a pre-genocidal Turkish society that is angrily lashing out at its imagined enemies and seeking out its next target. We urge U.S. Ambassador Ricciardone to immediately, forcefully, and publicly condemn this government-sanctioned incitement to violence.”
A statement released by the Turkish Interior Ministry on Wednesday said it is impossible to justify “some slogans and banners” during the rally, referring to the offensive banners. The statement added that legal proceedings have been launched to find these people and groups, adding that the Istanbul Governor’s Office is working to identify these people, reported Today’s Zaman.
Turkish officials are liers, we don’t believe them ,till now the are denying the Armenian Genocide.Their culture is one of genocide, mass killings,lies , racisim , a hatred of the other. What it pity that not a single official statement from the so-called ” Free World ” condenming this pre-genocidal attitude was taken.At the end JUSTICE will prevail , this is`our faith.
…..with professionally printed signs that read, “You are all Armenians, You are all bastards,” and “Today Taksim, Tomorrow Yerevan: We will descend upon you suddenly in the night.”
What will these Turks do when they descend upon us suddenly in the night? Will they sit by a fire and roast marshmallows? No. When they descend upon you suddenly in the night, they will KILL. Their purpose is to kill. Remember that. They are themselves revealing their intentions to kill, and have said ‘Mt. Ararat will be your grave.’
Thus, we can see that the Turks of 2012 (and soon 2015) are no different than the Turks of 1915. Killers plain and simple.
Give us a break Erdogan! Everyone knows that Erdogan and his likes are the authors of these ” Raving Racists.” Erdogan is playing fool and an angel in this shameful act. Was not Erdogan the one who wanted to deport Armenians from Turkey just not long ago? Erdogan can not be and is not the messenger of God.
It is hard to believe, that those professionally printed anti-Armenian signs was the work of none governmental activists. Those banners plus involvement of an official from AKP party indicated that behind anti-Armenian demonstration in Turkey, Mr. Erdoghan party was involved, and guide the demonstration. I wonder if the same kind of hateful demonstration would have taken place, against Turkish nationals in Germany, France or any European capital, where millions of Turk reside and work there, what would have been Mr. Erdoghan reaction??? I bet he would have called Mr. Obama immediately and ask for an official condemnation from White House and an apology from President Hussein Obama, otherwise he would have reconsidered, for the removal of NATOs newly installed missile defense system, from southern Turkey!!
Anybody, Erdogan in this case, who is playing a palliative role should be praised and lauded. Anyone, the mob organizers in this case, who are playing an aggravative role, should be condemned and deterred. If turkey had stopped prosecuting those Turkish authors and intellectuals who had admitted to Turkey’s role in the genocide, the Turkish public would have beeen less vulnerable to mob rousers and inciters of another round of genocidal attacks on what remains of the once prolific Armenian community that used to inhabit in their country.