BY HENRY D. ASTARJIAN M.D.
Like a surgeon’s scalpel, the events of Mavi Marmara (Blue Marmara) lanced the abscess which had formed in Turko-Israeli relationship since 2002, when Erdogan and his AK Party came to power. It spewed putrid political pus relieving both countries of their insincere political stances toward each other since both countries were delusional in counting on each other for support and defense under the umbrella of the United States. The rapprochement was both artificial and insincere for Turkey did it to please Israel’s guardian angel, the United States, and Israel did it to have a Muslim Ally in a sea of hostile Arabs and Muslims, also to protect their 50,000 or so Jews who led a prosperous life in Istanbul.
Ataturk, a Free Masson, made sure that these Jews were given their rights as a minor minority (Millet), unlike the Kurds whose ethnicity he denied calling them “Mountain Turks”. The Jews were grateful for this protection, which cost them their moral capital in supporting every human rights violation, which Ataturk and his regime institutionalized.
They were further grateful when Kemalist Turkey, unlike its Muslim sister states, recognized Israel at the instant of its inception, then cooperated with them in every aspect at the expense of the Arabs, including in the military arena, the latest of which was the recently cancelled three pronged military exercises.
Turkey’s action may have had many reasons, one of which could have been to avenge the Arab States which collaborated with the Western powers to carve their territories out of the flesh of the Ottoman Empire, the forefathers of the present Islamist entity. The other may have been the philosophical teachings of Ataturk. I am sure there were other motives, more on that some other time.
These actions alienated the Arab masses whose nationalist movements, which had originated in Hijaaz under the leadership of the Hashimite King Hussein Bin Ali, the great grandfather of King Hussein Bin Talaal of Jordan, had matured into Pan-Arabism; a movement which had extended to Bilaad arRafidayn (Which later became Iraq), Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt and North Africa.
The armed duel between the Palestinian Arabs and the Jewish settlers, which was followed by the newly formed Jewish State, was at its peak, Turkey was, to put it mildly, oblivious to the dispute, it let the Arabs down and recognized Israel. Arabs felt betrayed! Turkey had already lost credibility; after Kemalist secular orientation it was no longer considered to be the seat of the Islamic Caliphate; there was a spiritual disconnect, which until then was ruling the entire Islamic Arab world.
In lieu of Turkey’s friendly stance, Israel returned the favor by shafting us, Armenians in Washington. The Israeli Embassy, in conjunction with AIPAC (American Israeli Public Affairs Committee) did their utmost to block, year after year, our Genocide resolutions in Congress, and they succeeded. Not only that: Shimon Peres, Israel’s President, standing with Suleiman Demirel in front of Cankaya presidential palace denied the Genocide stating “There is no such thing as Armenian Genocide”.
Yes! He said it with a straight face, and without batting a lash, and I saw it on the screen. His host couldn’t be more pleased. Here it is, a Nobel Laureate for Peace a Holocaust child himself supporting an outright lie advanced by his host.
Yes! There was a Jewish Holocaust, but no there has been no Armenian Genocide.
Now that Israel has been shafted by non other than their Turkish friends, their day of atonement has come, though months early: Knesset has decided to debate the Armenian Genocide in committee and the rumor has it that AIPAC is not going to block a congressional vote this time around. Mazeltov!
Erdogan’s decision to send Mavi Marmara to defy the Israeli block of Ghazza was a brilliant stroke of publicity, and Israel’s mishandling it is a further affirmation of Israel’s foreign policy rigidity.
The entire operation was but another link in a chain of Erdoghan’s and his AK party’s Islamist designs to resurrect the Chaliphate, not necessarily Ottoman Caliphate, but something similar to it; the goal being to gather the entire Arab region under one tent in Istanbul. The idea was born of a variety of political situations headed by the issue of Palestine, specifically Jerusalem, which would be rescued by the gutsy leader Erdogan. Given the vacuum in Arab leadership, the plan appealed to the Arab masses. Their situation had been pathetic. Since the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire, and formation of Arab States according to Sykes-Picot arrangement of 1917, there have been no conditions conducive to establishment of Democracy. Arab states have been ruled by a king or an individual and his clique denying their population the freedom and the means to achieve prosperity and democratic lifestyle. In Iraq there was instability, British rule, then a coup and Saddam. Syria had numerous military coups, until finally they had a monopoly, that of the Ba’ath Party. Egypt had its Nassir, and Libya its Qadhafi, the Sudan its Basheer, not to mention the Saudis, Kuwaitis, Lebanon and the Gulf Emirates. All these countries have created a sorrowful situation in the life of the man in the street. Millions of highly educated and not so educated men and women live in despair. They blame, amongst other things, the ineptitude of their governments in raising a finger to help the people of Gazza. They blame the Arab League, and they of course blame Israel. They feel that their future is left adrift.
Now comes Erdogan with his overt opposition to Israel to fill a leadership vacuum in the Islamic world. For the first time since Ataturk, Turkey reveals hostility toward Israel, and the Arab world likes it. They like it very much, they consider Erdogan as their leader; Erdogan likes it. He champions the Palestinian cause, he champions the unity of the Islamic world, he has become a catalyst for the unity of all those who oppose Israel, he is to liberate Jerusalem. He is the new Saladdin who was a Kurd but waged a war against the Crusaders as a Muslim. Erdogan is a Turk, but also a Muslim worrier waging a war to liberate Jerusalem. Americans are mistaken in thinking that Turkey is a secular country
The United States deludes itself by thinking that it can contain Iran by supporting Erdogan’s government. The State Department deludes itself by thinking that Turkey and Israel can live in Pax Americana, no! not when there is a new Saladdin named Erdogan.
Huh?
Saladin was a very respectable warrior. He gave back Orthodox Christians the rights to Jerusalem with no interference and with no taxes on us.
What an idiot to compare the terrorist Erdogan to Saladin.
I agree. All this does is spew hate and give credit to Erdovan, who is no where close to Saladin.
u will see MR-ERDOGAN, will cut ur throughts one by one , GO ERDOGAN.. no one can stop.. VIVA ERDOGAn, WE LOVE YOU AND SUPPORT YOU TILL OUR LAST BLOOD…
interesting perspective
YES !!! – THIS IS ALL RIGHT – AS SUCH !!!.
A SERBIAN PROPHETS SAYS –
“TURKEY WILL MOVE ITS CAPITAL FROM ANKARA TO MECCA” !!!.
AND EVEN THE KORAN – WHICH I DO NOT RECOMEND – SPEAKS OF –
“DU AL-KARNAIN” –
“THE TWO-HORNED ONE”-
WHO HELPS AN INDUSTRIAL PEOPLE OF FOREIGH LANGUAGE AGAINST THE EAST.
AND YES –
TURKEY WILL GO ON MILITARY ADVENTURE – AND END UP IN WAR – AGAINST ARMENIA – KURDISTAN – IRAN – AND SERBIA.
THE NOT FULLHEARTED US SUPPORT FOR TURKEY – WILL FORCE THE TURKS TO MAKE AN AGREEEMENT WITH SAUDI-ARABIA AND YEMEN(THE TWO-HORNED ONE) INSTEAD.
TURKEY WILL BE A LOOSER ON ALL FRONTS !!!.
Arn. SWEDEN.
I do respect the editer conclusion it is interesting .
it is complete BULLSHIT!!! from my perspective, as a Jerusalem Christian and Armenian, that Saladdin gave rights to Christians in Jerusalem. This is nonsense rhetoric!
Let’s be more civilized and not call names if we disagree with the editor or any comment poster…. Can we Rita?
Hye, a Turkey’s ‘history’ includes many Genocides to gain lands for it own convoluted goals. Since Genocides were/are the ‘source’ for the Turk to gain/steal lands from civilized nations – too, stealing and using these civilizations cultures and more as if Turks were the originators of such advanced societies!
Too, World War I – the Turks were sided with the losers… too, at the same time was losing it’s Ottoman empire… countries were released from Ottoman Turks… then Turks vented against Armenians!
Too, World War II- the Turks hesitated to enter on either side of this war – and did so, only at the very end
of WWII – joined Allies when it was obvious that ‘Allies’ (USA, Britain,more) were winning war. Turkey has many soldiers which are highly trained to ‘soldier’… violent Turkish trait… and on occasions have been token participants in wars but not taken part in the ongoing wars directly. Hence, Turkey realizes that it does better when using the Genocides to gain its lands, victims’ properties, wealths, and more upon which Turks of today have built, now very wealthy Turks – stolen from Armenians and more whom the Turks slaughtered, kidnapped, burned alive women and children in their churches, slit pregnant women’s bodies to toss the unborn in the air to catch upon their swords – brave, unafraid Turks… torturing and more humans who were unarmed – these victims of the Turks inhumanity to humans… Brave, brave Turks… Yet, today a Turkey recedes into the Ottoman mentality. Turkey has not joined together with the civilized nations of the world – instead, a Turkey, remains in the Ottoman mode – (with Azeris) leading citizens backwards, regressing rather than progressing together with the civilized nations- still in the mode of inhumanity rather than humanity, As today their Turkish Genocide of the Kurdish nation – 2010 – another Genocide… another peoples to ‘eliminate’… labeled Kurds as ‘terrorists’ to ‘allow’ the Turks to proceed with another Genocide – and why not? Who will step forward and end the cycle of Genocides – who shall lead the world to end the cycle of Genocides? Turkish Genocide of the Armenians awaits reparations due and owing to and advanced peoples worthy of owning their own lands, standing together with the civilized nations of the world, Perhaps when fledgling Armenia comes into its own – when fledgling Armenia stands tall amongst civilized nations – having suffered/recovered from the horrors of Genocdes – then
perhaps this tiny nation will stand tall amongst all the nations who failed to end Genocides – perhaps it will be the newly emerging nation of the Armenians who will lead the world to end the horrors used against the innocents – Armenia, smallest amongst nations, may be lead nations of the world to end the horrors used against innocents by despots who cannot admit their own guilt shall then face judgments – thus end the cylce of Genocides – from our planet – forever! Manooshag
Yes dear,
You still exist in 1090’s and You can’t forget hero Sallahudin-din who has free Jerusalem from darkness… You can’t accept that Islam civilization was bring light in dark times of inquisition… And You must try decry generous Islamic civilization and present today Muslim like terrorist who think like You did, but You wrong, we do not think to You what You think to us… It’s same situation like 1090’s…(please read book ‘Crusade in the eyes of Arabians’).
Now I must kindly ask sirs who did mention Ottoman Empire to compare war methods and strategies of crusades European with Ottoman’s… Then You must find difference…
Dr. Henry Astarjian does have a quite a bit of knowledge of the last century as rgds, Kurds,Turks and especially Arabs-or some arabs-as these differ from ea other as well. They have no harmony amongst themselves.hard as Abdel nasser tried with unification of Egypt and Syria,as one ,it failed,this as an example. As to rest of the Ataturk´s real identity roots etc., I take what he writes,since he seems to be knowledgeable there too. However, following are facts that few ,whether Armenian or non-so have touched upon:-
Israeli population/people are MAINLY of European origin,North and south American.Very very few are from Iran,Bagdad or Syria.Latter Middle Eastern ones who settled in Israel(kibutzes) eventually left for Europe,North America etc. Only those aforementioned are the backbone/stock of Israeli Jewry.These are not to be considered as the downtrodden Yahudis,so dubbed by the Middle people.Highly educated ,some militarily advanced etc., etc., can indeed be considerd ,if not a LAND FORCE, that dear Dr.henry pitures(for Turkey),then one ,well prepared as the second to none U.S. or Russian ,French,British Air force jet pilots and or….misile operating specialists. And if one fathoms that a war in the Middle East would be fought on ground only in the future, then one errs…
As to changing partners,it is one virtue that turks have more than others ,as events from last century to the present has so demonstrated.Even he admits it and states so.Thence, for us Armenians to be non-committal is the best policy in such an unforseeable futuristic military engagements. One ought to keep abreast of day to day events,political moves by very savvy diplomats on all sides to at the very least comprehend that things change very very fast.
Just to name a few that may interest Armenia/Armenians:-Turkey´s very slow but perceivable change towards Armenia/Armenians-a sort of softening up. Israel´s lately come attitude towards us Armenians,even a remark by their Ambassador(in Moscow) that they may appoint one in Yerevan…
Also Armenian Genocide recognition a very possible act by them,reversing their stance in D.C. towards us again. Not that we should rely on any of those acting on the Middle Eastern political scene as meant to benefit us,but these happenings are for their gains,but may also serve our objectives.
Again to remind that we do have only two neighbours that so far have been acting as adversaries to us ,Turkey and Azerbaijan, and luckily two that have been quite friendly,Iran and Russia.Georgia?,yet to be discerned as latter.
My personal wish is that all those above mentioned ought to desire peace,which can be achieved only through dialogue,compromise and above all respect to each other….
Comparing Erdogan to Saladin is a mere joke, period and bottom line. AKP are two faced hypocrites and I say this as a right wing Kemalist.