ISTANBUL (Marmara)—An influential Kurdish leader in Turkey, in an interview published on Sunday, acknowledged the Kurds’ role in the Armenian Genocide and apologized to the Armenians on behalf of the Kurdish people.
Turkish parliament member and the vice-president of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Congress Ahmet Turk said that in 1915 the Kurdish people had a large role in the torture and massacre of Armenians, Assyrians and Yezidis and, he as a Kurd, apologized to the Armenian people on behalf of all Kurds.
In the interview, Turk, who is also a mediator of talks between the Turkish government and Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan, urged Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to follow suit and recognize the Gencoide.
He explained that the Kurdish population was used to commit the crimes against Armenians in 1915.
“Our grandfathers and fathers were used in the injustices perpetrated against Armenians, Assyrians and Yezidis. There’s blood on their hands. With the blood of these peoples they bloodied their own hands. Thus, as their children and grandchildren, we apologize,” said Turk.
“We, as Kurds, say that we did commit these crimes, but we committed them against our will,” added Turk.
“The Turkish government, instead of denying it, must also apologize… There is a need for fundamental change here,” said Turk.
On a related note, the owner of one of the largest corporations in Turkey Itzak Alaton urged the Turkish Socio-Economic Research Center to pursue the Turkish recognition of the Armenian Gencoide.
“April 24, 1915 is around the corner. Let’s change our denialist policies. I am tired of the fear to face our past. Let’s raise our voices to our deputies in Ankara and those deputies should raise their voices to their political parties and leader in order for us to open our skeleton-filled closets,” said Alaton, who runs the Alarco Corporation in Turkey.
It might be unraveling, but justice and compensation does not seem any closer. Recognition might just be the price Turkey is willing to pay as a trade off against any compensation.
This is huge. The ball is rolling in the court of public opinion.
What a heroic gentelman! I hope nothing blocks his way and he can achieve for what he believes in and after all peace prevails. Cordially Sona simonian
Itzak Alaton, the name sounds so turkish reminds me of mustafa, enver, talat and jemal.
He’s Jewish and was involved with one of the Hovananian’s to open up the Trabizond port when Armenia became independent. Turgut Ozal wasn’t too happy about the idea bc we were doing to well in Karabagh. Another reason why Jirayr Libaridian’s Tur-Arm protocols failed after 1 1/2 years of writing and negotiating.
Eventually Turks will have no other alternative but to adhere to the Armenians claims: Recognition of Genocide, compensation for 1.1/2 million Armenians massacred by Ottoman and returning the Armenian properties confiscated by Turks.
tell the truth, even falling on your shoulders.you will be free for ever.
Genocide Acknowledgment without Accountability is hollow and meaningless. An apology or acknowledgment must be accompanied with accountability – otherwise it is worse than denial.
Kurds claim lands of Western Armenia as their own (that is territories of the first republic 1918-1920 – Mt. Ararat, kars, Ani, Ardahan, Artvin, Erzurum, even Etchmiadzin.
Genocide Acknowledgment with Accountability. Accountability means land, reparation and restitution. A good example of land recovery is Artzakh.
My Friend as a Kurd i fell very sorry for the Kurds who were part of those horrendous acts (Genocide)
When someone gives you a finger don’t bite the whole arm of You have a independent Country Armenia Your people are safe in a Country where no one can make you do something you don’t want to and it’s your Home …..
But don’t come and say you want to take our Land in South Kurdistan !!
We are not free yet but just like Armenians we also will get there !!
Peace and Love
No one wants to take anything from you Ari. The truth is that even in ancient times, Armenians and Kurds shared some areas. We farmed the lowlands, you pastured your flocks in the highlands and we traded fairly with each other. Others came and destroyed that harmony. In the future we may have to share some lands again. Once there was a short lived Armeno-Kurdish state. We like and respect the Kurds. Together we can move mountains.
it’s a good, courageous start! My wish is, that it won’t turn into a manoeuver by
Ankara to soften the strong tide of the upcoming April 24 Historic and Pay Back
Significance!!
Mr Ahmet Turk is a brave turkish leader who is apologizing from the Armenian People for the crimes against the Armenians done by the forefathers of the kurds during the Armenian Genocide.And I am sure that there are several courageous leaders in Turkey who think like him .But unfortunately the turkish genocidal and denialist regime is trying to oppress these brave opinion leaders and trying to spread an Anti-Armenian culture among its population & the reason for this is the fear of facing its past.
These coward denialist turks MUST know that soon their dirty game will be over and we will return to our forefathers lands and properties , our beloved ” Western Armenia “
Correction: Ahmet Turk is a Kurdish leader, not Turkish.
Are You then prepered as a recompence,
to sacrifise yourself and Kurdistan,
in accordande with Armenian National interessts ?
Bouth Kurdistans and Armenias National interessts are the same.
Arn.Sweden.
One would wonder why at this point in time, Ahmet Turk would come forward and admit guilt for the Kurdish bandits’ atrocities against the Armenians who were being relocated to the south provinces? The answer is GREED. What or how much has Diaspora promised him in return?
It is no secret, that the Armenian Diaspora has been grandly rewarding the politicians around the world in return for their pushing the genocide malarkey. For instance, I’ve always been very curious about Sarkozy’s recompenses! What Ahmet Turk was promised or has received is anybody’s guess. Considering he has a huge clan behind him just as eager to plunder the Turkish Republic as the Diaspora and the terrorists, i.e., new bandits up in the mountains to support, I bet it is substantial.
Dear Weston, The Man Ahmed Turk Knows Exactly What Happened, Everybody Knows Huge Details About The Most Ever Shaming Ugly Massacres And The Total Genocide Acts Performed By The Turks And Kurd And Their Other Minorities Allies, Toward Our Civilized Armenian Nation, At Our Historical Homeland (>8000 Years) The Western Armenia, That Is Currently Occupied And Colonized By The Turks. Even Though Many Are Still Trying To Deny Their Shaming Acts. What Happened Was Almost A Complete Genocide, And You Just Rolled Inside This Very Humanitarian View From Nowhere And Claims Like The Turk Governments That It Was Only A Simple Relocation For The Armenians Toward The South. Please Go To The Armenian Genocide Museum Official Sites And Give Yourself Some Education about This Issue Before Blindly Talking And Arguing About.
1- http://www.armeniangenocidemuseum.org/ .
2- For You, Maybe its Much Better To Go To The Next Site, That Contains edition in Turkish Language, It should Be More Easy For You To Read >>>> http://www.genocide-museum.am/eng/index.php .
Many if not most of turks today realise the goverment had to hide facts for the sake of a turkish state laic or islamist simply because the price to addmit the GENOCIDE is out of reach of the turkish govcerment’s capacity to honor her territorial and financial.OBLIGATIONS..and the loss of Turkey’s geoploitical strength …..
Generallyt people of your beileve are thought to be minimal in numbers the educated class of turks are numerous they will not allow this nightmnare to go on and on 97 years of denaial is more than enough they will overcome these obstacles …
To take world powers hostage eventually will fire back it has exsausted it’s capacitiy
Your goverment is looking for ways to come out clean if AT ALL possible.
IF ANYONE HAS TO KNOW THE TRUTH THAT IS THE TURKISH GOEVERMENT they know exacvtly instructions given when and for what reason in detail by village by county and what were the armenian revolutionatary groups were doing and their reasons
The sooner Turkey accept the truth of the Genocide the BETTER for Turkey
No Kurd will ever scarifies itself for anyone else for a Non Kurdish Cause !!!
I am appalled by your words …. you mean that he should sacrifice Kurdistan which means 55 Million Kurdish aspiration of our Land Kurdistan for 3.2 Million Armenians ?
dose that sound sane to you ??
NEVER
Great man and Great step, Turkey should see and learn a lesson, to aknowledge wrong doings needs bravery, killing innocent people is not bravery.
i am a kurd myself, and i work very close with Armenian, i do support them, and i personality work hard to recognized the Armenian genocide by international communities, such a crime and barbaric and inhuman act against almost 2 millions Armenian which mostly woman and children should be recognize.my special Love and greeting to Armenian from Kurdistan, also i have to response that all the Kurdish leaders are apologized and they all recognized the Armenian genocide,
Dear Mittany, I Admire Your Standing And Defending For The Well Known But Graved Truth, Doing Such An Act Elevates You Personally Toward The Far-Most Humanitarian Levels. Your Honesty, Realistic Consciousness And Your Benign Human Lovely Spirit Are Greatly Honored And Highly Appreciated. May God Bless You, And Bless The Mother That Delivered You. Mittany Jan, I Have Been In Kurdistan And Talked With Many Kurds, Some At The Highest Levels, The Fact Is That Many Told Me That They Are A “Grandsons Of An Armenian Mothers”. We Hope That In The Very Near Future The “Main Criminals The Turks, Kurd ” And Also The Germans, And Other Minorities Participants Such As Cherkas & Shishans They All Should Confess Their Each Role In The Armenian Genocide Crimes, They All Should OFFICIALLY Admit Their Crimes Too, No Matter Whats The Consequences They Should Confess, They Cant Keep Running Away, We Are Behind Them All Forever.
Thank you Mr. Turk for saying what is already known. Now please explain the delusion of a Kurdistan in historical Armenian lands. Turk, Kurd, don’t trust these people no matter what they say.
Mr. Ahamd Turk…
Can you tell us why your sir name is Turk…?
The kurds lived in Armenian Highland before Seljuk invaded …
So even your sir name is changed to “Turk” after they arrived…
Your genes are Kurd …How can they change you to have Turkish Genes by Changing your sir name…!!!
They changed Armenian and Kurdish animals names as well
They want all the encyclopedia to be changed by their names by their orders…!!!
Finally One Man Spikes …From The Depth Of The DIRTY BLACK LAKE, Moved His Consciousness Toward The Lightened Zone And Started To Speak About Their UGLY Massacres Acts Toward Our Civilized Armenian Nation, One Thousand Miles Confessions Journey Just Started, ….
A very brave thing to say. With the blood of these peoples they bloodied their own hands. Thus, as their children and grandchildren, we apologize,” said Turk. A Nobel thing to do, to work on Armenian side to have land back the Armenian lands.
My father who survived the massacres at the age of 12 used to say after going thru the Turkish areas the Kurds stared killing and kidnaping the Armenians. It is about time for the apology. The walls of denial are crumbling.
My father who survived the massacres at the age of 12 used to say after the going thru the Turkish killing areas the Kurds started killing and kidnaping. It is about time for the apology. The walls of denial are starting to crumble.
What a great and necessary step! Now, we need the US to come out as a nation (not just 43 individual states) and recognize the Armenian GENOCIDE. Furthermore, demand the recognition of the GENOCIDE from its perpetrator Turkey. As long as an entire country refuses to face their past, how can we ever trust them in the future.
Turkish and Kurdish upper class, the financial interests in Turkey will not allow any settlement without an all encompassing financial compensation for everyone. So, keep the st—ing apologies, and write up a compensation package for everyone involved. Compensation for the former owners, and compensation to the present owners. All Turkey has to do is “print more money” and all that extra cash in circulation will speed up the Turkish economy beyond belief. No wonder, with all the Armenians gone, there are no business brains left in Turkey.