Armenians, Families of Pilgrims Unite against Turkey on Genocide Anniversary
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Armenians marched from Bourj Hammoud to downtown Beirut's Martyrs' Square on Wednesday to mark the 98th anniversary of the genocide of their kin by Ottoman Turks during World War I.
The protesters held a rally at the square with speeches made by the leaders of several Armenian parties.
The families of nine Lebanese Shiite pilgrims kidnapped in Syria joined them over what they said was a common cause.
The relatives of the nine men have been holding daily sit-ins near the Turkish Airlines offices not far from Martyrs' Square and have called for boycotting Turkish products.
They blame the Turkish government for the failure to release the pilgrims who are held hostage by Syrian rebels near the Turkish border in Aleppo district since May 2012.
Ankara is a staunch supporter of the rebel Free Syrian Army that is fighting regime troops.
Armenians say up to 1.5 million people were killed during World War I as the Ottoman Empire was falling apart, a claim supported by several other countries.
Turkey argues 300,000 to 500,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil strife when Armenians rose up against their Ottoman rulers and sided with invading Russian troops.
Over 20 countries have so far recognized the massacres as genocide.
On the 98th anniversary of the genocide, Armenian Catholicos of Cilicia Aram I slammed Turkey for turning churches into mosques.
“How could Turkey which considers itself a pioneer in coexistence deny the genocide and transform churches into mosques?” he wondered in a statement.
Turkey should give compensations to the Armenian people and restore its rights, he said.
24 April 2013, 15:48
13
Forgiveness is a gift you give to yourself. Move on people and find peace within yourselves. Those who committed the alleged massacres are no longer there. It is a new generation.... move on
24 April 2013, 16:50
00
You can only forgive someone who has asked for forgiveness. The new generation might not have committed the genocide (not the alleged massacres as you put it) but they do deny it and they do spend a ton of money to make sure it is not internationally recognized.
The situation is also not confined to the lives that were lost but also the lands that were seized, the churches that are to this day being destroyed or turned into mosques as well as the journalists/historians/writers that are killed or put in jail for even mentioning the word genocide.
24 April 2013, 16:52
13
I agree forgivness is a gift,
but shouldn't the govermant or a nation admit their mistakes and move on
The denial is the problem, look at Germany, USA and so forth
It takes a big man or a nation to admit to their mistakes
Turkey is not such a state
24 April 2013, 19:44
30
It's not a crime that can be forgiven, it was more like a planned ethnic extermination. Let's tell the Cypriots to forget about their lands and the events of the early 70s. It's been 40 years but Cypriots still hold on to their cause.
As someone else said here, it takes a lot more to admit a crime and come to peace and gain the respect of everyone.
24 April 2013, 21:56
00
@FT,
I haven't been there so I don't know. What I'm saying is that usually such crimes are not forgotten, Armenia, Cyprus, Bosnia, Jews, Rwanda, Palestine.
24 April 2013, 17:29
00
Forgiveness come after reconciliation. First, acknowledge the massacre, followed by apology and compensation, then the descendants of the victims will forgive and reconcile with the modern Turkey. The same in Israel. First acknowledge the Nakba of the PALESTINIANS, then apology and compensation follows, finally the Palestinians will forgive and leave at peace with Israel.. We live in a crazy world when the Armenians are asked to forgive first, and The Palestinians make peace with their un-repenting conquerers.
24 April 2013, 17:36
33
Zionist Turkey will not admit it's crimes toward the armenians. They are a brainwashed people. Kemal ataturk made sure of it.
24 April 2013, 17:40
14
Turkey stinks. Their so called great empire governed Lebanon for 500 years without opening a school or a hospital. The french came for 20 years, and created an examplary educational and medical infrastructure. Turks stole the anatolian plateau from the great Byzantian empire and implanted there a bunch of central asian tribes. Turks are hypocritical and criminal.
24 April 2013, 18:03
00
powerfull nations always won world rule :) like you little nations must service us as a slave byzantium imagery because christian cross symbols during the anatolian seljuk and ottoman empire.any questions central asian turkic tribes countries today more rich economically and educational more than lebanon,lebanese any question ?
25 April 2013, 11:06
00
hey dude, you dont know any about turkey or turkish. i am turk but i dont support ottoman period because, ottoman killed lots of turks in anatolia (safavi-ottoman war)
and actually, i dont agree french issue. because; FRance, lebanon's created this ground and country divided ethnicities. (christian president, muslim prime minister vs.)
24 April 2013, 17:57
00
they do protesto against us today but tomorrow they will watch turkish movies again in their home turkish channels bcz all of them love to speak turkis ahd hearing turkish,they will buy again turkish production they will visit istanbul,izmir,antalya,adana,bursa for had fun and taking photo front of hagia sophia. :) from 7amra with love
24 April 2013, 17:58
00
Dear Starsky,
Let's be sure before commenting on historical facts. The Ottoman Empire didn't exist "thousands of years". Turkic races came to Asia Minor in the 13-14th century from the Far East. Constantinople (renamed Istanbul) was captured from the Greeks in 1457. Whereas Armenia (kingdom of Ararat, Urartu, Armenian Kingdom etc.) existed as an independent state much before the Turks. In 521 BC king Daré of the Persians mentions "Armina" amongst the kingdoms whose rebellion against him was oppressed. So, much before the Turks, Armenians lived in their motherland and had 5-6 dynasties with hundreds of kings, amongst whom Tigran II conquered Syria and Phoenicia on his way to Jerusalem.
The Russian factor should be clarified too. There are numerous documents (not only in Armenian) about Turkish atrocities against Armenians much before the Russian political or military presence in the region.
I hope these clarifies some misunderstandings.
25 April 2013, 07:31
00
I meant we do not hate the Turkish citizen. The government is the evil one. Even the grandchildren of Ataturk say that the genocide happened.
25 April 2013, 11:13
00
atatürk did not say about armenians, but lots of armenian working together atatürk. Atatürk's signature was created by an Armenian calligrapher (1934 - Dikran Çerçiyan)
you dont blame turkish citizen because, Does this guy look like Mongols?http://i.ensonhaber.com/resimler/diger/kivanc_7331.jpg
25 April 2013, 07:37
00
This is typical of Future Movement. You don't care except about your pockets. You are not even concerned about Lebanon. Very similar to the Turks. I feel sorry for you and your ignorance. You incite hatred. That's what you teach. It's in your personal interest to side with the Turks because they are Sunnis.
There is no one in Future Movement or even all of March 14 that promotes culture. You should thank the Armenians for contributing to the culture bloom in Lebanon through arts, dance, music, proper education, etc., ...
25 April 2013, 08:01
00
Armenians lived in the Ottoman Empire for thousand of years? How history ignorant can someone be to say that, the so called Ottoman Empire had a life of less than 620 years starting 1299, Armenians existed before whatever religion, sect or ethnicity you belong to! Read history and talk about facts you ignorant!
25 April 2013, 08:11
00
If you are Lebanese and you are lucky enjoying your living grand parents, you should ask your forefather's suffering, and abuse in the hand of the Turks. So you're saying if people are massacred somewhere outside Lebanon, in Bali, Nigeria, Boston, or Syria, you don't care? Are you human or a piece of rotten rock?
25 April 2013, 08:44
00
Future Movement has turned the Martyr Square into Hariristan. FYI, Martyr Square is to remember and respect the ones who died on the hand of the Turks in Lebanon. Two of the four pillars of March 14 are Maronites. Maronites were targeted at the hand of the Turks for over 400 years. At least have some respect to your allies, then to your fellow citizens and then to Lebanon's history.
25 April 2013, 09:43
00
Oh! How interesting! So if you side with the west, it's opponents are allowed to commit a genocide against you, and vice versa??? Come on people... From the beginning of human history strategic alliances were common between countries, as means of protection, advancement, assistance or else. So when your interest dictates to chose a side, that should mean that the opponent would have a green light to wipe you off existence? Are we humans or animal clans?
25 April 2013, 10:41
00
Naharnet deletes my posts again. I guess some readers unliked it. Obviously the moderator at Naharnet does not read the contents!!!
25 April 2013, 10:46
00
lebanon is coming the terrorist state. hizbullah, armenians and selefists. firstly, lebanon goverment should apologize for 1976. (armenian terrorist killed turkish diplomat (oktay cirit)
26 April 2013, 09:03
00
First of all respect yourself! Before accusing Lebanon as a terrorist country, think twice! Lebanon is not encouraging the theft of thousands of Syrian industrial businesses, neither covering up kidnappings, specially of religious leaders. Lebanon never occupied a country, nor massacred based on ethnicity!
When your government admits that your ancestors massacred millions of Armenians and committed the Genocide, I will personally make sure that my compatriots apologize to your diplomat’s family.
When someone slaps your son on the street, what do you do? When someone throws a nasty look onto your wife, or insults her, what do you do? Turks, killed my ancestors ruthlessly, raped women, burned children and elderly, without a word of regret or apology; and you dare talking about the killing of ONE diplomat? How arrogant and hypocrite can you be to daring to mention that?
25 April 2013, 10:52
00
yeah you right starsky. 1915 is not just a matter of the Armenian, with a completely a matter of world war 1. because; lots of muslim migration come to anatoliaand and inside the country there was religious war.
25 April 2013, 10:58
00
you just looking their thesis. yeah lost people dead, lost of people relocation. i have question for you. know, who is living in turkey? and they come from?
25 April 2013, 11:16
00
i think; turkey close the borders to Lebanon. we have nothing to lose.
