Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: sourcery
There’s really only one morally valid question here: Did the Turks commit genocide against the Armenians during WWI? Yes or no? If they did, then we are morally obligated to say so (if nothing else,) regardless of the consequences.

We have, many times. But why do it again now? It's ancient history. The government that did it was overthrown by Ataturk and his band of young military officers. The spirit of Ataturk is the only thing keeping Turkey from going Islma nutso. It's weakening though.

If the Turks had let the 4th ID move across Turkey. They'd likely not have the problem with left wing Islamo Nut terrorist type Kurds coming across the border. The Turks have not treated the Kurds of Turkey well, historically speaking. But they also fail to make distinctions between Kurdish groups. And there are big differences. The ones giving them problems have gotten Iranian support, and earlier they got support from a certain Socialist country that is not far from Kurdistan and Turkey.

38 posted on 10/15/2007 5:33:30 PM PDT by El Gato ("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies ]


To: El Gato
RE: The [Kurdish groups] giving them problems have gotten Iranian support, and earlier they got support from a certain Socialist country that is not far from Kurdistan and Turkey.

I've found where Syria was supporting the PKK until Turkey put an end to it with some kind of agreement with Syria in 1998. I could not find anything about Iran supporting the PKK except as one Freeper suggested they did it through Syria (until 1998). The old USSR help found the PKK, now known as KADEK (I believe).

RE: If the Turks had let the 4th ID move across Turkey. They'd likely not have the problem with left wing Islamo Nut terrorist type Kurds coming across the border.

Actually, Turkey wanted to enter the border area to take care of the PKK problem if they let the U.S. Army enter Iraq across their border. Washington said no.

There was a lot of speculation about Turkey wanting to continue to Kirkuk to protect the Turkoman people but with U.S. guarantees of Turkoman safety that probably would not have been a problem.

There were several disputes between Ankara and Washington -- with France butting in -- that caused Turkey to "screw us."

RE: [Turkey] also fail[s] to make distinctions between Kurdish groups.

Turkey knows very well the difference. They know the PKK. They do business with the two Kurdish ruling parties, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's PUK and President of the Kurdistan Region Masud Barzani's KDP.

Or, maybe I misunderstood

110 posted on 10/15/2007 8:17:12 PM PDT by WilliamofCarmichael (If modern America's Man on Horseback is out there, Get on the damn horse already!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies ]

To: El Gato
But why do it again now? It's ancient history.

We in the New World have a much different view of 'ancient history' than do the peoples of the Old World. If some foreign government passed a resolution condemning the United States for condoning slavery by its Founding Fathers, we might bristle a bit, but practically no American citizen alive today would take it as a personal affront. Perhaps the fact that so many of us are descended from immigrants who arrived after slavery was abolished helps us separate ourselves from culpability for that status. The Turks don't have that situation.

133 posted on 10/16/2007 3:55:46 PM PDT by hunter112 (Change will happen when very good men are forced to do very bad things.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson