Replies

First please control your font size, you look a little nervous there

I have received a history education where the Ottoman Empire was a plague that came from savage Asian migratory tribes . A plague that hurt Europe "421 years before America was even discovered!" to use your own words ( unfortunately it was more than that though, you were referring to the genocide of Armenians here) .

An empire that unlike any other in European history left nothing but deep anger in its former "ruled" territories. Not a trace of culture, not a single notable contribution to art , philosophy, or technology ( not even language, bar some slang related to bribery that was the big Ottoman addition to European values) .

A backward empire that was not able to 'win' any of its former vassals, but only 'conquer' for a brief period of time.

Former British , Prussian, Hapsburg, or even Russian empire nations are having some good words about their old masters, while any nation that has been under Ottoman ( read Turkish) rule just loathes it. Well maybe except that Osama bin laden , that still regards the Ottoman empire like the 'golden age', and publicly dreams about recreating some of its shine. Keep only that and forgot any history books, and you will get an idea about what "Turkish rule' means.

Please name a few big Turkish names we would know in literature, painting, music or anything else for that matter.

Stealing children from 'ruled' , force them to islam, and turning them into savage ottoman soldiers to fight ( and rape and seize some other kids) their own kind - this was what all the European history books are saying about the Ottoman empire and its 'rule'.

Oh, but I forgot that Turkey is not in Europe.

Sorry, but what does that have to do with Turkey, Turkey is NOT the Ottoman Empire. Turkey is Turkey, brought about from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire.

If Turkey is responsible for what the Ottomans did, then the Spanish are responsible for wiping out the Aztecs, what about reparations for them.

The Roman Catholic Church still exists, perhaps they should pay reparations for the Crusades and the death and destruction of France and other countries, that were ordered by the pope.

Perhaps the United States should pay reparations to the Indians, or the Blacks for slavery.

How about the Mexicans pay the Americans for wiping out the Alamo.

Perhaps the Greek Cypriots should owe reparations to the Turk Cypriots for all those that were murdered before and during the Coup of 1974. Perhaps the Greek Cypriots should pay the Turkish Army for having to come in and protect a minority from thier bloodlust.

How far do we take it? Perhaps the Armenians owe reparations to the Turks for killing 518,000 of the Ottoman citizens. How about the English for wiping out the aborigines of Australia, or perhaps Rome owes money for all the people wiped out when the Roman Empire conquered Europe.

It just goes on and on, once you get that train started, you will NOT be able to get it to stop. So, How far do we take it? Every country has some terrible thing in it's past, are you saying that they all should pay reparations to those they murdered? That would be the fair thing to do.

No, the history is the past, all we can do is learn from it, make sure that it doesn't happen again and move on.

So watch what you wish for, you just might get it, and what a mess that would be, let me tell you.

This reparations song is getting VERY old, because as Greece screams reparations, as the Armenians scream reparations, they dwell in the past, and do not concentrate on the future, and things like the Murder of Turkish Cypriots by Greek Cypriots occur.

Remember it, but don't punish those that have come after, WE DIDN'T DO IT, our ancestors did. A pox on your house for 12 generations is not what I would call fair.

The people that did those atrocities are LONG dead, learn from it and MOVE ON!!!

There was an Old Man with a gong,
Who bumped at it all day long;
But they called out, 'O law!
You're a horrid old bore!'
So they smashed that Old Man with a gong.

I have received a history education where the Ottoman Empire was a plague that came from savage Asian migratory tribes . That is where they came from

A plague that hurt Europe "421 years before America was even discovered!" to use your own words ( unfortunately it was more than that though, you were referring to the genocide of Armenians here) .

An empire that unlike any other in European history left nothing but deep anger in its former "ruled" territories. Not a trace of culture, not a single notable contribution to art , philosophy, or technology ( not even language, bar some slang related to bribery that was the big Ottoman addition to European values).Just destruction and misery...set the conquered back hundreds of years

A backward empire that was not able to 'win' any of its former vassals, but only 'conquer' for a brief period of time.

Former British , Prussian, Hapsburg, or even Russian empire nations are having some good words about their old masters, while any nation that has been under Ottoman ( read Turkish) rule just loathes it. Well maybe except that Osama bin laden , that still regards the Ottoman empire like the 'golden age', and publicly dreams about recreating some of its shine. Keep only that and forgot any history books, and you will get an idea about what "Turkish rule' means.

Please name a few big Turkish names we would know in literature, painting, music or anything else for that matter.Not a soul

Stealing children from 'ruled' , force them to islam, and turning them into savage ottoman soldiers to fight ( and rape and seize some other kids) their own kind - this was what all the European history books are saying about the Ottoman empire and its 'rule'.

Oh, but I forgot that Turkey is not in Europe.

How True!