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Sat, Feb 11 2012
Turkish and Bulgarian sister cities sever ties over Armenian genocide issue
Photo: Nadezhda Chipeva
Twelve Turkish municipalities have severed ties with their Bulgarian sister cities, because the latter have recognised the existence of Armenian genocide in Turkey, Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) said on March 11 2009, citing Turkish-language newspaper Hürriyet.
It first started on October 4 2007, when Plovdiv municipality, then Bourgas and Stara Zagora, declared that the events of 1915 were genocide. Those Bulgarian cities have traditionally been the home to generations of Armenian families. The events in question refer to April 24 1915, when a number of Armenian intellectuals and prominent community leaders were arrested in Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire. Subsequently, the military uprooted many ethnic Armenians from their homes, making them march to the desert of what is now Syria. The people in this forced exodus were subjected to torture and annihilation.
The other nine Bulgarian municipalities that have sister city partnerships with Turkish cities have not yet officially stated their position on the issue.
Hürriyet said that the act of protest conformed to an ordinance issued by the Turkish ministry of foreign affairs, dated July 18 2008. Cities like Bursa, Kırklareli and Adapazari severed ties with Plovdiv, Shoumen and Dobrich, respectively. As of now, all mutual agreements for partnership have been called off.
However, recently in Edirne, a forum was launched with the participation of "young Thracians" from Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria. More than 50 people from Yambol, Haskovo and Kurdjali were participating, BNR said.
It first started on October 4 2007, when Plovdiv municipality, then Bourgas and Stara Zagora, declared that the events of 1915 were genocide. Those Bulgarian cities have traditionally been the home to generations of Armenian families. The events in question refer to April 24 1915, when a number of Armenian intellectuals and prominent community leaders were arrested in Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire. Subsequently, the military uprooted many ethnic Armenians from their homes, making them march to the desert of what is now Syria. The people in this forced exodus were subjected to torture and annihilation.
The other nine Bulgarian municipalities that have sister city partnerships with Turkish cities have not yet officially stated their position on the issue.
Hürriyet said that the act of protest conformed to an ordinance issued by the Turkish ministry of foreign affairs, dated July 18 2008. Cities like Bursa, Kırklareli and Adapazari severed ties with Plovdiv, Shoumen and Dobrich, respectively. As of now, all mutual agreements for partnership have been called off.
However, recently in Edirne, a forum was launched with the participation of "young Thracians" from Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria. More than 50 people from Yambol, Haskovo and Kurdjali were participating, BNR said.
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Cons, if Turkey shouldn't bare the responsibility of the Ottoman Empire's crimes... then Turkey shouldn't enjoy the borders it got from the Ottoman Empire. Turkey can't pick and chose what it wants.
Kan, your comment made me laugh! What a limited understanding (or "intelligence" as you put it) of world history and politics you have! Armenians who live in today's Republic of Armenia speak Russian due to the fact that for almost 70 years they were part of the "great" USSR (that's Russia for you!). I can assure you that most of the people who survived/escaped the genocide did not. They did speak Turkish though! As for us being terrorists, should I remind you of the fact that Armenians, even those who were members of the Ottoman Army (at least 'till they [...]
Read the full comment were kicked off and executed) were not allowed to carry guns? You probably believe that we were also the first suicide bombers in the world! I am sure that there were elements of the Armenian community who sided with the Russians. But this gives noone the right to exterminate a whole community in fear of further reprisals. Please don't insult history and certainly don't insult the memory of the people who were butchered for nothing else but being Armenians.
This comment has been removed by the moderator because it contained
Armenian Diaspora is spending so much many and effort to manipulate the western politicians to recognize Armenian genocide. The fact is; the Armenians are missing one point which those the same western governments are the ones who let the Armenian people down during the First World War. The Western powers have instigated them against the Ottoman rule and against their Muslim neighbors for their own purposes, and in the end when the western powers last the war they left the Armenians to die in the plains of the Mesopotamia. It was a mistake for the Armenians to let themselves to [...]
Read the full comment be manipulated by the western powers . For hundreds years the Turks and the Armenian people have co-existed in harmony in those lands. There were no conflicts between Armenians and the Ottoman Turks prior to Russian Ottoman war of 1878. Now again, after 94 years there is really a window of opportunity to resolve this issue between the Armenians and Turks. As the Turkish government has suggested Armenia, Turkiye, Armenian Diaspora and the Western powers should open their historical achieve recordings during the first world war to independent third party historians.
1. The US government in 1915 had no doubts in its mind that the "atrocities" would conform to the currently accepted legal definition of genocide, a word coined by Raphael Lemkin some 20 or so years later. One of the most critical elements is that the annihilation must be systematic and organized at the state level. This fact is attested to in the Morgenthau diary (then US ambassador to Turkey).
2. France was also threatened by Turkey in the leadup to that nation's recognition of the Armenian Genocide. They called Turkey's bluff and passed the resolution [...]
Read the full comment anyway, and never suffered any of the threatened consequences.
3. Turkey has been at best a recalcitrant "ally" in the war on Iraq. Don't forget that Turks were in Iraq and on the wrong side of the conflict, killing Kurds in the North less than two years ago.
4. There is currently diplomacy between the leaders of Armenia and of Turkey. They are both optimistic about the potential for the effects of this diplomacy on commerce and travel. However, the Armenian president has been very clear in statements issued to the press that he supports US House resolutions to recognize the Armenian Genocide.
5. Please do not characterize intense global support of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide as completely contained within the US Armenian lobbying organization. If they were as powerful as people intimate, the recognition would have been a done deal 20 years ago.
6. Ask yourself what a country that assassinates an Armenian-Turk journalist that openly discusses the genocide (Hrant Dink) and has a law on the books, punishable by hard time in a Turkish prison (seen Midnight on the Orient Express), against "Insulting Turkishness"...ask yourself what is the reason for the intense repression of what...Armenian lies????
maiinata na tia tapi mangafoni
I wonder who killed those half million Turks. Probably the Armenian orphans left behind in the Syrian deserts. What an idiotic attempt by desperate Turks to try to rewrite history. If Armenians had the capacity to kill half million Turks, they would have liberated their homeland. The Armenian Genocide is the thorn on the side of Turkey and it will remain there forever. Europe as whole are repulsed by Turkey, their people, and by their fanatic tendencies, and will never admit a country who is falling head over hills back into the realigious madness. Many areas of Turkey resemble any [...]
Read the full comment backward muslim country, with women covered up head to toe and bearded man roaming the streets. This is not a country Europe will ever admit into its family. Good luck Turkey.
If Turkey joins the European Union,I would like to see every labor union in Europe go on strike,to protest against Turkey. Since the Turkish state is guilty of genocide,they should not be allowed to join the European Union.
My Grand parents and all Armenians in Turkey was massacred by Ottoman Empire 1915.1.5 million Armenians killed. My grandmother with her 5 children ages 4-9 years old They all lost their life.Only my father survived by adaption by a kurd family friend.You cannot deny the TRUTH.I represent their voice .I am Armenian American and i want justice for Armenian genocide.
My Grand parents and all Armenians in Turkey was massacred by Ottoman Empire 1915.1.5 million Armenians killed. My grandmother with her 5 children ages 4-9 years old They all lost their life.Only my father survived by adaption by a kurd family friend.You cannot deny the TRUTH.I represent their voice .I am Armenian American and i want justice for Armenian genocide.
One of the great mysteries of history is how the Armenians managed to kill half a million Turks without the Germans, Turkey's ally, knowing about it. Why did Turks refuse to inform their German allies about these killings ? Why didn't Turks request help from their German ally to put an end to these killings ?
If we are honest with ourselves, we will know why.
Just as Germany recognized the Holocaust, Turkey can recognize its Genocidal policy in World War I. There is no shame in this and it'd be the honorable thing to accept its history. After all, there were Turks who helped Armenians escape and even Turkish officials who did the right thing. Their courage would be honored by simply accepting a historical fact.
The municipalities of Bulgarian cities like Plovdiv, Bourgas, Shoumen, Dobrich etc... Don't they know there is no clear evidence about genocide? Ofcourse they know. What can they say about killed half of millon of Turks by armenian fighters? So what does it mean to recognise genocide? There are two simple possibilities : 1-)Just to become hostile act against Turks and Turkey. 2-)Establish economical and cultural relationships with Armenian cities instead of neighbour Turkish cities.
I really wonder that does it make sense to any sanity person?
These municipalities should be managed by distraught men or women! [...]
Read the full comment
Hoosier and Kan,
Each of you are idiots, go back to Turkey where you came from and stop denying historical facts.
And the half a million turks that were killed by the armenians in the same time frame? Whats that called? Terrorism I guess, Turkey should start a Propaganda campaign calling the Armenians the first terrorists of the 20th century.....also for all those with a little intelligence, why do Armenians speak russian....start your research from there. Enlighten yourself.
There's no shame on the present generation of peace-loving Turks for what happened in 1915.
No nation is perfect. And besides, the genocide occured under Ottoman rule. The Turkish republic has nothing but the admiration of people worldwide. Noone can change the past. Denying it will not make it go away.
Let the past, bury its dead. Lets move on and work together.