SENATOR MENENDEZ RIGHT TO ASK TOUGH QUESTIONS OF A TURKEY THAT IS DRENCHED IN MINORITY BLOOD

NJ.com
Feb 10 2009
NJ

Re: Turkish Coalition of America takes on Sen. Robert Menendez over
"ethnic politics" Posted by Guler Koknar/ NJ Voices Guest Blogger
January 28, 2009 3:08PM

While I do not necessarily agree with Senator Menendez’s support of
the "bizonal/bi-communal Federation" for Cyprus, I do take offense
at Ms. Guler Koknar ,( from the well financed Washington DC-based
Turkish lobby TCA–Turkish Coalition of America) launching missives
of misinformation about "ethnic politics" and "business as usual"
in regards to an ongoing humanitarian crisis, especially as it
regards Turkey, with its rising Anti-American and anti-Western
,Islamic extremist slide into yet another Middle Eastern nightmare
for Americans.

Turkey, as it is portrayed by its slick and deep pocketed lobbyists,
would like Americans to believe that it is a secular Muslim democracy
and a US ally.

First, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the Islamist AK
Party has said "Allah will sooner or later punish those who transgress
the rights of innocents." He added for good measure that "Media
outlets supported by Jews are disseminating false reports…." In
reference to recent events in the Middle East,

None of which is surprising when considering the rise of
Islamic fundamentalism and Turkish nationalism in Turkish popular
culture. A few years ago, we saw the huge popularity of the rabidly
anti-American and anti-Semitic film Valley of the Wolves, which shows
a Jewish-American army doctor harvesting organs from wounded Iraqi
prisoners to sell to rich Americans, Israelis and Britons. The film
was shown to cheering audiences who applauded the deaths of American
men and women on film in battle scenes.

Second, in recent weeks, Turkish actor, Attila Olgac, a star in the
popular Valley of the Wolves TV series, which spawned the notorious
anti-American and anti-Israeli film of the same name, admits while
being interviewed on Turkish Star television, that during the
Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 he cold-bloodedly murdered 10
Greek prisoners. This confession is in regards to Turkey’s crimes
in 1974,when Turkish forces forced over 200,000 Cypriots out of
their homes in Cyprus, massacred thousands of civilians by means of
napalm and bombs dropped on schools, houses of worship and hospitals ,
and illegally seized some thirty-seven percent of Cypriot territory,
which Turkey still occupies. Cyprus is the only European country that
still endures ongoing military-occupation.

Third, the confession of Attila Olgac is not the only one about
Turkey’s war crimes in Cyprus. Many "Stories of Shame" such as this
one have been recorded by Kurdish journalist Roni Alasor, who lives
in Norway for the past 30 years. In his book "Order: Execute the
Prisoners" (published 1999, printed in Greek 2001), he records 10
confessions of Turkish army veterans who participated in the 1974
invasion involving slaughters of unarmed citizens, prisoner executions
and all types of violent acts. Sergeant H. Kofen refers to a mass grave
which his unit found in a ditch near Lapithos. "I believe these corpses
(around 100) belonged to Greek-Cypriots… even though some looked like
soldiers, most of them were citizens, dressed in civil". According
to a Turkish commando, "the murders, rapes and looting started after
22nd July 1974", after the first supposed "ceasefire" on the island.

The government of Cyprus plans to bring up the issue of Attila Olgac
and his revelations to the Committee of the Permanent Representatives
of the Council of Europe. The initiative is important as Turkey has
already been condemned from the Council

Ms. Guler Koknar, who claims to speak for "30,000 Turkish Americans"
in New Jersey, should look into her own backyard and come to terms
with Turkey’s crimes for the sake of her country and country men;
it’s never too late to make right the wrongs which have been
committed. Demilitarization of the Greek Island of Cyprus, the
largest of the islands of Greece, would be a first step towards
making such amends. Then should follow a full hearted apology to
Greeks and Armenians, for Turkey’s long legacy of military aggression,
discrimination, massacres and genocide.

Senator Menendez, a Hispanic minority congressman, is very much in
his right to ask tough questions of what foreign policy makers plan
to do with a Turkey that is drenched in minority blood.

Nikolaos Taneris, Press Officer, Cyprus Action Network of America
(CANA)