Nationalistic fervor
The Fresno Bee
May 16, 2005
By, Richard Sanikian
A band of Turkish businesses spearheaded by the Ankara Chamber
of Commerce has voiced opposition to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s
commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.
Ergun Kirlikovali, spokesperson for the American Turkish Association
of Southern California, said the Turkish people are upset with Gov.
Schwarzenegger, whom they believed was “one of our guys,” because of
his Austrian ancestry.
It seems Turkish people believe that an Austrian-born American citizen
would sign legislation based o-n his ethnicity. Even if that were
so, it must be noted that the genocide was condemned at the time by
representatives of the major powers, including Austria. The history
books can’t deny it.
The Turkish nationalistic fervor is not my rhetoric, but a reality.
Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” has become a best seller in Turkey,
selling 100,000 copies last February through March.
This band of Turkish businesses intends to ban Gov. Schwarzenegger’s
movies in Turkey. I would say this is a welcome ban. Turkey should
see less of guns and violence and more tolerance of the human race
by acknowledging the Armenian Genocide. Maybe then the European Union
would accept them.
Richard Sanikian Fresno
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