Speech of Ataturk - January 27 - 1920

At the session of the Istanbul military Mustafa Kemal stated the following about the Young Turks:

“Those pashas committed unprecedented, unspeakable and incomprehensible crimes and for their personal interest they brought the country to its present state. They have committed all kinds of violence, they have organized deportations and massacres, they have burnt infants with petroleum, they have raped women and girls in front of their husbands and parents, they have stolen children from their parents, they have confiscated the real estate and property of Armenians, they have exiled Armenians to Mosul in deplorable conditions, they have drowned thousands of innocent people in the sea, they forced people to change their religion, they made starving old men walk for months and work, and they have forced young women to submit to dreadful brothels never encountered in the history of any other nation”.

Source: Britannica, Armenia Genocide Museum, USA Historical archives, and Turkish scholars

A question from Greece

Panagiotis VASSILIADIS - pv.linkedin@gmail.com
wrote:

Fires in Greece! -

What can be done to prevent this in the future with modern technology?
Dear all, I am a Greek national and deeply hurt from the actual situation of my home country. I am fed up just complaining about the situation and do nothing about it. This is why me and some other friends are forming a group of people who is interested in working as a consulting body to our public administration and influence the development of our country’s infrastructure in this domain.
Therefore, I would like to ask your opinion in terms of technological solutions for monitoring and preventing forest fires (from cameras, to water bombing etc...) Any expert in the topic who is willing to help on this is welcome to contact me. Thanks all for your help and I hope no other country suffers the same distraction that Greece is actually going through.

Regards,

Panos Vassiliadis

A Quote

“The first job of a true patriot is to question the Government”

Thomas Jefferson
(special for Idil)

Third time lucky: A new President: A new Turkey?

As voting started today at 3 PM EET, it's almost for sure that the current minister of Foreign Affairs, A. Gül, will be inaugurated as the new Turkish President.
I don't have any doubts about the qualifications and capacities of him, but with a President, a Prime-Minister and a speaker of the Parliament, all from the ruling government party the AKP, there is no balance in Turkish political spectrum anymore. 53% of the Turkish people are completely left out in any decision-making process. The winner-takes-it-all shows that this only will polarize a country, as you can see in the USA.
Because of the highly controversial opposition policy by the CHP in the last 5 years, putting Turkey in crisis all the time, this is the final result. Part of Turkey is happy, the other part not.
The Turkish military ousted 4 governments, but never a President...

Turkey in action

Turkey helps Greece 48 hours after disaster strikes

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

DUYGU GÜVENÇ, ANKARA – Turkish Daily News

Turkey announced yesterday that it is sending a firefighting plane to Greece to contribute to its neighbor's struggle against the raging forest fires, which have already killed more than 60 people.

The government's decision follows a series of criticisms leveled at Turkey's inaction to the raging fires in Greece despite the solidarity shown between the neighboring countries during the 1999 earthquakes that hit both countries.

“Turkey is ready to send a firefighting plane. We are waiting for your permission to take off,” said Forestry Minister Osman Pepe in a message to his Greek counterpart Evangelos Basiakos yesterday. In reply, Basiakos welcomed Turkey's offer to help and officially requested the aircraft. Minister Pepe then instructed that the four-and-a-half ton water carrying JL 215 firefighting aircraft, Turkey's top firefighting aircraft, to be sent to Greece.
Full article here.

Replica of Noah's Ark in Rotterdam, Netherlands

A half-sized replica of the biblical Noah's Ark has been built by a Dutch man, complete with model animals.
Dutch creationist Johan Huibers built the ark as testament to his literal belief in the Bible.
The ark, in the town of Schagen, is 150 cubits long - half the length of Noah's - and three storeys high. A cubit was about 45cm (18in) long. It will be transported through Amsterdam to Rotterdam where the World Port Days will be held between 7-9 September. During these days visitors can have a look at this Ark, made by one person.