John Kossakian the Editorial Director of Asbarez Newspaper replied our e-mail about our rightful thesis on the Armenian Issue. John Kossakian claims that our theses are completely unreal and he adds that in the year 1915, 1.500.000 Armenians were killed including his own family living in Urfa at that time. We answered his e-mail that if he would send the names of his family members whom he claimed to be killed and the exact place where they had lived, we would investigate the issue and we would represent the truth objectively in our web site. Despite our sincere undertakings he did not declare the names and the place by saying he has not got any documents and he only could send us the information after a research. Although we waited for a long time he did not send us anything yet. This proves the untruthfulness of his claims.

Our web site (in Turkish, English, French and German) which is based on real documents refutes the Armenian lies. Below you can find e-mails between Mr. John Kossakian and us. They serve as another concrete example of Armenian lies.

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From: Editor
To: editor@asbarez.com
Sent: Friday, May 04, 2001 7:01 AM
Subject: so-called genocide

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am following with regret the articles published in your newspaper about the commemoration of the so-called Armenian genocide. It is completely wrong and irrelevant to say that there was a genocide perpetrated by Ottoman Turkish government against Armenians between 1915-1923 and 1,5 million were murdered.

The Armenian issue can not be described as "genocide" when the description of The United Nations is taken into account. The 19-article 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, states that genocide, whether committed in time of peace or in time of war, is a crime under international law. It defines genocide as any of the acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, including by killing its members; causing them serious bodily or mental harm; deliberately inflicting on a group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; and forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

According to this description, we can not talk about a genocide. There is no proof that supports the government planned to destroy the Armenians at all.

Armenian minority has lived in peace and welfare under Turkish rule. According to Dr Andrew Mango, "Their prosperity grew until, by the middle of the 19th century, they became one of the richest communities of the Ottoman empire, prominent not only in trade and professions, but also in the service of state....Armanian nationalism did nor become a political force until after the defeat at the hands of the Russians in 1878. Armenian nationalists aimed at creating an Armenian state in an area which had a predominantly Muslim and largely Turkish population." (Dr. Andrew Mango's speech given on March 15, 2001 at a meeting of the Society for the Promotion of Democratic Principles in Istanbul)

The Armenian problem began during the World War I. Armenians, who were under manipulation of Russia , rebelled against government . As it is mentioned by Prof. Justin McCarthy, Armenian rebels killed Muslims and initiated revenge attacks on Armenians. McCarthy tells that the minorities like the Serbs and Bulgarians rebelled against the Ottoman empire, claiming lands where the majorities were Serbs and Bulgarians. This was not true for Armenians. The lands were overwhelmingly Muslim in population. The only way they could create Armenia was to expel the Muslims. (Prof. McCarthy's speech given on March 15, 2001 at a meeting of the Society for the Promotion of Democratic Principles in Istanbul)

During the World War I, many Turks lost their lives as a result of the Armenian rebels. The government decided to force Armenian rebellists in the Eastern Anotalia to migrate. McCarthy says "... in the light of history and the events of this war, it is true that the Ottomans had obvious reason to fear Armenians, and that forced migration was an age-old tool in the Middle Eastern and Balkan conflicts. It is also true that while its troops were fighting the Russians and Armenians, the Ottoman government could not and did not properly protect the Armenian migrants. Nevertheless,more than 200.000 of the deported Armenians reached Greater Syria and survived." (Prof. McCarthy's speech given on March 15, 2001 at a meeting of the Society for the Promotion of Democratic Principles in Istanbul)

The survivors are an undeniable proof that there was no aim for a "genocide" at all. Also, the Armenians in the Western cities were not included in this mitigation as they were not a threat.

"The genocide allegation is further discredited by Great Britain's unavailing attempt to prove Ottoman officials of war crimes. It occupied Ottoman territory, including Istanbul, under the 1918 Mudros Armistice. Under section 230 of the Treaty of Sevres, Ottoman officials were subject to prosecution for war crimes like genocide. Great Britain had access to Ottoman archives, but found no evidence of Armenian genocide. Scores of Ottoman Turks were detained on Malta, nonetheless, under suspicion of complicity in Armenian massacres or worse. But all were released in 1922 for want of evidence." (Bruce Fein, An Armenian and Muslim Tragedy? Yes! Genocide? No!)

Thus memorializing the 24 APRIL as holocaust day for Armenians can never be helpful for constitution of peace between Turkey and Armenia. I ask you to remember that there are two sides of the history.

I believe you will take this letter into consideration.

Yours sincerely.

For more detailed information, you can reach

"www.armenianterror.com"

Best regards.

Editor

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----- Original Message -----
From: editor@asbarez.com
To: editor
Sent: Friday, May 04, 2001 7:21 PM
Subject: Re: so-called genocide

Dear sir,

Your historic facts are based on fabrications created by the so called historians who are paid by the Turkish government to disrort the historic facts. I feel sorry for your wasted time on researching these books. Justin McCarthy is paid by Turkish sources and this is a established facts.

Second, we the armenians, do not need facts to coprehend that there was a genocide against the Armenian nation. Several members of may family were massacred without any reason. My family comes from Ourfa, a town far away from Armenian territories and Armenians never claimed Ourfa to be among historic Armenian territories. So, why my family was brutally killed? Why my father the only survivor of that massacre was obligated to desert his home and forced to march to Allepo? By the way he was rescued by a Kurd. And, today you deny the identity of the Kurds (language, culture, self-rule). Your goverment massacred the Kurds in 1920s at least on three occasions. I think the massacres has become the second nature of your goverment, be it Ottoman or Kemalist or pro western democracy.

Editor,

The message of your letter is so weak that do not survive the energy emanating from the very nature of our identity, the identity of being the offsprings of Genocide survivors.
You lack both the objective reality and the subjective power of the issue you are trying to discuss. Please, try your luck with Cypriot Greeks. They are not masscared yet ( just few hundred slaughtered) they may be naive enough to believe you.

Thanks

John Kossakian

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From: Editor
To: asbarez
Sent: Monday, June 04, 2001 12:49 AM
Subject: Ynt: so-called genocide

Dear John Kossakian,

I received your reply to my e-mail. I feel regret to see that your e-mail contains bogus information about the Armenian issue. You claim that several members of your family living in Urfa were killed . I believe this is completely ridiculous. Still If you insist that these claims are true, then I want you to send me more information about the names of your family living in Urfa at that time and the name of the village that they were living in.

I am waiting for your reply.

Editor

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----- Original Message -----

From: asbarez
To: editor
Sent:05 June 2001 03:25
Subject:Re: so-called genocide

Editor,

It is people like you, that are obstacle to heal our wounds. Just the simple denial on your side that nothing hapened shows your unwillingness to comprehend the intensity of the Genocide. If I was a Turk born decades after the Genocide, probably I will be in great shock too, but at least I would make the effort to listen to the persecuted side.

By the way, my grandmother from my father's side comes from a small Armenian village next to Urfa called Garmooudj or Karmoudj (one hour walking distance), probably the name is changed by now. My grandfather from my mother side comes from Mush-Sassoun area northeast of Diyarbakeer. He came to Urfa to find a job and married to my grandmother. My other grandfather and grandmother are born in the city itself. If you wish I can send you the old map of the city and show where was my grandfather's house was.

I have listened so much to my grandmother's stories, that practically I can walk in Urfa from our house to the nearby hill caled Til-foodoor (name changed probably) and walk back to the Armenian church in the middle of the city and go to the bazar, which was between the Armenian and Turkish sectors of the city and even to the local public baths where women were allowed to use it daytime and men during the nights. In the summer definetely I was going to walk to the small lake called lake Abraham according to the biblical legends and enjoy the cool weather there.
I visit my virtual Urfa several times a year. That Urfa is the 1915-1922 Urfa. If you are unaware, the survivors of the 1915 massacres of Urfa returned back and stayed there till 1922. With the withdrawl of the French the Armenians left too. They were too afraid to live with the Turks unprotected.

Thanks at least for the time you are spending to challenge the truth. Others are not even bothered with the issue.

John Kossakian

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----- Original Message -----
From: editor
To: asbarez
Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2001 4:04 AM
Subject: Ynt: so-called genocide

Mr Kossakian,

I received the information you sent me .But I still dont believe what you say is right about a so-called genocide. For that reason I want you to send me the names and official records of your family members you claim to be killed in Urfa at that time.(Full names,date and place of birth,adress of the village etc.)

Editor

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From: asbarez
To: editor
Sent: June 06, 2001 14:04 AM
Subject: Re: so-called genocide

Are you kidding? My grandmother a survivor of the Genocide, was not able to remember when she was born. You think we can come up with the dates and official documents of the lost ones. After September-October 1915 attack of Jemal Pasha's trops on Urfa the mob looted the Armenian houses. Do you think we can comw up with official figures?
Nevertheless, I will send the names of my immediate family members with approximate date. I have to check my info with my mother's.

John Kossakian

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----- Original Message -----
From: editor
To: asbarez@earthlink.net
Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2001 1:27 AM
Subject: waiting

John Kossakian,

I am still waiting clear evidence, some documents that proove your claims otherwise I will believe that you are a liar. Its easy to say this was done, that was done but come on proove it.

Editor

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----- Original Message -----
From: asbarez
To: editor
Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2001 7:06 PM
Subject: Re: waiting

I will be visiting Aleppo, Syria this August. Why don't you come there and lets us visit Der El Zor, 6 hour drive toward north of Aleppo, close to the Turkish border and see if we can find some proof there.

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Its easy to say this or that was done. I can also claim similar things without any proof. As I see there is no clear evidence in your hand I will not take your claims into account.

Editor