Burning of Smyrna

Be aware of some bloody scenes.

According to the Ottoman census in 1915 there were 2.601.312 Greeks(Rum) that lived in Minor Asia...few years later almost 1.200.000 were forced to leave their homes and came to (nowdays) Greece...the rest more than one million greeks were exterminated ...

Also hundred thousands greeks of Constantinople (nowdays Istanbul) who where supposed to be protected (included greeks of Imvros, Tenedos) by Treaty of Lozannes, after numerous deportations and pogroms, were all vanished ....like armenians...

The expansion of Turkish Propaganda in U.S. Congress

REP. ADAM SCHIFF: Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Secretary, welcome.About a week or so ago, Madam Secretary, you and Secretary Gates sent a letter to some of the chairs of committees here on the Hill opposing recognition of the Armenian genocide.This concerned me for a number of reasons, not the least of which that I don't see how we can have the moral authority that we need to condemn the genocide going in Darfur if we're unwilling to recognize other genocides that have taken place, if we're unwilling to recognize the first genocide of the last century, where 1.5 million people lost their lives.We're all well aware of how the Turkish lobby and Turkey has, either implicitly or explicitly, threatened because it doesn't want the genocide recognized and its own difficulty in coming to grips with that chapter of Ottoman history.So I'm not going to ask you about that, but I do want to ask you, is there any -- do you have any doubt, in your mind, that the murder of 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1923 constituted genocide? Is there any doubt about that, in your mind?
SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE: Congressman, I think that these historical circumstances require a very detailed and sober look from historians and what we've encouraged the Turks and the Armenians to do is to have joint historical commissions that can look at this, to have efforts to examine their past and, in examining their past, to get over their past.But I will tell you, Congressman, I don't think that it helps that process of reconciliation for the United States to enter this debate at that level. I just don't think it's helpful.
SCHIFF: Madam Secretary, your comments, you think that there should be some kind of debate or discussion about the genocide suggests that you have a question about whether genocide occurred.Is that correct?
RICE: Congressman, I believe that this is something that Turks and Armenians are best to address through their own processes of coming to terms with their history.Lots of people have had to come to terms with their history...
SCHIFF: Yes, and, Madam Secretary, we have to come to grips with our own history.
RICE: Yes.
SCHIFF: And we did.
RICE: I personally am well aware of that.
SCHIFF: But, Madam Secretary, you come out of academia.
RICE: Yes.
SCHIFF: Is there any historic debate outside of Turkey? Is there any reputable historian you're aware of that takes issue with the fact that the murder of 1.5 million Armenians constituted genocide?
RICE: Congressman, I come out of academia, but I'm secretary of state now and I think that the best way to have this proceed is for the United States not to be in the position of making this judgment, but rather for the Turks and the Armenians to come to their own terms about this.Lots of people are coming to terms with their history in Asia, in Europe people have had to come to terms with their own history and that's...
SCHIFF: Madam Secretary, we have no reluctance to recognize genocide in Darfur. We have no reluctance to talk about the Cambodian genocide or the Rwandan genocide or the Holocaust.Why is it only this genocide? Is it because Turkey is a strong ally? Is that an ethical and moral reason to ignore the murder of 1.5 million people? Why is it we don't say, "Let's relegate the Holocaust to historians" or "relegate the Cambodian genocide or Rwandan genocide ?" Why is it only this genocide that we should let the Turks acknowledge or not acknowledge?And, Madam Secretary, Hrant Dink, who was murdered outside of his office, is not a testimony to Turkish progress. The fact that Turkey brought a Nobel-winning author up on charges of insulting Turkishness because he talked about the murder of the Armenians doesn't show great efforts of reconciliation of Turkey.Why is it only this genocide we're incapable of recognizing?
RICE: Congressman, we have recognized and the president recognizes every year in a resolution that he himself issues the historical circumstances and the tragedy that befell the Armenian people at that time.We do recognize it. But I don't -- if you'll just allow me. I do not see that this situation is going to get better in the sense that it allows Turks and Armenians to move on to deal with their present unless we are able to let them deal with their past as to the murder that you...
SCHIFF: Madam Secretary, because I'm going to run out of time.You recognize more than anyone, as a diplomat, the power of words.
RICE: Yes.
SCHIFF: And I'm sure you supported the recognition of genocide in Darfur, not calling it tragedy, not calling it atrocity, not calling it anything else, but the power and significance of calling it genocide .Why is that less important in the case of the Armenian genocide?
RICE: Congressman, the power here is in helping these people to move forward. After the murder that you talked about, Turks went into the streets to embrace Armenians and to say that this is not the way that Turks behave.The foreign minister himself has called into question the issue of arresting people for Turkishness. I do think that there is an evolution that is going on in a Turkey that is democratizing and democratizing before our very eyes and where Turks will be able to deal better with their history.But I do believe that people are better left to try and deal with this themselves if they're going to be able to move forward.We have to ask ourselves, "What is the purpose here," and I think the purpose is to acknowledge, of course, the historic tragedy, but the purpose is also to allow Turks and Armenians to be able to move forward.And, yes, Turkey is a good ally and that is important. But more important is that like many historical tragedies, like many historical circumstances of this kind, people need to come to terms with it and they need to move on.We've done that in our own country. People have done it in Europe. People have done it in Asia and I think...
SCHIFF: Madam Secretary...
(CROSSTALK)
RICE: ... the best to have them move forward together.
LOWEY: Thank you, Mr. Schiff.

Sono Siamanto

Sono nato nel 1878 a Agn, Turchia, in una città sulle rive del fiume Eufrate. Poi mi sono trasferito a Costantinopoli dove ho finito gli studi, nel 1896,durante i sanguinosi "Massacri Hamidiani" . Per salvaguardarmi dalle persecuzioni, ho dovuto trasferirmi in Egitto come altri intellettuali armeni .

Nel 1897 sono andato a Parigi per frequentare la prestigiosa Università Sorbonne, attratto da Filosofia e Letteratura Medio-Orientale. Poi, sono andato a Ginevra per lavorare presso il giornale armeno "Bandiera", il quale condannava le Autorità turche che non concedevano uguali diritti emaggiore autonomia ai sudditi Armeni.

Nel 1908 sono rientrato a Costantinopoli con altri Armeni, in quanto c'erastato un cambiamento nella Costituzione del Governo Ottomano, ma i Turchi chiarirono che non ci sarebbe stato nessun cambiamento per la perpetuazione del "Massacro di Adana"( http://www.zadigweb.it/amis/testim.asp?idtes=57&idsch=50 ) .

Sono stato ancora costretto a vedere scorrere il sangue armeno. Questi eventi mi hanno spinto a scrivere il mio famoso " Notizie Rosse Da Mio Amico" .

Nel 1910 sono stato negli Stati Uniti dove ho lavorato presso il giornale Hayrenik.Dopo 3 anni mi son recato a Tiblisi. Prima di arrivare alla mia destinazione finale,ho visitato le Terre Armene come il Monte Ararat, il Khor Virab e l'Echmiadzin.

Ed infine, nel 1915, in compagnia con tanti armeni intellettuali, anch'io sono statoucciso da parte delle Autorità turche, durante il Genocidio Armeno. La mia colpa? Essere un intellettuale armeno, essere cristiano, essere l'amico di Pabgen Siuni, anche lui nato in Agn e che occupò la Banca Ottomana il 26 Agosto 1896.

Ma, tutt'ora vivo nel cuore di tutti gli Armeni.

I am Siamanto

I was born in 1878, in the town on Agn (Armenian: Ակն) on the shores of the river Euphrates. Graduated in 1896, during the same year of the bloody Hamidian massacres, like many other Armenian intellectuals, I fled the country for fear of persecution, ending up in Egypt.In 1897, I moved to Paris and enrolled in literature at the prestigious Sorbonne University: I was captivated by philosophy and Middle Eastern literature.

From Paris I moved to Geneva in Switzerland, and worked for the newspaper Flag (Troshag, Armenian: Դրօշակ), which was condemning the Turkish authorities and trying to get international attention for the plight of the Armenians, and demanding equal rights for Armenians and more autonomy.

In 1908, along with many other Armenians, I returned to Constantinople. The reason for our return was the change in the Ottoman government wherein the constitution was enacted. Freed from the fear of persecution, I returned. However, in 1909, the Turkish government made it clear that they were not safe by perpetrating the Adana massacre. I was once again deeply affected by the bloodshed. These events lead me to write my famous "My Friend’s Bloody News" (Garmir loorer paregames Armenian: Կարմիր լուրեր Բարեկամէս).

In 1910, I moved to the United States and immediately found employment at the Homeland newspaper Hayrenik (Armenian: Հ այրենիք).

Three years later I moved once again, this time to the city of Tbilisi. On the way to my destination, I visited many famous Armenian landmarks such as Mount Ararat, Khor Virap and Echmiadzin.

And finaly...in 1915, I was killed by the Turkish authorities during the Armenian Genocide.

But I'm always alive in the heart of all Armenians....

Milano candidata all'Expo 2015

31 Marzo 2008, Parigi, Palais des Congrès - La votazione finale ha portato la vittoria di Milano - Italia con 86 voti contro i 65 andati a Smirne. Il Sindaco è stato subito applaudito e c'è stato un coro ''Letizia, Letizia''
Affranta la delegazione turca - Da un lato il risultato positivo italiano e dall'altro parte la tristezza della delegazione turca, particolarmente rumorosa durante le operazioni di voto al punto di inscenare una finta festa con canti e balli annunciando una falsa vittoria. Subito dopo la prima prova di votazione, ai componenti della delegazione di Smirne era arrivata la ''notizia'' che la città turca avesse vinto nella gara con Milano per ottenere la designazione a sede dell'Expo. Le urla di contentezza, accompagnati da vere e proprie danze, sono state rinviate in Turchia dalle televisioni provocando scene di entusiasmo anche nel Paese. Ma poco dopo l'equivoco si è chiarito, prima nella sala del Palais des congres e, dopo, a Smirne. Quindi la delusione quando è stata ufficializzata la vittoria di Milano.
"Se il Sindaco di Smirne lo vorrà, faremo in modo che il loro progetto faccia parte del nostro". Lo ha detto Letizia Moratti pochi minuti dopo l'assegnazione dell'Expo a Milano.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs9XB6DdlOw&feature=PlayList&p=D31BDED6AE25FAF9&index=23

Siamanto