69 million page views

Intellectual janissaries

Reader comment on item: Thoughts on the Syrian Downing of a Turkish Warplane
in response to reader comment: Greco Turkish War

Submitted by Ianus (Poland), Jun 27, 2012 at 18:19

gerard wrote:

> You may argue over the semantics but the Treaty of Sevres was imposed against the will of the majority of the Ottoman people, who considered Greek Troops garrisoning Izmir as occupation and Greek Soldiers burning villages and towns through their scorched earth policy as acts of war.<

First, it's always worthwhile to clarify meanings when dealing with Moslems who routinely attach quite different connotations to seemingly same sounding words and never suspect that someone may check what they are saying.

Second, it's up to you to prove that the Greeks were not an Entente power acting in accordance and as plenipotentiaries of the Entente and that there is any formal or material mistake in my account.

Third, Turkey lost a war which it had started by bombing Russian Black Sea ports and by declaring jihad on the Entente. It started it hoping to incorporate vast territories in the Balkans, The Caucasus and Central Asia. Now Allah made Turkey lose the war. The treaty of Sevres was the outcome and punishment for Turkey's deliberate policy of aggression which the legitimate government in Constantinople acknowledged. That the Turks were not happy with the punishment is according to you a proof there should be no punishment.Ye?The Armenian or Greek genocide can't be prosecuted because it is against the will of the Turkish majority? It's what you want to say, isn't it?

Fourth, the occupation of Turkey was foreseen and implemented according to the Armistice of mudros to make sure Turkey meets the obligations it had taken upon. Turkey was occupied by other Entente Powers like Italy, France, Britain. The original Greek zone of occupation was widened on the request of Britain. It's up to you to question the validity of the Mudros Armistice agreement too. After losing the war Turkey had provoked it should have been rewarded with new territorial acquisitions and Christian-free provinces, shouldn't it ?

As to "Greek Soldiers burning villages and towns through their scorched earth policy as acts of war",I can tell you that soon before the destruction of Smyrna by Kemal's jihadists in 1922, the US turned to Kemal with a formal request to form an independent commission of inquiry to find out what villages were exactly meant and what had happened there. Kemal gave no answer but instead ordered to burn down Smyrna and exterminate its Christian population. Typically Turkish perfidy, isn't it?

Let me also quote George Horton, the US consul to Smyrna

" ONE of the cleverest statements circulated by the Turkish propagandists is to the effect that the massacred Christians were as bad as their executioners, that it was "50-50." This especially appeals strongly to the Anglo-Saxon sense of justice, relieves one of all further annoyance or responsibility, and quiets the conscience. But it requires a very thoughtless person indeed to accept such a statement, and extremely little thought required to show the fallacy of it.

In the first place, the Christians in the power of the Turk have never had much opportunity to massacre, even had they been so disposed. If a few Turks have been killed in the long history of butcheries that have soaked the empire with blood, the reckoning, mathematically, will not be 50-50, nor even one to ten thousand. In addition to this, even with the shortcomings of the Christians of the world, in general, the teachings of Christ have made it better. In all the former Ottoman provinces that have succeeded in casting off the Turkish blight—Hungary, Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece—there is very little, if any, record of Turks massacred by Christians.

The conduct of the Greeks toward the thousands of Turks residing in Greece, while the ferocious massacres were going on, and while Smyrna was being burned and refugees, wounded, outraged and ruined, were pouring into every port of Hellas, was one of the most inspiring and beautiful chapters in all that country's history. There were no reprisals. The Turks living in Greece were in no wise molested, nor did any storm of hatred or revenge burst upon their heads. This is a great and beautiful victory that, in its own way, rises to the level of Marathon and Salamis.

One naturally asks what other Christian nation could have done any better? In fact, the whole conduct of Greece, during and after the persecution of the Christians in Turkey, has been most admirable, as witness also its treatment of the Turkish prisoners of war, and its efforts for the thousands of refugees that have been thrown upon its soil. I know of what I am speaking, for I was in Greece and saw with my own eyes. No one, I think, will have the courage to dispute these facts.

Had the Greeks, after the massacres in the Pontus and at Smyrna, massacred all the Turks in Greece, the record would have been 50-50—almost."

"Had the Greeks won on the banks of the Sangarios the Turks would have never been deprived of their beloved sultan and caliph."

> Sultan Vahdettin was seen as a traitor for capitulating to Entente, I would imagine that confidence in the Caliphate was at an all time low. The British even recruited a pro-Caliphate army from amongst the Turks but they were far outnumbered by the Turks who joined Kemal.<

And it was also a British that wrote the death fatwa against Kemal in 1919 and not the caliph and his sheikh ul-Islam? Have you ever heard what the Caliph's Army was and how Kemal's envoys were received in Konya and elsewhere? And one general note how can you imagine a Turk and Moslem being recruited to the Caliph's Army by the British kafirs?

"That you can faithfully repeat the official Turkish propaganda is reassuring, but that you are unable to look at it critically isn't. Are you one of these newly Turkified Germans grown up in a Turkish neighborhood, spending holidays in Izmit , listening to Turkish fairy tales at your local kebab seller and converting to Islam and Kemalism later in life ?"

>Contrary to your ad hominem attacks, I am not a Turk or German, or even a Turkified German, I simply wish to approach history objectively.<

Well, whatever you are that you're an intellectual janissary is as clear as that you identify history with the official Turkish version of it. How can you "approach history objectively" by naively repeating a posteriori Turkish propaganda and lies?

Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Submit a comment on this item

Reader comments (80) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Turkey & Islam [9 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
theantislamistOct 15, 2012 16:23199841
Sep. 29 fakes part of psychological war [101 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Syrian ObserverSep 29, 2012 17:54199286
1Gulf countries drinking the blood of Syrians [181 words]Syrian ObserverSep 30, 2012 07:15199286
Hurriyet [13 words]Syrian ObserverSep 30, 2012 14:32199286
turkey and iran [373 words]havasJul 2, 2012 12:51196892
2Don't fear, grey wolf! Your American masters will fit sharp false teeth ... [36 words]IanusJul 3, 2012 12:02196892
Russia, Turkey, Iran, Syria; More Questions Than Answers [507 words]M. ToveyJul 10, 2012 16:51196892
1Turkish in confused condition? [368 words]AngelJul 11, 2012 17:13196892
Turkey Clear Message [115 words]AngelJul 11, 2012 18:08196892
1America's - not Turkey's - message! [252 words]IanusJul 15, 2012 17:50196892
Ianus's Syrianesque Response [44 words]M. ToveyJul 16, 2012 16:00196892
1What is a greater evil for the world - the US-jihadist coalition or the Russian naval base in Tartus ? [148 words]IanusJul 17, 2012 04:20196892
The Greater Evil for the World is that Too Few Seek for Its Peace [660 words]M. ToveyJul 18, 2012 19:21196892
3The Greater Evil for the World is the US-jihadis coalition then, isn't it? [1768 words]IanusJul 23, 2012 09:12196892
A US Led Coalition Will Be the Least of the World's Problems [154 words]M. ToveyJul 24, 2012 19:27196892
1The CIA - a charity organization [345 words]IanusJul 24, 2012 23:34196892
CIA a Charity Org? - Then What does that Make the UNRWA? [465 words]M. ToveyJul 25, 2012 19:17196892
2ı dont understand [311 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
havasJun 28, 2012 04:58196779
1A risk worth taking? No. [24 words]Lily FlacksJun 28, 2012 00:02196774
2For Qatar and Saudi Arabia [41 words]IanusJun 29, 2012 17:50196774
Surprised its taken this long [256 words]David DJun 27, 2012 18:58196766
1How many new Bin Ladens are being made in Syria now ? [859 words]IanusJun 28, 2012 12:38196766
Response [62 words]David DJun 29, 2012 15:27196766
5Assad is a lesser evil [673 words]IanusJun 29, 2012 17:46196766
1Which one does pose a greater danger? [275 words]AishaJul 2, 2012 05:32196766
only fools rush in to be used by Islam purpose [70 words]Don MarshJun 27, 2012 18:52196765
exposing weakness [146 words]mythJun 27, 2012 08:32196748
turkey not so powerful [150 words]havasJun 26, 2012 15:06196713
1Erdogan's days are counted. He has got cancer. [178 words]IanusJun 26, 2012 19:18196713
2Turkey's Continuing Dilemma - Getting No Respect - Internally or Externally [326 words]M. ToveyJun 26, 2012 19:28196713
4Havas, restore the "TurkoArab islamic honor" [51 words]NikosJun 27, 2012 02:38196713
5The victims of the Turks and their imperialism [329 words]dhimmi no moreJun 29, 2012 14:56196713
between the lines [58 words]DavidJun 26, 2012 04:10196692
4Why I Back Assad [73 words]DaveJun 25, 2012 19:54196683
1Not likely [297 words]Oz DJun 26, 2012 22:27196683
Turkey is Not Neutral to Syrian Intentions - and Vice Versa [228 words]M. ToveyJun 25, 2012 19:30196682
2Turkey will get this one right. [135 words]NazimJun 25, 2012 10:31196667
8Turkey is West? Since When? [481 words]AlexandrosJun 26, 2012 08:16196667
3Two hideous alternatives ? [484 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
AxelJun 25, 2012 08:27196664
1Don't forget Iran [119 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Lars NielsenJun 25, 2012 07:53196663
4Just another personal view [282 words]AlbertJun 25, 2012 06:41196661
Once burned, twice afraid? [149 words]Vazir MukhtarJun 24, 2012 21:55196653
Partition Syria (and Lebanon) [151 words]jgetsJun 24, 2012 16:25196648
Lebanon will never integrate with Syria [65 words]Phoenician LebaneseJun 26, 2012 09:10196648
Population Exchanges [194 words]jgetsJun 27, 2012 03:22196648
You are 100% right [212 words]PrashantJun 24, 2012 14:29196644
2Violance is not an Islamic monopoly [133 words]mozereJun 26, 2012 06:19196644
2This guy has a point [156 words]DavidJun 27, 2012 23:45196644
1Thoughts on the Syrian downing of a Turkish war plane [64 words]JudithJun 24, 2012 11:46196637
2Luckily this one's easy: The pact can ony be invoked for acts of aggression against a member state. [66 words]Abu NudnikJun 24, 2012 09:59196632
Turkey afraid of Syra's alies [95 words]HenkJun 24, 2012 09:57196630
5OK! War -- and then what? [115 words]PantelisJun 25, 2012 08:57196630
3A coward's grand design [140 words]Nelson D'SilvaJun 24, 2012 07:43196627
Leaving Turkey alone on a Syrian adventure would have negative affects for Israel [231 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
SananeJun 24, 2012 04:50196622
2CIA instigated operation? [88 words]Oz DJun 23, 2012 21:42196616
1Huh? [68 words]RayJun 24, 2012 14:31196616
3"CIA officers are there, and they are trying to make new sources and recruit people." "I would be shocked and disappointed if we were not doing these things". [759 words]IanusJun 24, 2012 16:25196616
Whats the bad news? [49 words]CharlesJun 23, 2012 18:23196602
1Israel's Strange Dilemma [68 words]Martin KaufmanJun 23, 2012 16:40196598
Not Strange at All [36 words]jgetsJun 26, 2012 15:49196598
2NATO [137 words]William MallinsonJun 23, 2012 16:36196597
1It's in your head [10 words]Abu NudnikJun 24, 2012 09:57196597
2both sides [12 words]mikeTJun 23, 2012 16:27196596
5Good news from Turkey at last ! [295 words]IanusJun 23, 2012 15:51196594
2Gallipoli [66 words]gerardJun 23, 2012 21:26196594
3Kemalist jihad - Soviet victory [567 words]IanusJun 24, 2012 10:45196594
1Greco Turkish War [257 words]gerardJun 26, 2012 19:09196594
2Intellectual janissaries [1068 words]IanusJun 27, 2012 18:19196594
1The "Jihad" against the entente [189 words]GerardJun 29, 2012 10:56196594
1Kemal's shahids and gazis [877 words]IanusJul 1, 2012 05:55196594
What better [18 words]Sylvio AconapsycusJun 23, 2012 15:32196593
Turkey relations with neighbours. [51 words]Walther MetzlerJun 23, 2012 15:09196589
1What Turkey Wants, Turkey Gets [88 words]BeatrixJun 23, 2012 14:47196586
2Not Turkey, the Turkish lobby in America ! [172 words]IanusJun 23, 2012 20:13196586
2I was hoping you'd say that! [37 words]Leon KushnerJun 23, 2012 14:39196584
4An endless list of Turkish defeats, retreats, capitulations, flights and withdrawals [179 words]IanusJun 23, 2012 19:53196584
1Greek,Israeli bias [103 words]Ameer RaschidTurkeyJun 24, 2012 01:42196584
2Turkish victories post 1700 [136 words]MozereJun 26, 2012 09:23196584
2"It is evident that countries not governed by the laws of the Sheriat cannot survive." [402 words]IanusJun 26, 2012 18:57196584
4Turkish "victories" [526 words]IanusJun 27, 2012 06:57196584

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)