KeghartBy Art Stepanian, Toronto, 22 April 2021
Last August, seemingly out of the blue, Erdogan’s spokesman Ibrahim Kalin announced that today’s Greeks had no genetic link to the people of Ancient Greece. Kalin, who has no scientific background let alone knowledge of genetics, ignored scientific research, especially by several American institutions which had asserted contemporary Greeks are related to the Ancient Greeks.
Why would Erdogan’s spokesman make such a statement without providing a smidgen of scientific evidence? When did Greeks stop being Greek? Kalin didn’t elaborate.
There was a reason for Kalin’s assertion. Turks are obsessed by the need to find out their roots. Since their Central Asian barbarian forefathers galloped across the Middle East plundering, killing, and raping, contemporary Turks suspect they have Arab, Armenian, Assyrian, Greek, Kurd, and Slav DNA. After all, the Turkification policy persisted for nearly five hundred years through kidnapping, abduction, the Janissary system, slavery, forced marriages and the rape of Christian women.
Kalin’s point was obvious: Greeks couldn’t claim the western half of Asia Minor if they had no DNA links to the Ancient Greeks.
Several years ago, in an attempt to comfort the DNA-obsessed Turks, Ankara released a national DNA study. The project failed due to its success: there was such a massive response (8 million 
Turks requested information about their pedigree) that the system crashed. The government mothballed the project and for good measure banned home-genetic testing. While, for weeks the DNA study made front-page news, Turkey’s docile media didn’t mention whether Erdogan had checked his DNA.
Months later, Erdogan made an interesting statement. He said that when he had asked his father whether they were Turk, his father had told him what Erdogan’s grandfather had said. “…When you die and go to heaven, they will ask what God you believe, who your prophet is, what your religion is. They will not ask for our ethnic origins.”
But “what is a Turk?” is a hot topic in racist Turkey. Although people around the world laughed at the idea, during the early days of COVID-19 many Turks believed they were immune because of their unique DNA.
A century ago, in the Ottoman Empire, “Turk” meant peasant, an uncouth person, and a rube. To raise the confidence and stature of the Turks, Ataturk came up with catchy slogans including “happy is the man who calls himself a Turk.” That illogical quote and other bromides were intended to elevate the self-image of Turks. The efforts of the Turkish government to polish the image of Turks are an unenviable task because it has to deny their thousand- year career as barbarians. In the 1920s, Ernest Hemingway wrote: “If you want to kill me, call me a Turk. I will die of shame.” ‘Turk’ is still used in North America to describe a brute. The National Hockey League has had at least two ‘Turk’ players: Walter ‘Turk’ Broda of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Derek ‘Turk’ Anderson of the Boston Bruins. On the ice, both were brutish.
For years, Erdogan’s ethnicity has fascinated Turks although Erdogan has promoted a version which claims his immediate ancestors had emigrated to Ottoman Turkey from Georgia. Although this version has received the Erdogan’s Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, it was still challenged by people who claimed he was Albanian, Bulgarian, Georgian, and Greek. The gossip created such pressure on Erdogan that he mocked the allegations and thanked Allah that he had not been accused of being Armenian.
Then the bomb dropped. A retired high school history teacher named Cezmi Yurtsever discovered interesting facts about one of Erdogan’s grandparents. Through Ottoman tax records, Yurtsever learned that Erdogan’s grandfather’s name was Memis Bakedoglu–a Greek freedom fighter against the Ottomans in Potamia (Pontus). The tax records included the note “Islamized” next to Bakedoglu’s name.
The story made mockery of Mr. Warmth’s claim that his grandparents were ethnic Turks who had migrated from Georgia. It was difficult to discredit Yurtsever because he had written fifty history books—admittedly slim volumes—which had been subsidized by the government. Yurtsever had also been history consultant to documentaries telecast by the government-run TRT station.
Further details came up about Erdogan. While he had said he was born in Istanbul’s Kasimpasa neighborhood, it was revealed he was born in Beyoglu (Pera), where many Greeks lived. As a young man, Erdogan had worked for a Greek shopkeeper and could speak Greek. Finally, when he had visited Potamia (Turkified to Gunaysu), he had been greeted with “Welcome to Potamia” banners and not to the Turkish Gunaysu.
Erdogan, a man with a short fuse, couldn’t take the “Greek” insult. Since the merchant of venom couldn’t deny his Greek origins, he charged his spokesman to persuade the world Greeks were not really Greek. One Greek publication bated him by printing an article titled “The Greek President of Turkey”.
While the debate about Erdogan’s roots continues, a new tangent has developed to Erdogan’s roots. Keghart.org recently discovered another mystery about Erdogan.
What Keghart.org discovered is Rogan’s birth date.
Erdogan, the Butcher of Artsakh, was born on Feb. 26.
Ariel Sharon, the Butcher of Shatila, was born on Feb. 26.
Rogan’s ex-pal Ahmet Davutoglu was born on Feb. 26.
Not the same years but the same day and month.
What’s the significance of three butchers having been born the same day? There has to be a cosmic explanation for the coincidence. Had the stars lined up in those days to produce three certified monsters? The coincidence is almost sufficient to persuade one to believe in astrology.
After nearly twenty years in power, Erdogan is like the Energizer Bunny, the battery that never dies. Erdogan never tires of spouting outrageous threats, broadcasting fake news, and weaving ominous fantasies. The deadly charlatan has said the Turks discovered America; were the first to undertak space journey, and why Jerusalem belongs to the Turks. He will reveal anything except his origins and that he shares stars with war criminals.
Keghart
Keghart
6 comments
Last Minute notice : The real name of “Erdogan” is MERDOGAN !
“The name is Merdoman…Recep Merdoman, agent 000.”
Had Merdoman been born during the Ottoman era, the psycho would have been a seraglio executioner entrusted with strangling unwanted harem concubines and tossing them into the Bosphorus.
Vahakn
“Today, as we mourn what was lost, let us also turn our eyes to the future—toward the world that we wish to build for our children.” President Joe Biden. April 24, 2021
Reading carefully President Biden’s recognition statement of the Armenian Genocide, I humbly advise every Armenian, especially writers in public forums, never to forget the two most important truths:
Armenia is a landlocked country whose two longest frontiers are with Turkey and Azerbaijan.
Armenia owes its survival and freedom to Russia. Without the Russian guarantee, Armenia would lose its freedom instantly and its viability would be left to the mercy of its current enemies.
Let us not forget either that the freedom of speech we have abused so much with regard to Turkey and Azerbaijan, both in Armenia and in the Diaspora in terms of “Hay Tad” has been tolerated by Armenia’s enemies thanks to the protection of, you guessed it, Russia.
Mocking or insulting a neighboring country incomparably more powerful than you are is not only reckless and irresponsible, but definitely an incomprehensible invitation for retaliation.
Finally, let us never forget that sooner or later peace will come to that region. Simply because there is no alternative for Armenia’s survival and a decent life for its people.
There are ample examples in history of yesterday’s enemies becoming tomorrow’s friends.
76 years have passed since the end of the most horrific war ever, in which the Soviet Union suffered 26 million deaths. Armenia’s part in that loss was close to three hundred thousand. Today Russia and Germany are partners in huge economic projects. Closer relations would have been possible if not handicapped by third parties.
Vietnam has mutually beneficial trade relations with the US today, despite the devastation of the country by the latter in what the Vietnamese call “The American War”.
North Korea, totally destroyed by the US in the Korean War of 1950-1953, wants today more than anything else, to sign a peace treaty with the US.
Armenia is part of the Eurasian landmass where the future is being crafted as we speak. Peace will come to the Transcaucasian region sooner or later. Rather than staying trapped in the past, we should do everything in accord with that eventuality. Among other categories, this requires that we should control our rhetoric, primarily our written words.
Mr. Baghdoyan,
Thank you for pointing out the location of Armenia (the 10 percent that’s not occupied by Turks) on the map. Such geographic tips are handy. I also endorse your helpful mention that Armenia is in Eurasia. Some people think we are Romanian-Albanian.
While almost no week passes without Merdoman puppet Aliyev claiming Armenia belongs to Azerbaijan (a few days ago, Merdoman said Armenia had been a Muslim country), you are advising Armenians to depend on the kindness, morality, honesty, integrity, fair play, principles, compassion, ethics, generosity, understanding, sense of justice, respect for the truth, and probity of Turkbaijan when not only they deny killing 1.5 million Armenians, the theft of 90 percent of our homeland, and the massacres in Azerbaijan, but their hands are still wet with the blood of 4,000 Armenians they killed a few months ago, beheaded some and flayed others.
Have you forgotten that Serge Sargsyan was forced (TARC) by Hilary Clinton to come to an understanding with the Turks but the Turkish “parliament” refused to ratify the agreement?
Do you realize that if we are forced to give up on our rights and forget that for 600 years the Turk has been our executioner they would walk in and take over our economy and turn us into a vassal state just as they are in the process of doing to Georgia?
Do you realize Merdoman calls us “remnants of the sword”, meaning people who somehow evaded being killed by the Turks?
Do you realize that sociopath Merdoman said–just a few months ago–that he wanted to finish the job their fathers had left unfinished?
Are you reading “The History of Mankind according to George Soros”?
Are you advising us to depend on the kindness of the Devil?
Perhaps you get your inspiration from medieval priests who left their church doors open and prayed for the Son of God to save them while the Turks rushed them at the altar and beheaded them. Such a noble death.
Our future is with Russia. Russia has its reason to see Armenia survives. The rest is fuddle-duddle by the commentariat.
P.S. Humor is a weapon.
Mr. Vahakn, I normally respect other people’s ideas. but you are an exception. I really feel sorry for you. You have missed my point deplorably, while proving me right subliminally throughout. Nothing can save you. Neither what you call humor, nor the sarcasm you employ for refuge. I am talking about the future, yet you insist on dwelling in the past. I am thinking about a solution for the perpetual survival of Armenia. You are stuck in a mental dead-end with absolutely no inkling of your condition. And for God’s sake, stop preaching patriotism with the blood of others. I would leave that prowess to cowards.
Mr. Baghdoyan,
When you say “neighboring country” you make it sound as if Turkey or Azerbaijan are harmless entities that happen to be in the vicinity of Armenia. You choose to ignore that that the first had for 600 years a tradition of slow-motion genocide of Armenians culminating in the genocide of 1915 to 1923. You forget that since then it has tried, more than once, to erase Armenia from the map. You prefer to ignore that as recently as last fall it was instrumental in the killing of 4,000 of our fighters and enabled Azerbaijan to steal a large chunk of Artsakh. Perhaps you don’t follow the news but Erdogan–whose mockery you resent–said contemporary Turks should complete the job their fathers had left incomplete. You want us not to say anything negative about this murderous hood. You want us to sit and wait for this repulsive specimen to produce a gram of humanity in his dealing with us when he has jailed countless of his own people and silenced anyone who doesn’t agree with him. Finally, for a thousand years the hostility originated from them. They conquered our homeland and their “historians” deny that Armenians ever ruled Armenia. Since I don’t want to be redundant, the less said about Aliyev the better.
Your examples of enemies who became friends are not well chosen.
German and Russian friendship: As a key NATO member, Germany is an enemy of Russia. It’s no secret that NATO’s ambition following the demise of the Soviet Union is to dismantle Russia. Only a few days ago, several U.S commentators said NATO’s aggressive policy towards Russia courts world war.
Vietnam and the U.S.: America went to war against Vietnam because it saw North Vietnam as an instrument of Russian and Chinese expansionism. After the war, Vietnam demonstrated it was no puppet of Russia or China. This the hatchet between America and Vietnam was buried.
You say “North Korea, totally destroyed by the US in the Korean War…” That must be news to anyone who knows anything about the Korean War. Your claim that North Korea is eager to sign a peace treaty with the US is false. North Korea has said it would not sign a peace treaty unless it’s on its terms.
You say “Let us not forget that sooner or later peace will come to that region…” Do you know something we don’t know? And how far down the road is “sooner or later” in your estimation?
Maybe you would be happy if Armenian leaders, with hats in their hands, flew to Erdogan’s $600 million presidential palace and told the international terrorist that the Genocide was an unfortunate misunderstanding, that we are grateful for the 600 years the generous people of Turkey hosted us in our land, that we could see his point in raining death upon us a few months ago. The Armenian envoys will also say that they realize the Merdoman was misquoted by hired journalists when he supposedly referred to us as the “remnants of the sword” and that when he mentioned finishing the job an earlier generation of Turks had left incomplete, the gangster was referring to improving transportation over the Bosporus by adding two more bridges to Istanbul creaking wooden bridge.
Re not provoking the snake: our political parties repeatedly cooperated with the Young Turks only to be led down the garden path.
There’s more to say about your comment. But let this suffice.