Hellenic Resources Network
Saturday, 3 April 2004
Various Turkish Quotes, beginning with multiple quotes from the 3 rulers of
wartime Turkey, Cemal Pasha, Enver Pasha and Talat Pasha.
Enver Pasha
One of the triumvirate rulers publicly declared on 19 May 1916…
The Ottoman Empire should be cleaned up of the Armenians and the Lebanese.
We have destroyed the former by the sword, we shall destroy the latter
through starvation.
In reply to US Ambassador Morgenthau who was deploring the massacres against
Armenians and attributing them to irresponsible subalterns and underlings in
the distant provinces, Enver’s reply was…
You are greatly mistaken. We have this country absolutely under our control.
I have no desire to shift the blame onto our underlings and I am entirely
willing to accept the responsibility myself for everything that has taken
place.
Talat Pasha
In a conversation with Dr. Mordtmann of the German Embassy in June 1915…
Turkey is taking advantage of the war in order to thoroughly liquidate
(grundlich aufzaumen) its internal foes, i.e., the indigenous Christians,
without being thereby disturbed by foreign intervention.
After the German Ambassador persistently brought up the Armenian question in
1918, Talat said “with a smile”…
What on earth do you want? The question is settled. There are no more
Armenians.
Cemal Pasha
To a German officer upon seeing the deportations in Mamure said…
I am ashamed of my nation (Ich schame mich fur meine Nation)
Cemal
Minister of the Interior of Turkey publicly declared on March 15 that on the
basis of computations undertaken by Ministry Experts…
800,000 Armenian deportees were actually killed…by holding the guilty
accountable the government is intent on cleansing the bloody past.
Prince Abdul Mecid
Heir-Apparent to the Ottoman Throne, during an interview…
I refer to those awful massacres. They are the greatest stain that has ever
disgraced our nation and race. They were entirely the work of Talat and
Enver. I heard some days before they began that they were intended. I went
to Istanbul and insisted on seeing Enver. I asked him if it was true that
they intended to recommence the massacres which had been our shame and
disgrace under Abdul Hamid. The only reply I could get from him was: ‘It is
decided. It is the program.’
Grand Vezir Damad Ferid Pasha
Equivalent rank in the US would be head of the cabinet I think. He described
the treatment of the Armenians as…
A crime that drew the revulsion of the entire humankind.
Mustafa Arif
Minister of Interior stated on 13 December 1918…
Surely a few Armenians aided and abetted our enemy, and a few Armenian
Deputies committed crimes against the Turkish nation… it is incumbent upon
a government to pursue the guilty ones. Unfortunately, our wartime leaders,
imbued with a spirit of brigandage, carried out the law of deportation in a
manner that could surpass the proclivities of the most bloodthirsty bandits.
They decided to exterminate the Armenians, and they did exterminate them.