HyeOctane

What do Tayyip Erdogan, the Prime Minister of Turkey (perpetrator of the first genocide of the 20th century), and Omar Al-Bashir, the President of Sudan (perpetrator of the first genocide of the 21st century), have in common? Well, it should be obvious, but we’ll let the transcripts do the talking:Deportation and War, not Genocide

Erdogan (Remarks at the National Press Club, Nov 5, 2007):

“I’ll tell you something now. There is no [Armenian] genocide here. What took place was called deportation. Because that was a very difficult time. It was the time of war, in 1915.”

Al-Bashir (MSNBC Interview with Ann Curry, March 19, 2007):

“The geographic displacement of people that took place in Darfur is due to the fight in Darfur. The citizen has to move out of the fighting areas to a place of security, seeking peace and security. . . yes, people were killed but not as much [as you say]- it’s a war! There is a tribal conflict inside that war.”

Our Culture Does Not Allow It

Erdogan (National Press Club, Nov. 5):

“In fact, our values do not allow our people to commit genocide. It does not allow it and there is no such thing as a genocide.”

Al-Bashir (MSNBC Interview, March 19):“Villages were burned, and people were killed, but it is not in the Sudanese culture or people of Darfur to rape. It doesn’t exist. We don’t have it.”

The Victims Rebelled

Erdogan (National Press Club, Nov. 5):

“This was about the time when there was rebellion in different parts of the empire. But given the context of the time and the events that took place at that time, there was provocation by some other countries and the Armenians became part of the rebellion in those years.”

Al-Bashir (Asharq Alawsat Interview, February 17, 2007):“There is a rebellion problem in Darfur, and it is the duty of a government in any state to fight the rebellion. When war takes place, civilian victims fall, and this has been exaggerated.”