Blog

24 Apr
0

Australian Turkish community fears Armenians undermine multicultural harmony.

Local politicians must stay out of international historical debates.

Armenian hatred against different opinions is a threat to Australia’s multicultural harmony.

Australian Turkish community ready for respectful debate, open dialogue with Armenians about the events of 1915.

 

This weekend, Armenians living in Australia will use all their influence and resources to convince Australians that Ottoman Empire carried out genocide against them.

They will try to silence any other voice than theirs.

In 2013 As European court of Human Rights stated that ‘genocide’ was a precisely defined legal concept and needed to be proven according to legal procedures. The court said it doubted that there could be a general consensus over the case of Armenians.

There has been no decision in any of the international tribunals and courts in that regard despite Armenian Diaspora’s relentless efforts for almost a century.

Historians also fail to reach a consensus on the matter. Scholars continue to discuss whether or not there was ‘an intent to destroy’ Armenians in Ottoman orders which aimed at ending Armenian revolts and collaboration with the enemy by deporting them to southern states of the empire.

Despite ongoing historical debate and no legal basis for labeling events as genocide, Armenians continue to accuse anyone inquiring these facts for being a genocide denier.

‘They abuse and insult Australians with Turkish descent for voicing their side of the story,’ Australian Turkish Advocacy Alliance (ATA-A) Director Hakan Evecek said.

Armenian hatred against Australian Turks voicing their opinion on the events of 1915, a threat to Australia’s harmony

We will not forget terrorist atrocities carried out by the Armenian terror groups against innocent Turks across the world, in the name of revenge.

In 1980, Armenian terrorists murdered Turkish consul general along with his bodyguard in Sydney.

In 1986, Armenian terror group used a car bomb to destroy Turkish consulate in Melbourne.

‘These events continue to remind us what generations raised with hatred and ignorance are capable of,’ Evecek added.

The multicultural harmony of Australia is paramount to all Australians, including to us with Turkish descent.

We respect and appreciate the fair go Australia has given to us. Therefore, we are ready for dialogue on this issue through respectful debate.

We have already showed our readiness for open dialogue last year by accepting an invitation from the Goethe institute to take part in a panel to discuss the issue.

Unfortunately, the panel had to be called off after, according to ABC, Armenian participants refused to be on the same stage with Turkish Australians.

Local politicians must stay out of international historical debates

‘Australian Turkish community will never tolerate divisive bullying methods carried out by some members of the Armenian community and their proxy politicians,’ Australian Turkish Advocacy Alliance (ATA-A) Director Hakan Evecek said.

Some politicians continue to use the grievances of minority communities, including those of Armenians in Australia, to their benefit.

Lobby groups who only advocate division in our society support their unsubstantiated ethnic hatred towards us.

This has to come to an end.

As Australian Turkish Advocacy Alliance;

We call politicians not to enter historical debates. History should be studied through its disciplines by its scholars at academic level.

We call politicians to avoid using divisive, often offending rhetoric on the sacred floors of our democracy.

We invite Armenians for open debate on the issue. We seek harmony through dialogue.

We call Armenians to stop bullying and intimidating Turkish-Australians with their insults, ignorance.

ENDS

 

06 Apr
0

ATA Birligi Yonetiminde Degisim

Sevgili Dostlar,

Gectigimiz 2,5 yil, ATA Birligi icin basarilarla dolu bir donem oldu. Avustralya Turk toplumu icin simdiye kadar yapilmayanlari yapan, toplumumuzun isteklerini ve kaygilarini yerel beledilerden tutun, en yuksek mercilere kadar ulastiran bir araci gorevi gordu ATA-A. Dunyadaki Turk diasporalari icinde gorulmemis bir birlik ve beraberlikle toplumumuza karsi yurutulen sistematik irkci, zenofobik ve nefret dolu saldirilara ATA Birligi basariyla karsi durdu ve bu nefret lobilerine cok buyuk yenilgiler yasatti.Bundan once neredeyse her yil gecirilen irkci tasarilar bu 2015 yilinda Avustralyadaki hic bir parlamentodan gecirilememesi ATA Birliginin ne kadar basarili calismalar yuruttugunun birebir gostergesidir.

Avustralya Disisleri Bakani Julie Bishop’in kurumumuza bizzat yazdigi mektupta Avustralya hukumetinin resmi goruslerini belirtmesinden tutun da Avustralya Federal Parlamentosunda duzenledigimiz konferans ve toplantilara kadar ATA Birligi toplumumuzu her seviyede ve her mercide layikiyle temsil etmis olmanin hakli gururunu tasimaktadir.

Birligimiz ilk kuruldugu gunden beri kabul edilen tuzugune gore islevini gerceklestirmekte ve tolumumuzun bir avukati olarak gorev yapmaktadir. Yine tuzugumuze gore ATA Birliiginin baskan ve sekreterleri de 2 yilda bir yenilenmesi gerekmektedir.

Tuzugumuze gore , kurumumuzun CEO’su Ertunc Ozen, Melbourne Direktoru Adem Genc ve sekreterimiz Gunes Gungor’un gorev sureleri de Mart ayi sonu itibariyle sona ermistir. Nevruz ve bahar Turkler icin her zaman yeni baslangiclarin sembolu olmustur.

Kurumumuz sekreteri Gunes Gungor, cogu zaman sabahini aksamina katarak, bazi zamanlar butun masraflari kendi cebinden karsilayarak ATA’ya buyuk bir ozveriyle sahip cikti. ATA’nin yapmis oldugu butun projeleri bizzat hazirlayan ve butun girisimleri yapan, adeta ATA’nin bel kemigi olan Gunes’e gostermis oldugu fedakarlik ve ozverili hizmetlerinden dolayi ne kadar tesekkur etsek azdir. Gunes’in, bazi nefret lobilerinin tehditlerine ve bazen kendi toplumumuzdan gelen ideolojik hurafelere aldiris etmeden, Turk toplumumuz adina yaptiklari her zaman hafizalarimizda kalacaktir. Kendisine bundan sonraki yasaminda basarilar diliyoruz.

Gunes’in yerini eski Reuters muhabiri, su anda TRT’nin Avustralya temsilciligini yapmakta olan Baris Atayman alacaktir. Baris, profesyonel bir basin mensubu olmasi tecrubesiyle, ATA’yi bir adim daha ileri goterecegine inancimiz sonsuzdur. Kendisine de basarilar diliyoruz.

Ayni sekilde Melbourne temsilcimiz Adem Genc de butun islerine ragmen ATA icin oldukca vakit ayirdi ve bizleri basariyla temsil etti. Kendisine simdiye kadarki hizmetlerinden dolayi sukranlarimizi sunuyoruz.

ATA CEO’su Ertunc Ozen butun islerine ragmen toplumumuza olan sevgisi ve sorumluluk duygusuyla belki de simdiye kadarki en buyuk fedekarligi yapti. ATA’nin kurulmasinda, butun Turk derneklerinin bir araya getirilmesinden Ertunc Bey’in kisiligi ve bagimsizligi cok onemli bir rol oynadi. Profesyonel anlamda avukat olmasi nedeniyle toplumumuzun tezlerinin anlatilmasinda Ertunc Beyin fikri izleri ATA’nin bundan sonraki yasaminda her zaman bir kosede buluncaktir. Ertunc beyin kendi zamanindan ve ailesinden yaptigi fedakarliklarla ve ATA’nin elde ettigi bsarilarla toplumumuza simdiye kadar belki de en buyuk hizmeti vermis Avustralya’li Turklerden olarak tarihe gecektir. ATA Yonetim Kurulu kendisine duydugu guvenin bir ifadesi olarak CEO gorevinin yerini alacak olan ATA Liderlik Grubunun secim gorevini bizzat Ertunc beye vermistir.

Yeni kurulan Liderlik grubumuz NSW’de Malik Taskin ve Hakan Evecek tarafindan olusacaktir VIC’dan bu grubta bulunacak uyeler de halen secim asamasindadir.

Sidneydeki toplumumuzun yakindan tanidigi Malik Taskin, Wollongong’ta Commonwealth Bankasi mudurlugu gorevini surdurmektedir. Kendi IT Firmasi olan Hakan Evecek Cloud Computing ve online konferans servis veren Redback Conferencing firmasinin genel mudurudur. Bundan sonraki gunlerde toplumumuz Malik bey ve Hakan Beyi daha yakindan tanima imkani bulacaklardir.

04 Apr
0

ATA-A condemns Armenian provocation in Nagarno-Karbakh

ATA-A condemns Armenian provocation in Nagarno-Karbakh region, calls for international community to work more decisively to end illegal occupation of the region by Yerevan and its proxy forces.

 

Azerbaijan has liberated several villages from the Armenian occupation in Nagarno-Karabakh region following an unprovoked attack by Yerevan backed forces, news outlets reported over the weekend.

While 12 Azerbaijani soldiers lost their lives, at least 18 Armenians also died during the clashes.

Armenia failed to specify if the deceased are from its own forces or from ethnic separatists it openly backs.

ATA-A strongly condemns Armenian provocations in the region, which resulted in the unnecessary deaths of many.

The illegal occupation of the Nagarno-Karabakh region by Armenia and its proxy forces is the source of the dispute waiting to be resolved for more than two decades.

The UNGA resolution 62/243 reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, expressing support for that country’s internationally recognized borders and demanding the immediate withdrawal of all Armenian forces from all occupied territories there.

ATA-A also believes the blame lies with the inability of an international mediation group to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.

Our prayers are with the families of Azerbaijani soldiers who lost their lives in two days of fighting with Armenian forces.

The Chair of Australia Azerbaijan Friendship Group, Luke Simpkins MP has drawn The Australian Parliament’s attention to the illegal occupation of Nagorno Karabagh and asked Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to warn Armenia for their deplorable treatment of Azerbaijan citizens.

Mr Simpkins said in November 2015: ” In 1992 and 1993, Armenia illegally seized sovereign territory of Azerbaijan. This includes the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. As a result of the attack and the seizure of that territory by Armenia, 350,000 ethnic Azerbaijanis were pushed from Armenia into Azerbaijan, and over 750,000 Azerbaijanis were forced out of their homes and became internally displaced persons in other parts of Azerbaijan. Therefore, over one million Azerbaijanis have been kept from their land, their property and the graves of their ancestors for over 20 years.”

 

26 Mar
0

ATA Alliance announces new Leadership Group

Over the past 2.5 years ATA Alliance has become a vital institution for the Australian Turkish Community. As one of the most successful Turkish diaspora organisations in the world, ATA Alliance has quickly become recognised for its advocacy efforts in Australia and overseas.

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