More than 10,000 Turks have gathered to mourn the anniversary of the notorious Khojaly Massacre committed by Armenia during Nagorno-Karabakh war, but the anti-Armenian protests went too far with violent slogans and signs.

Istanbul / NationalTurk – Shameful slogans and signs marked and besmirched the anti-Armenian protests in Istanbul on the anniversary of Khojaly Massacre, when Armenian troops rushed into the village of Khodzhaly on Feb. 26, 1992 and killed 613 Azerbaijanis during the 6-year war with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh.

The protesters, including members of labor unions and nationalist groups, staged a mass protest in Istanbul’s Taksim square last Sunday to denounce Armenia and express solidarity with Turkey’s ally Azerbaijan. Among the speakers at the demonstration in Istanbul’s famous Taksim Square was Turkish Interior Minister Idris Naim Sahin, among other leaders of Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP). Many western and Turkish journalists have been shocked by the strong sense of nationalism present in the protests in form of slogans and signs.

Khojaly Massacre Victims abused with profound racism in Turkey

Billboards put up in busses, on walls nearly in every corner in Istanbul days before, saying: ‘ Don’t believe in the Armenian lie.” Don’t forget the Khojaly Massacre ‘

You are all Armenian, you are all bastards as a countermeasure for We are all Hrant, we are all Armenians

‘ You are all Armenian, you are all bastards’, a disparaging manipulation of a phrase ( We are all Hrant, We are all Armenians ) commonly used by millions of Turkish supporters of slain Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, was seen on professionally printed signs.’ We are all Armenians’ was expressed with pain and anger after Hrant Dink’s murder, in a context meaning solidarity with the Armenian minority in Turkey. But the violent gathering on Sunday’s protests manipulated and supported yet again by Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AKP government financed with our taxes for people who cannot have the empathy since they are not capable of understanding that one misery cannot be evened with another.

‘ Today, Taksim, Tomorrow, Yerevan: We will descend upon you suddenly in the night.’ one sign read, while so called mourners were shouting ‘ We are all Ogün Samast ‘ ( the convicted murderer of Hrant Dink ), their hands reaching toward the sky with the grey wolf gesture, who can make me believe that those present there were genuinely grieving for the Khojaly Massacre victims?

Armenia Turkey : Politics over hatred

French President Sarkozy was also criticised in a weird fashion, as ultra-nationalist groups were reportedly distributing rolls of Sarkozy brand toilet paper, produced and sold in Turkey shortly after the French Senate passed a bill outlawing denial of the alleged Armenian genocide.

According to statements issued by the protest organizers, similar demonstrations have been planned in over 50 cities in Turkey.

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), sharply criticized the government-sanctioned anti-Armenian demonstrations held throughout Turkey on Feb. 26 with a statement.

‘ These anti-Armenian demonstrations in the streets of Istanbul— with the interior minister and prominent political parties at the helm—were clearly aimed at inciting increased racism and renewed violence against Turkey’s own Armenian citizens and neighboring Armenia, ‘ stated ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.

‘ This protest has been supported, promoted and financed by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs’, claimed Guillaume Perrier, a correspondent for the French daily Le Monde, working in Turkey.

Khojaly Massacre to be remembered but not with blunt racism

On 26 February 1992, 613 civilians, including old men, women and children, were massacred by Armenian troops in one of late 20th century’s most brutal and horrific attacks. Despite its horrendous nature, the crimes of the Armenian army committed were largely ignored by Western governments and the Western media at the time.

Turkey has demanded then the immediate withdrawal of Armenian troops from the Armenian-occupied enclave Nagorno-Karabakh to reopen their border, which was closed by Turkey in 1993 to protest Armenia’s war with Azerbaijan.

Feb. 26 2012 must be noted in everyone’s mind somewhere. Turkey will see where this hate discourse will lead, with its path that has been ‘officially’ opened with this violent protest. We are quite sure that many Armenian politicians and lobbyists outside Armenia clasp their hands eagerly, like their sinister counterparts in Turkey. Hatred is good for their trade.

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