Comments on: TÃ¼rkiye Sen Ã‡ok GÃ¼zelsin

By: Gonca

Gonca — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 18:59:11 +0000

I would like to thank you guys for your great comments.

I’m also a fan of Ataturk. It’s so wonderful to know that even people out of my country can understand and appreciate him.

Unfortunately there is a big campaign against him (it’s crazy to even have people who might not like him) and as Michael has mentioned one of those people who is working against what Ataturk has established is Erdogan. And by the way, we should not disregard that he is getting a lot of help from some other countries to achieve his mission.

By: highlander

highlander — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 09:23:49 +0000

The comment is meant as an insult to both Ataturk and to Jews. As Michael says, many of us may have Jewish ancestory. Certainly, if we go far enough back, we find that every one has an ancestor from a different belief system. How can that be used against a man who has served a nation so unselfishly and with such devotion? If mistakes were made, certainly they may be addressed without condemnation and slander.

By: Michael van der Galien

Michael van der Galien — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 10:55:35 +0000

O: and his full name was not Mustafa Kemal. His name was Mustafa. A teacher – according to some sources at least – gave him the name Kemal to differentiate between himself and AtatÃ¼rk.

By: Michael van der Galien

Michael van der Galien — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 10:52:18 +0000

I conveniently ignored that comment. I read a lot about AtatÃ¼rk and I have to say that I would not rule it out that he might have had Jewish ancestors. Who knows? You all might have had Jewish ancestors as well, perhaps I even had them, I do not know.

Anyway, the comment was obviously meant as an insult: as a way to discredit AtatÃ¼rk and thus his heritage. He gave Turkey a secular system, and quite some people dislike him for that (Erdogan for instance).

What is relevant about AtatÃ¼rk is that he was a great man – in my opinion one of the greatest men in history – who helped Turkey a lot. He saved Turkey – both from other countries and from fundamentalists. He brought Turkey into the 20th century.

I could write a long post about him: I am quite a fan so to speak (with key holders, books, photos, etc.).

A brilliant man.

The US should have looked at what AtatÃ¼rk did in Turkey (for Iraq).

By: Gonca

Gonca — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 07:20:17 +0000

I totally disagree with the comments of ‘No Peace Without Justice’.

This was a totally a biased and one-sided comment about Ataturk. I’m a modern, well educated Turkish women who does not want an Islamic country and therefore there are some people who are not happy with my ideas and behaviors and they can judge me as a â€œdoenmeh”.

I totally think this is unfair.

No one can judge my ideas. I’m muslim and the religion is between me and the God. No one can tell me what to do and how to pray. This was what Ataturk has believed as a Muslim Turkish man. And I admire him for that.

He has been attacked by many different groups because they weren’t happy with what he did.

But we Turkish people love and admire him and we are greateful to him for all he has done for us.

And you ‘No Peace Without Justice’, who are you to judge Ataturk and give such a wrong information about him to many people???

What is you aim? I know it’s not something positive.

By: highlander

highlander — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 18:19:47 +0000

Moderator:
The comment from “No peace without justice” states that Ataturk was a Jew who converted to Islam. While the sentence does not carry any negative emotions with it, (so what if he were a Jew?) it is meant as an insult. I also do not believe it is substantiated. My thoughts are that the comment does not belong in the “moderate” blog.

By: Holly in Cincinnati

Holly in Cincinnati — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 02:15:53 +0000

Well, now we know who (or at least what) NPWJ is!

By: kritter

kritter — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 00:50:04 +0000

Gorgeous photos- Mvdg_ thanks for sharing with us!

By: No Peace Without Justice

No Peace Without Justice — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 22:06:40 +0000

Who Really…Was, Mustafa Kemal and the Ataturk surname :

Kemal Ataturk was born in 1881 in Thessaloniki, Greece which was at that time a Muslim nation. His full name was Mustafa Kemal and the Ataturk surname, meaning the Father of Turks was given to him by the Turkish people in accordance with the reforms he introduced to destroy the Islamic state and convert it to a “Turkey” state. He was a “doenmeh”. Meaning, of Jewish descent. The “doenmehs” never inter-married with Muslims and celebrated their version of Islam indoors. The doenmehs were known to be false converts who were planted in the Muslim Empire to destroy it. One must admit that Kemal Ataturk performed his task well. Makes you Think !

By: Buck

Buck — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 19:24:46 +0000

Wonderful post, Michael. I lived in Turkey for three years…Ankara and Sinop (up on the Black Sea coast) and I’ve been to most of the places in your photos. I can vouch for the scenery, the architecture, the food…and most of all…the people.

I envy you and your decision to live in Izmir. Perhaps I’ll get back. Someday.