Terror attack in London

[BostonGuy]

Wish you a great weekend from a terror-free Bratislava, Slovakia pic.twitter.com/HAfShC9AuW

— Voice of Europe (@V_of_Europe) September 15, 2017

[BattlingNelson]

yup, stay in your lane Jose. Here's a brief history for you, for when you were looking out the window during history class, you look like my friend Raul who's Guatamalan...

Overview
Slightly smaller than Texas and Louisiana combined, Turkey straddles both Europe and Asia, bordering Greece, Bulgaria, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Its location on two continents has been a crucial factor in its variegated history and culture. The country's area of almost 300,000 square miles includes almost 10,000 square miles of European Turkey, known as Thrace, and approximately 290,000 square miles of Asian Turkey, known as Anatolia or Asia Minor. Lying between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, modern Turkey spans bustling cosmopolitan centers, pastoral farming communities, barren wastelands, placid Aegean islands and steep mountain ranges.

Turkey's population is estimated at 59 million people, with an annual growth rate of 2.5 percent. Istanbul, Ankara, and Adana are the largest cities. The population has been a racial melting pot since prehistoric days. Settled or ruled by Hittites, Gauls, Greeks, Macedonians, and Mongols, Turks became the decisive influence, introducing a Mediterranean-Mongoloid admixture into the country's ethnic composition. It is difficult to describe the appearance of an average Turk. The individual may be blond and blue-eyed or round-headed with dark eyes or hair. Some Turks have long-headed Mediterranean looks while others possess Mongoloid features with high cheekbones.

Almost 98 percent of the population is Muslim. Turkey, however, is a secular state and Jews and Christians can fully practice their religious faiths. Kurds, who are also mainly Muslims, are the largest ethnic minority in Turkey. Other minorities include Greeks, Armenians, and Jews.

HISTORY
The Turks, who did not arrive in the Anatolian Peninsula until the eleventh century, are relative newcomers to a land that had seen many successive civilizations before their arrival. Beginning around 2000 b.c., pre-Hittites, Hittites, Phrygians, Lydians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans had lived or ruled in the region. After the collapse of Roman power in the west about 450 a.d., Anatolia became the heartland of the Byzantine Empire (a Greek continuation of Roman rule in the eastern Mediterranean).

Originally nomadic peoples from the steppes of Central Asia, Turkish tribes began moving west toward Europe around the first century a.d. In the middle of the 400s, the first group, known as the Huns, reached western Europe. Others established kingdoms in Turkestan and Persia before the 900s, by which time they had converted to Islam. In the late 900s a new Turkish dynasty, the Seljuqs, came to power in Turkestan and then Persia, from where they began to make incursions into Anatolia in the early 1000s. In 1071 the Seljuqs crushed the Byzantine army at Manzikert in eastern Anatolia, capturing the emperor himself. This important battle marked the effective end of Byzantine power in Anatolia, and the beginning of Turkish dominance.

The main branch of the Seljuqs continued to rule in Persia and Mesopotamia (Iran and Iraq), while another branch known as the Seljuqs of Rum (Rome), quickly penetrated the entire Anatolian Peninsula. Of the original population, some fled to Constantinople or the west, a few remained Christian under the generally tolerant rule of the Muslim Turkish tribes, but over the centuries most converted to Islam. Gradually, too, these former Christians, mostly Greek or Armenian speakers, began to speak Turkish, melding with the dominant Turks, whom they had originally outnumbered.

During the 1100s the Seljuqs contended with the Byzantines and with Christian Crusaders from Europe for control in Anatolia, especially along the Aegean coast, from which the Byzantines and the Crusaders had driven the Turkish tribes for over 200 years. The strongly centralized Seljuq state reached the peak of its power in the early 1200s; shortly thereafter local internal revolts, combined with the Mongol invasions from the east, began to erode its authority. By the early 1300s it had collapsed completely.

Of the ten local emirates, or kingdoms, that arose in Turkish Anatolia after the Seljuq's disintegration, one quickly came to preeminence: that of Osman, who ruled in northwestern Anatolia and founded the Osmanli or Ottoman dynasty. Osman's son, Orhan, expanded his father's dominions in Anatolia and in the 1350s undertook the first Ottoman conquests in Europe, wrestling several towns in eastern Thrace from the Byzantines and crushing the Bulgars and Serbs in battle. His successors Murad and Bayezid continued the string of Asian and European conquests.

By the early 1400s the territory of the once mighty Byzantine Empire had been reduced to a small island of land around Constantinople surrounded by Ottoman territory. As Ottoman power had increased, so had the pomp of those who wielded it. Murad, for example, had taken the title sultan (meaning "authority" or "power"), rather than the less majestic bey or emir, which were military ranks. Ottoman capitals also became increasingly grand. Muhammad II undertook a massive building program in Constantinople, constructing houses, baths, bazaars, inns, fountains, gardens, a huge mosque, and an imperial palace. He also encouraged the original inhabitants who had fled to return— Jews, Greeks, and Armenians, many of whom were craftsmen, scholars, or artists—and made trade agreements with Venetian and Florentine merchants. Renamed Istanbul, the city became a hub of culture and commerce.

The Ottoman Empire reached its peak under Muhammad's great-grandson, Suleiman, who took power in 1520. During his rule, the vast Ottoman Empire controlled huge areas of northern Africa, southern Europe, and western Asia. Shortly after Suleiman's death in 1566, however, Ottoman might began to wane. A series of military defeats, internal conflict, and the Empire's inability to successfully counter European political, scientific, and social developments resulted in the loss of most of its territory outside Anatolia. After World War I, when Turkey was defeated by the Allies, its position was further weakened.

MODERN ERA
Mustafa Kemal (1881-1938), a Turkish World War I hero later known as "Ataturk" or "father of the Turks," organized the Turkish army, drove the Greeks from Turkey, and founded the Republic of Turkey in 1923. After assuming the office of president, Ataturk began a series of revolutionary reforms which transformed Turkey into a modern nation. In a symbolic break with the Ottoman past, he moved the capital from Istanbul to Ankara, the heartland of his nationalist movement. Ataturk replaced religious law with civil, criminal, and commercial laws based on those of Switzerland. Ataturk also encouraged Turks to dress like Europeans. He outlawed the wearing of the fez and even promoted ballroom dancing at state functions.

Language reform also transformed the political culture of the country in revolutionary ways. Ataturk changed the Islamic call to prayer from Arabic to Turkish and replaced the Arabic alphabet, in which Turkish had been written, with a modified Latin alphabet. Historians believe that language reform was generally a positive development. Literacy is now more commonplace. Modern Turkish is apparently more adaptable to scientific and technical language than Ottoman Turkish and the language gap between economic classes has also been reduced.

From a one-party system under Ataturk's Republican Peoples' Party, Turkey's government evolved into a parliamentary democracy which, despite interference from the military in the early 1970s, has largely managed to maintain its independence from the powerful army.

SIGNIFICANT IMMIGRATION WAVES
The history of Turkish American immigration to the United States is not well documented and is generally unknown. Although many immigrants came to America to flee religious or political persecution, the primary motivation of many Turks was economic or educational opportunity.

Precise statistics on Turkish American immigration are difficult to obtain. According to U.S. government statistics, the number of immigrants from the Ottoman Empire was minuscule from 1820 through 1860, averaging less than 20 per year. The majority of these individuals (86 percent) returned to Turkey following the establishment of the Republic by Ataturk. Although about 360,000 immigrants from Ottoman Turkey came between 1820 and 1950, only an estimated 45,000 to 65,000 immigrants were Muslim Turks. The majority of arrivals were from the numerous ethnic minorities in the Ottoman Empire, primarily Greeks, Armenians, Jews, and Syrians.

Some historians believe that a large percentage of early Turkish Americans were illiterate but their literacy rate was much higher than that of the Ottoman Empire. According to historian Talat Sait Halman, most of the well-educated immigrants in this group eventually returned to Turkey but the less-educated remained in the United States. These remaining Turks, some studies indicate, retained their Turkish customs throughout the 1940s and 1950s without assimilating into the lifestyle of their newly adopted country.

Unlike the earlier wave of immigrants, the post-World War II generation was highly educated and included almost 4,000 engineers and physicians. These numbers would have undoubtedly been higher but strict U.S. immigration regulations—which were enforced from the mid-1920s until 1965—placed an annual quota of 100 on Turkish immigrants. Again, many of these professionals returned to Turkey after living in the United States for a brief period.

Since the 1970s, the number of Turkish immigrants has risen to more than 2,000 per year. Members of this most recent immigrant group vary widely. Many opened small businesses in the United States and created Turkish American organizations, thus developing Turkish enclaves, particularly in New York City. Still others came for educational purposes. Estimates of the total population of Turkish Americans vary widely, ranging from 100,000 to 400,000.

Interesting. Why didn't you mention the Armenian genocide?

[Lester Tutor]

Interesting. Why didn't you mention the Armenian genocide?

should I mention the Native American Indian genocide? Or Pol Pot's Genocide?

[Zaroku]

the irony that the states hosts more of a warzone and homicides than such narratives.

hate crimes are synonimous with ''islamic terror?''

was the oklahoma city bombing a muslim?

Stop... Pull the needle off the record... Bad stuff to poke your nose in...

I ate some awesome sushi with my girl... Jhonny stole my girls o toro
She loves him so she laughed it off. Jhonny is evil

[Zaroku]

Interesting. Why didn't you mention the Armenian genocide?

Heavy truth you bring

[BattlingNelson]

should I mention the Native American Indian genocide? Or Pol Pot's Genocide?

In a Turkish history lesson? No. But since you gave us a Turkish history lesson then why didn't you mention the Armenian genocide? It's a very important event don't you think?

[Lester Tutor]

In a Turkish history lesson? No. But since you gave us a Turkish history lesson then why didn't you mention the Armenian genocide? It's a very important event don't you think?

this ain't a Turkish thread! It's about Islamic phobia! Ironically, when the Republic was founded, the grand high master Kemal Mustafa Atatürk wanted to rid of Islamic ways and make it secular! fake!?

He ditched Arabic from the national grammar to Latin based alphabet!!

but since Ataturk is ridiculed for the ''Armenian Genocide'' then let's just see what these players had to say about him:

● UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The name of Atatürk reminds mankind of the historical accomplishments of one of the greatest men of this century: His leadership gave inspiration to the Turkish nation, farsightedness in the understanding of the modern world, and courage and power as a military leader. It is without a doubt that another example can not be shown indicating greater successes than the birth of the Turkish Republic, and ever since then Atatürk's and Turkey's broad and deep reforms undertaken, as well as the confidence of a nation in itself.

John F. KENNEDY, President of the United States of America
Washington D.C., November 10, 1963 on the 25th Commemoration of Ataturk's death

_

He was a soldier-statesman, one of the greatest leaders of our era. He ensured that Turkey got its rightful place among the most advanced nations of the world. He has given to Turks the sense of self-confidence and endurance to the Turks, that forms the foundation stone of a nation's greatness. I take great pride in being one of Atatürk's loyal friends.

General Douglas MACARTHUR, Commander-in-Chief of the Far East Forces, U.S.A.

_

In connection with the permanent memorial facility for Kemal Atatürk, I take pride in presenting my congratulations to Turkey. Your great country that is advancing on the course that he demonstrated has obtained very significant successes. This ceremony that is being held to commemorate the memory of Atatürk, the architect of progress and Turkish unity, is a very appropriate respect to a person who became a source of inspiration to free peoples throughout the world.

Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States of America
_

During a conversation with the Foreign Affairs Minister of the Soviet Union, Litvinov, I asked him who was, according to him, the most valuable and remarkable statesman of Europe. He replied that, the most valuable and interesting leader in the world was the President of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Franklin D. ROOSEVELT (U.S. President, 1928)
_

My sorrow is that, it is no longer possible to fulfill my strong wish to meet this great man.

Franklin D. ROOSEVELT (U.S. President, 10 November 1963)

_

One of the most talented leaders of the after war period.

New York Times

_

From the stage of the world passed one of the most attentive and attractive men of history.

Chicago Tribune

_

He had an embracing-like extraordinary leadership strength. He was vigilant, energetic, and intelligent.

Gladys Baker (Reporter)

[BattlingNelson]

this ain't a Turkish thread! It's about Islamic phobia! Ironically, when the Republic was founded, the grand high master Kemal Mustafa Atatürk wanted to rid of Islamic ways and make it secular! fake!?

He ditched Arabic from the national grammar to Latin based alphabet!!

but since Ataturk is ridiculed for the ''Armenian Genocide'' then let's just see what these players had to say about him:

● UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The name of Atatürk reminds mankind of the historical accomplishments of one of the greatest men of this century: His leadership gave inspiration to the Turkish nation, farsightedness in the understanding of the modern world, and courage and power as a military leader. It is without a doubt that another example can not be shown indicating greater successes than the birth of the Turkish Republic, and ever since then Atatürk's and Turkey's broad and deep reforms undertaken, as well as the confidence of a nation in itself.

John F. KENNEDY, President of the United States of America
Washington D.C., November 10, 1963 on the 25th Commemoration of Ataturk's death

_

He was a soldier-statesman, one of the greatest leaders of our era. He ensured that Turkey got its rightful place among the most advanced nations of the world. He has given to Turks the sense of self-confidence and endurance to the Turks, that forms the foundation stone of a nation's greatness. I take great pride in being one of Atatürk's loyal friends.

General Douglas MACARTHUR, Commander-in-Chief of the Far East Forces, U.S.A.

_

In connection with the permanent memorial facility for Kemal Atatürk, I take pride in presenting my congratulations to Turkey. Your great country that is advancing on the course that he demonstrated has obtained very significant successes. This ceremony that is being held to commemorate the memory of Atatürk, the architect of progress and Turkish unity, is a very appropriate respect to a person who became a source of inspiration to free peoples throughout the world.

Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States of America
_

During a conversation with the Foreign Affairs Minister of the Soviet Union, Litvinov, I asked him who was, according to him, the most valuable and remarkable statesman of Europe. He replied that, the most valuable and interesting leader in the world was the President of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Franklin D. ROOSEVELT (U.S. President, 1928)
_

My sorrow is that, it is no longer possible to fulfill my strong wish to meet this great man.

Franklin D. ROOSEVELT (U.S. President, 10 November 1963)

_

One of the most talented leaders of the after war period.

New York Times

_

From the stage of the world passed one of the most attentive and attractive men of history.

Chicago Tribune

_

He had an embracing-like extraordinary leadership strength. He was vigilant, energetic, and intelligent.

Gladys Baker (Reporter)

Why did you put the Armenian genocide in quotation marks and why won't you talk about t?

[Lester Tutor]

Why did you put the Armenian genocide in quotation marks and why won't you talk about t?

Armenian Genocide Terror Attacks In London go hand in hand!? You want me talk about? SURE!! no problem. Make a thread about ''Genocide Throughout History''

otherwise I can bring up any genocide which has no correlation to the Terror Attack In London.

I mean I'm sure the Japanese are fond talking about Roosevelt and the atomic bomb.

[The Hammer]

lol. don't try and spin it. as if a Historian were to show you the same paper I just showed you ''anti-semitic?'!' Arabs are semitic people too... this is to only school you why the Brits needed help from the USA to step in....

You want to focus on WW1 strictly, or WW2?

Do you support the American govt. enslaving EVERY SINGLE American born Japanese Citizens because of insecurities, or the ''genocide'' of the atomic bomb which Einstein later confessed to being the worst thing he ever gave to society?

As if the USA need an atomic bomb to beat the Japanese ffs... that shıt was a shameful experiment to only benefit ''nuclear physicists'' making a name for themselves...

don't get owned son!

We were talking about Turks being beaten by the British in WW I, but you couldn't answer my questions so you changed the subject to WW II.

The American's didn't need atomic bombs to defeat the Japanese, they had just won at Iwo Jima, the Philippines and Okinawa. The bombs did save American lives though.

Albert Einstein never invented the atomic bombs. The basic idea of nuclear fission came from German scientists Otto Hahn, Fritz Strassmann, Lise Meitner and Otto Frisch.

The development of the first actual atomic bomb was by American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer with help from others such as Hans Bethe, John Van Vleck, Edward Teller, Emil Konopinski, Robert Serber, Stan Frankel, Eldred C. Nelson, Emilio Segrè, Felix Bloch, Franco Rasetti, Eugene Reybold, Colonel James C. Marshall, John Henry Manley, and Edwin McMillan.