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ERDOGAN'S DEVALUATED 'APOLOGY' AND THE DETAILS OF THE KURDISH MASSACRES
Ruzan Ishkhanian
http://artsakhtert.com/eng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=490:e rdogans-devaluated-apology-and-the-details-of-the-kurdish-massacres&catid=1:all&Itemid=1
Wednesday, 30 November 2011 07:49
Among the last-week political events, special attention should be paid
to Turkish Prime Minister R. Erdogan's political gesture addressed
to the Kurdish people - he apologized to Kurds for the massacres
committed by Turkish soldiers in 1936-1939.
The first logical question, which can be asked by each of us
after reading this information, is the following: are the Turkish
authorities generally able to apologize for the atrocities of their
predecessors? We Armenians know well that Allah didn't endow them with
similar ability. And if we try to admit that the Turkish authorities
have miraculously or suddenly become civilized, so we can afford to
admit the possibility of displaying a similar attitude towards the
Armenian people. But, we'd not better hurry, as the details of the
Turkish Prime Minister's 'apology' nullify our great optimism towards
this kind of people. It turned out that R. Erdogan took this step for
political reasons, or rather, domestic political reasons related to an
opposition party. Can you imagine how the Turkish Prime Minister can
use another nation's tragedy for achieving a corresponding goal? To
call this immoral means to say nothing. Erdogan decided to apologize
to the Kurdish people, while for its 88-year-old history this state
has never displayed such an attitude towards the Kurds. The history
proves that the Turks both persecuted and exploited this nation for
political reasons. It is known that the Young Turks' leaders, while
planning the Armenian Genocide, intended to set the Kurds against the
Armenians. There are numerous documents and noteworthy evidences of
this crime, according to which the Kurds saved many Armenians from
the threat of death.
Let's recur to the events' details. In 1936-1939, the Turkish army
attacked the rebelling Kurds in Dersim, using gas and aerial bombs.
According to the competent sources, after these events, the Kurdish
rebels' struggle against the Turkish state increased. And in the
beginning of the 21st century, the state's Prime Minister's conscience
suddenly waked up and he decided to state on the TV that he had
corresponding documents on the events. And it wasn't accidental at all
that he stated about the death of 13.800 people. "If it is necessary
to apologize on behalf of my country, if there is a similar practice,
so I apologize to you", he said.
According to the Kurdish mass media, the Turkish Prime
Minister's apologies are directed against the state's opposition
Popular-Republican Party, which was Turkey's leading party during the
noted massacre. Surely, Erdogan just tried to pose himself as a fair
political figure; otherwise, did he need 70 years to understand that
the Kurdish massacre was among the tragic events in his country's
recent-period history? The Prime Minister's political reason is
reflected in the following sentence: "The Party, which is responsible
for this event, is not the leading Justice and Development Party.
Responsible for this bloody tragedy is the Popular-Republican Party".
Naturally, Erdogan's statement was correspondingly responded by leader
of the Turkish Popular-Republican Party Kemal Kylychdarogly.
He noted that the Turkish Prime Minister subjected the historical
events to his political reasons. But, the party's leader didn't
consider Erdogan's apologies enough; he demanded to open the archives,
to return the lands to those families, which were expelled from Dersim,
and to pay them corresponding reimbursement.
And why did the leader of the Turkish opposition party focus on the
archive documents, which should be introduced to the people? The
documents testify that the victims' number is about 100.000 and not
13.800. There is also another detail: the Armenians, who survived
during the 1915 Genocide, were subjected to another massacre in 1938,
this time along with the Kurds.
It isn't accidental that Erdogan hurried to reject the supposition
that the apologies to Kurds will be followed by a similar gesture
towards Armenians. Armenians don't expect such a step from Erdogan.
But, Armenians are satisfied with the fact that this demand is
advanced by representatives of the Turkish intelligentsia. Prominent
Turkish analyst Doghu Ergil stated that Erdogan must also apologize
for the 1915 Armenian massacres and the 1955 pogroms followed by mass
emigration of national minorities.
Surely, Ergil's political position is praising. But, it should be
said to this intellectual that the Turkish authorities, despite their
will, will some time take this step, again for political reasons
and on the time requirements. This time will finally come. Today,
one superpower's (USA) leader, despite Erdogan's will, requires to
return the Armenian-Turkish Protocols to the state's Parliament, The
Great National Assembly; tomorrow, the leader of another or maybe
the same state will demand from the Turkish authorities to assess
impartially their past. As it is said, the next apology pursues Turkey
persistently and everywhere.
And currently, the Turkish intelligentsia admits that their country,
the dirty biography of which is obvious to everybody, has found itself
in an idiotic position. It must apologize to Armenians, Greeks,
Assyrians... The intellectuals bravely realize that staying on the
historical stage isn't enough for occupying an honorable place in the
range of civilized nations and gaining other nations' respect. For
removing the veil of disgust and hatred, the Turks must apologize to
all the nations, towards which they committed violence, persecution,
and genocide.
This will be, at least, the start of repentance.
Ruzan Ishkhanian
http://artsakhtert.com/eng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=490:e rdogans-devaluated-apology-and-the-details-of-the-kurdish-massacres&catid=1:all&Itemid=1
Wednesday, 30 November 2011 07:49
Among the last-week political events, special attention should be paid
to Turkish Prime Minister R. Erdogan's political gesture addressed
to the Kurdish people - he apologized to Kurds for the massacres
committed by Turkish soldiers in 1936-1939.
The first logical question, which can be asked by each of us
after reading this information, is the following: are the Turkish
authorities generally able to apologize for the atrocities of their
predecessors? We Armenians know well that Allah didn't endow them with
similar ability. And if we try to admit that the Turkish authorities
have miraculously or suddenly become civilized, so we can afford to
admit the possibility of displaying a similar attitude towards the
Armenian people. But, we'd not better hurry, as the details of the
Turkish Prime Minister's 'apology' nullify our great optimism towards
this kind of people. It turned out that R. Erdogan took this step for
political reasons, or rather, domestic political reasons related to an
opposition party. Can you imagine how the Turkish Prime Minister can
use another nation's tragedy for achieving a corresponding goal? To
call this immoral means to say nothing. Erdogan decided to apologize
to the Kurdish people, while for its 88-year-old history this state
has never displayed such an attitude towards the Kurds. The history
proves that the Turks both persecuted and exploited this nation for
political reasons. It is known that the Young Turks' leaders, while
planning the Armenian Genocide, intended to set the Kurds against the
Armenians. There are numerous documents and noteworthy evidences of
this crime, according to which the Kurds saved many Armenians from
the threat of death.
Let's recur to the events' details. In 1936-1939, the Turkish army
attacked the rebelling Kurds in Dersim, using gas and aerial bombs.
According to the competent sources, after these events, the Kurdish
rebels' struggle against the Turkish state increased. And in the
beginning of the 21st century, the state's Prime Minister's conscience
suddenly waked up and he decided to state on the TV that he had
corresponding documents on the events. And it wasn't accidental at all
that he stated about the death of 13.800 people. "If it is necessary
to apologize on behalf of my country, if there is a similar practice,
so I apologize to you", he said.
According to the Kurdish mass media, the Turkish Prime
Minister's apologies are directed against the state's opposition
Popular-Republican Party, which was Turkey's leading party during the
noted massacre. Surely, Erdogan just tried to pose himself as a fair
political figure; otherwise, did he need 70 years to understand that
the Kurdish massacre was among the tragic events in his country's
recent-period history? The Prime Minister's political reason is
reflected in the following sentence: "The Party, which is responsible
for this event, is not the leading Justice and Development Party.
Responsible for this bloody tragedy is the Popular-Republican Party".
Naturally, Erdogan's statement was correspondingly responded by leader
of the Turkish Popular-Republican Party Kemal Kylychdarogly.
He noted that the Turkish Prime Minister subjected the historical
events to his political reasons. But, the party's leader didn't
consider Erdogan's apologies enough; he demanded to open the archives,
to return the lands to those families, which were expelled from Dersim,
and to pay them corresponding reimbursement.
And why did the leader of the Turkish opposition party focus on the
archive documents, which should be introduced to the people? The
documents testify that the victims' number is about 100.000 and not
13.800. There is also another detail: the Armenians, who survived
during the 1915 Genocide, were subjected to another massacre in 1938,
this time along with the Kurds.
It isn't accidental that Erdogan hurried to reject the supposition
that the apologies to Kurds will be followed by a similar gesture
towards Armenians. Armenians don't expect such a step from Erdogan.
But, Armenians are satisfied with the fact that this demand is
advanced by representatives of the Turkish intelligentsia. Prominent
Turkish analyst Doghu Ergil stated that Erdogan must also apologize
for the 1915 Armenian massacres and the 1955 pogroms followed by mass
emigration of national minorities.
Surely, Ergil's political position is praising. But, it should be
said to this intellectual that the Turkish authorities, despite their
will, will some time take this step, again for political reasons
and on the time requirements. This time will finally come. Today,
one superpower's (USA) leader, despite Erdogan's will, requires to
return the Armenian-Turkish Protocols to the state's Parliament, The
Great National Assembly; tomorrow, the leader of another or maybe
the same state will demand from the Turkish authorities to assess
impartially their past. As it is said, the next apology pursues Turkey
persistently and everywhere.
And currently, the Turkish intelligentsia admits that their country,
the dirty biography of which is obvious to everybody, has found itself
in an idiotic position. It must apologize to Armenians, Greeks,
Assyrians... The intellectuals bravely realize that staying on the
historical stage isn't enough for occupying an honorable place in the
range of civilized nations and gaining other nations' respect. For
removing the veil of disgust and hatred, the Turks must apologize to
all the nations, towards which they committed violence, persecution,
and genocide.
This will be, at least, the start of repentance.