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TURKEY SHOULD DEVELOP CREATIVE POLICIES TO THWART GENOCIDE ALLEGATIONS
Today's Zaman
Jan 25 2012
Turkey
Twenty-two Parliaments around the world have recognized the killings
of Armenians by Ottoman Turks around a century ago, which I will
refer to as the 1915 events, as genocide.
The French Assembly recognized the killings as genocide in 2001. The
French Senate passed a law late on Monday that makes it a crime to
deny that the killings of Armenians constituted genocide. Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated on Wednesday that this
move would deal a heavy blow to relations between the two countries.
We Turks have become used to hearing similar reactions from Turkish
governments each time various nations' parliaments have passed a bill
that recognizes the Armenian killings as genocide.
The genocide allegations damage Turkey's national pride. Ankara
says that there was no systematic campaign to kill Armenians and
that many Turks also died during the chaotic disintegration of the
Ottoman Empire. Most historians worldwide, however, say evidence of
the genocide is indisputable.
The Turkish argument, in the meantime, has fallen short of convincing
many nations. Hence, more states can be expected to follow the example
of the nations that have already recognized the alleged genocide
of Armenians.
Until then, Turkey will continue wasting its energy on criticizing
the nations that recognize the 1915 events as genocide while imposing
sanctions that, in general, do not work.
Turkey, which is an integral part of the global world, should seriously
think about developing creative policies to thwart allegations of
genocide instead of allowing itself to be hijacked by this issue,
which has turned into a never-ending story.
For example, it can begin with an apology for the events that took
place under the waning Ottoman Empire. However, an apology would
not mean that Turkey must recognize the genocide of Armenians. This
is because, in my opinion, there does not exist clear evidence that
Armenians were killed systematically. Turkey expressed its willingness
to open all the archives related to that period to Turkish as well as
foreign historians. Turkey should be encouraged to keep this promise.
Unlike the state, Turkish intellectuals have already expressed their
apology for the killings of Armenians. They launched a campaign in
December 2008 stating that they were apologizing for the deportation
policy of Armenians in 1915 as a humanitarian gesture.
Turkey, which recently apologized for the killing of more than 13,000
Kurds in the late '30s in the southeastern province of Dersim, known
as Tunceli, can also apologize for the 1915 events.
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan apologized last November for the
Dersim events, commonly known as the massacre of the Kurds. The
killings occurred when security forces, acting upon orders from the
then-decision makers, crushed a Kurdish rebellion in Dersim using
aerial bombings and poison gas.
"Dersim is the most tragic event in our recent history. It is a
disaster that should now be questioned with courage," Erdogan declared.
He became the first Turkish leader to make the apology.
Another step that should be taken by Turkey as a means to ease
increased pressure exerted upon it by other nations is to educate
the extremely nationalistic public about the events surrounding the
1915 period, which are defined officially by Turkey as the "Armenian
deportation." This is one of the dark chapters in Turkish history
that has remained closed to its citizens.
But the curtain has been raised gradually, and we have been witnessing
increased public debate over the events that took place close to 100
years ago.
Turkey says it would punish France over the Senate's decision to
criminalize denying that the killing of Armenians constituted genocide,
but did not disclose the new sanctions to be imposed on Paris.
Turkey's earlier sanctions, both against France and other countries
that recognize the Armenian killings as genocide, have not deterred
further states from adopting similar bills.
Therefore, Ankara should seriously revise its reactive policies and
consider the thoughtful ones mentioned above that I believe will work.
Today's Zaman
Jan 25 2012
Turkey
Twenty-two Parliaments around the world have recognized the killings
of Armenians by Ottoman Turks around a century ago, which I will
refer to as the 1915 events, as genocide.
The French Assembly recognized the killings as genocide in 2001. The
French Senate passed a law late on Monday that makes it a crime to
deny that the killings of Armenians constituted genocide. Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated on Wednesday that this
move would deal a heavy blow to relations between the two countries.
We Turks have become used to hearing similar reactions from Turkish
governments each time various nations' parliaments have passed a bill
that recognizes the Armenian killings as genocide.
The genocide allegations damage Turkey's national pride. Ankara
says that there was no systematic campaign to kill Armenians and
that many Turks also died during the chaotic disintegration of the
Ottoman Empire. Most historians worldwide, however, say evidence of
the genocide is indisputable.
The Turkish argument, in the meantime, has fallen short of convincing
many nations. Hence, more states can be expected to follow the example
of the nations that have already recognized the alleged genocide
of Armenians.
Until then, Turkey will continue wasting its energy on criticizing
the nations that recognize the 1915 events as genocide while imposing
sanctions that, in general, do not work.
Turkey, which is an integral part of the global world, should seriously
think about developing creative policies to thwart allegations of
genocide instead of allowing itself to be hijacked by this issue,
which has turned into a never-ending story.
For example, it can begin with an apology for the events that took
place under the waning Ottoman Empire. However, an apology would
not mean that Turkey must recognize the genocide of Armenians. This
is because, in my opinion, there does not exist clear evidence that
Armenians were killed systematically. Turkey expressed its willingness
to open all the archives related to that period to Turkish as well as
foreign historians. Turkey should be encouraged to keep this promise.
Unlike the state, Turkish intellectuals have already expressed their
apology for the killings of Armenians. They launched a campaign in
December 2008 stating that they were apologizing for the deportation
policy of Armenians in 1915 as a humanitarian gesture.
Turkey, which recently apologized for the killing of more than 13,000
Kurds in the late '30s in the southeastern province of Dersim, known
as Tunceli, can also apologize for the 1915 events.
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan apologized last November for the
Dersim events, commonly known as the massacre of the Kurds. The
killings occurred when security forces, acting upon orders from the
then-decision makers, crushed a Kurdish rebellion in Dersim using
aerial bombings and poison gas.
"Dersim is the most tragic event in our recent history. It is a
disaster that should now be questioned with courage," Erdogan declared.
He became the first Turkish leader to make the apology.
Another step that should be taken by Turkey as a means to ease
increased pressure exerted upon it by other nations is to educate
the extremely nationalistic public about the events surrounding the
1915 period, which are defined officially by Turkey as the "Armenian
deportation." This is one of the dark chapters in Turkish history
that has remained closed to its citizens.
But the curtain has been raised gradually, and we have been witnessing
increased public debate over the events that took place close to 100
years ago.
Turkey says it would punish France over the Senate's decision to
criminalize denying that the killing of Armenians constituted genocide,
but did not disclose the new sanctions to be imposed on Paris.
Turkey's earlier sanctions, both against France and other countries
that recognize the Armenian killings as genocide, have not deterred
further states from adopting similar bills.
Therefore, Ankara should seriously revise its reactive policies and
consider the thoughtful ones mentioned above that I believe will work.