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Unsilencing the Past: A book on Turkish-Armenian reconciliation efforts
Turkish Daily News
March 28 2005
Monday, March 28, 2005
Book Review
ANKARA - Turkish Daily News
Unsilencing the Past: Track Two Diplomacy and Turkish-Armenian
Reconciliation by David L. Phillips (Berghahn Books, New York/Oxford)
describes efforts to promote contact, dialogue, and cooperation
between Turks and Armenians. Established in 2001, the
Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission (TARC) broke a taboo about
Armenian issues in Turkey and spawned many civil society projects
involving business leaders, women's associations, youth groups,
cultural activities, parliamentarians, and local government
officials.
Track two diplomacy brings together non-governmental
representatives to develop ideas informing official diplomacy and
building grass-roots support for policy initiatives. The goal is to
creatively explore the underlying conditions that give rise to
conflict and develop joint strategies for addressing shared problems
through reciprocal efforts. As a result, conflict comes to be seen as
a shared problem requiring cooperation of both sides. Track Two is
not a substitute for official diplomatic efforts. However, its
flexibility helps compensate for the inherent constraints on
officials.
According to Phillips, TARC's primary goal was to open the border
between Turkey and Armenia as a first step towards establishing
diplomatic relations between the two countries. The initiative faced
serious problems.
Before TARC was established, Turkish-Armenian relations were marred
by deep distrust, a closed border and dramatically different
perceptions of history. Phillips explains that Armenians and many
international historians describe pogroms in the late 19th century
that killed one quarter million ethnic Armenians in eastern Anatolia.
On April 24, 1915, 800 Armenian community leaders were executed and
the subsequent deportation of Armenians resulted in massive
sufferings by Armenians (1915-23). Many Turks emphasize the war
context in which the events occurred. The deportation of Armenians
was in response to security concerns arising from the rebellion of
Armenians during which hundreds of thousands of Turks died in the
Caucasus as well as the Balkans and the Black Sea region. Turkey
rejects use of the term genocide and resents efforts by Armenians to
gain international recognition. Reconciliation is further complicated
by Armenian Diaspora politics and the occupation of Azeri territories
by Armenians.
Unsilencing the Past describes in vivid detail the exchange of
views between Turks and Armenians. It brings the reader behind the
scenes giving a glimpse of the difficult and sometimes acrimonious
discussions. The genocide issue cast a long shadow over TARC's
efforts.
To address this problem, Turks and Armenians jointly agreed to seek
a non-binding legal opinion facilitated by the well-respected
International Center for Transitional Justice on the ~Sapplicability
of the Genocide Convention to events in the early Twentieth Century.~T
To the satisfaction of the Turks, the analysis concluded: ~SThe
Genocide Convention contains no provisions mandating its retroactive
application. Therefore, no legal, financial or territorial claim
arising out of the events could successfully be made against any
individual or state under the Convention.~T It also examined the
definition of genocide in international law and found that (i) one or
more persons were killed, (ii) such persons belonged to a particular
ethnic, racial, or religious group, (iii) the action took place as
part of a pattern of conduct against the group, and, (iv) no matter
how many Armenians died, at least some of the Ottoman rulers knew
that the consequence of the deportation orders would result in many
deaths. To the satisfaction of Armenians, it concluded that the
events include all the elements of the crime of genocide.
Though the legal analysis offered something to both sides, Phillips
acknowledges that it did little to advance the practical goal of
opening the Turkish-Armenian border. In this regard, he is critical
of the Armenian government for failing to clearly state that it has
no claim on Turkey's territory. He criticizes the Turkish government
for not acting in its own national interest to open the border, which
would have a huge economic impact on the Turkish provinces bordering
Armenia while reducing the transportation cost of Turkish goods to
Central Asia and beyond. He is also critical of the Bush
administration for shifting its priorities and neglecting
Turkish-Armenian issues after September 11 and with the Iraq War.
In conclusion, Phillips asks ~SWas the effort worthwhile?~T He
laments that TARC's goals were not met. He notes, however, that TARC
did succeed in establishing a structured dialogue and opening the
door for civil society contacts; helping catalyze diplomatic
activity; laying the foundation for addressing the genocide issue;
and bringing a principled treaty based approach to opening the
border. Though TARC was established for one year, it worked for
three. Pointing out that reconciliation is a process not an event,
Phillips concludes optimistically stating his belief that the border
will open someday soon. (Note: The Armenian government has publicly
recognized the 1921 Kars Treaty demarcating today's border between
Turkey and Armenia.)
Phillips is director of the Program on Conflict Prevention and
Peacebuilding at American University. He is also a visiting scholar
at Harvard University and a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign
Relations of New York.
(For more information see www.berghahnbooks.com).
Turkish Daily News
March 28 2005
Monday, March 28, 2005
Book Review
ANKARA - Turkish Daily News
Unsilencing the Past: Track Two Diplomacy and Turkish-Armenian
Reconciliation by David L. Phillips (Berghahn Books, New York/Oxford)
describes efforts to promote contact, dialogue, and cooperation
between Turks and Armenians. Established in 2001, the
Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission (TARC) broke a taboo about
Armenian issues in Turkey and spawned many civil society projects
involving business leaders, women's associations, youth groups,
cultural activities, parliamentarians, and local government
officials.
Track two diplomacy brings together non-governmental
representatives to develop ideas informing official diplomacy and
building grass-roots support for policy initiatives. The goal is to
creatively explore the underlying conditions that give rise to
conflict and develop joint strategies for addressing shared problems
through reciprocal efforts. As a result, conflict comes to be seen as
a shared problem requiring cooperation of both sides. Track Two is
not a substitute for official diplomatic efforts. However, its
flexibility helps compensate for the inherent constraints on
officials.
According to Phillips, TARC's primary goal was to open the border
between Turkey and Armenia as a first step towards establishing
diplomatic relations between the two countries. The initiative faced
serious problems.
Before TARC was established, Turkish-Armenian relations were marred
by deep distrust, a closed border and dramatically different
perceptions of history. Phillips explains that Armenians and many
international historians describe pogroms in the late 19th century
that killed one quarter million ethnic Armenians in eastern Anatolia.
On April 24, 1915, 800 Armenian community leaders were executed and
the subsequent deportation of Armenians resulted in massive
sufferings by Armenians (1915-23). Many Turks emphasize the war
context in which the events occurred. The deportation of Armenians
was in response to security concerns arising from the rebellion of
Armenians during which hundreds of thousands of Turks died in the
Caucasus as well as the Balkans and the Black Sea region. Turkey
rejects use of the term genocide and resents efforts by Armenians to
gain international recognition. Reconciliation is further complicated
by Armenian Diaspora politics and the occupation of Azeri territories
by Armenians.
Unsilencing the Past describes in vivid detail the exchange of
views between Turks and Armenians. It brings the reader behind the
scenes giving a glimpse of the difficult and sometimes acrimonious
discussions. The genocide issue cast a long shadow over TARC's
efforts.
To address this problem, Turks and Armenians jointly agreed to seek
a non-binding legal opinion facilitated by the well-respected
International Center for Transitional Justice on the ~Sapplicability
of the Genocide Convention to events in the early Twentieth Century.~T
To the satisfaction of the Turks, the analysis concluded: ~SThe
Genocide Convention contains no provisions mandating its retroactive
application. Therefore, no legal, financial or territorial claim
arising out of the events could successfully be made against any
individual or state under the Convention.~T It also examined the
definition of genocide in international law and found that (i) one or
more persons were killed, (ii) such persons belonged to a particular
ethnic, racial, or religious group, (iii) the action took place as
part of a pattern of conduct against the group, and, (iv) no matter
how many Armenians died, at least some of the Ottoman rulers knew
that the consequence of the deportation orders would result in many
deaths. To the satisfaction of Armenians, it concluded that the
events include all the elements of the crime of genocide.
Though the legal analysis offered something to both sides, Phillips
acknowledges that it did little to advance the practical goal of
opening the Turkish-Armenian border. In this regard, he is critical
of the Armenian government for failing to clearly state that it has
no claim on Turkey's territory. He criticizes the Turkish government
for not acting in its own national interest to open the border, which
would have a huge economic impact on the Turkish provinces bordering
Armenia while reducing the transportation cost of Turkish goods to
Central Asia and beyond. He is also critical of the Bush
administration for shifting its priorities and neglecting
Turkish-Armenian issues after September 11 and with the Iraq War.
In conclusion, Phillips asks ~SWas the effort worthwhile?~T He
laments that TARC's goals were not met. He notes, however, that TARC
did succeed in establishing a structured dialogue and opening the
door for civil society contacts; helping catalyze diplomatic
activity; laying the foundation for addressing the genocide issue;
and bringing a principled treaty based approach to opening the
border. Though TARC was established for one year, it worked for
three. Pointing out that reconciliation is a process not an event,
Phillips concludes optimistically stating his belief that the border
will open someday soon. (Note: The Armenian government has publicly
recognized the 1921 Kars Treaty demarcating today's border between
Turkey and Armenia.)
Phillips is director of the Program on Conflict Prevention and
Peacebuilding at American University. He is also a visiting scholar
at Harvard University and a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign
Relations of New York.
(For more information see www.berghahnbooks.com).