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WRONG RESOLUTION ON TURKISH KILLINGS
By Kenneth Ballen
Baltimore Sun, MD
March 15 2007
Rarely does Congress exclusively hold the key to America's foreign
relations with a critical ally. But now, with Turkey, the only
Muslim country allied with the United States in NATO, the future of
Turkish-American relations is solely in the hands of Congress.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi has pledged to bring before the House next
month a congressional resolution formally recognizing as organized
genocide the mass killings of Armenians from 1915 to 1923 in Turkey's
predecessor state of the Ottoman Empire. Ms. Pelosi strongly supports
the resolution, and it now appears likely to be approved.
According to a new nationwide public opinion survey of Turkey recently
conducted by Terror Free Tomorrow, the nonprofit organization I lead,
congressional passage of this resolution would set back the cause
it purports to achieve, namely Turkey's recognition of its past and
reconciliation with Armenia today.
The courageous Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who was
assassinated for trying to promote reconciliation just two weeks
before our survey, believed that the key for Armenians was Turkish
public opinion, saying: "The winning of the empathy and compassion
of the Turkish population is far more important than the adoption of
Armenian resolutions in hundreds of parliaments elsewhere."
Our survey proves Mr. Dink right. Rather than win Turkish empathy,
the forthcoming resolution from Congress would harden public attitudes
in Turkey - and likely in Armenia as well.
Indeed, the feelings of the Turkish people on this issue run deep -
78 percent of Turks oppose the resolution, and three-quarters feel
that passage will worsen their opinion of the United States.
In our survey of 1,021 Turks 18 and older, only one-fifth of them
expressed a favorable opinion of the U.S. But even among those
Turks who now have a favorable opinion toward America, four-fifths
responded that their opinion would deteriorate if the resolution were
to pass. These attitudes could lead anti-American feelings in Turkey
to the abyss. Seventy-nine percent of Turks favor strong action by
the Turkish government if an Armenian resolution passes, including
suspension of diplomatic relations with the U.S. and boycotting
American products.
Critically, Turks surveyed feel so powerfully about this issue that
should the resolution pass, 83 percent would oppose Turkey assisting
the U.S. in neighboring Iraq.
The reasons for Turkish opinion have less to do with the issue of
recognizing the mass killings of Armenians as genocide than with
outside American political judgment of Turkish history. In fact,
three-quarters of all Turks would accept scholarship by independent
historians on what occurred between Turks and Armenians.
The problem for most Turks is that they do not consider the U.S.
Congress a neutral judge. Instead, Turks largely see the resolution
as driven by anti-Muslim feelings and American domestic politics.
At this moment, when opinion of the U.S. is at a nadir throughout
the Muslim world, Congress is poised to further alienate one of our
few democratic Muslim allies.
If the goal of the congressional resolution is to promote
reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia today, its proponents should
be aware that 73 percent of Turks think the resolution will have the
opposite effect.
Yes, the genocide of innocent Armenian civilians in the waning days
of the Ottoman Empire must be universally acknowledged - even if
condemning the mass killings as genocide provokes the ire of most
Turks. That fact must never be the issue.
But how can Congress best help our ally, Turkey, to acknowledge the
wrongs of its past while advancing reconciliation with Armenia in
the present?
The task should be the one Hrant Dink gave his life for: to help
promote a neutral, independent and credible mechanism that can further
reconciliation while recognizing past wrongs. That neutral forum
should include not only expert historians, legal scholars and political
leaders from Turkey and Armenia but also similar representatives from
other countries that have successfully confronted their histories,
such as Germany and South Africa.
The momentous issue of genocide demands no less than a response
designed to lead to true recognition and reconciliation.
Kenneth Ballen prosecuted international terrorists and served as
counsel to the House Iran-Contra Committee. He is president of Terror
Free Tomorrow, a nonprofit organization in Washington. His e-mail
is [email protected].
http://www.balt imoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.turkey15mar1 5,0,1173034.story?coll=bal-oped-headlines
By Kenneth Ballen
Baltimore Sun, MD
March 15 2007
Rarely does Congress exclusively hold the key to America's foreign
relations with a critical ally. But now, with Turkey, the only
Muslim country allied with the United States in NATO, the future of
Turkish-American relations is solely in the hands of Congress.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi has pledged to bring before the House next
month a congressional resolution formally recognizing as organized
genocide the mass killings of Armenians from 1915 to 1923 in Turkey's
predecessor state of the Ottoman Empire. Ms. Pelosi strongly supports
the resolution, and it now appears likely to be approved.
According to a new nationwide public opinion survey of Turkey recently
conducted by Terror Free Tomorrow, the nonprofit organization I lead,
congressional passage of this resolution would set back the cause
it purports to achieve, namely Turkey's recognition of its past and
reconciliation with Armenia today.
The courageous Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who was
assassinated for trying to promote reconciliation just two weeks
before our survey, believed that the key for Armenians was Turkish
public opinion, saying: "The winning of the empathy and compassion
of the Turkish population is far more important than the adoption of
Armenian resolutions in hundreds of parliaments elsewhere."
Our survey proves Mr. Dink right. Rather than win Turkish empathy,
the forthcoming resolution from Congress would harden public attitudes
in Turkey - and likely in Armenia as well.
Indeed, the feelings of the Turkish people on this issue run deep -
78 percent of Turks oppose the resolution, and three-quarters feel
that passage will worsen their opinion of the United States.
In our survey of 1,021 Turks 18 and older, only one-fifth of them
expressed a favorable opinion of the U.S. But even among those
Turks who now have a favorable opinion toward America, four-fifths
responded that their opinion would deteriorate if the resolution were
to pass. These attitudes could lead anti-American feelings in Turkey
to the abyss. Seventy-nine percent of Turks favor strong action by
the Turkish government if an Armenian resolution passes, including
suspension of diplomatic relations with the U.S. and boycotting
American products.
Critically, Turks surveyed feel so powerfully about this issue that
should the resolution pass, 83 percent would oppose Turkey assisting
the U.S. in neighboring Iraq.
The reasons for Turkish opinion have less to do with the issue of
recognizing the mass killings of Armenians as genocide than with
outside American political judgment of Turkish history. In fact,
three-quarters of all Turks would accept scholarship by independent
historians on what occurred between Turks and Armenians.
The problem for most Turks is that they do not consider the U.S.
Congress a neutral judge. Instead, Turks largely see the resolution
as driven by anti-Muslim feelings and American domestic politics.
At this moment, when opinion of the U.S. is at a nadir throughout
the Muslim world, Congress is poised to further alienate one of our
few democratic Muslim allies.
If the goal of the congressional resolution is to promote
reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia today, its proponents should
be aware that 73 percent of Turks think the resolution will have the
opposite effect.
Yes, the genocide of innocent Armenian civilians in the waning days
of the Ottoman Empire must be universally acknowledged - even if
condemning the mass killings as genocide provokes the ire of most
Turks. That fact must never be the issue.
But how can Congress best help our ally, Turkey, to acknowledge the
wrongs of its past while advancing reconciliation with Armenia in
the present?
The task should be the one Hrant Dink gave his life for: to help
promote a neutral, independent and credible mechanism that can further
reconciliation while recognizing past wrongs. That neutral forum
should include not only expert historians, legal scholars and political
leaders from Turkey and Armenia but also similar representatives from
other countries that have successfully confronted their histories,
such as Germany and South Africa.
The momentous issue of genocide demands no less than a response
designed to lead to true recognition and reconciliation.
Kenneth Ballen prosecuted international terrorists and served as
counsel to the House Iran-Contra Committee. He is president of Terror
Free Tomorrow, a nonprofit organization in Washington. His e-mail
is [email protected].
http://www.balt imoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.turkey15mar1 5,0,1173034.story?coll=bal-oped-headlines