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  • ANKARA: Armenian Diaspora is Egoist

    Armenian Diaspora is Egoist
    View: Sedat LACINER

    Journal of Turkish Weekly
    June 1 2005

    Armenian people is one of the ancient tribes. They created a great
    civilization and contributed to the humanity and other civilizations
    a lot. They established kingdoms and states as well. However as they
    settled mainly on the crossroads of the civilizations, religions,
    sects, races and great kingdoms, they could not maintain their
    independence. As a result they have generally lived under the other
    nations' sovereignty. Iranian Empire, Byzantium Empire, Russian
    Empire, Arab Kingdoms, Seljuk and Ottoman Empires and Soviet
    'Empire'. They enjoyed great freedom under Seljuk and Ottoman Empires
    however many Armenians were tortured and deported by the Byzantium
    Emperors dueto the religious disputes. Most of the time, they could
    not become soldiers or governors. In short the main problem for the
    Armenian peoples was lack of a state. When the French Revolution
    triggered the nationalist movements in the world, the Armenians were
    not ready for such a radical change:

    The Ottoman Armenians were enjoying a great religious freedom and
    they were among the most wealthiest class in the empire. Many
    Armenian bankers, businessmen, doctors and intellectuals were very
    close to the Palace. The Ottoman Armenians in the towns and rural
    areas were mostly bankers, businessman or craftsmen. The Armenians
    with the Ottoman Greeks dominated the Ottoman export and import.
    Moreover the Ottoman Armenian population was not majority in any
    region. About 1 million Armenians were scattered around the huge
    Ottoman territories. In another word the Ottoman Armenians were not
    ready for a separatist nationalist revolt. They were actually happy
    with the existing system. The Church in particular had great
    privileges before the Ottoman State and a great power over the
    Armenian citizens.

    Under these circumstances, the Armenian nationalism was developed in
    diaspora: In Switzerland and Georgia. Tashnak and Hnchak 'parties'
    were established in Tbilisi and Geneva. The leading Armenians were
    very young and inexperienced in politics. They had no enough power
    and financial support to struggle against the Empires. Apart from
    these, the young Armenian idealists set a formidable task for the
    Armenian nationalism:

    To unite all Armenians in the Ottoman, Russian, Iranian Empires and
    other Armenians in the region under a separate Armenian State. So,
    they needed foreign assistance, and the great imperial powers were
    very eager to 'undermine' the Ottoman Empire.

    The British, French and Russian Empires gave a great encouragement to
    the Tashnaks (ultra-nationalist Armenians) and other Armenian groups.
    However they did not fully keep their promises and when they reached
    agreements with the Istanbul Government the Armenian nationalists
    failed. Furthermore the Armenian nationalists were encouraged but not
    fully supported when needed. Another problem was that the Ottoman
    Armenians did not strongly join the Armenian nationalists. Many
    Armenians in the Ottoman towns were against the Armenian militants.
    Therefore the first target to be destroyed was seen as the Ottoman
    Armenian leaders. Many Armenian leaders were murdered by the Tashnak
    and other Armenian militants. They accused all Armenian opposition of
    being traitor. The Armenian terrorism killed more Armenians than the
    Muslims in the beginning of the 20th Century. The Armenian
    businessmen were threatened and forced to give 'tax' to the illegal
    Armenian groups. The Tashnak militants transferred a huge amount of
    weapons, provided by Russia and Britain, to the Ottoman towns. They
    were preparing a war and revolt against the Istanbul Government. They
    organized many terrorist attacks against the politicians and
    institutions. In 1876 the Armenian militants attacked the Ottoman
    Bank and exploded bombs before the bank. They further organized an
    assassination against the Sultan (Head of State) II. Abdulhamid.

    When the First World War erupted, the Armenian extremists saw the war
    as an opportunity and the co-operation between the Armenians and
    Allied States increased. The Russian, British and French Empires who
    were in war against the Ottoman Empire, Germany and Austrian Empire,
    considered the Christian minorities as a tool against the Ottomans.
    Thus the Armenian nationalists were encouraged for more terrorist
    attacks, revolts and weapon transfers to Anatolia. The Van Revolt was
    one of the most vivid examples for the Armenian Revolts. The Tashnaks
    in the Van Revolt aimed to 'clean the region from the Muslims'.
    Thousands of Muslims were killed or forced to leave the region. At
    the end the Armenians declared their independence in Van province and
    then handled the city to the Russian occupying forces.

    The Armenian nationalist 'adventure' ended with a disaster and a
    tragedy which cost 500.000 Muslim and more than 110.000 Armenian
    lives. Most of the Armenians in the Eastern and Central Anatolia were
    relocated, and many Armenians died due to the war circumstances.

    The Armenians had rioted against the Government in many towns and
    attacked their Muslim neighbors with the French, Russian and British
    encouragement. However the occupiers did not keep their promises and
    with the end of the war the Armenians could not return their homes.
    Many immigrated to the European and North American states. The cost
    of the revolt was very high for the Armenian nationalism.
    Nevertheless they could establish a tiny state in Caucasus under the
    Tashnak rule. It is unfortunate that the Tashnaks could not learn
    anything from the Ottoman Armenian experience and they started a
    'revenge campaign' (NEMESIS) against the newly-established Turkish
    State. As a matter of fact that the last thing Independent Armenia
    needed was a 'revenge conflict' with the Turks. Armenia was a
    'country of dead' at that time. Armenian population was suffering
    from famine and epidemic diseases, and more than 200.000 Armenians
    died under these circumstances in the Tashnaks' Independent Armenia.
    However the Armenian 'leaders' did not focus on the economic
    development, social and cultural problems and political relations
    with the neighboring countries while the newly Turkey's Government
    sole dealt with the political and economic problems. The Armenian
    terrorists killed many former Ottoman ministers. But the Tashnak
    attacks not only killed the Turkish targets but also ended the
    independence of Armenia. Armenia lost its independence and became a
    Soviet Republic under Moscow rule.

    Armenians once more had to immigrate to the West (Second
    Relocation).They suffered a lot from lack of an independent state.
    They had no reasonable leader who could lead them under the realistic
    and pragmatic principles instead of purely naïve emotional
    motivations.

    Under the lack of leadership, Armenians were exposed the great powers
    national interests and extremist Armenians unrealistic radicalism.
    Moscow, Washington, Paris and London with the radical Armenian
    irredentists abused the Armenian issue.

    Armenia gained its independence in 1991 after the decades when the
    Soviet Empire collapsed. It is unfortunate that the Diaspora
    Armenians and Tashnaks just focused on their own interests instead of
    saving the newly-established Armenia. Tashnaks played a crucial role
    in declaring war against the Azerbaijanis.

    The Diaspora encouraged more wars to capture the so-called 'lost
    territories' in Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan. While the other
    former republics tried to decrease their dependency on Russia,
    Armenia more and more became a 'Russian orbit' in the region. When
    Russia lost its military bases in Azerbaijan and Georgia, Armenians
    invited the Russians to their country.

    The new Armenian nationalists and Diaspora saw Turkey the most deadly
    enemy, though Turkey was one of the first states who recognized
    Armenian independence. Actually Turkey considered Armenian State as
    an opportunity to normalize the Turkish-Armenian relations. However
    Armenian Diaspora seriously reluctant in normalizing the relations
    because it established the Armenian identity on anti-Turkishness. The
    1915 Legacy and anti-Turkish accusations have been the only uniting
    factor in the diaspora. They feared that if Turkey and Armenia
    normalized the relations, the assimilation of the Armenians in the
    West could be accelerated. The Church and the political parties used
    the Turkish-Armenian problems in cementing the non-homogenous
    Armenian society. Moreover anti-Turkish Armenian Case was financial
    and prestige source for many Armenians and Diaspora institutions. In
    another word the Diaspora Armenian abused the problem with Turks for
    their personal and institutional interest at the cost of Armenia.
    Their priority was not State of Armenia but the Diaspora. They knew
    that the land-locked and relatively poor Armenia had to solve its
    disputes with Turkey in order to survive. However they sacrificed
    Armenian state once again as they did in 1918.

    To conclude, the foremost priority for the whole Armenians must to
    protect and survive the young Armenia, instead of strengthening the
    Armenian diaspora. Armenia should not be part of the adventurous
    games of its Diaspora and Russia.

    Revised edition
    -----------------------------------------------
    Dr. Sedat LACINER: Director, International Strategic Research
    Organization (ISRO)

    http://www.turkishweekly.net/news.php?id=11631

    --Boundary_(ID_ET b9Kn7i0GD8Se1qaV6N8A)--
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