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GENOCIDE TRADE
ORHAN KEMAL CENGİZ
Today's Zaman
Dec 20 2011
Turkey
When the French were discussing passage of a law in 2006 to criminalize
denial of the Armenian genocide, Hrant Dink was being tried under
Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, which criminalized claiming
Turkey had committed genocide in 1915.
As soon as he heard of the intention of the French to pass this
so-called genocide denial bill, Hrant Dink expressed his intention
to go to France and challenge this law. His remarks were quite
thought-provoking.
"When this bill appeared first, we were fast to declare as a
group that it would lead to bad results. ... As you know, I have
been tried in Turkey for saying the Armenian genocide took place,
and I have talked about how wrong this is. Yet, at the same time,
I cannot accept that in France you could now possibly be tried for
denying the Armenian genocide. If this bill becomes law, I will be
among the first to head to France and break the law. Then we can watch
both the Turkish Republic and the French government race against each
other to condemn me. We can watch to see which will throw me in jail
first. ... I really think that France, if it makes this bill law,
will be hurting not only the EU, but Armenians across the world. It
will also damage the normalizing of relations between Armenia and
Turkey. What the peoples of these two countries need is dialogue,
and all these laws do is harm such dialogue."
I take exactly the same position as Dink towards this genocide
denial bill. It is hypocritical in that it only gives strength to
Turkish nationalists who would like to return to the old days in
which discussion of the Armenian genocide would only be associated
with serving the cause of Turkey's external enemies.
There is already a huge continuing debate about history, about past
atrocities in Turkey. Let me give you a specific example. I write
two columns a week in English for Today's Zaman and two columns
in Turkish for the Radikal daily. You know how many times I have
discussed and tried to look at 1915 and its affects on today's Turkey
in this column for Today's Zaman. In just the last couple of weeks,
I also wrote at least six or seven articles in Radikal that directly
or indirectly discuss Armenian genocide and other past atrocities. And
I am not the only one who brings these subjects to the attention of
the Turkish audience. How do you think this French bill affects all
those discussions? The answer is simple: It will just kill them. While
writing this article, I refused two invitations from two television
channels to discuss "1915 events and the French bill." You see, the
context has already been changed: "The French bill" has started to
become an inseparable part of this discussion. It is now a subject
for nationalists to discuss.
Another thing is that I really hate when human rights issues and
human suffering are used as a political tool by people who really
are not concerned about them at all. What has human rights to do with
Sarkozy and his government? Were it not they themselves who stop the
passage of this law before? What has been changed now as they press
for the passage of this law? Is it the upcoming elections? Is this
not the same France that attempted to pass a law that required school
history teachers to stress the "positive aspects" of French colonialism
and further criminalizes insults or defamatory statements aimed at
"harkis"(Algerians who fought alongside the French army in Algeria)?
Can France serve as an example for Turkey on how to deal with past
atrocities?
The reactions of the Turkish government to the French move are also
extremely embarrassing. They seem to forget that we still have Article
301 in Turkey and yet they condemn the Armenian genocide bill, saying
it will violate freedom of expression.
Everyone should try to look at the skeletons in their own closets
before saying anything to others. When it comes to confronting past
atrocities, the most dangerous serial killer is insincerity, which
always come to the fore wherever and whenever political interests
are involved.
ORHAN KEMAL CENGİZ
Today's Zaman
Dec 20 2011
Turkey
When the French were discussing passage of a law in 2006 to criminalize
denial of the Armenian genocide, Hrant Dink was being tried under
Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, which criminalized claiming
Turkey had committed genocide in 1915.
As soon as he heard of the intention of the French to pass this
so-called genocide denial bill, Hrant Dink expressed his intention
to go to France and challenge this law. His remarks were quite
thought-provoking.
"When this bill appeared first, we were fast to declare as a
group that it would lead to bad results. ... As you know, I have
been tried in Turkey for saying the Armenian genocide took place,
and I have talked about how wrong this is. Yet, at the same time,
I cannot accept that in France you could now possibly be tried for
denying the Armenian genocide. If this bill becomes law, I will be
among the first to head to France and break the law. Then we can watch
both the Turkish Republic and the French government race against each
other to condemn me. We can watch to see which will throw me in jail
first. ... I really think that France, if it makes this bill law,
will be hurting not only the EU, but Armenians across the world. It
will also damage the normalizing of relations between Armenia and
Turkey. What the peoples of these two countries need is dialogue,
and all these laws do is harm such dialogue."
I take exactly the same position as Dink towards this genocide
denial bill. It is hypocritical in that it only gives strength to
Turkish nationalists who would like to return to the old days in
which discussion of the Armenian genocide would only be associated
with serving the cause of Turkey's external enemies.
There is already a huge continuing debate about history, about past
atrocities in Turkey. Let me give you a specific example. I write
two columns a week in English for Today's Zaman and two columns
in Turkish for the Radikal daily. You know how many times I have
discussed and tried to look at 1915 and its affects on today's Turkey
in this column for Today's Zaman. In just the last couple of weeks,
I also wrote at least six or seven articles in Radikal that directly
or indirectly discuss Armenian genocide and other past atrocities. And
I am not the only one who brings these subjects to the attention of
the Turkish audience. How do you think this French bill affects all
those discussions? The answer is simple: It will just kill them. While
writing this article, I refused two invitations from two television
channels to discuss "1915 events and the French bill." You see, the
context has already been changed: "The French bill" has started to
become an inseparable part of this discussion. It is now a subject
for nationalists to discuss.
Another thing is that I really hate when human rights issues and
human suffering are used as a political tool by people who really
are not concerned about them at all. What has human rights to do with
Sarkozy and his government? Were it not they themselves who stop the
passage of this law before? What has been changed now as they press
for the passage of this law? Is it the upcoming elections? Is this
not the same France that attempted to pass a law that required school
history teachers to stress the "positive aspects" of French colonialism
and further criminalizes insults or defamatory statements aimed at
"harkis"(Algerians who fought alongside the French army in Algeria)?
Can France serve as an example for Turkey on how to deal with past
atrocities?
The reactions of the Turkish government to the French move are also
extremely embarrassing. They seem to forget that we still have Article
301 in Turkey and yet they condemn the Armenian genocide bill, saying
it will violate freedom of expression.
Everyone should try to look at the skeletons in their own closets
before saying anything to others. When it comes to confronting past
atrocities, the most dangerous serial killer is insincerity, which
always come to the fore wherever and whenever political interests
are involved.