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Today's Zaman , Turkey
Dec 23 2011
Are you helping Turkey confront 1915?
ORHAN KEMAL CENGÄ°Z
While writing this article, the session during which the French
parliament discussed the `genocide bill' was in motion.
I do not care how it will end. I tried to explain in my last piece
that I find the Turkish reaction to the bill pitiful and President
Nicolas Sarkozy's move hypocritical and lacking in sincerity.
I think Sarkozy not only aims at getting the Armenian vote but he must
also have thought that this move by France will show how `immature'
Turkish democracy is because he knows very well how Turkey would react
to it. Through this move he could portray Turkey as a backward country
which has not fully embraced democracy, which denies undeniable facts
about its history and so on. Thus, he could give another blow to
Turkey's progress towards EU accession and at the same time
effectively challenge the new role Turkey is trying to assume in the
Middle East.
Of course, I am not in a position to read Sarkozy and his friends'
minds; however, I do know very well that this kind of outside pressure
does not work. Nor does it provide any positive contribution to Turkey
or any other country that is in transition. I know there are many
Armenians who think they could get some results through these kinds of
outside `pushes.' I do not agree with them at all and I am afraid they
may only be delaying Turkey's inevitable confrontation with its past,
or worse, they may even be contributing to Turkey's denial of its past
forever.
Turkey has been democratizing quite dramatically in recent years. The
military's role has been decreasing, as has its influence over the
political system, but these are not at a level from which there will
be no return, yet. As long as Turkey continues its democratization, as
long as it remains an open society, its confrontation with the past
will be deepened every passing day. This is inevitable. There is a
crucial link between democratization and confrontation. Can you
contribute to this democratization process by pushing Turkey out of
Europe, or by supporting nationalists through these kinds of outside
moves?
I and so many other democratic, liberal minded people in this country
want Turkey to confront 1915 fully, not only because we feel that this
will mean justice has been served for the victims but also because we
believe that without having this confrontation Turkey will never be a
fully democratic country.
We want this confrontation for our future, for our children's future
and so on. We do not want to be ruled by the mentality of Talat PaÅ?a,
the mastermind of the 1915 events. We do not want to live with the
heritage of the Armenian genocide, taboos, continuing murders and
massacres, military guardianship, the deep state, gangs in the state,
so on and so forth.
We are in the middle of this transition. The deep state is on trial
(Ergenekon case), the Armenian genocide and other taboos are discussed
lively and the military is being pushed into its barracks with every
passing day. This process has not been completed yet, though. After
having some serious crises, especially a combination of external and
internal ones, this military guardianship could come back: All that is
necessary for this is to push Turkey out of Europe, to push it from
every corner with similar genocide denial bills, to increase the level
of violence through the Kurdish conflict, and so on.
A Turkey that returns to its old status quo (military guardianship,
isolation, state gangs with complete impunity engaging in mass human
rights violations, etc.) will not only be a huge threat to its entire
region (starting with Armenia), it will also never ever confront its
past.
While writing these last sentences the French parliament passed the
law. Let us see what it will bring.
http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist-266586-are-you-helping-turkey-confront-1915.html
Dec 23 2011
Are you helping Turkey confront 1915?
ORHAN KEMAL CENGÄ°Z
While writing this article, the session during which the French
parliament discussed the `genocide bill' was in motion.
I do not care how it will end. I tried to explain in my last piece
that I find the Turkish reaction to the bill pitiful and President
Nicolas Sarkozy's move hypocritical and lacking in sincerity.
I think Sarkozy not only aims at getting the Armenian vote but he must
also have thought that this move by France will show how `immature'
Turkish democracy is because he knows very well how Turkey would react
to it. Through this move he could portray Turkey as a backward country
which has not fully embraced democracy, which denies undeniable facts
about its history and so on. Thus, he could give another blow to
Turkey's progress towards EU accession and at the same time
effectively challenge the new role Turkey is trying to assume in the
Middle East.
Of course, I am not in a position to read Sarkozy and his friends'
minds; however, I do know very well that this kind of outside pressure
does not work. Nor does it provide any positive contribution to Turkey
or any other country that is in transition. I know there are many
Armenians who think they could get some results through these kinds of
outside `pushes.' I do not agree with them at all and I am afraid they
may only be delaying Turkey's inevitable confrontation with its past,
or worse, they may even be contributing to Turkey's denial of its past
forever.
Turkey has been democratizing quite dramatically in recent years. The
military's role has been decreasing, as has its influence over the
political system, but these are not at a level from which there will
be no return, yet. As long as Turkey continues its democratization, as
long as it remains an open society, its confrontation with the past
will be deepened every passing day. This is inevitable. There is a
crucial link between democratization and confrontation. Can you
contribute to this democratization process by pushing Turkey out of
Europe, or by supporting nationalists through these kinds of outside
moves?
I and so many other democratic, liberal minded people in this country
want Turkey to confront 1915 fully, not only because we feel that this
will mean justice has been served for the victims but also because we
believe that without having this confrontation Turkey will never be a
fully democratic country.
We want this confrontation for our future, for our children's future
and so on. We do not want to be ruled by the mentality of Talat PaÅ?a,
the mastermind of the 1915 events. We do not want to live with the
heritage of the Armenian genocide, taboos, continuing murders and
massacres, military guardianship, the deep state, gangs in the state,
so on and so forth.
We are in the middle of this transition. The deep state is on trial
(Ergenekon case), the Armenian genocide and other taboos are discussed
lively and the military is being pushed into its barracks with every
passing day. This process has not been completed yet, though. After
having some serious crises, especially a combination of external and
internal ones, this military guardianship could come back: All that is
necessary for this is to push Turkey out of Europe, to push it from
every corner with similar genocide denial bills, to increase the level
of violence through the Kurdish conflict, and so on.
A Turkey that returns to its old status quo (military guardianship,
isolation, state gangs with complete impunity engaging in mass human
rights violations, etc.) will not only be a huge threat to its entire
region (starting with Armenia), it will also never ever confront its
past.
While writing these last sentences the French parliament passed the
law. Let us see what it will bring.
http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist-266586-are-you-helping-turkey-confront-1915.html