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AGOS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF KOPTAS: TURKEY CANNOT BE DEMOCRATIC UNTIL THE PAST IS SETTLED
Today's Zaman
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-266911-agos-editor-in-chief-koptas-turkey-cannot-be-democratic-until-the-past-is-settled.html
Dec 27 2011
Turkey
Rober Koptas, editor-in-chief of the bilingual Armenian weekly Agos,
has said Turkey will never be a fully democratic country until it
faces its past regarding several topics, including the Armenian issue.
"It is necessary for Turkey to face its past in order to be a more
democratic country. This is not only for the Armenian issue but also
in regards to other problems that have been ignored, like the Kurdish
problem, the Alevi issue and the injustices done to Muslims. We have
to know what has happened in our past and we have to be courageous
enough to settle these accounts," said KoptaĆ~_, who replaced Etyen
Mahcupyan in June 2010, three years after Hrant Dink, the founder and
editor-in-chief of the paper, was fatally shot by an ultranationalist
teenager in front of the Agos headquarters in 2007.
Asked what he calls the events of 1915, KoptaĆ~_ said it is not
important for him whether or not they are labeled "genocide."
"But the reality is that a nation within Turkey was wiped out. We
cannot ignore it despite 90 years of Turkish ideology that has tried
to deny this. The grandchildren of these massacred people live in
different countries now, including the United States, the United
Kingdom, France, Germany and so on. I believe these grandchildren
have rights in Turkey," he said.
What KoptaĆ~_ means by "rights" is not "territorial rights." He
refers to their churches, schools, grandparents' graves and even more
importantly their culture and memories in Turkey.
"For 90 years Turkish ideology has told Turkish society that these
children have been telling lies and that Turkey has not wronged the
Armenians. Instead, they claim that Armenians killed Turks. Turkish
ideology approaches the sensitive issue very harshly and of course
this causes tension between the two nations," he added. "I approach
1915 in this way, as it is one of the most important time periods
to face. The Turkish identity has been set up to hate Armenians. We
cannot structure a 'democratic identity' unless we settle the accounts
of the past. We cannot find peace today unless we face what we did
to the Armenians, both in the political and psychological sense."
Turkish officials, who vehemently reject the term "genocide" for the
World War I-era mass killings of Armenians, say the issue should be
left to historians. Recently Turkey was outraged by French lawmakers
who approved a bill that penalized denial of the "Armenian genocide"
in France. Despite strong protests by Turkey, the French National
Assembly -- the lower house of parliament -- voted overwhelmingly in
favor of the bill last Thursday, which is now scheduled for debate
next year in the French senate. The bill makes denial of the alleged
Armenian genocide a crime punishable by a one-year prison sentence
and a fine of 45,000 euros.
As a result Turkey has diminished ties with Paris and recalled its
ambassador in France to Turkey for consultations for an indefinite
period of time.
Prejudices persist against Armenians in Turkey Answering our questions,
KoptaĆ~_ also talked about prejudices against Armenians living in
Turkey as he said that his name is listed in his identity card as
"Murat," a Turkish name, to avoid problems.
"I use this name in official documents but my family and friends call
me Rober. My dad gave me the Turkish name to avoid problems while I
served in the army. My surname already looks Turkish, thus my Armenian
background is not made obvious," he said.
In the army, KoptaĆ~_ said he did not face many negative reactions
for being an Armenian. Once, however, his fellow university graduates
were given the duty of keeping some official records, but he was not
given the same responsibility.
"Among those university graduates I was the only person outside of
the military post who was dealing with the soldier training," he said.
"However, soon after, they changed my position and appointed me for a
consultancy service. They thought it was dangerous to have an Armenian
among their 'long-term' soldiers."
In regards to how all Armenians are seen as Christians in Turkish
society, KoptaĆ~_ said that the same perception is true among
Armenians, too.
"We have traditionally classed every Armenian as an Orthodox-Apostolic
churchgoer Christian. Armenians are unfortunately always mentioned
within a religious context, in connection with the patriarchate --
the high-ranking Orthodox bishop. This is also enforced by the Turkish
regime," he said.
But Agos tries to reveal a more civil and independent society.
"We have recently learned that there were many Armenians in Anatolia
who converted to Islam from Christianity as a result of the pressures
they faced in 1915," he said. "Nevertheless, I think most of them
nowadays have learned that their families were originally Armenian
Christians, but now express themselves as Muslim Armenians."
Asked if any Christian Armenians converted to Islam out of their
free-will, KoptaĆ~_ said that there may be exceptional situations,
but most conversions were made due to external pressure.
"Armenians have traditionally been identified with Christianity,
but nowadays there are many Armenians, including me, who believe that
Armenians should be identified differently. We should have a new way
of recognizing Armenians which includes Armenian Muslims and other
Armenians as well."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Today's Zaman
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-266911-agos-editor-in-chief-koptas-turkey-cannot-be-democratic-until-the-past-is-settled.html
Dec 27 2011
Turkey
Rober Koptas, editor-in-chief of the bilingual Armenian weekly Agos,
has said Turkey will never be a fully democratic country until it
faces its past regarding several topics, including the Armenian issue.
"It is necessary for Turkey to face its past in order to be a more
democratic country. This is not only for the Armenian issue but also
in regards to other problems that have been ignored, like the Kurdish
problem, the Alevi issue and the injustices done to Muslims. We have
to know what has happened in our past and we have to be courageous
enough to settle these accounts," said KoptaĆ~_, who replaced Etyen
Mahcupyan in June 2010, three years after Hrant Dink, the founder and
editor-in-chief of the paper, was fatally shot by an ultranationalist
teenager in front of the Agos headquarters in 2007.
Asked what he calls the events of 1915, KoptaĆ~_ said it is not
important for him whether or not they are labeled "genocide."
"But the reality is that a nation within Turkey was wiped out. We
cannot ignore it despite 90 years of Turkish ideology that has tried
to deny this. The grandchildren of these massacred people live in
different countries now, including the United States, the United
Kingdom, France, Germany and so on. I believe these grandchildren
have rights in Turkey," he said.
What KoptaĆ~_ means by "rights" is not "territorial rights." He
refers to their churches, schools, grandparents' graves and even more
importantly their culture and memories in Turkey.
"For 90 years Turkish ideology has told Turkish society that these
children have been telling lies and that Turkey has not wronged the
Armenians. Instead, they claim that Armenians killed Turks. Turkish
ideology approaches the sensitive issue very harshly and of course
this causes tension between the two nations," he added. "I approach
1915 in this way, as it is one of the most important time periods
to face. The Turkish identity has been set up to hate Armenians. We
cannot structure a 'democratic identity' unless we settle the accounts
of the past. We cannot find peace today unless we face what we did
to the Armenians, both in the political and psychological sense."
Turkish officials, who vehemently reject the term "genocide" for the
World War I-era mass killings of Armenians, say the issue should be
left to historians. Recently Turkey was outraged by French lawmakers
who approved a bill that penalized denial of the "Armenian genocide"
in France. Despite strong protests by Turkey, the French National
Assembly -- the lower house of parliament -- voted overwhelmingly in
favor of the bill last Thursday, which is now scheduled for debate
next year in the French senate. The bill makes denial of the alleged
Armenian genocide a crime punishable by a one-year prison sentence
and a fine of 45,000 euros.
As a result Turkey has diminished ties with Paris and recalled its
ambassador in France to Turkey for consultations for an indefinite
period of time.
Prejudices persist against Armenians in Turkey Answering our questions,
KoptaĆ~_ also talked about prejudices against Armenians living in
Turkey as he said that his name is listed in his identity card as
"Murat," a Turkish name, to avoid problems.
"I use this name in official documents but my family and friends call
me Rober. My dad gave me the Turkish name to avoid problems while I
served in the army. My surname already looks Turkish, thus my Armenian
background is not made obvious," he said.
In the army, KoptaĆ~_ said he did not face many negative reactions
for being an Armenian. Once, however, his fellow university graduates
were given the duty of keeping some official records, but he was not
given the same responsibility.
"Among those university graduates I was the only person outside of
the military post who was dealing with the soldier training," he said.
"However, soon after, they changed my position and appointed me for a
consultancy service. They thought it was dangerous to have an Armenian
among their 'long-term' soldiers."
In regards to how all Armenians are seen as Christians in Turkish
society, KoptaĆ~_ said that the same perception is true among
Armenians, too.
"We have traditionally classed every Armenian as an Orthodox-Apostolic
churchgoer Christian. Armenians are unfortunately always mentioned
within a religious context, in connection with the patriarchate --
the high-ranking Orthodox bishop. This is also enforced by the Turkish
regime," he said.
But Agos tries to reveal a more civil and independent society.
"We have recently learned that there were many Armenians in Anatolia
who converted to Islam from Christianity as a result of the pressures
they faced in 1915," he said. "Nevertheless, I think most of them
nowadays have learned that their families were originally Armenian
Christians, but now express themselves as Muslim Armenians."
Asked if any Christian Armenians converted to Islam out of their
free-will, KoptaĆ~_ said that there may be exceptional situations,
but most conversions were made due to external pressure.
"Armenians have traditionally been identified with Christianity,
but nowadays there are many Armenians, including me, who believe that
Armenians should be identified differently. We should have a new way
of recognizing Armenians which includes Armenian Muslims and other
Armenians as well."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress