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"ERDOGAN'S APOLOGY WAS NOTHING BUT HYPOCRISY"
http://www.a1plus.am/en/politics/2011/11/25/anush-hovhannisyan
04:52 pm | Today | Politics
On November 23, 2011, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
gave an official apology for the massacre in Dersim, describing it as
"one of the most tragic events of our recent history."
Anush Hovhannisyan, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Oriental
Studies, says Erdogan was not sincere in his speech.
"It is a mere hypocrisy. While Erdogan was apologizing for the Dersim
Massacre, the Turkish army was realizing punitive actions in the same
area, trying to find the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters,"
she said.
A total of 15 000 people were killed in operations carried out
against the Kurdish people of Dersim between 1936 and 1939. It was
the outcome of a Turkish military campaign against Dersim Rebellion by
local ethnic minority groups against Turkey's Resettlement Law of 1934.
Thousands of Alevi Zazas died and many others were internally displaced
due to the conflict. The killings have been defended by some as
a legitimate military act and condemned by others as a massacre
or genocide.
Anush Hovhannisyan says that there were disguised Armenians among
the victims and adds that the Turkish Government is attempting to
"kill a few birds with one stone."
"First, the step aims to degrade the main rival of Erdogan and his
Justice and Development Party (AKP) -the Kemalist CHP (Republican
People's Party)," she said.
Second, the AKP is trying to drive a wedge between Alevis of Dersim
and Kurds living in other parts of Turkey.
"After the tragic events of 1936-39, a large number of Dersim Alevis
were involved in anti-government actions organized by the Kurdistan
Workers' Party and with his apology Erdogan hopes to separate them from
the Kurds and talk them out of the struggle," said the Turkologist.
She reminded that before Erdogan's official apology, a group of
human rights organizations announced their intention to apply to the
International Criminal Court in The Hague.
"Erdogan also sent a message to the international community trying
to persuade them that democratic reforms are underway in Turkey,"
she said.
Anush Hovhannisyan does not believe that Turkey will demonstrate
a political will to address the dark chapters of its history and
recognize the Armenian Genocide.
"The Turkish people are not ready to accept the historic fact today.
They need time to get familiarized with the issue and give an adequate
estimation," she concluded.
http://www.a1plus.am/en/politics/2011/11/25/anush-hovhannisyan
04:52 pm | Today | Politics
On November 23, 2011, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
gave an official apology for the massacre in Dersim, describing it as
"one of the most tragic events of our recent history."
Anush Hovhannisyan, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Oriental
Studies, says Erdogan was not sincere in his speech.
"It is a mere hypocrisy. While Erdogan was apologizing for the Dersim
Massacre, the Turkish army was realizing punitive actions in the same
area, trying to find the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters,"
she said.
A total of 15 000 people were killed in operations carried out
against the Kurdish people of Dersim between 1936 and 1939. It was
the outcome of a Turkish military campaign against Dersim Rebellion by
local ethnic minority groups against Turkey's Resettlement Law of 1934.
Thousands of Alevi Zazas died and many others were internally displaced
due to the conflict. The killings have been defended by some as
a legitimate military act and condemned by others as a massacre
or genocide.
Anush Hovhannisyan says that there were disguised Armenians among
the victims and adds that the Turkish Government is attempting to
"kill a few birds with one stone."
"First, the step aims to degrade the main rival of Erdogan and his
Justice and Development Party (AKP) -the Kemalist CHP (Republican
People's Party)," she said.
Second, the AKP is trying to drive a wedge between Alevis of Dersim
and Kurds living in other parts of Turkey.
"After the tragic events of 1936-39, a large number of Dersim Alevis
were involved in anti-government actions organized by the Kurdistan
Workers' Party and with his apology Erdogan hopes to separate them from
the Kurds and talk them out of the struggle," said the Turkologist.
She reminded that before Erdogan's official apology, a group of
human rights organizations announced their intention to apply to the
International Criminal Court in The Hague.
"Erdogan also sent a message to the international community trying
to persuade them that democratic reforms are underway in Turkey,"
she said.
Anush Hovhannisyan does not believe that Turkey will demonstrate
a political will to address the dark chapters of its history and
recognize the Armenian Genocide.
"The Turkish people are not ready to accept the historic fact today.
They need time to get familiarized with the issue and give an adequate
estimation," she concluded.