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AKGUN: THE VIRTUE OF APOLOGIZING
By Mensur Akgun
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/03/05/akgun-the-virtue-of-apologizing/
March 5, 2012
The following article, translated for the Weekly by Ara Arabyan,
first appeared in its original Turkish in the Istanbul Star on Feb. 25.
Akgun teaches foreign policy at Marmara and Kultur Universities. He
is also the top foreign policy consultant at the Turkish Foundation
for Economic and Social Studies (TESEV), a think tank in Turkey.
Akgun: Perhaps for the first time in our history, the state apologized
to its citizens for the Dersim massacres in the 1930's. Irrespective
of motivations, Prime Minister Erdogan took the first step toward
making Turkey a more livable place.
Speaking at a ceremony in Berlin on Feb. 23, German Chancellor Angela
Merkel apologized on behalf of Germany to the families of those Turks
who had been subjected to racist attacks. German newspapers published
this apology on their front pages, and Germany once again faced up
to its past and acknowledged its mistake.
That same day, President Barak Obama apologized to the Afghans-in
reality, all Muslims-for the burning of Korans on a U.S. military base
in Afghanistan. Germany's offense was taking the murders of Turks in
Germany lightly and failing to see the racist violence behind it.
America's was its attack on sacred values.
Nonetheless, the leaders of both countries exhibited great virtue and
common sense by apologizing. And now there will be one less problem in
U.S. relations with the Muslim world. In the meantime, Germany will
make peace with millions of Turks, some of whom are German citizens
and some guest workers, and will become a more livable place for both
Turks and Germans.
A similar process has been under way in Turkey. Perhaps for the
first time in our history, the state apologized to its citizens for
the Dersim massacres in the 1930's. Irrespective of motivations,
Prime Minister Erdogan took the first step toward making Turkey a
more livable place.
His words have helped us to reopen the dark pages of Turkey's history
and to understand the scale of the massacres that were committed.
Today, very few people can argue that what happened in Dersim was
a simple operation to suppress a rebellion. No one can argue that
disproportionate force was not used.
The state could have also acknowledged that the mindset that dreamed
of staging another coup only a few years ago-that had no compunctions
about killing its own people in order to realize such dreams, that
organized a raid on the Council of State and sponsored the bombing
of newspapers-also mistreated the Armenians in the early years of
the 20th century.
One would hope that the tragedy of 1915 could be discussed independent
of its legal label, and that the state would express its regrets for
what unfolded in post-empire Turkey, for taking these events lightly,
and, in particular, for offending the sensibilities of its Armenian
citizens during all these years.
However, the recent intervention of the French Parliament and
Senate reversed this process and resulted in the return of the prefix
"so-called" with every mention of the word "genocide." Just when Turkey
had started to discuss its past, it slid back into denialism, and the
innocence of our ancestors are again reiterated at the highest levels.
Now, sky-high posters and announcements in newspapers on the occasion
of the 20th anniversary of the Khojali massacre attribute epithets
to Armenians that they do not deserve. Through some blanket analogy,
this campaign implies that all Armenians are liars; Turkey's Armenians
are also incriminated for in the massacre.
The truth is that, just as I am not responsible for the crimes
committed by Mehmet Ali Agca or anyone else, it makes no logical
or legal sense to blame all Armenians for crimes committed by some
Armenians. It is true that a major massacre occurred in Khojali in 1992
and that the perpetrators of that act must be punished. However, that
does not require vengeance on or the incrimination of all Armenians.
Today, Turkey is one of the world's most influential countries. It has
a say about the problems in its own neighborhood. Its political model
and process are used as examples. As such, Turkey has to make peace
with itself without delay and adopt a tone that befits its grandeur.
This is essential if Turkey wants to criticize others for their lies
and wants to be seen as credible when leveling criticism.
By Mensur Akgun
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/03/05/akgun-the-virtue-of-apologizing/
March 5, 2012
The following article, translated for the Weekly by Ara Arabyan,
first appeared in its original Turkish in the Istanbul Star on Feb. 25.
Akgun teaches foreign policy at Marmara and Kultur Universities. He
is also the top foreign policy consultant at the Turkish Foundation
for Economic and Social Studies (TESEV), a think tank in Turkey.
Akgun: Perhaps for the first time in our history, the state apologized
to its citizens for the Dersim massacres in the 1930's. Irrespective
of motivations, Prime Minister Erdogan took the first step toward
making Turkey a more livable place.
Speaking at a ceremony in Berlin on Feb. 23, German Chancellor Angela
Merkel apologized on behalf of Germany to the families of those Turks
who had been subjected to racist attacks. German newspapers published
this apology on their front pages, and Germany once again faced up
to its past and acknowledged its mistake.
That same day, President Barak Obama apologized to the Afghans-in
reality, all Muslims-for the burning of Korans on a U.S. military base
in Afghanistan. Germany's offense was taking the murders of Turks in
Germany lightly and failing to see the racist violence behind it.
America's was its attack on sacred values.
Nonetheless, the leaders of both countries exhibited great virtue and
common sense by apologizing. And now there will be one less problem in
U.S. relations with the Muslim world. In the meantime, Germany will
make peace with millions of Turks, some of whom are German citizens
and some guest workers, and will become a more livable place for both
Turks and Germans.
A similar process has been under way in Turkey. Perhaps for the
first time in our history, the state apologized to its citizens for
the Dersim massacres in the 1930's. Irrespective of motivations,
Prime Minister Erdogan took the first step toward making Turkey a
more livable place.
His words have helped us to reopen the dark pages of Turkey's history
and to understand the scale of the massacres that were committed.
Today, very few people can argue that what happened in Dersim was
a simple operation to suppress a rebellion. No one can argue that
disproportionate force was not used.
The state could have also acknowledged that the mindset that dreamed
of staging another coup only a few years ago-that had no compunctions
about killing its own people in order to realize such dreams, that
organized a raid on the Council of State and sponsored the bombing
of newspapers-also mistreated the Armenians in the early years of
the 20th century.
One would hope that the tragedy of 1915 could be discussed independent
of its legal label, and that the state would express its regrets for
what unfolded in post-empire Turkey, for taking these events lightly,
and, in particular, for offending the sensibilities of its Armenian
citizens during all these years.
However, the recent intervention of the French Parliament and
Senate reversed this process and resulted in the return of the prefix
"so-called" with every mention of the word "genocide." Just when Turkey
had started to discuss its past, it slid back into denialism, and the
innocence of our ancestors are again reiterated at the highest levels.
Now, sky-high posters and announcements in newspapers on the occasion
of the 20th anniversary of the Khojali massacre attribute epithets
to Armenians that they do not deserve. Through some blanket analogy,
this campaign implies that all Armenians are liars; Turkey's Armenians
are also incriminated for in the massacre.
The truth is that, just as I am not responsible for the crimes
committed by Mehmet Ali Agca or anyone else, it makes no logical
or legal sense to blame all Armenians for crimes committed by some
Armenians. It is true that a major massacre occurred in Khojali in 1992
and that the perpetrators of that act must be punished. However, that
does not require vengeance on or the incrimination of all Armenians.
Today, Turkey is one of the world's most influential countries. It has
a say about the problems in its own neighborhood. Its political model
and process are used as examples. As such, Turkey has to make peace
with itself without delay and adopt a tone that befits its grandeur.
This is essential if Turkey wants to criticize others for their lies
and wants to be seen as credible when leveling criticism.