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TURKEY HAS MOST PART OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR FAILURE OF TURKEY-ARMENIA PROTOCOLS, SAYS TURKISH INTELLECTUAL
tert.am
16.11.12
Osman Kavala is the Chair of Board of Anadolu Kulture which is a
non-profit company based in Istanbul. The mission of Anadolu Kulture
is to build bridge among different ethnic, religious regional groups
through cinema, literature, photography, contemporary art and music.
Tert.am has interviewed Osman Kavala over the Armenian Genocide issue
and the normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations.
When do you think the relations between Turkey and Armenia will
normalize?
I think this issue is not too much dependent on the historical
problems. It seems at the moment the Karabakh conflict and Turkey's
close economic relations with Azerbaijan are the dominant factors.
Turkish government took a rigid position, connecting the opening of
the border to the resolution of Karabakh conflict. For understandable
reasons, Armenia would not be interested to resume political relations
with Turkey as long as the border remains closed.
What do you think which of the countries, Turkey or Armenia has the
most part of responsibility when it comes to the current state of
the normalization process?
In the protocols, the Karabakh issue was not mentioned. So, I believe
Turkish government has the most part of responsibility for the failure
of the protocols by introducing this condition. But, on the other hand,
I also think that it will be in the best interests of Armenia if this
conflict can be resolved earlier. Not only to improve relations for
Turkey, but in order to build a stable democracy in the region.
Wars and armed conflicts do exert negative impact on the development
of liberal norms and practices.
Do you think Turkey will ever recognize the Armenian Genocide and if
yes, when?
It is not possible to give a definitive answer to this question. I
don't see the prospects likely in the foreseeable future. However,
we see that there will be a change from the original official position
which in effect alleges the Muslim losses during the First World War
were comparable to the Armenian loses.
There are a number of factors which can influence Turkey's position.
One of them is related to the external dynamics. I believe, progress
in the accession to the European Union would play a positive role.
Establishment of friendly relations with Armenia can also facilitate
the weakening of historical prejudices. Internal dynamics of Turkey
would certainly be very significant. The development of the liberal
democratic culture in Turkey will lead to a more open and critical
assessment of historical events. Regretfully, there are some cliches
and prejudices which dominate the understanding of the historical
events, in particular those which happened during the First World War.
Ottoman state lost lots of territories during the Balkan Wars and
the First World War. Before the War, Russia and the European states
tried to be influential on the domestic politics of the Ottomans, in
particular in those matters related to the Christian minorities. So,
among the Turks there was a conceptualization to link the interests
of the foreign powers with those of the Christian communities living
in Anatolia.
Turkey did not participate in the Second World War, which could have
changed this basic popular conceptualization of relations with the
European powers. I think, lack of this experience caused the First
World War memories to remain alive. Unfortunately, the educational
system did little to change these narratives and prejudiced attitudes
towards history. So, you will see many people in Turkey who would
still argue that the Armenians were expelled because they sided with
the Russians in the First World War, European powers and Russia used
minorities to weaken and divide the Ottoman state.
What do you think the Turkish society can do for the recognition of
the Armenian Genocide by the Turkish state?
I see that the main role of the civil society should be to counter
these narratives, these prejudiced conceptualizations which continue
to be reproduced in different forms. Turkey wants to be a member of
the EU, but you will still hear people arguing that Europe wants to
divide Turkey by using Armenian and Kurdish issues.
The most effective way to eradicate such prejudices would be to
prepare the history text books in a different, critical perspective.
This of course requires a new policy. There are civil initiatives
advocating such a policy change.
tert.am
16.11.12
Osman Kavala is the Chair of Board of Anadolu Kulture which is a
non-profit company based in Istanbul. The mission of Anadolu Kulture
is to build bridge among different ethnic, religious regional groups
through cinema, literature, photography, contemporary art and music.
Tert.am has interviewed Osman Kavala over the Armenian Genocide issue
and the normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations.
When do you think the relations between Turkey and Armenia will
normalize?
I think this issue is not too much dependent on the historical
problems. It seems at the moment the Karabakh conflict and Turkey's
close economic relations with Azerbaijan are the dominant factors.
Turkish government took a rigid position, connecting the opening of
the border to the resolution of Karabakh conflict. For understandable
reasons, Armenia would not be interested to resume political relations
with Turkey as long as the border remains closed.
What do you think which of the countries, Turkey or Armenia has the
most part of responsibility when it comes to the current state of
the normalization process?
In the protocols, the Karabakh issue was not mentioned. So, I believe
Turkish government has the most part of responsibility for the failure
of the protocols by introducing this condition. But, on the other hand,
I also think that it will be in the best interests of Armenia if this
conflict can be resolved earlier. Not only to improve relations for
Turkey, but in order to build a stable democracy in the region.
Wars and armed conflicts do exert negative impact on the development
of liberal norms and practices.
Do you think Turkey will ever recognize the Armenian Genocide and if
yes, when?
It is not possible to give a definitive answer to this question. I
don't see the prospects likely in the foreseeable future. However,
we see that there will be a change from the original official position
which in effect alleges the Muslim losses during the First World War
were comparable to the Armenian loses.
There are a number of factors which can influence Turkey's position.
One of them is related to the external dynamics. I believe, progress
in the accession to the European Union would play a positive role.
Establishment of friendly relations with Armenia can also facilitate
the weakening of historical prejudices. Internal dynamics of Turkey
would certainly be very significant. The development of the liberal
democratic culture in Turkey will lead to a more open and critical
assessment of historical events. Regretfully, there are some cliches
and prejudices which dominate the understanding of the historical
events, in particular those which happened during the First World War.
Ottoman state lost lots of territories during the Balkan Wars and
the First World War. Before the War, Russia and the European states
tried to be influential on the domestic politics of the Ottomans, in
particular in those matters related to the Christian minorities. So,
among the Turks there was a conceptualization to link the interests
of the foreign powers with those of the Christian communities living
in Anatolia.
Turkey did not participate in the Second World War, which could have
changed this basic popular conceptualization of relations with the
European powers. I think, lack of this experience caused the First
World War memories to remain alive. Unfortunately, the educational
system did little to change these narratives and prejudiced attitudes
towards history. So, you will see many people in Turkey who would
still argue that the Armenians were expelled because they sided with
the Russians in the First World War, European powers and Russia used
minorities to weaken and divide the Ottoman state.
What do you think the Turkish society can do for the recognition of
the Armenian Genocide by the Turkish state?
I see that the main role of the civil society should be to counter
these narratives, these prejudiced conceptualizations which continue
to be reproduced in different forms. Turkey wants to be a member of
the EU, but you will still hear people arguing that Europe wants to
divide Turkey by using Armenian and Kurdish issues.
The most effective way to eradicate such prejudices would be to
prepare the history text books in a different, critical perspective.
This of course requires a new policy. There are civil initiatives
advocating such a policy change.