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Hurriyet Daily News
April 24 2014
'Shared Pain'
TAHA AKYOL
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an issued a condolence message
addressing the Armenians because of the 1915 incidents.
This is a first in our history.
Two protocols had been signed in October 2009 to repair relationships
with Armenia and to consign the `genocide' claims to historians. The
declaration of condolences has a feature of the continuation of the
same policy from Turkey's perspective.
This issue should be handled not through the glasses of domestic
policies, but through the perspective of how to solve the deep
emotional issues between the two nations.
The perspective dominating the prime minister's statement is the
emphasis that the years of the World War I have been `a difficult
period, full of suffering for Turkish, Kurdish, Arab, Armenian and
millions of other Ottoman citizens.'
As a matter of fact, the declaration said, `Any conscientious, fair
and humanistic approach to these issues requires an understanding of
all the suffering endured in this period, without discriminating as to
religion or ethnicity.' The sufferings of Armenians are also
approached from the same general perspective:
`It is a duty of humanity to acknowledge that Armenians remember the
suffering experienced in that period, just like every other citizen of
the Ottoman Empire.'
The last sentence of the declaration is as such: `Regardless of their
ethnic or religious origins, we pay tribute, with compassion and
respect, to all Ottoman citizens who lost their lives in the same
period and under similar conditions.'
I find it absolutely correct that the incidents were called `our
shared pain' in the statement and a call to a humanistic approach was
made.
Domestic policy glasses
Depending on our approach to the topic, we may find shortcomings and
extras in the prime minister's statement. But we should not forget
there is a Turkish-Armenian issue that needs to be solved; it has
become international. It can only be solved with mutual steps, not all
at once.
Since the discourse `Armenians slaughtered us' has been outdated for a
long time, the insistence on `genocide' is also obstructing the
solution.
Turkey's putting forward a perspective that both rejects `genocide'
and at the same time approaches with understanding of all the
sufferings endured in this period will make its words more effective;
there are more than a few examples of this.
The declaration is also not one sided; there is also a call to the
Armenian nationalists to abandon the road of `deriving enmity from
history ¦ constructing hierarchies of pain ¦ using [these incidents]
as an excuse for hostility against Turkey ¦ turning this issue into a
matter of political conflict.'
You will see; this statement will generate positive effects in favor
of Turkey in the world diplomatic community.
Time to heal wounds
Now, Armenia and the diaspora should moderate their discourse and
develop other agreeable concepts instead of the `genocide' term which
causes the fight.
Following the French Constitutional Council, also the verdict of the
European Court of Human Rights dated Dec. 17, 2013 in the Perinçek
case has demonstrated that the `genocide' concept cannot be
interpreted widely.
In historic research, new perspectives are developing, thus leaving
behind the dark well of `Who slaughtered whom?' The clash of Muslims
and Armenians who had lived peacefully for centuries has caused
horrendous calamities for both sides¦
It is high time to heal the wounds.
Now, both sides should use a language with utmost care on `healing the wounds.'
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/shared-pain-.aspx?pageID=449&nID=65520&NewsCatID=458
April 24 2014
'Shared Pain'
TAHA AKYOL
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an issued a condolence message
addressing the Armenians because of the 1915 incidents.
This is a first in our history.
Two protocols had been signed in October 2009 to repair relationships
with Armenia and to consign the `genocide' claims to historians. The
declaration of condolences has a feature of the continuation of the
same policy from Turkey's perspective.
This issue should be handled not through the glasses of domestic
policies, but through the perspective of how to solve the deep
emotional issues between the two nations.
The perspective dominating the prime minister's statement is the
emphasis that the years of the World War I have been `a difficult
period, full of suffering for Turkish, Kurdish, Arab, Armenian and
millions of other Ottoman citizens.'
As a matter of fact, the declaration said, `Any conscientious, fair
and humanistic approach to these issues requires an understanding of
all the suffering endured in this period, without discriminating as to
religion or ethnicity.' The sufferings of Armenians are also
approached from the same general perspective:
`It is a duty of humanity to acknowledge that Armenians remember the
suffering experienced in that period, just like every other citizen of
the Ottoman Empire.'
The last sentence of the declaration is as such: `Regardless of their
ethnic or religious origins, we pay tribute, with compassion and
respect, to all Ottoman citizens who lost their lives in the same
period and under similar conditions.'
I find it absolutely correct that the incidents were called `our
shared pain' in the statement and a call to a humanistic approach was
made.
Domestic policy glasses
Depending on our approach to the topic, we may find shortcomings and
extras in the prime minister's statement. But we should not forget
there is a Turkish-Armenian issue that needs to be solved; it has
become international. It can only be solved with mutual steps, not all
at once.
Since the discourse `Armenians slaughtered us' has been outdated for a
long time, the insistence on `genocide' is also obstructing the
solution.
Turkey's putting forward a perspective that both rejects `genocide'
and at the same time approaches with understanding of all the
sufferings endured in this period will make its words more effective;
there are more than a few examples of this.
The declaration is also not one sided; there is also a call to the
Armenian nationalists to abandon the road of `deriving enmity from
history ¦ constructing hierarchies of pain ¦ using [these incidents]
as an excuse for hostility against Turkey ¦ turning this issue into a
matter of political conflict.'
You will see; this statement will generate positive effects in favor
of Turkey in the world diplomatic community.
Time to heal wounds
Now, Armenia and the diaspora should moderate their discourse and
develop other agreeable concepts instead of the `genocide' term which
causes the fight.
Following the French Constitutional Council, also the verdict of the
European Court of Human Rights dated Dec. 17, 2013 in the Perinçek
case has demonstrated that the `genocide' concept cannot be
interpreted widely.
In historic research, new perspectives are developing, thus leaving
behind the dark well of `Who slaughtered whom?' The clash of Muslims
and Armenians who had lived peacefully for centuries has caused
horrendous calamities for both sides¦
It is high time to heal the wounds.
Now, both sides should use a language with utmost care on `healing the wounds.'
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/shared-pain-.aspx?pageID=449&nID=65520&NewsCatID=458