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CounterPunch
April 25 2014
A Mere First Step: Erdogan's Apology
by CESAR CHELALA
On April 23, Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan offered his
condolences to the descendants of the Armenians who were killed by
Ottoman troops during WWI in which many consider as the first genocide
of the 20th century. Although it is an historic apology, Erdogan's
statement is only a first step that should be followed by other
measures to restore ties with the Armenian government.
Stating that "The incidents of the First World War are our shared
pain," Erdogan said, "It is our hope and belief that the peoples of an
ancient and unique geography, who share similar customs and manners
will be able to talk to each other about the past with maturity and to
remember together their losses in a decent manner." And he added, "And
it is with this hope and belief that we wish that the Armenians who
lost their lives in the context of the early 20th century rest in
peace, and we convey our condolences to their grandchildren."
Turkey, however, still categorically rejects the term genocide and
claims that only 500,000 Armenians died of fighting and starvation in
1915. In 2013, during a trip to Yerevan, the Armenian capital,
Turkey's foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu called the events of
1915-16 a "mistake" and an "inhuman act". However, Armenians want
Turkey to recognize the killing of 1.5 million people as genocide.
Armenians' claims received an unexpected support from German
Chancellor Angela Merkel. During an official visit by Erdogan to
Germany in February, Erdogan asked Merkel and her ruling Christian
Democratic Union party to be cautious in addressing the upcoming
centennial of the 1915 events.
Undaunted by Erdogan's request Merkel publicly scolded Erdogan saying,
"Turkey must come to terms with its history. We cannot compare the
Armenians living in Armenia with the Armenians who were forcibly
dispersed around the world." Erdogan replied, "You are asking us to
accept something that we have not done," adding that the entire
Turkish archives are open to the world, an assertion that is not
universally accepted.
Also at stake is the opening of Turkey's border with Armenia. Although
Turkey recognized Armenia's independence from the former Soviet Union
in 1991, it closed its land border with Armenia in 1993. Turkey has
refused to establish diplomatic ties because of Armenia's occupation
of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and part of Azerbaijan during a war in
the early 1990s.
Turkey's government claims that it had overcome a "psychological
threshold" during the visit to Armenia of Turkey's Foreign Minister
Ahmet Davutoglu, when he attended a meeting in Armenia of the
Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), where he
underlined the importance of improving relations between the two
countries.
However, during a visit to Armenia I was able to see that many of
these psychological scars still persist, particularly among the older
Armenian generation. Talking to an Armenian businessman who conducts
frequent trade with Turkey he told me, "Every time I look at Mount
Ararat I feel like crying." Mount Ararat is the national symbol of the
Republic of Armenia which was lost to Turkey in 1915.
My talks with several Armenians of different ages allowed me to
conclude that there is a generational divide on how to approach
relations with Turkey. The older generation insists that the Turkish
government should apologize for the 1915 massacres of Armenians and
accept their responsibility in the genocide carried out. The younger
generation, on the other hand, without rejecting historical facts,
believe that they should overcome the negative effects of those
memories and move forward to peaceful coexistence between both
countries.
Prime Minister Erdogan has taken an important first step. It should be
complemented by accepting Turkey's historical responsibility in the
Armenian genocide and by the creation of a commission of both Turkish
and Armenian historians under the auspices of the United Nations and
with representatives from the International Court of Justice at The
Hague. The task of such commission would be to analyze historical
documents that can shed light on past events and reach consensus on
their significance. It is only by finding out the truth and creating
bridges of understanding that we change a paradigm of war for one of
peace and progress between both countries.
Dr. Cesar Chelala is a co-winner of an Overseas Press Club of America award.
http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/04/25/erdogans-apology/
April 25 2014
A Mere First Step: Erdogan's Apology
by CESAR CHELALA
On April 23, Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan offered his
condolences to the descendants of the Armenians who were killed by
Ottoman troops during WWI in which many consider as the first genocide
of the 20th century. Although it is an historic apology, Erdogan's
statement is only a first step that should be followed by other
measures to restore ties with the Armenian government.
Stating that "The incidents of the First World War are our shared
pain," Erdogan said, "It is our hope and belief that the peoples of an
ancient and unique geography, who share similar customs and manners
will be able to talk to each other about the past with maturity and to
remember together their losses in a decent manner." And he added, "And
it is with this hope and belief that we wish that the Armenians who
lost their lives in the context of the early 20th century rest in
peace, and we convey our condolences to their grandchildren."
Turkey, however, still categorically rejects the term genocide and
claims that only 500,000 Armenians died of fighting and starvation in
1915. In 2013, during a trip to Yerevan, the Armenian capital,
Turkey's foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu called the events of
1915-16 a "mistake" and an "inhuman act". However, Armenians want
Turkey to recognize the killing of 1.5 million people as genocide.
Armenians' claims received an unexpected support from German
Chancellor Angela Merkel. During an official visit by Erdogan to
Germany in February, Erdogan asked Merkel and her ruling Christian
Democratic Union party to be cautious in addressing the upcoming
centennial of the 1915 events.
Undaunted by Erdogan's request Merkel publicly scolded Erdogan saying,
"Turkey must come to terms with its history. We cannot compare the
Armenians living in Armenia with the Armenians who were forcibly
dispersed around the world." Erdogan replied, "You are asking us to
accept something that we have not done," adding that the entire
Turkish archives are open to the world, an assertion that is not
universally accepted.
Also at stake is the opening of Turkey's border with Armenia. Although
Turkey recognized Armenia's independence from the former Soviet Union
in 1991, it closed its land border with Armenia in 1993. Turkey has
refused to establish diplomatic ties because of Armenia's occupation
of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and part of Azerbaijan during a war in
the early 1990s.
Turkey's government claims that it had overcome a "psychological
threshold" during the visit to Armenia of Turkey's Foreign Minister
Ahmet Davutoglu, when he attended a meeting in Armenia of the
Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), where he
underlined the importance of improving relations between the two
countries.
However, during a visit to Armenia I was able to see that many of
these psychological scars still persist, particularly among the older
Armenian generation. Talking to an Armenian businessman who conducts
frequent trade with Turkey he told me, "Every time I look at Mount
Ararat I feel like crying." Mount Ararat is the national symbol of the
Republic of Armenia which was lost to Turkey in 1915.
My talks with several Armenians of different ages allowed me to
conclude that there is a generational divide on how to approach
relations with Turkey. The older generation insists that the Turkish
government should apologize for the 1915 massacres of Armenians and
accept their responsibility in the genocide carried out. The younger
generation, on the other hand, without rejecting historical facts,
believe that they should overcome the negative effects of those
memories and move forward to peaceful coexistence between both
countries.
Prime Minister Erdogan has taken an important first step. It should be
complemented by accepting Turkey's historical responsibility in the
Armenian genocide and by the creation of a commission of both Turkish
and Armenian historians under the auspices of the United Nations and
with representatives from the International Court of Justice at The
Hague. The task of such commission would be to analyze historical
documents that can shed light on past events and reach consensus on
their significance. It is only by finding out the truth and creating
bridges of understanding that we change a paradigm of war for one of
peace and progress between both countries.
Dr. Cesar Chelala is a co-winner of an Overseas Press Club of America award.
http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/04/25/erdogans-apology/