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Daily Sabah, Turkey
April 24 2014
ARMENIAN DIASPORA POSES OBSTACLE TO RECONCILIATION
Due to the Armenian diaspora's political interests, Turkey's offer to
approach the 1915 incidents from a historical and factual perspective
has been refused. Yet, Turkey still favors reconciliation
by Yusuf Selman Ä°nanç
Published : 24.04.2014 00:59:12
ISTANBUL ' The underlying factor which explains the division between
the Armenian diaspora, whose members reside in other countries and
Armenians who live in Armenia, is their differing approach to their
national identities.
While the diaspora does not care about Armenia and Armenians'
interests, the Armenians living in Turkey and Armenia have a different
perspective. Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who was murdered
in 2007, raised his concerns about the diaspora's stance on the 1915
incidents. He has repeated in his articles that Turks and Armenians
would have reconciled had the process not been sabotaged by certain
groups in Turkey and the diaspora, as both were privileging their own
interests rather than the needs of the people. The debate over
Armenian genocide claims outside of Armenia still attracts attention.
Even in Turkey, conferences have been organized to discuss the
historical facts. Yet, those who try to understand the incidents
without calling them genocide and attempt to communicate with Turkey
have witnessed the diaspora's harsh and ostracizing stance. Turkey's
clear stance and contributions by nongovernmental organizations and
academics to communicate and share the pain with Armenians seems to be
disadvantageous for the Armenian diaspora, which considers the
incidents a political issue rather than a historical one.
One of the main reasons that the Armenian issue has become complicated
is that the incidents have not been seen as through a historical lens
but rather through a political one. The Armenian incidents remain
unsolved due to the speculative news of international media outlets
during and after World War I and a lack of adequate data.
The only way to solve the problem seems to be engaging in qualified
archival studies. Keeping the archives, which offer accurate
information regarding the incidents, closed is not advantageous for
either side. Yet the diaspora's concerns target Turkey's influence in
the international arena, allowing Ankara to ignore the diaspora's
demands. As such Turkey has concerns over its territorial integrity
and calls for reparations, particularly as the diaspora continues to
demand territory in Turkey's northeast. Such actions have damaged
reconciliation attempts.
What is necessary during a probable reconciliation process is
investigating state archives and consular documents while keeping
political polarization, international media, legal authorities and
politicians away from the investigations and research. Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an echoed the Turkish government sentiments
in 2006 and 2009 in international forums and called on Armenia to
investigate those documents under the guidance of groups comprising
supervisors, state officials and academics to be selected by both
sides.
Yet, the Armenian diaspora rejected these offers and tried to protect
its own interests, which are based on establishing relations with
strong political actors through hampering Turkey's international
reputation and vulgarized media sources, since any case that can be
aroused which is against the diaspora's interests will be an obstacle
to its political and social recitation which was established in past
decades.
Another dispute between Turkey and the diaspora is based on the archives.
Although it is not moral to make assessments over the death toll, the
archives will provide accurate information on those who were
segregated, died, survived or relocated determined by the Ottoman
officials during the migration.
The diaspora has been disseminating propaganda over the death toll
claiming that 1.5 million people were murdered in a few months. Yet,
the more the archives are open, the more the diaspora's claims become
baseless. Turkish historians continue their research and elaborate on
the incidents carefully. Yet, the diaspora prefers oral history
narratives rather than archives.
Since the Turkish Republic started discussing the Armenian incident
clearly, the government has demanded clarifications on the issue
through historical sources but there has been no positive response
from the Armenian side. Turkey, which previously claimed that
Armenians killed more Turks or the death toll could be considered as
normal in a time of war, has decided to reveal the facts as the
archives deny the diaspora's claims.
http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2014/04/24/armenian-diaspora-poses-obstacle-to-reconciliation-1398299213
From: Baghdasarian
April 24 2014
ARMENIAN DIASPORA POSES OBSTACLE TO RECONCILIATION
Due to the Armenian diaspora's political interests, Turkey's offer to
approach the 1915 incidents from a historical and factual perspective
has been refused. Yet, Turkey still favors reconciliation
by Yusuf Selman Ä°nanç
Published : 24.04.2014 00:59:12
ISTANBUL ' The underlying factor which explains the division between
the Armenian diaspora, whose members reside in other countries and
Armenians who live in Armenia, is their differing approach to their
national identities.
While the diaspora does not care about Armenia and Armenians'
interests, the Armenians living in Turkey and Armenia have a different
perspective. Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who was murdered
in 2007, raised his concerns about the diaspora's stance on the 1915
incidents. He has repeated in his articles that Turks and Armenians
would have reconciled had the process not been sabotaged by certain
groups in Turkey and the diaspora, as both were privileging their own
interests rather than the needs of the people. The debate over
Armenian genocide claims outside of Armenia still attracts attention.
Even in Turkey, conferences have been organized to discuss the
historical facts. Yet, those who try to understand the incidents
without calling them genocide and attempt to communicate with Turkey
have witnessed the diaspora's harsh and ostracizing stance. Turkey's
clear stance and contributions by nongovernmental organizations and
academics to communicate and share the pain with Armenians seems to be
disadvantageous for the Armenian diaspora, which considers the
incidents a political issue rather than a historical one.
One of the main reasons that the Armenian issue has become complicated
is that the incidents have not been seen as through a historical lens
but rather through a political one. The Armenian incidents remain
unsolved due to the speculative news of international media outlets
during and after World War I and a lack of adequate data.
The only way to solve the problem seems to be engaging in qualified
archival studies. Keeping the archives, which offer accurate
information regarding the incidents, closed is not advantageous for
either side. Yet the diaspora's concerns target Turkey's influence in
the international arena, allowing Ankara to ignore the diaspora's
demands. As such Turkey has concerns over its territorial integrity
and calls for reparations, particularly as the diaspora continues to
demand territory in Turkey's northeast. Such actions have damaged
reconciliation attempts.
What is necessary during a probable reconciliation process is
investigating state archives and consular documents while keeping
political polarization, international media, legal authorities and
politicians away from the investigations and research. Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an echoed the Turkish government sentiments
in 2006 and 2009 in international forums and called on Armenia to
investigate those documents under the guidance of groups comprising
supervisors, state officials and academics to be selected by both
sides.
Yet, the Armenian diaspora rejected these offers and tried to protect
its own interests, which are based on establishing relations with
strong political actors through hampering Turkey's international
reputation and vulgarized media sources, since any case that can be
aroused which is against the diaspora's interests will be an obstacle
to its political and social recitation which was established in past
decades.
Another dispute between Turkey and the diaspora is based on the archives.
Although it is not moral to make assessments over the death toll, the
archives will provide accurate information on those who were
segregated, died, survived or relocated determined by the Ottoman
officials during the migration.
The diaspora has been disseminating propaganda over the death toll
claiming that 1.5 million people were murdered in a few months. Yet,
the more the archives are open, the more the diaspora's claims become
baseless. Turkish historians continue their research and elaborate on
the incidents carefully. Yet, the diaspora prefers oral history
narratives rather than archives.
Since the Turkish Republic started discussing the Armenian incident
clearly, the government has demanded clarifications on the issue
through historical sources but there has been no positive response
from the Armenian side. Turkey, which previously claimed that
Armenians killed more Turks or the death toll could be considered as
normal in a time of war, has decided to reveal the facts as the
archives deny the diaspora's claims.
http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2014/04/24/armenian-diaspora-poses-obstacle-to-reconciliation-1398299213
From: Baghdasarian