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THE EXTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE PM'S STATMENT ON 1915
Today's Zaman, Turkey
May 19 2014
by Alin Ozinian* May 18, 2014, Sunday/ 16:10:29
A written statement by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan shortly
before April 24 attracted a great deal of attention in the domestic
and international media.
While the statement and subsequent developments are something we are
familiar with, they still deserve further consideration. Some referred
to the statement as a historic step forward, whereas others considered
it as a manipulative move or an insult to Turkish history. But it
should also be noted that some remarks and comments on this statement
were a little bit exaggerated and extreme.
By this move, the Turkish side gave the message that Turkey has done
its part and that now the Armenian side should take constructive
action. Some Turkish media outlets argued that the next step would
be recognition of citizenship rights to some Armenians abroad and
that some further steps would be taken in case Armenia withdrew from
Nagorno-Karabakh. But none of these arguments was confirmed by the
Turkish state.
A diplomatic statement consisting of some "innocent" words and notions
that do not refer to the Armenian genocide in 1915, fails to admit
that what happened back then was a planned action for the complete
destruction of the Armenian nation and admits the responsibility of the
state is neither an acknowledgement nor an apology. The statement is
in fact a message by which the Turkish government offers condolences
to all peoples who have suffered extensively during World War I in
Ottoman lands.
The content of the statement is not new because the attempts and
efforts by the Foreign Ministry years ago to create a common memory
have been based on references to war casualties. What is being said is
not novel because it refers to some serious errors in the historical
archives (the Turkish archives are open to all) or some old-fashioned
clichés suggesting the creation of a joint commission of history
as spelled out in the protocols signed in Zurich in 2009, which were
never implemented due to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. It should also
be noted that this message, which does not satisfy the Armenians,
was delivered 99 years later.
The dissatisfaction of the Armenians in Turkey, the Armenian diaspora
and Armenia with this insufficient and delayed message of condolence
should be understood given that they have been suffering from the
impact of the denial during this lengthy period. It is also necessary
to take a look at how the 1915 incidents have been framed so far. If
we consider this year alone, we will see that Bulent Arınc made a
statement in which he noted that they were making serious efforts
to deal with the "Armenian genocide allegations" and to influence
the international community's view on this matter, adding that they
created a special unit within the Office of the Prime Minister to
address this issue. I should also note that the Turkish Historical
Society (TTK) has been preparing for the 100th anniversary of the
Armenian genocide in 2015. People should also recall that Erdogan
made a statement this year that they should be ready for 2015 and
urged Turkish diplomats to "tell the truth" about the 1915 incidents
in their respective countries.
The most important thing is this: This statement was made by the
prime minister of a country where Armenians were insulted in a period
of republican history, where people were provoked to become enemies
of the Armenians, the murderers of Hrant Dink, Sevag Balıkcı --
who was killed by his "friend" during military service -- and of
old Armenian women were not prosecuted and "Talat Pasha Committees"
were established the day before April 24.
As people who heard after the murder of Dink that mercy from God is
not asked for an Armenian, we believe that the statement offering
condolences to the victims of the Armenian genocide is insufficient
but important; it is a humane approach; it is a first. It should also
be noted that the politicians who find this statement insufficient
have made no such move before. This statement should of course be
criticized, but it should not be neglected. It should not be ignored.
In sum, this message could be considered important as a turning point
in terms of writing a critical Turkish-Armenian history in the future
as a point of departure for a lengthy process of how the wounds of the
1915 genocide would be healed and of how the reasons and repercussions
of this genocide should be investigated and properly identified.
However, the opposition's argument suggesting that a statement by a
prime minister who lost his legitimacy in the international arena to
polish his image abroad is another version of denying the genocide.
This sort of opposition, while serving as motivation for strong
denialists like Yusuf Halacoglu, Å~^ukru Elekdag, Dogu Perincek and
Kemal Kerincsiz, will be forgotten in a very short time.
Diaspora and the Armenians in Turkey
The desire and success of the civil society in Turkey in recent years
to share the pain of the Armenians and to spread this sentiment to
other segments of society cannot be overlooked, and of course the
popular support for the Dink case should also be remembered. However,
it should be noted that what forced the prime minister to make this
statement is actually the external dynamics.
Even though the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) obviously
contradicts with the usual republican reflexes and dynamics that
we are accustomed to and makes some risky moves in critical times,
it is apparent that the background of this message has been prepared
by the lobbying activities of the Armenian diaspora abroad.
After his statement where he offered condolences, Erdogan further
clarified his remarks noting that we did not offer condolences to
Armenians alone but also to Turks, Bosnians, Albanians and others
who were Ottoman citizens. In an exclusive interview with famous
correspondent Charlie Rose, Erdogan also said, "What happened to
Armenians cannot be called genocide because there are now Armenians
in Turkey."
It is proper to argue that particularly some Armenians in Turkey,
out of strong admiration for Erdogan, praised his remarks. The
Patriarchate of Armenians in Turkey made a statement where they
referred to Erdogan's remarks as commendable; some Armenians argued
that the prime minister should be awarded a Nobel prize; an Armenian
even sponsored an ad in which he thanked the prime minister for his
condolences in a newspaper that has "Turkey belongs to the Turks"
as its motto.
This "humanist" who proves to be a real person on a TV program where
he argued that Erdogan embraced the Armenians was not a virtual
character. Otherwise, he would have known Erdogan a little bit given
that in the said ad he made the following remarks: "You are a real
man, a man of honor and integrity. And I believe that after Ataturk,
you are the greatest statesman in these lands."
There is always a need for statements and gestures by the religious
representatives and leading figures of the Armenian community in
Turkey in such delicate matters and issues. They are expected to
support the government's decision and to stand against the policies
of the diaspora; these circles and figures realize what they are
expected to do in such cases. This support is considered crucial
because this provides further legitimacy for the domestic policies
by the Armenian community in Turkey. This support gives the message
and impression that "we are happy here; we have no problem with each
other; the diaspora is bad and ill-intended and 'poor' Armenia tries
to destroy peace and happiness." And this approach is considered a
remedy for every problem in Turkey.
But what is really sad is the Armenian minority in Turkey who are
trying to live with their wounds and even complexes are excluded by
the Armenian diaspora for their conversion into "Turkishness." It is
also sad to observe that the foreign minister joined the visit by the
Armenian patriarch, the only official institution and representative of
the Armenian community in Turkey, to the prime minister. The foreign
minister attended this visit because the Armenian minority issue is
still considered a foreign policy issue in Turkey. This remains the
case even if the prime minister of the Republic of Turkey offered
condolences to the grandsons and granddaughters of the victims of
the Armenian genocide in 1915 in Ottoman lands.
________________________________
*Alin Ozinian is an independent analyst.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-348074-the-external-dynamics-of-the-pms-statment-on-1915-by-alin-ozinian-.html
From: Baghdasarian
Today's Zaman, Turkey
May 19 2014
by Alin Ozinian* May 18, 2014, Sunday/ 16:10:29
A written statement by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan shortly
before April 24 attracted a great deal of attention in the domestic
and international media.
While the statement and subsequent developments are something we are
familiar with, they still deserve further consideration. Some referred
to the statement as a historic step forward, whereas others considered
it as a manipulative move or an insult to Turkish history. But it
should also be noted that some remarks and comments on this statement
were a little bit exaggerated and extreme.
By this move, the Turkish side gave the message that Turkey has done
its part and that now the Armenian side should take constructive
action. Some Turkish media outlets argued that the next step would
be recognition of citizenship rights to some Armenians abroad and
that some further steps would be taken in case Armenia withdrew from
Nagorno-Karabakh. But none of these arguments was confirmed by the
Turkish state.
A diplomatic statement consisting of some "innocent" words and notions
that do not refer to the Armenian genocide in 1915, fails to admit
that what happened back then was a planned action for the complete
destruction of the Armenian nation and admits the responsibility of the
state is neither an acknowledgement nor an apology. The statement is
in fact a message by which the Turkish government offers condolences
to all peoples who have suffered extensively during World War I in
Ottoman lands.
The content of the statement is not new because the attempts and
efforts by the Foreign Ministry years ago to create a common memory
have been based on references to war casualties. What is being said is
not novel because it refers to some serious errors in the historical
archives (the Turkish archives are open to all) or some old-fashioned
clichés suggesting the creation of a joint commission of history
as spelled out in the protocols signed in Zurich in 2009, which were
never implemented due to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. It should also
be noted that this message, which does not satisfy the Armenians,
was delivered 99 years later.
The dissatisfaction of the Armenians in Turkey, the Armenian diaspora
and Armenia with this insufficient and delayed message of condolence
should be understood given that they have been suffering from the
impact of the denial during this lengthy period. It is also necessary
to take a look at how the 1915 incidents have been framed so far. If
we consider this year alone, we will see that Bulent Arınc made a
statement in which he noted that they were making serious efforts
to deal with the "Armenian genocide allegations" and to influence
the international community's view on this matter, adding that they
created a special unit within the Office of the Prime Minister to
address this issue. I should also note that the Turkish Historical
Society (TTK) has been preparing for the 100th anniversary of the
Armenian genocide in 2015. People should also recall that Erdogan
made a statement this year that they should be ready for 2015 and
urged Turkish diplomats to "tell the truth" about the 1915 incidents
in their respective countries.
The most important thing is this: This statement was made by the
prime minister of a country where Armenians were insulted in a period
of republican history, where people were provoked to become enemies
of the Armenians, the murderers of Hrant Dink, Sevag Balıkcı --
who was killed by his "friend" during military service -- and of
old Armenian women were not prosecuted and "Talat Pasha Committees"
were established the day before April 24.
As people who heard after the murder of Dink that mercy from God is
not asked for an Armenian, we believe that the statement offering
condolences to the victims of the Armenian genocide is insufficient
but important; it is a humane approach; it is a first. It should also
be noted that the politicians who find this statement insufficient
have made no such move before. This statement should of course be
criticized, but it should not be neglected. It should not be ignored.
In sum, this message could be considered important as a turning point
in terms of writing a critical Turkish-Armenian history in the future
as a point of departure for a lengthy process of how the wounds of the
1915 genocide would be healed and of how the reasons and repercussions
of this genocide should be investigated and properly identified.
However, the opposition's argument suggesting that a statement by a
prime minister who lost his legitimacy in the international arena to
polish his image abroad is another version of denying the genocide.
This sort of opposition, while serving as motivation for strong
denialists like Yusuf Halacoglu, Å~^ukru Elekdag, Dogu Perincek and
Kemal Kerincsiz, will be forgotten in a very short time.
Diaspora and the Armenians in Turkey
The desire and success of the civil society in Turkey in recent years
to share the pain of the Armenians and to spread this sentiment to
other segments of society cannot be overlooked, and of course the
popular support for the Dink case should also be remembered. However,
it should be noted that what forced the prime minister to make this
statement is actually the external dynamics.
Even though the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) obviously
contradicts with the usual republican reflexes and dynamics that
we are accustomed to and makes some risky moves in critical times,
it is apparent that the background of this message has been prepared
by the lobbying activities of the Armenian diaspora abroad.
After his statement where he offered condolences, Erdogan further
clarified his remarks noting that we did not offer condolences to
Armenians alone but also to Turks, Bosnians, Albanians and others
who were Ottoman citizens. In an exclusive interview with famous
correspondent Charlie Rose, Erdogan also said, "What happened to
Armenians cannot be called genocide because there are now Armenians
in Turkey."
It is proper to argue that particularly some Armenians in Turkey,
out of strong admiration for Erdogan, praised his remarks. The
Patriarchate of Armenians in Turkey made a statement where they
referred to Erdogan's remarks as commendable; some Armenians argued
that the prime minister should be awarded a Nobel prize; an Armenian
even sponsored an ad in which he thanked the prime minister for his
condolences in a newspaper that has "Turkey belongs to the Turks"
as its motto.
This "humanist" who proves to be a real person on a TV program where
he argued that Erdogan embraced the Armenians was not a virtual
character. Otherwise, he would have known Erdogan a little bit given
that in the said ad he made the following remarks: "You are a real
man, a man of honor and integrity. And I believe that after Ataturk,
you are the greatest statesman in these lands."
There is always a need for statements and gestures by the religious
representatives and leading figures of the Armenian community in
Turkey in such delicate matters and issues. They are expected to
support the government's decision and to stand against the policies
of the diaspora; these circles and figures realize what they are
expected to do in such cases. This support is considered crucial
because this provides further legitimacy for the domestic policies
by the Armenian community in Turkey. This support gives the message
and impression that "we are happy here; we have no problem with each
other; the diaspora is bad and ill-intended and 'poor' Armenia tries
to destroy peace and happiness." And this approach is considered a
remedy for every problem in Turkey.
But what is really sad is the Armenian minority in Turkey who are
trying to live with their wounds and even complexes are excluded by
the Armenian diaspora for their conversion into "Turkishness." It is
also sad to observe that the foreign minister joined the visit by the
Armenian patriarch, the only official institution and representative of
the Armenian community in Turkey, to the prime minister. The foreign
minister attended this visit because the Armenian minority issue is
still considered a foreign policy issue in Turkey. This remains the
case even if the prime minister of the Republic of Turkey offered
condolences to the grandsons and granddaughters of the victims of
the Armenian genocide in 1915 in Ottoman lands.
________________________________
*Alin Ozinian is an independent analyst.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-348074-the-external-dynamics-of-the-pms-statment-on-1915-by-alin-ozinian-.html
From: Baghdasarian