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ARMENIAN INTELLECTUALS DIVIDED OVER SUPPORT FOR ERDOGAN
Today's Zaman, Turkey
Sept 25 2014
September 25, 2014, Thursday/ 18:06:52/ TODAY'S ZAMAN / ISTANBUL
A new media debate among two columnists, the pro-government Markar
Esayan and the more critical Rober KoptaÅ~_, has highlighted a divide
among the Armenian intelligentsia of Turkey over President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan and the governing Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
KoptaÅ~_, editor-in-chief of Agos, an Armenian weekly based in
Ä°stanbul, wrote a severely critical column addressing Esayan, who
is a columnist for the staunchly pro-government daily Yeni Å~^afak,
calling him "bnagalez," an insulting term meaning a person who eats
from an animal's trough. KoptaÅ~_ strongly implied that Esayan's
loyalty to the government makes him a "bnagalez." This harsh column
came as a response to Esayan's call for Agos, which was previously
home to slain Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, to stop being a marginal
newspaper and to become part of the new media order in Turkey.
Esayan claimed that the Agos newspaper represents a marginal element
within the small community of Armenians in Turkey, likening it to
the leftist daily Birgun.
Arguing that 50 percent of Armenians in Turkey support the AK Party,
based on his observations, Esayan urged Agos to give up its "romantic
leftism" while noting that in the past leftist Armenians had allied
with the Committee of Union of Progress (Ä°TC), which orchestrated
the forced migration of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.
According to KoptaÅ~_, on the other hand, for some Armenian writers
it is right to support the AK Party unconditionally. KoptaÅ~_ stated
that he refused to ally with the remnants of the Ä°TC and that Agos
will not become the tool of any political power or single community.
Revealing the feelings of Agos' staff towards Esayan, who began his
journalism career at the Armenian weekly, KoptaÅ~_ said his arrogance
made them happy to see him leave. KoptaÅ~_ further argued that Esayan
has tried as hard as possible to be nominated as a parliamentary deputy
for the AK Party. According to KoptaÅ~_, despite the abundant number of
people similar to Esayan supporting the authorities, his distinction
is that he is Armenian. KoptaÅ~_ argued that therefore the government
expects Esayan to argue with "bad Armenians" from time to time.
A similar war of words took place between Taraf columnist Hayko Bagdat
and pro-government AkÅ~_am columnist Etyen Mahcupyan in August. When
Mahcupyan labeled the majority of Armenian intellectuals "clowns"
in one of his columns, Bagdat wrote a response saying that Mahcupyan
has become "a court jester" by justifying the policies of Erdogan
and the AK Party.
"At least clowns make children laugh, while court jesters are
supposed to entertain those who give the orders to kill children,"
Bagdat wrote, referring to Erdogan's remark that he had ordered the
police to shoot during the Gezi Park protests that claimed the lives
of several teenagers.
Both columns have been shared extensively in the social media.
http://www.todayszaman.com/national_armenian-intellectuals-divided-over-support-for-erdogan_359825.html
From: Baghdasarian
Today's Zaman, Turkey
Sept 25 2014
September 25, 2014, Thursday/ 18:06:52/ TODAY'S ZAMAN / ISTANBUL
A new media debate among two columnists, the pro-government Markar
Esayan and the more critical Rober KoptaÅ~_, has highlighted a divide
among the Armenian intelligentsia of Turkey over President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan and the governing Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
KoptaÅ~_, editor-in-chief of Agos, an Armenian weekly based in
Ä°stanbul, wrote a severely critical column addressing Esayan, who
is a columnist for the staunchly pro-government daily Yeni Å~^afak,
calling him "bnagalez," an insulting term meaning a person who eats
from an animal's trough. KoptaÅ~_ strongly implied that Esayan's
loyalty to the government makes him a "bnagalez." This harsh column
came as a response to Esayan's call for Agos, which was previously
home to slain Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, to stop being a marginal
newspaper and to become part of the new media order in Turkey.
Esayan claimed that the Agos newspaper represents a marginal element
within the small community of Armenians in Turkey, likening it to
the leftist daily Birgun.
Arguing that 50 percent of Armenians in Turkey support the AK Party,
based on his observations, Esayan urged Agos to give up its "romantic
leftism" while noting that in the past leftist Armenians had allied
with the Committee of Union of Progress (Ä°TC), which orchestrated
the forced migration of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.
According to KoptaÅ~_, on the other hand, for some Armenian writers
it is right to support the AK Party unconditionally. KoptaÅ~_ stated
that he refused to ally with the remnants of the Ä°TC and that Agos
will not become the tool of any political power or single community.
Revealing the feelings of Agos' staff towards Esayan, who began his
journalism career at the Armenian weekly, KoptaÅ~_ said his arrogance
made them happy to see him leave. KoptaÅ~_ further argued that Esayan
has tried as hard as possible to be nominated as a parliamentary deputy
for the AK Party. According to KoptaÅ~_, despite the abundant number of
people similar to Esayan supporting the authorities, his distinction
is that he is Armenian. KoptaÅ~_ argued that therefore the government
expects Esayan to argue with "bad Armenians" from time to time.
A similar war of words took place between Taraf columnist Hayko Bagdat
and pro-government AkÅ~_am columnist Etyen Mahcupyan in August. When
Mahcupyan labeled the majority of Armenian intellectuals "clowns"
in one of his columns, Bagdat wrote a response saying that Mahcupyan
has become "a court jester" by justifying the policies of Erdogan
and the AK Party.
"At least clowns make children laugh, while court jesters are
supposed to entertain those who give the orders to kill children,"
Bagdat wrote, referring to Erdogan's remark that he had ordered the
police to shoot during the Gezi Park protests that claimed the lives
of several teenagers.
Both columns have been shared extensively in the social media.
http://www.todayszaman.com/national_armenian-intellectuals-divided-over-support-for-erdogan_359825.html
From: Baghdasarian