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TURKEY WILL HEAL ITS PUBLIC BY FACING ITS OWN HISTORY: MURAT BELGE
11:40, 3 April, 2015
YEREVAN, 3 APRIL, ARMENPRESS. The commemoration of the Canakkale Battle
on April 24 is another proof for the international community that the
Turkish state has undertaken the next step to conceal its own shameful
past. The Canakkale plans prepared by Turkey cannot change the views
of anyone on 1915. The prominent Turkish intellectual, academic, civic
activist Murat Belge noted this in a conversation with "Armenpress",
answering to a number of questions.
- Mr. Belge, before years You published a book titled "The Armenians in
Literature", at the same time You are literature professor in the Bilgi
University. What is the opinion of Your students about the Armenians?
- Among my students there are also ethnic Armenians. This means that
for many of them the Armenian is not an unseen and unknown person,
on the contrary, he is a exemplary classmate. In fact, the prejudices
arise, when the people do not know each other. There is no such thing
in our academic environment.
- For long years, You have tried with a number of Turkish intellectuals
to make Your voice heard against the Turkish state denial in the issue
of the Armenian Genocide. What do You think, today whose voice is high,
yours or the voice of the Turkish authorities?
- The states and governments always and everywhere have the opportunity
to make their voices the highest one. But the reliability of the speech
cannot be conditioned by the voice, which comes out "loudly". Due to
the historical reasons, to which I do not want to deepen now, only
one voice was coming out in Turkey on the massacre of Armenians. More
accurately, perhaps there were other voices, but only one of them
was heard. But In 2005, this monopoly stopped being a monopoly,
after the seminar we organized about the Armenians. Many academic
works have been published on generally Genocides and particularly
massacres of Armenians.
If we continue again to speak regarding the allegories of "voice",
but it should be noted, that the "learning" is something which is
being done silently. The human being reads, understands, nods, maybe
sighs, but later he doesn't yell and cry. But if a day comes when it's
necessary to raise one's voice, for instance, if someone asks that
"What had happened in 1915", not only one but at least two voices
will come out. This process has already been underway in Turkey for
a certain period of time.
- How do You comment the decision of commemorating the Gallipoli
celebrations on April 24?
- The preparations of Gallipoli, as I explained earlier, should be
considered an event, which is placed with the opportunities of states
"to raise voice loudly". The current ruling party is a political force,
which puts astounding differentiation between the first ten years of
its stay in office and the subsequent years. The initiative of the
Gallipoli events is the reflection of the mindset of Turkey's current
authorities, with which they want to "strangle" the anniversary of
the massacre of the Armenians.
2015, the hundredth anniversary, could finally lead Turkey to face its
own history. This is a clear necessity. This is especially necessary
for Turkey to heal its social psychology. The Canakkale war is one
of the most important events of the Turkey's national history. It is
definitely understandable and acceptable that here there is a desire
to celebrate the victory. But this cannot be the reason to close the
historical inglorious pages, which happened in the same period.
- What should be the attitude of the international community to
these events?
- The initiating of Canakkale events and the attempts of consigning
to oblivion the massacre of the Armenians were weak opportunities,
but it should be noted, that they have been influential in Turkey. They
slightly calmed down those, who do not want to hear the word "massacre"
(but their number is not few)...
What will be its impact on the world? The international community
is not compelled to observe the events of 1915 from the viewpoint of
Tayyip Erdogan and his party. In addition, those who would know about
the incident, they know it already long ago. In this situation, the
Canakkale plans prepared by Turkey cannot change the views of anyone
towards 1915. All this only will further strengthen the existing
condemnation, which says. "This year have you found that way to
continue this shame?"
- On different occasions, You have stated, that You are next to the
Armenian people. Where are You going to be the day of the hundredth
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide?
- If there isn't any problem, I will be in Los Angeles by the
invitation of the University of California of Los Angeles.
Interview by Araks Kasyan
http://armenpress.am/eng/news/800295/turkey-will-heal-its-public-by-facing-its-own-history-murat-belge.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
11:40, 3 April, 2015
YEREVAN, 3 APRIL, ARMENPRESS. The commemoration of the Canakkale Battle
on April 24 is another proof for the international community that the
Turkish state has undertaken the next step to conceal its own shameful
past. The Canakkale plans prepared by Turkey cannot change the views
of anyone on 1915. The prominent Turkish intellectual, academic, civic
activist Murat Belge noted this in a conversation with "Armenpress",
answering to a number of questions.
- Mr. Belge, before years You published a book titled "The Armenians in
Literature", at the same time You are literature professor in the Bilgi
University. What is the opinion of Your students about the Armenians?
- Among my students there are also ethnic Armenians. This means that
for many of them the Armenian is not an unseen and unknown person,
on the contrary, he is a exemplary classmate. In fact, the prejudices
arise, when the people do not know each other. There is no such thing
in our academic environment.
- For long years, You have tried with a number of Turkish intellectuals
to make Your voice heard against the Turkish state denial in the issue
of the Armenian Genocide. What do You think, today whose voice is high,
yours or the voice of the Turkish authorities?
- The states and governments always and everywhere have the opportunity
to make their voices the highest one. But the reliability of the speech
cannot be conditioned by the voice, which comes out "loudly". Due to
the historical reasons, to which I do not want to deepen now, only
one voice was coming out in Turkey on the massacre of Armenians. More
accurately, perhaps there were other voices, but only one of them
was heard. But In 2005, this monopoly stopped being a monopoly,
after the seminar we organized about the Armenians. Many academic
works have been published on generally Genocides and particularly
massacres of Armenians.
If we continue again to speak regarding the allegories of "voice",
but it should be noted, that the "learning" is something which is
being done silently. The human being reads, understands, nods, maybe
sighs, but later he doesn't yell and cry. But if a day comes when it's
necessary to raise one's voice, for instance, if someone asks that
"What had happened in 1915", not only one but at least two voices
will come out. This process has already been underway in Turkey for
a certain period of time.
- How do You comment the decision of commemorating the Gallipoli
celebrations on April 24?
- The preparations of Gallipoli, as I explained earlier, should be
considered an event, which is placed with the opportunities of states
"to raise voice loudly". The current ruling party is a political force,
which puts astounding differentiation between the first ten years of
its stay in office and the subsequent years. The initiative of the
Gallipoli events is the reflection of the mindset of Turkey's current
authorities, with which they want to "strangle" the anniversary of
the massacre of the Armenians.
2015, the hundredth anniversary, could finally lead Turkey to face its
own history. This is a clear necessity. This is especially necessary
for Turkey to heal its social psychology. The Canakkale war is one
of the most important events of the Turkey's national history. It is
definitely understandable and acceptable that here there is a desire
to celebrate the victory. But this cannot be the reason to close the
historical inglorious pages, which happened in the same period.
- What should be the attitude of the international community to
these events?
- The initiating of Canakkale events and the attempts of consigning
to oblivion the massacre of the Armenians were weak opportunities,
but it should be noted, that they have been influential in Turkey. They
slightly calmed down those, who do not want to hear the word "massacre"
(but their number is not few)...
What will be its impact on the world? The international community
is not compelled to observe the events of 1915 from the viewpoint of
Tayyip Erdogan and his party. In addition, those who would know about
the incident, they know it already long ago. In this situation, the
Canakkale plans prepared by Turkey cannot change the views of anyone
towards 1915. All this only will further strengthen the existing
condemnation, which says. "This year have you found that way to
continue this shame?"
- On different occasions, You have stated, that You are next to the
Armenian people. Where are You going to be the day of the hundredth
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide?
- If there isn't any problem, I will be in Los Angeles by the
invitation of the University of California of Los Angeles.
Interview by Araks Kasyan
http://armenpress.am/eng/news/800295/turkey-will-heal-its-public-by-facing-its-own-history-murat-belge.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress