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Re: Armenian-Turkish Relations
Armenians display amazing naivety by cherishing hopes on the Armenian Genocide recognition by Washington
Seemingly today’s Turkey isn’t going to repeat the massacre but there exists Azerbaijan which has become the worthy successor of the Ottoman Empire in the Armenian issue.
A group of Turkish intellectuals recently sent a petition letter to Armenians, apologizing publicly for the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Turkey in 191.
The fact itself is already unique if taking into account Article 301 of Turkish Penal Code, which “promises” to arrest those who will openly discuss the Armenian Genocide. Nevertheless, professors Baskэn Oran and Ahmet Эnsel, journalists Ali Bayramoрlu and Cengiz Aktar personally apologized for the “great disaster Ottoman Armenians suffered in 1915”.
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ According to Today’s Zaman, the intellectuals' group is calling on other people to sign the petition posted online, which reads as follows: “I cannot conscientiously accept the indifference to the great disaster that Ottoman Armenians suffered in 1915, and its denial. I reject this injustice and, acting of my own will, I share the feelings and pains of my Armenian brothers and sisters, and I apologize to them.”
“We are apologizing for not being able to discuss the “Great Calamity” that the Armenian nation suffered in 1915, for not talking about it openly for such a long time, nearly one hundred years,” said Turkish journalist Cengiz Aktar. Meanwhile, Turkish nationalists and historians demand that the people “supporting Armenian claims of Genocide be arrested.”
In unison with this statement Armenian intellectuals sent an open letter to Turkish President Abdullah Gul, suggesting once again recognition of the Armenian Genocide. The letter particularly states that the issue baffled the collective awareness of the Armenian and Turkish nations, and caused actions irrespective of various demands of everyday policy.
“We all should accept that the Ottoman Empire is guilty of the massacre of the Armenian people, and modern-day Turkey bears "hereditary responsibility" for what they consider a "monumental crime against humanity”. Present-day Turkish diplomacy and propaganda machine can’t cover this dark page of history. The historic memory of our nations is deep and restless. Your generation of Turkish leaders must accept the undeniable truth and recognize the fact of the Armenian Genocide. Recognition of this indisputable fact is first of all essential for the Turkish people. Relieving this burden of history, they can turn this dark page and launch a sincere dialogue for true reconciliation,” Armenian intellectuals said in the letter.
Such addresses are, of course, necessary but they are made for no political or time-serving reason; they are dictated by human heart. However, the mournful experience should have long sobered up that part of Armenian nation, who still, despite of the Genocide and the Nagorno Karabakh war, consider that petitions or pleas are capable of solving a problem. The European diplomats, who were witnesses of massacre in 1915-1916, acted exactly the same way. They wrote to Berlin, London, Washington and St. Petersburg, but it produced no results. They proved to be unable to change anything, and there miraculously remained only several hundred thousand Armenians in the world. And though, most likely, today’s Turkey isn’t going to repeat the massacre, there exists Azerbaijan which has become the worthy successor of the Ottoman Empire in the Armenian issue. At least, anti-Armenian articles in the Azeri press are much more than they are in Turkish papers. And it suggests much. Moreover, Baku has begun to speak of Turkey’s possible «betrayal» against her brother and her probable normalization of relations with Armenia, which in Azeri politicians’ opinion goes against the strategic goals of Official Baku.
It is evident that present-day Turkey will never voluntarily recognize the Armenian Genocide. It is also difficult to say what or who can make her do it. Seemingly, the European Union would be unable to do it, as to all appearances Erdogan’s Government is no more eager to enter into the EU. It would be at least naive to stake on the Islamic countries too. As for Russia, it would never press on Turkey in such a complicated issue, since it is now essential for Russia to move Turkey away from the USA and attract her to her side.
Not at all belittling the work done by the Office of «Hay Dat» towards the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, we nevertheless consider that Armenians are amazingly naive in this issue, especially towards the new US Administration. In case Barack Obama officially recognizes the Armenian Genocide, he will have to deal not with Turkey herself, but with the xxxish and Turkish lobby that will immediately make it clear for the President that he hurried with his decision. Thus, “Hay Dat” Office Director Kiro Manoyan’s statement saying that “Recognition by the new U.S. Administration seems quite possible now” is a bit premature.
Karine Ter-Sahakyan
Armenians display amazing naivety by cherishing hopes on the Armenian Genocide recognition by Washington
Seemingly today’s Turkey isn’t going to repeat the massacre but there exists Azerbaijan which has become the worthy successor of the Ottoman Empire in the Armenian issue.
A group of Turkish intellectuals recently sent a petition letter to Armenians, apologizing publicly for the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Turkey in 191.
The fact itself is already unique if taking into account Article 301 of Turkish Penal Code, which “promises” to arrest those who will openly discuss the Armenian Genocide. Nevertheless, professors Baskэn Oran and Ahmet Эnsel, journalists Ali Bayramoрlu and Cengiz Aktar personally apologized for the “great disaster Ottoman Armenians suffered in 1915”.
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ According to Today’s Zaman, the intellectuals' group is calling on other people to sign the petition posted online, which reads as follows: “I cannot conscientiously accept the indifference to the great disaster that Ottoman Armenians suffered in 1915, and its denial. I reject this injustice and, acting of my own will, I share the feelings and pains of my Armenian brothers and sisters, and I apologize to them.”
“We are apologizing for not being able to discuss the “Great Calamity” that the Armenian nation suffered in 1915, for not talking about it openly for such a long time, nearly one hundred years,” said Turkish journalist Cengiz Aktar. Meanwhile, Turkish nationalists and historians demand that the people “supporting Armenian claims of Genocide be arrested.”
In unison with this statement Armenian intellectuals sent an open letter to Turkish President Abdullah Gul, suggesting once again recognition of the Armenian Genocide. The letter particularly states that the issue baffled the collective awareness of the Armenian and Turkish nations, and caused actions irrespective of various demands of everyday policy.
“We all should accept that the Ottoman Empire is guilty of the massacre of the Armenian people, and modern-day Turkey bears "hereditary responsibility" for what they consider a "monumental crime against humanity”. Present-day Turkish diplomacy and propaganda machine can’t cover this dark page of history. The historic memory of our nations is deep and restless. Your generation of Turkish leaders must accept the undeniable truth and recognize the fact of the Armenian Genocide. Recognition of this indisputable fact is first of all essential for the Turkish people. Relieving this burden of history, they can turn this dark page and launch a sincere dialogue for true reconciliation,” Armenian intellectuals said in the letter.
Such addresses are, of course, necessary but they are made for no political or time-serving reason; they are dictated by human heart. However, the mournful experience should have long sobered up that part of Armenian nation, who still, despite of the Genocide and the Nagorno Karabakh war, consider that petitions or pleas are capable of solving a problem. The European diplomats, who were witnesses of massacre in 1915-1916, acted exactly the same way. They wrote to Berlin, London, Washington and St. Petersburg, but it produced no results. They proved to be unable to change anything, and there miraculously remained only several hundred thousand Armenians in the world. And though, most likely, today’s Turkey isn’t going to repeat the massacre, there exists Azerbaijan which has become the worthy successor of the Ottoman Empire in the Armenian issue. At least, anti-Armenian articles in the Azeri press are much more than they are in Turkish papers. And it suggests much. Moreover, Baku has begun to speak of Turkey’s possible «betrayal» against her brother and her probable normalization of relations with Armenia, which in Azeri politicians’ opinion goes against the strategic goals of Official Baku.
It is evident that present-day Turkey will never voluntarily recognize the Armenian Genocide. It is also difficult to say what or who can make her do it. Seemingly, the European Union would be unable to do it, as to all appearances Erdogan’s Government is no more eager to enter into the EU. It would be at least naive to stake on the Islamic countries too. As for Russia, it would never press on Turkey in such a complicated issue, since it is now essential for Russia to move Turkey away from the USA and attract her to her side.
Not at all belittling the work done by the Office of «Hay Dat» towards the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, we nevertheless consider that Armenians are amazingly naive in this issue, especially towards the new US Administration. In case Barack Obama officially recognizes the Armenian Genocide, he will have to deal not with Turkey herself, but with the xxxish and Turkish lobby that will immediately make it clear for the President that he hurried with his decision. Thus, “Hay Dat” Office Director Kiro Manoyan’s statement saying that “Recognition by the new U.S. Administration seems quite possible now” is a bit premature.
Karine Ter-Sahakyan
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