Medz Yeghern: Great Crime vs. Great Calamity

[Diranakir]

Re: Medz Yeghern: Great Crime vs. Great Calamity

Follow-up on "Ricciardrone"

Ambassador Francis Ricciardone: The Cost of Friendly Relations

March 2008

http://www.copticassembly.org/showart.php?main_id=953

Excerpt from beginning of editorial:

Ambassador Francis Ricciardone will soon end his service as the US Ambassador to Egypt. The end of this term warrants reflection on his accomplishments – or lack thereof.


In December of 2006, I wrote an editorial on how Washington is being misadvised on Egypt. In that article, I wrote about some American advisors who go to live in Egypt, fall in love with the country, and ultimately become friendly with the Egyptian government and its supporters. Ambassador Ricciardone is one of these individuals.

In that same editorial, I also explained how the Egyptian government practices a two-faced policy. On one side, Egypt shows America and the rest of the world that it is doing all it can to fight terrorism and to promote American interests in the region. On the other side, the Egyptian government encourages a campaign of hatred against America and encourages religious extremism; and promotes this ideology through its educational system and media. Mr. Ricciardone is an example of a US government official that hides the ugly, second face of Egypt while promoting the face that Egypt is doing all it can.

[Diranakir]

Re: Medz Yeghern: Great Crime vs. Great Calamity

If we want reconciliation and dialogue among those who survived 1915, the Turks and Armenians, the way forward is to go beyond the “genocide” quarrel. In this, the approach of American President Obama is rather constructive: call the events of 1915 a “great catastrophe” (meds yeghern), but also “salute the Turks who saved Armenians in 1915”

Ihsan Dagi April 26, 2010

http://ihsandagi.blogspot.com/2010/04/1915-beyond-genocide.html

[Diranakir]

Re: Medz Yeghern: Great Crime vs. Great Calamity

SCENARIO

"The events of 1915", after years of use, was wearing thin as a reference to the Armenian Genocide, especially in light of Turkey's aspirations to join the European Union and mounting pressures to come clean. The apology campaign came into existence to try to break the stalemate, express remorse to Armenians, and show that Turkey enjoyed free speech. They chose to use "buyuk felaket" as the concept to rally around, a "great catastrophe' that would bring them and Armenians together in its warm embrace. They seemed to find the source for this comforting concept in the Armenian language itself with "Medz Yeghern" thus allowing them to put an Armenian seal on their preselected term. The result was that they in effect kidnapped the Armenian term and reinvented its meaning. Before they were shut down by a hostile government, their new, kinder and false meaning was well established in the lexicon of opinion makers and diplomats across the world, especially in the U. S. It was well worth it for the Turkish government.

I would suggest to our liberal brothers and sisters in Turkey that they leave Medz Yeghern alone, leave it for Armenians to use as they have used it for generations since the Genocide. They can choose whatever Turkish word suits them and use it as they please, but they shouldn't pretend it is Armenian when it is not.

[Diranakir]

Re: Medz Yeghern: Great Crime vs. Great Calamity

This is an attempt to restore links that expired a few years ago. Thanks.

Tragedy

http://www.todayszaman.com/columnistDetail_getNewsById.action;jsessionid=364177483E09B94EF21450AF12ECB125?newsId=208482

Catastrophe

http://www.todayszaman.com/columnistDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=174172

Calamity/Disaster

http://www.todayszaman.com/columnistDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=173641

Tragedy

http://www.todayszaman.com/columnistDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=173584

Tragedy

http://www.todayszaman.com/columnistDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=241989

[Artashes]

Re: Medz Yeghern: Great Crime vs. Great Calamity

I'd like to believe that, but it's likely that a regime change in Ankara is in the cards right now sponsored by Turkey's two greatest allies, this in order to reinstall the good old Kemalist order that they had no problem with. For that reason, I don't think the G-word will even be whispered from the White House soon. The campaign for the truth simply has to go on no matter what and we have to make sure our language is not used against us.

The last sentence in above post --- dead accurate and Eternal ---
Thank you for these posts , much appreciated .
Artashes

[Diranakir]

Re: Medz Yeghern: Great Crime vs. Great Calamity

A 2013 SUMMATION ON APOLOGIES AND THE TRUTH

"The events of 1915" had already worn thin as a convincing reference to the Armenian Genocide when Hrant Dink was assassinated. But the moral tsunami unleashed by his martyrdom swept away the last vestige of its relevance and furthermore threatened serious damage to Turkey's long struggle to join the European Union. Something had to be done. The "Apology Campaign" soon came into existence and positioned itself in the middle of the huge vacuum left by Dink's death to rescue Turkey's image as a democratic, pluralistic society. Its leaders chose "buyuk felaket" as its rallying point, a "great catastrophe" to wrap Turks and Armenians in its warm embrace.

The leaders of the campaign seemed to find the source for this comforting concept in the Armenian language itself, in the term "Medz Yeghern", thus allowing them to counterfeit an Armenian seal for their preselected term. When their campaign had gone far enough and made its point, it was abruptly shut down by a hostile government. But not before their new, kinder and false meaning had been well established in the lexicon of opinion makers across the globe. Their gambit was well worth it for the Turkish government.

I repeat my suggestion to our liberal brothers and sisters in Turkey: Unless you are willing to bow your heads to the true meaning of Medz Yeghern you should not use the word. Leave it for Armenians to use, as they have for generations since 1915 while mourning a Crime too terrible for your mighty leaders to face. Use whatever words you want to refer to 1915, but don't pretend they are Armenian when they are not.