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The Armenian apology campaign and the Ottoman Ergenekon

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  • #1

    The Armenian apology campaign and the Ottoman Ergenekon

    Page Not Found • SundaysZaman
    http://www.sundayszaman.com/sunday/yazarDetay.do?haberno=162470



    IHSAN YILMAZ [email protected] Columnists



    28.12.2008

    The apology regarding the terrible fate of the Armenians in 1915 sparked harsh debates in Turkey. The same sections that vehemently opposed President Abdullah Gül's visit to Armenia are this time blaming the signatories of the campaign. I will now simply repeat what I had to write during the debates surrounding Gül's visit. I think we have to keep reiterating that there are certain sections in the country -- among them the Ergenekonian deep state -- that do not want a solution to the problems with Armenia so that they can meddle with Turkey's domestic and foreign politics. Any solution to the Armenian issue will not make them happy.
    This is a simple summary of modern Turkish history. Turkey is surrounded by enemies and thus we need strong nationalist authoritarian guardians to protect us. Now, as the Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) "zero problems with neighbors policy" has shown, we can enter into dialogue with our neighbors and talk about our differences. I hope that we can succeed in doing this with Armenia as well.

    As far as I can see, an overwhelming majority of people do not have any problem with entering into dialogue with Armenia. Even the terrible incidents around 1915 and the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) terror organization's assassinations of our diplomats did not change Turks' positive feelings toward Armenians. Generally speaking, the remaining Armenians did not face any hostility from Turks. Yet the state's position is a completely different story.

    Even in the law, Armenians have not been treated as first-class citizens. The Turkish state's definition of citizen has somehow -- unofficially and in practice -- been limited to Muslims. Non-Muslim Turkish citizens could never get sensitive bureaucratic positions. This is in full contrast to the Ottoman experience. In terms of diversity and tolerance, the Republic of Turkey is light years behind the Ottomans.

    The state has always denied that there was any Armenian massacre ordered by the state. I am not a historian and have not studied the 1915 incidents in detail. But whenever I -- as an ordinary Turk -- think about the issue, the Turkish state's treatment of its other citizens instantly comes to mind and my mind starts drawing parallels. I know very well that this is not a scientific technique or instrument utilized by historians, but not every Turk has to be a historian, and they still have feelings, ideas and opinions on certain matters.

    Yes, whenever I start thinking about the Armenian issue and the incidents of 1915, the state's treatment of Kurds in southeastern Turkey comes to mind. Banning their mother tongue is a prime example. Could there be any bigger torture than that? Then I remember thousands of young people -- leftist, rightist, Kurdish -- who were continuously tortured in Turkish prisons just after the 1980 coup. Then I remember how Turkey had to pay many thousands of dollars in compensation on many occasions to our citizens of Kurdish background just because some of our soldiers made them eat cow dung.

    Then I think that if some of our administrators and bureaucrats could do all of these things to our citizens in this age and time, then like-minded Ottoman politicians, administrators and bureaucrats would find it suitable to react to Armenian hostilities -- encouraged by the great powers and Russia -- by simply deciding to exile them to Syria without taking enough precautions about health and safety issues. Moreover, some "Ottoman Ergenekonians" could easily target these civilians.

    My conscience and my reading of modern Turkey, including the Ergenekon case, convince me that the Ergenekonian-like ultra-patriots who thought the country was in danger -- and it was indeed in danger -- could easily massacre Armenian civilians and that they would not really need any legislation or document signed by a minister to do that. I find it funny when our nationalist historians try to prove that there are not any documents signed by the Ottoman authorities to order the Armenian massacre. Did today's Ergenekonians need such a document to make Kurdish villagers eat cow dung or to kill many people?
    "All truth passes through three stages:
    First, it is ridiculed;
    Second, it is violently opposed; and
    Third, it is accepted as self-evident."

    Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)
    Tags: None
  • #2
    The link to the official apology site:
    http://www.ozurdiliyoruz.com/

    Comment

    • #3
      Erdogan's Lack of Statesmanship

      http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2008/12/erdogans_lack_of_statesmanship.asp




      Several days ago, about 200 hundred prominent Turkish intellectuals launched a first-ever online petition apologizing for the “Great Catastrophe” in connection with the massacres of up to 1.5 million Armenians in Turkey during 1915-1917. Titled “I apologize”, the brief statement reads as follows:


      “My conscience cannot accept the ignorance and denial of the Great Catastrophe that the Ottoman Armenians were subjected to in 1915. I reject this injustice and -- on my own behalf -- I share the feelings and pain of my Armenian brothers - and I apologize to them.”


      The authors of the statement, among them Cem Oezdemir, the new leader of the German Green Party, deliberately opted for the term “Great Catastrophe” in an effort to stay clear of the ultra-explosive term “genocide”. While genocide scholars widely agree that the killings of the Armenians constituted the first genocide of the 21st century, Turkey strongly rejects such accusations to this very day, arguing instead that those killed were simply the victims of civil war. So far, about 22,000 people have signed the online petition, not that many for a country of more than 71 million inhabitants. Several Turkish nationalist counter-websites with titles such as “I Expect An Armenian Apology” or “I Do Not Apologize” have already garnered more than five times as many votes as the initial “I Apologize” petition.

      Turkey’s top leadership, too, has begun a strong push-back to counter the apology campaign. The powerful army, for instance, has warned ominously that the petition could “bring about harmful results”. Finally, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan came up with his own rationale for why he opposes the online petition, saying that “I did not commit any crimes, so why should I apologize?”. As a private individual, for sure, Mr. Erdogan was not involved in any of the Armenian massacres. But coming from a Turkish statesman eager to join the European Union, Erdogan’s statement and cavalier attitude regarding a very dark chapter in Turkish history is simply not acceptable in the 21st century.

      In contrast to Erdogan's remark, I am reminded of how then-German Chancellor Helmut Kohl dealt with the issues of personal guilt and collective moral and political responsibility in his historic January 1984 speech to the Knesset in Israel. He said: “I speak to you as someone who could not get caught up in guilt during the Nazi period because he had the grace of a late birth.” At the same time, however, Helmut Kohl (born in 1930) never left any doubt that as the German Chancellor, he was willing to assume collective moral and political responsibility for the atrocities perpetrated by Nazi Germany during the 1933-1945 period. Prime Minister Erdogan’s stubborn refusal to assume collective moral and political responsibility for the “Great Catastrophe” displays a lack of statesmanship and casts a long shadow on Turkey’s aspirations of joining the European Union any time soon.

      Posted by Ulf Gartzke on December 29, 2008 12:13 PM
      "All truth passes through three stages:
      First, it is ridiculed;
      Second, it is violently opposed; and
      Third, it is accepted as self-evident."

      Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: The Armenian apology campaign and the Ottoman Ergenekon

        I do not think that Turkey is somehow light years behind the ottomans.
        Anything that does not boast a theocratic goverment is fine. Although we had some unfortunate events, such as the Istanbul Pogrom which is infact a shame of my country's past. Other than that the non muslim citizens of Turkey are in a good condition as far as I'm concerned, and usually make up a part of the higher class society of Turkey. The Kurds...Well, I guess the ones in the west are somehow more civilized(and financially they also are richer) than the ones in the east who still cling on to their medieval traditions, and refuse to free themselves from their illiteracy, and do not cooperate with the goverment.

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: The Armenian apology campaign and the Ottoman Ergenekon

          Originally posted by konachan View Post
          I do not think that Turkey is somehow light years behind the ottomans.
          Anything that does not boast a theocratic goverment is fine. Although we had some unfortunate events, such as the Istanbul Pogrom which is infact a shame of my country's past. Other than that the non muslim citizens of Turkey are in a good condition as far as I'm concerned, and usually make up a part of the higher class society of Turkey. The Kurds...Well, I guess the ones in the west are somehow more civilized(and financially they also are richer) than the ones in the east who still cling on to their medieval traditions, and refuse to free themselves from their illiteracy, and do not cooperate with the goverment.
          What about the crypto ones, why do they still feel the pressure of living a lie.Turkey is a scary country for the other, always have, "unfortunateley"
          "All truth passes through three stages:
          First, it is ridiculed;
          Second, it is violently opposed; and
          Third, it is accepted as self-evident."

          Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: The Armenian apology campaign and the Ottoman Ergenekon

            The Kurds...Well, I guess the ones in the west are somehow more civilized(and financially they also are richer)
            Civilized? right of Minorities in Turkey is worse than ottomans. Infact, even right of majority is worse than ottomans. But Situation is changing.

            Thanks to uncivilized people, not elities.(Like you, my civilized friend.)

            Anyway, my civilized friend. DTP got more vote at western cities than eastern cities. I am no sure, If you know Turkey any.

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: The Armenian apology campaign and the Ottoman Ergenekon

              Is it true they are harrasing DTP officials, and using provacation to prompt a criminal response from DTP, so they can shut it down?
              "All truth passes through three stages:
              First, it is ridiculed;
              Second, it is violently opposed; and
              Third, it is accepted as self-evident."

              Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: The Armenian apology campaign and the Ottoman Ergenekon

                I think not. DTP is already PKK related party(If not pkk ruled.) So there may be a lot of PKK terrorist in DTP. Infact, These operations are late.

                Anyway, what type of criminal act can DTP do? PKK is for criminal act.

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: The Armenian apology campaign and the Ottoman Ergenekon

                  Does PKK have an nonviolent arm that "operates"DTP? if so this is legitimized by the establishment, apparently by leting them run in the elections.
                  "All truth passes through three stages:
                  First, it is ridiculed;
                  Second, it is violently opposed; and
                  Third, it is accepted as self-evident."

                  Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

                  Comment

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