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Why Isn't Turkey's Holocaust-Denying Condemned Like Iran's?
Still in denial: Turkey not only ignores Armenian pleas to recognize the Turkish genocide of some 1.5 million Armenians, it bullies other governments into denying that holocaust while prosecuting anyone in Turkey who refers to it as a genocide (Joshua Roberts/Getty Images).
Pierre's Middle East Issues Blog
By Pierre Tristam, About.com Guide to Middle East
Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is justly condemned for his rants and raves about "the conspiracies of some powers and Zionist circles" and his (and his regime's) toxic mix of Holocaust denying or denigration.
When Turkey peddles similar poisons, regarding Armenians, as it did the very day Ahmadinejad was lecturing the Geneva conference on racism, not a word was said by Official Washington or the European Union. This, on the heels of Barack Obama reverentially addressing the Turkish Parliament on its own floor.
Last night in Canada, representative from across the spectrum of the Canadian government--conservatives, liberals and in betweeners--commemorated the Armenian genocide (1915-1923), in which some 1.5 million Armenians were murdered by Ottoman Turks and Kurds in the dying days of the Ottoman empire and before the emergence of the Turkish republic. In 2004, the Canadian Parliament passed a bill that read: ""That this house acknowledge the Armenian Genocide of 1915 and condemn this act as a crime against humanity." The then-government of Paul Martin refused to endorse the bill, but subsequently Prime Minister Stephen Harper did (a lesson to the U.S. Congress, which has yet to pass a similar bill).
Get this: Turkey "warned" Canadian officials, including Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, not to talk genocide (where Turkey gets the presumption to dictate what other countries' ministers may or may not say is beyond me. Then again, it isn't: Ottoman imperiousness dies hard.) Kenney did anyway, and Harper sent his written affirmation: "I am honoured," he wrote, "to have this opportunity to extend my warmest greetings to all those attending the Congress of Canadian Armenians event to mark the 5th anniversary of the adoption of the resolution by the House of Commons recognizing the Armenian Genocide." He also, apparently, attended a vigil marking the genocide.
Turkey's response? It recalled its ambassador to Canada "for consultation." How different, exactly, is that from Ahmadinejad's shenanigans? Not very, in my book.
But European and American governments continue to dance around Turkey's denials because Turkey and Armenia, who may be normalizing relations, may be the West's new gate to the oil-rich Caucasus.
The Globe & Mail is reporting that Obama may be addressing the Armenian genocide issue later this week. He's on record supporting the bill declaring the genocide as such. But he's backpedaled since becoming president.
It's easy to demolish Ahmadinejad. He's duplicity's clown. But it's also meaningless if the same standard doesn't apply to other holocaust deniers. Turkey bullies those who don't submit to its false history. Canada refuses to go along. The United States officially still does. Time to end that charade.
Pierre's Middle East Issues Blog
By Pierre Tristam, About.com Guide to Middle East
Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is justly condemned for his rants and raves about "the conspiracies of some powers and Zionist circles" and his (and his regime's) toxic mix of Holocaust denying or denigration.
When Turkey peddles similar poisons, regarding Armenians, as it did the very day Ahmadinejad was lecturing the Geneva conference on racism, not a word was said by Official Washington or the European Union. This, on the heels of Barack Obama reverentially addressing the Turkish Parliament on its own floor.
Last night in Canada, representative from across the spectrum of the Canadian government--conservatives, liberals and in betweeners--commemorated the Armenian genocide (1915-1923), in which some 1.5 million Armenians were murdered by Ottoman Turks and Kurds in the dying days of the Ottoman empire and before the emergence of the Turkish republic. In 2004, the Canadian Parliament passed a bill that read: ""That this house acknowledge the Armenian Genocide of 1915 and condemn this act as a crime against humanity." The then-government of Paul Martin refused to endorse the bill, but subsequently Prime Minister Stephen Harper did (a lesson to the U.S. Congress, which has yet to pass a similar bill).
Get this: Turkey "warned" Canadian officials, including Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, not to talk genocide (where Turkey gets the presumption to dictate what other countries' ministers may or may not say is beyond me. Then again, it isn't: Ottoman imperiousness dies hard.) Kenney did anyway, and Harper sent his written affirmation: "I am honoured," he wrote, "to have this opportunity to extend my warmest greetings to all those attending the Congress of Canadian Armenians event to mark the 5th anniversary of the adoption of the resolution by the House of Commons recognizing the Armenian Genocide." He also, apparently, attended a vigil marking the genocide.
Turkey's response? It recalled its ambassador to Canada "for consultation." How different, exactly, is that from Ahmadinejad's shenanigans? Not very, in my book.
But European and American governments continue to dance around Turkey's denials because Turkey and Armenia, who may be normalizing relations, may be the West's new gate to the oil-rich Caucasus.
The Globe & Mail is reporting that Obama may be addressing the Armenian genocide issue later this week. He's on record supporting the bill declaring the genocide as such. But he's backpedaled since becoming president.
It's easy to demolish Ahmadinejad. He's duplicity's clown. But it's also meaningless if the same standard doesn't apply to other holocaust deniers. Turkey bullies those who don't submit to its false history. Canada refuses to go along. The United States officially still does. Time to end that charade.