Turkish marasmus

Yerkir/arm
18 March 05

Last week the Turkish media were filled with extremely hostile
publications on Armenian-Turkish relations. Huriyet referred to a
publication in Washington Post where crimes against humanity committed
in the XX century were mentoined.

Among other states Turkey was mentioned in that artcile for having
committed the Armenian Genocide in 1915-1918 during which 1,5 milion
Armenian were killed.

The Washington Post article was based on sources provided by the
American Museum of Holocaust which had annoyed the Turks to a larger
extent because in this way they had deservedly been placed on one
level with Nazi Germany. CNN-Turk channel referred to the same article
noting that the American Armenian Diaspora was standing behind the
publication.

The Turkish Milliyet newspaper also published a similar artcile in
which the list of other genocides cited in the American article was
presented. Following the Armenian Genocide, the 1923-33 famine in
Ukraine that took lives of 7 million people, the Japanese massacres
of 300 000 Chinese people in 1937, the Jewish Holocaust of 1938-1945,
the massacres of Pol Pot regime in 1975-79, Bosnia and Rwanda were
mentioned. The Turkish NTV channel noted that the Armenian lobbying
groups in America are doing their best to achieve recognition of the
Armenian Genocide this year.

Turkiye newspaper also touched upon the article in Washington Post
noting that the newspaper is one of the most influential media in the
world. Turkiye newspaper stated that the insistence on the Armenian
Genocide is â”a political lieâ”.

The newspaper reiterated the official Turkish position adding that no
Turkish government had ever pursued discriminatory policies against
any national or religious groups, including the Armenians.

According to the Turkiye newspaper, even though 200 000 Armenians were
killed during deportations, this can by no means be compared to the
crimes committed by the West that has committed so many â”massacres
and acts of violenceâ” in the past 90 years that should be ashamed
of its acts.

One of Turkeyâ’s most recent expressions of hostility is the
hampering of the terms for plants and animals through exclusion of
Armenia and Kurdistan. As noted in Yeni Shafaq newspaper, scholars
from some Turkish universities have been engaged in these efforts.

We do not intend to analyze manifestations of Turkeyâ’s anti-Armenian
inferiority complex. Let us just remind the famous incident of the
late XIX century when Sultan Abdul Hamid banned usage of H2O formula
because he saw an obvious hint of personal insult in it. You should
consider seeing a doctor, gentlemen…

After all this Milleyet is still surprised at the suggestion of
France’s main parliamentary force and its leader Sarcosy to vote
against the EU Constitution and Turkey’s membership in the EU.

Another Turkish newspaper, Sabah, published an anti-French article
suggesting that France that is speaking about the Armenian Genocide,
should itself be ready to recognize the genocide committed on May
8-22, 1945 in Algeria. Sabah believes that the actions of the French
in Algeria caused the death of 10-45 thousand people according to
different estimates.

The Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanianâ’s answer to the
Turkish Prime Minister Erdoganâ’s appeal to solve the issue of the
Armenian Genocide through a dialog of historians has also caused a
wide response in the Turkish media. On the next day after Oskanian’s
statement the Turkish media such as Milleyet, NTV and others, were
merely citing his words referring to the Armenian sources.

However, several days later an anti-Armenian hysteria was launched in
the Turkish media. Zaman newspaper wrote that the Turkish scholars
are always ready to enter a dialog with their Armenian colleagues.
The Turkish scholars voiced their disappointment that this dialog
had failed obviously referring to the planned Vienna Armenian-Turkish
Platform.

Turkish Daily News published an article by ex-member of the
Turkish-Armenain Reconciliation Committee, former diplomat Gundus Aqtan
that analyzes the possibilities for the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide in Germany. Aqtan believes Germanyâ’s current leadershipâ’s
support for Turkeyâ’s EU membership is favorable for the Turks.

At the same time he points out that the anti-Turkish moods in Germany
tend to intensify. Analyzing the position of the German opposition
Christian-Democrats Aqtan notes that it aims at presenting the events
of the World War I from the point of view of confrontation of Muslims
and Christians. Aqtan thus notes that it is neccassry to analyze the
facts presented in the German Christian-Democrats’ formula from a more
”scientific” point of view.

It should be reminded that Aqtan had made numerous anti-Armenain
statements when he was a member of the Turkish-Armeanin Reconciliation
Committee. He left the Committee when the American Center for
Transition Justice concluded that the term ‘Genocide’ is applicable
to the tragic events of 1915.

–Boundary_(ID_uCwUfG/rOra0PODsdgRc2g)–