TURKISH ARMENIAN WRITER CONDEMNS EFFORTS TO EXPLOIT GENOCIDE ISSUE

Source: Yeni Safak website, Istanbul, in Turkish
17 Oct 06

EU1-TURKEY-ARMENIANS

Turkish Armenian writer condemns efforts to exploit genocide issue

Text of interview with Hrant Dink by Fadime Ozkan,"I am very angry
at Armenians who are using our pains", published by Turkish newspaper
Yeni Safak website on 17 October;

[Yeni Safak] What is the purpose of the French parliament’s adoption
of the bill criminalizing denial of the Armenian genocide at the
cost of damaging relations with Turkey? It is known how France looks
at Turkey’s EU membership bid. Could it be that an effort is being
made to pin Turkey on the ropes and provoke it into showing extreme
reactions, in this way undermining sympathy for Turkey within the
EU and increasing anti-EU sentiments in Turkey and getting Turkey to
discontinue its efforts for EU membership?

[Dink] I agree with your assessments. Those Europeans who object to
Turkey’s joining the EU, who include Armenians, do not want Turkey
even to change,let alone enter the EU. And they are going out of their
way to demonstrate that Turkey has not changed. The Armenian issue
is one of their tools to achieve this purpose. There are circles in
Turkey who are making the same effort. They are doing what they can
to worsen Turkey’s international image. These people are opposed to
one another yet feed off one another.

There are those pleased with bill in Armenia

[Yeni Safak] Could there be other objectives besides blocking
change? France is going to the polls and nationalism is on the rise
there, too.

[Dink] That is why I regard this as an unethical stance and it is
also why I am angry at Armenians. How can they allow the tragedy that
befell our forefathers to be exploited so recklessly for political
purposes? We should carry this burden honourably on our shoulders as
a people and not allow anybody to use it. When we do, things get to
the point where we Armenians are exploiting it and it drives me mad.

[Yeni Safak] How has the denial bill been received in Armenia?

[Dink] Some people have been pleased with it but this is an
emotional reaction like what happens when you score a goal in a
football match. People have started to understand that this is not a
football match. I am sure the Armenian government is currently at the
point where it could say, "This bill was uncalled-for." Nevertheless,
there is an election in 2007 and it is not possible to say everything
officially.

Armenians in Turkey annoyed at bill

[Yeni Safak] How does the Armenian community in Turkey look at
the bill?

[Dink] Obviously we are disturbed by everything that disturbs this
country.

There is something else that disturbs us. We are aware of what
is going on and we are disturbed by the way this issue is being
exploited. Secondly, we want this issue to be sorted out through
dialogue between Turks and Armenians in Turkey. It makes us sorry to
see that such bills harm the basis of dialogue.

[Yeni Safak] You have had many visitors from abroad since the bill
was passed. The media are very curious to know what you think. What
do they ask you most?

[Dink] They want to know "whether Turkey will take it out on the
minorities inside". We are not in such a mood at all. We believe that
Turkey will channel its anger correctly. The West, which is using this
issue, represents the imperial mentality. It has never crossed our
minds that the people with whom we coexist could direct their anger
on us. So you need not worry, either, whether we are apprehensive
or not. We definitely are not. We have started to take initiative on
these issues and make bold and principled moves. The Turkish Armenian
Patriarchate denounced the bill before and after it was debated. We
came forward as individuals to voice our objections.

Even Armenia has not passed such a bill

[Yeni Safak] Has Armenia passed similar bills at all?

[Dink] There have been a few reports in the Turkish press saying that
Armenia has passed such a bill before but it is not true. The bill
passed by Armenia was the international genocide convention ratified
finally by Turkey last year.

[Yeni Safak] Do you think France’s efforts to pass such a bill will
turn this country into a "paradise" in Armenian eyes? Will France
become a centre of attraction and will there be an inflow of migrants
into this country, for example?

[Dink] France recognized the genocide in 2001. Did Armenians migrate
from Turkey to France, then? It is what happens in Turkey rather
than what happens outside that determines the state of mind of the
Armenians living here. What has been happening in Turkey for the
past three weeks -particularly [Republican People’s Party, CHP,
leader Deniz] Baykal and party spokesmen’s unseemly statements in
Parliament about the bill on foundations -has disturbed us quite a
lot although such things will not make us go. The way they treated
us as hostages rather than citizens was very unbecoming.

I find it shameful. Who is Deveciyan to use me?

[Yeni Safak] What do you think of what [French UMP Deputy] Patrik
Deveciyan said in the French parliament?

[Dink] I found it shameful that Deveciyan made references to Article
301 [of the Turkish Penal Code on freedom of expression] and said
Turkey should look in the mirror. I am being tried under that
article. He probably meant that.

But why should I become the instrument of such a thing? Who is that man
to use me like that? It mortified me. But it should mortify my state,
too. So I made it clear to them: "You cannot use me. I am standing
trial in this country because I used my freedom of speech and said,
‘The genocide is a fact.’ But I will come to France to object to
that bill and commit the crime." One needs to maintain a principled
stance. Some of our smart alecks said, ‘We will go to France to object
to the bill that hampers free speech.’ Good. Object to the one here,
too. Support Hrant Dink’s case and join the fight against Article 301.

Let Europe deal with France

[Yeni Safak] What kind of strategy do you think Turkey should follow
to obstruct the Denial Bill?

[Dink] Turkey should turn it into Europe’s problem. It is the EU which
should put pressure on France. In the end, this is about freedom of
speech. Yet in order for EU countries to take Turkey seriously on this
-I am one of the victims of Article 301 and may God strike me dead if
I want it for myself -it should set its own house in order first. It
should revoke Article 301 so the EU will be ashamed of itself.

[Yeni Safak] Was it this that made it difficult for Turkey to try to
prevent the passage of the bill?

[Dink] It did weaken Turkey’s argument but the essential reason
is a different one. Turkey’s harsh stance on the genocide in the
international arena was an important reason. The fact that an attack
took place on the Armenian Monument in Lyon during the commemoration
on the 90th anniversary last year and the extremely harsh slogans
during the Turkish march in Berlin such as ‘We will set Paris and
Europe on fire’ disturbed those countries. These are commonplace
remarks in Turkey but there is no such thing in their world. So it
caused them concern.

[Yeni Safak] You are saying that this attitude confirmed the [Armenian]
diaspora’s arguments and helped to get the bill passed?

[Dink] There are those who disagree but it served as a trump card
for the diaspora. The [Turkish] parliament made irrational moves
like writing a letter to the British parliament against the Blue
Book. I cannot understand how Parliament can allow itself to be used
as a means of doing such unrealistic stuff. Britain responded to the
letter but it is not being disclosed because the Turkish parliament
has placed itself in a ridiculous position. It did not produce a good
result to allow violence and emotions rather than reason and empathy
to prevail. It produced the bill.

[Yeni Safak] Could Turkey not turn this into an advantage?

[Dink] Turkey has won a new position in terms of explaining itself
abroad.

The world regarded the Armenians as being in the right and as being
the wronged party until yesterday. The ban having been adopted, it
will see Turkey as being the wronged party. And Turkey will use it
to its advantage. The Armenians have shot themselves in the foot in
this sense. You cannot sacrifice a universal right while carrying out
a universal responsibility. This is what has been done in France. On
the other hand, this bill could lead to a change of mentality on the
part of those governing Turkey and those governing Armenia. The West
is using this issue not solving it. They [Turkey and Armenia] could
start saying, "Apparently we should do something between ourselves."

What did Orhan Pamuk say?

[Yeni Safak] How do you view comments to the effect that the Nobel
Prize was awarded to [Turkish novelist] Orhan Pamuk in recognition of
his artistic abilities but because he said, "We killed 1m Armenians
and 30,000 Kurds in this land?"

[Dink] Many people have said many things about the Armenian
issue. Orhan did not make an important and unprecedented remark. I
am very happy that the prize has been awarded to him. His novels have
been inspired by these lands.

Armenia is waiting for Armenians already

[Yeni Safak] Bills proposing "the criminalization of Armenian genocide
lies" and "the denial of the Algerian genocide committed by France"
have been referred to the Parliamentary Justice Commission. What do
you think of these moves?

[Dink] I abide by the principle that parliaments cannot make decisions
on these topics. History cannot be protected by criminal laws. It
could probably be protected by ethical laws. Conscience is of paramount
importance here.

[Yeni Safak] It has been proposed as a measure that the Armenian
workers in Turkey be deported.

[Dink] (laughing) What should be done is not to send them away but
to increase the volume of traffic between the two countries so that
where diplomacy fails, public diplomacy could work. They cannot punish
Armenia in this way.

Armenia is very unhappy about the fact that its citizens are
leaving. It is waiting for them to come back or for others to send
them back.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress