The Nation, NY
Oct 13 2006
With Friends Like These…
Nicole Vartanian
As the Republic of Turkey continues to amplify its discontent with
Wednesday’s non-binding vote by the House Foreign Affairs Committee
affirming the United States record on the Armenian genocide, pressing
questions remain unanswered.
I am Armenian-American. Being an Armenian speaking on this issue may
invalidate the fact that my hyphenated identity makes me at least
equally an American–a second-generation granddaughter of a genocide
survivor, born and raised in the nation’s heartland, who has been a
lifelong public servant and educator. But the questions I raise could
only originate from my upbringing as a proud member of a rigorously
democratic society, which has taught me to cherish and exercise my
right to question authority.
I have been startled by the tone of reporting on Wednesday’s historic
vote. In the span of less than twenty-four hours, I went from feeling
vindication for the venerated legacy of my ancestors to fearing for
our collective historical representation. The Turkish government’s
reactionary behavior hijacked the global news cycle into focusing
almost entirely on the "consequences" of the vote, as opposed to the
moral victory it signaled for our fellow victims of genocide and
human rights atrocities the world over.
All day long, questions begged answers.
How can the same politicians who routinely swagger and curse against
any foreign power that dares to threaten American interests or
security now be buckling to audacious threats to the safety of our
military by the leadership of the Republic of Turkey?
Why is the same press that has been raising critical questions about
the intent and efficacy of the war in Iraq not challenge the
impudence of Turkey’s movements to inch closer towards invading
northern Iraq (and potentially create another genocidal situation
with more segments of their Kurdish enemies)?
Where are the voices applauding the "moral authority" exercised by
twenty-seven members of the Foreign Relations committee on behalf of
the United States, which Congressman Tom Lantos so powerfully noted
as having plummeted in the court of world opinion over the past
several years?
If Turkey does hold firm on its threats, what other uses might come
from the tens of billions of dollars of aid that it demands from the
Bush Administration to ensure its participation in the war with Iraq?
Who will voice outrage against our ally’s court decision yesterday to
convict the son and colleague of murdered Armenian-Turkish journalist
Hrant Dink for "insulting Turkishness" under the machiavellian
Article 301 of Turkey’s penal code simply because they republished
Dink’s remarks about the Armenian Genocide?
I fully realize that justice is not the sole impetus behind the House
resolution. I only need to look near my home district of St. Clair
County, Illinois (where Democratic Rep. Jerry Costello is a
co-sponsor of the resolution) to see how fleeting moral convictions
can be. After more than twenty years of advocating on behalf of
Armenian Genocide recognition, former St. Louis Rep. Richard Gephardt
made a startling about-face and now commands lucrative fees from his
lobbying ventures on behalf of the Turkish government. It appears
that his successor, Democratic Rep. Russ Carnahan, may be afflicted
with the same propensity to waffle on issues of conscience, since he
withdrew his support this month as a co-sponsor of the resolution and
voted against it as a member of the Foreign Affairs committee.
Republican Rep. John Shimkus withdrew his co-sponsorship two days
after Carnahan.
A dear friend, who also is Armenian-American, just deployed to Iraq
as a reserve officer. There is absolutely nothing in the world that I
would do, no resolution I would support, if it further endangering
his life. Rather, it is precisely for him and other service members
that I believe Wednesday’s vote is especially poignant–a reminder to
them that our government can in fact still make difficult moral
decisions in the face of aggression from antagonistic world powers,
even those which purport to be our allies.
We all know the punch line of the saying that begins, "With friends
like these…". In the case of the Republic of Turkey’s decidedly
unfriendly reaction to our sovereign government’s vote acknowledging
the veracity of a watershed historical event, I am disappointed that
more of our nation’s public intellectuals are not asking difficult
questions which demand honest answers. Indeed, without a critical
discussion on the innate merits of doing the right thing even in the
face of adversity and intimidation, who needs enemies?