"THE ONLY SUGGESTION"
by Shahan Kandaharian

Aztag Daily
Jan 10 2009
Lebanon

On January 5, the French daily "Liberation" printed an open-letter
by French-Armenian journalist Jean Keheyan titled "To My Turkish
Brothers". The focus of the letter was the campaign organized by
Turkish intellectuals to ask forgiveness from the Armenian people. It
becomes obvious from the title that the appreciation goes for the
Turkish intellectuals who have taken such an initiative. The writer
considers them to be an honor for Turkey.

After talking about the Genocide as an undeniable fact, Jean Keheyan
puts the responsibility of the Genocide on the Ottoman Turks and the
Kurds who assisted them. The issue is not the criminal responsibility
of the Kurds in this case. When the term "the perpetrators" is
used and the Kurds are mentioned beside the Turks, that is to be
considered as a clear neglect of the differentiation of the political
shades in the matter. Putting the Turks and the Kurds on the same
level of responsibility by a reporter would at least in this case
be interpreted as hastiness. Let’s move forward. In his letter
the Armenian commentator is also making simplified generalizations
concerning the approaches that prime minister Erdogan and president
Gul are manifesting towards Armenian issues. Prime minister Erdogan
has refused to hear the Turkish pleas for an apology whereas by his
visit to Armenia president Gul has inspired new hopes and opened new
horizons for Armenians.

The first statement cannot be argued of course. However, to be
restrained, the second one repeats the stances of the Turkish media
in the pages of "Liberation"… by an Armenian signature.

The rest of the letter can be introduced. There are certain ideas
that can be agreed upon without any reservation. Others need
clarifications. And until this point, you can argue, approach with
reservation, share, agree or question and discuss.

The unacceptable part is the following: "We, as French of Armenian
descent, support you. Our only suggestion is the recognition of the
historic fact. We don’t have a territorial or property demand".

Let’s not be hasty and give way to angry reactions. First of all,
who is the "we". If it is the French of Armenian descent, as Jean
Keheyan puts it, then around three hundred thousand French-Armenians
are behind that thought and these Armenians express their support,
through "Liberation", to the Turkish intellectuals who support a
pardon, announcing for the first time that they have no territorial
or compensation demand… The lines following that statement make the
thought of the "French of Armenian descent" clearer; they are saying:
just recognize the Genocide and we let go of territorial demands and
any kind of compensation.

The pardon demanding Turks have not talked about territorial
issues and haven’t demanded the Armenian side to let go of the
compensation issue. Your support for the pardon demand was enough,
Mr. Keheyan. Where did the necessity of making such a suggestion,
made public by an Armenian columnist, who has given himself the duty
of talking as a representative of French-Armenians, come from? Before
handing their columns to well known newspapers, people like Jean
Keheyan must pause and think for a second whose water-mill are they
feeding in with their "the only suggestions". Otherwise, we would
hope that such a suggestion would really be the "only" one made and
not be repeated.