OBAMA: SQUARING THE CIRCLE ON THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Huffpost
May 8, 2009

April 24th, 2009, President Barack Obama issued a statement
commemorating Armenian Remembrance Day–the day when Armenians
worldwide recall the genocidal assault on their community that
ultimately took the lives of 1.5 million in the post-WWI era.

In the weeks leading up to the 24th, both Turks and Armenians held
their breath in anticipation, or dread, of the language the President
would use in describing the Armenian tragedy.

During the 2008 Presidential campaign, Obama had been forceful,
not only in declaring that the events of 1915 were genocide, but
in criticizing those who would not do so. In a statement issued on
January 19, 2008, Obama said:

"As a U.S. Senator, I have stood with the Armenian American community
in calling for Turkey’s acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide…the
Armenian Genocide is not an allegation, a personal opinion, or a
point of view, but rather a widely documented fact…An official
policy that calls on diplomats to distort the historical facts is an
untenable policy…as President I will recognize Armenian Genocide."

During his April 2009 visit to Turkey, President Obama carefully raised
this sensitive issue during his address to the Turkish Parliament. By
beginning with a lesson learned from US history, he sought to prod
his hosts into dealing with their past:

"The Untied States is still working through some of our own darker
periods in our own history…our country still struggles with the
legacies of slavery and segregation, the past treatment of Native
Americans…History is often tragic, but unresolved, it can be a heavy
weight. Each country must work through its past. And reckoning with the
past can help us seize a better future. I know there’s strong views
in this chamber about the terrible events of 1915. And while there’s
been a good deal of commentary about my views, it’s really about how
the Turkish and Armenian people deal with the past. And the best way
forward for the Turkish and Armenian people is a process that works
through the past in a way that is honest, open and constructive."

The stage was set for the 24th, with a great deal of speculation,
but without anyone knowing for certain exactly how the new President
would reconcile: his personal beliefs and his commitment to Armenian
Americans; the importance he places on the US-Turkish relationship;
and his desire to see a stable Turkish and Armenian future.

Then, two days before Remembrance Day, the Turkish and Armenian
governments announced that they had agreed to a "road map" for
normalizing relations.

Concerned that he not disrupt this process, Obama’s statement on the
24th reflected this development. In part, his statement read:

"Ninety four years ago, one of the great atrocities of the 20th century
began. Each year, we pause to remember the 1.5 million Armenians who
were subsequently massacred or marched to their death in the final days
of the Ottoman Empire. The Meds Yeghern must live on in our memories,
just as it lives on in the hearts of the Armenian people…I have
consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915, and my view
of that history has not changed. My interest remains the achievement
of a full, frank and just acknowledgment of the facts…The best
way to advance that goal right now is for the Armenian and Turkish
people to address the facts of the past as a part of their efforts to
move forward… To that end, there has been courageous and important
dialogue among Armenians and Turks, and within Turkey itself. I also
strongly support the efforts by Turkey and Armenia to normalize
their bilateral relations… the two governments have agreed on a
framework and road map for normalization. I commend this progress,
and urge them to fulfill its promise."

Some Armenian American organizations were outraged, others
disappointed.

Said one, "President Obama’s refusal to push Turkey to recognize
its genocide against Armenians–or even to use the ‘g word’–fell
far short of the clear promise he made as a candidate that he would,
as President, fully and unequivocally recognize this crime against
humanity."

One Armenian American publication, however, did note with satisfaction,
that while Obama did not repeat the word genocide, he made clear that
his position had not changed and he did use the Armenian term Meds
Yeghern to describe the horrors of 1915.

For their part Turks were also displeased, with commentators from
left to right agreeing with this editorial in Milliyet, "Obama made
the harshest statement that has ever been uttered by a US President
since Ronald Reagan.

Yes, he did not use the word genocide, but his statement was harsh,
unilateral, and accusing."

Faced with difficult choices, what Obama did was "square
the circle." As another Turkish writer noted, "Obama made a
statement…which annoyed both Ankara and the Armenians…it can be
claimed that Obama, who annoyed everybody in an equal way, successfully
attained his purpose."

As the White House now turns its attention, in May, to address the
equally sensitive and complex challenges of the Middle East, there
are lessons in the President’s handling of this Turkish-Armenian
conundrum for all to learn.