TURKEY SHOULD PAUSE BEFORE A MIRROR
Stephen Kinzer

guardian.co.uk
Monday 8 March 2010 18.42 GMT

Amid the finger-pointing, let’s recall how Turkey helped push the US
Congress committee toward its vote on Armenian genocide

Leftist Turks shout slogans during a protest outside the US embassy
in Ankara, Turkey, after a US congressional committee approved a
resolution branding the 1915 killing of Armenians a genocide.

When a committee of the US Congress foolishly voted last week to brand
as genocide the 1915 slaughter of Armenians by Ottoman Turks, there
was plenty of blame to go around. Ethnic lobbies, big-money politics
and narrow-minded congressmen all played their part. Together they
poked a gratuitous stick in the eye of a valuable friend. Once again
America repeated its classic foreign policy blunder: do something that
makes you feel good now, but that in the long run actually undermines
American security interests.

Amid all this finger-pointing, however, it is only fair to single
out one other culprit for this misguided vote: Turkey itself. After
the vote, which was broadcast live on Turkish TV and followed as
passionately if it were a World Cup match, thousands of Turks took
to the streets in protest. They were right to be angry. As Turks try
to figure out who brought this insult upon them, though, they should
pause before a mirror.

Turkey has done three things that helped push the House foreign
affairs committee toward its vote. First, despite signing a highly
promising accord with Armenia last year, it has failed to close
the deal. Relations between the two countries remain frozen, partly
because of Turkey’s insistence on tying normalisation to a withdrawal
of Armenian troops from disputed Nagorno-Karabakh. The deal was to
have included a clause assigning questions about the 1915 massacre
to a committee of historians. If it had been signed and ratified, the
genocide issue would be off the table – and probably off Washington’s
agenda.

Second, Turkey suffers from a creeping image deterioration in
Washington. Some feel that Turkey has become too close to Iran, and
resent the vigour of Turkey’s opposition to sanctions on the Iranian
regime – especially important since Turkey holds a rotating seat on the
UN security council. These doubts might not have become as powerful
if Israel, Turkey’s old friend, had come to its rescue with lobbying
help on Capitol Hill, as it has in the past. But Turkish leaders
have sharpened their criticism of Israel lately, and the Israelis,
seeking to show that they too have cards to play in this game, did
not rush to help Turkey this time.

In considering not just the substance of its Middle East policy but
the style in which it is presented, Turkey would do well to balance
its relationships with Iran, Israel and the US more deftly.

Third and perhaps most profoundly, Turkey has brought itself to this
point by its refusal to confront what happened to Ottoman Armenians
in 1915. One reason Turks are so outraged at accusations made against
their ancestors is that they have little access to the historical
truth. Textbooks are distorted and politicians whip up nationalist
fervor for votes. "Why are we trying to cover up this horrible crime,
why are we trying to defend the murderers, to disguise their crimes,
why are we squirming to keep truth buried, even at the risk of being
humiliated?" the Turkish commentator Ahmet Altan asked in a column
after the vote in Washington.

"If you feel humiliated, you should take a hard look at yourself and
what you hide."

In the last few years, Turkey has emerged to play a new and highly
promising role in the Middle East and beyond. As a successful
Islamic democracy allied with the west, it can be a powerful force
for regional peace – and, not incidentally, a uniquely valuable
partner for the US. For Turkey to play the role it seeks as a broker
and conciliator, though, it it must continue to mature politically
and diplomatically. The vote in Washington should lead Turks to
reflection. A final accord with Armenia, a more elegant way of
balancing relations with Iran, Israel and the United States, and an
end to denial of what happened in 1915 would dramatically improve
both Turkey’s global stature and its ability to help stabilise the
world’s most volatile region.