ARA PAPIAN: TURKEY HASN’T CHANGED
PanARMENIAN.Net
18.03.2010 16:13 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Head of the Modus Vivendi Centre Ara Papian offered
comments on the recent statement by Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan.
"Any claim of a hundred thousand citizens of Armenia living illegally
in Turkey is baseless. One can at the most speak of 12 to 14 thousand
citizens of Armenia living in Turkey today, of which a significant
part is legally resident in that country. But they are not the subject
under discussion, but the conduct of Turkey towards them and, in
particular, the response of the international community. Or rather,
the lack of one," he said.
"When the leader of the Party for Freedom of the Netherlands –
merely the head of a party, a member of parliament – Geert Wilders
declared that it was necessary to deport all illegal immigrants from
the country, the world went into a flurry. How could we allow ourselves
to do such a thing? Whatever happened to human rights? A very correct
response indeed. So why is the world so silent today in the face of
the head of the executive branch of Turkey’s government, in hearing
Prime Minister Erdogan’s similar statement against Armenians? What,
are you afraid of riling up Turkey? Where are your principles and
human rights now?
Ten to 12 million illegal immigrants from Latin America currently
live in the United States. These people are not only present in the
country illegally, but many also entered America in an illegal manner.
Nevertheless – as opposed to the citizens of Armenia living in Turkey –
their children have the right to attend school, and they receive major
social benefits from the government. In countries of the European
Union, towards which Turkey is tirelessly striving, there are 8
to 10 million illegal immigrants. There are a few hundred thousand
immigrants from Turkey among them. A part of them – as opposed to
the citizens of Armenia living in Turkey – eat their daily bread at
the expense of local taxpayers.
Various sources indicate that 1.5 to 3 million Arabs live in the US
today, whether by origin or citizenship. The data is unclear and very
disparate, as a considerable part of them are illegally present in the
country. When, on September 11th, 2001, the United States came under
attack by Arabs, no American official made any mention of running any
illegal Arabs out of the US. Society in America was reeling under
pain, violation and sadness, but the attack organized and carried
out by Arabs caused no-one to think of deporting the illegal Arabs
living in the country.
Now let us imagine the response of the international community if
Bush had suddenly decided, as a result of the attack on his country,
to exile the illegal Arabs in the US. Certainly, "all of progressive
humanity" would come together in anti-American demonstrations,
protests and speeches. And it would have been right to do so. Each
is responsible for his or her actions. The era of group punishments
has passed.
To fully appreciate the absurdity of Erdogan’s threat, let us consider
our circumstances. Armenia has not attacked Turkey. Armenians have
not crashed a plane into the Blue Mosque or the Ataturk Mausoleum.
Armenians have not killed three and a half thousand Turks in downtown
Istanbul, as some did in downtown New York. It just so happens that
a group of citizens of the United States and Sweden, the majority
of which in this case are Armenians by origin, have managed to
achieve, through completely legal and civilised means, the passage
of certain resolutions at different levels of the US and Swedish
legislatures. I do not wish to even refer to the contents or nature of
those resolutions. That isn’t of any significance at this point. What
is important is Turkey’s response and the lack of a condemnation of
it by Europe or the US. Armenia, unfortunately, did not even have
any part to play in the passage of those resolutions, but Turkey is
gnashing its teeth in Armenia’s direction. If Turkey is upset at those
resolutions, although getting upset at the reaffirmation of the truth
would be mindless, let Turkey deport its Americans and Swedes. What,
doesn’t the shoe fit? Or do they only know how to thumb their nose
at us? And this is how the Turks wish to be members of the European
Union, to live in the same household with the Germans? A medieval
and vindictive stench reeks from Erdogan’s words.
Just as we were saying, Turkey hasn’t changed."