Today’s Zaman, Turkey
March 27 2010
Turkish Armenians: 1915 events were a fight between friends
Turkish Armenians urged the powerful Armenian diaspora yesterday to
stop their efforts to win global recognition for Armenian genocide
claims, saying that what happened in Anatolia during World War I was a
`fight between two good friends.’
Berdos Å?irinoÄ?lu, a representative of the Armenian community and
president of the board of trustees of the Armenian Surp Pırgiç
Hospital, told reporters after talks with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
ErdoÄ?an that no good could come out of bringing up what happened a
century ago and that there were losses on both sides as Turks and
Armenians — antagonized by third parties — fought against each
other.
`This was 100 years ago. There is no point in digging further into the
past. I cannot understand why some people try to keep it [the debate]
open,’ added Å?irinoÄ?lu, who said his own grandfather died in the 1915
events. `There is no need to call the events genocide either.’
Å?irinoÄ?lu and Herman Balyon, the vice chairman of the executive board
of the Armenian hospital, met with ErdoÄ?an after the prime minister
caused widespread anger by saying that Turkey could expel 100,000
illegal Armenian immigrants if foreign parliaments continue to pass
resolutions endorsing the genocide claims.
Armenians claim up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed during World
War I in a systematic genocide campaign at the hands of the Ottoman
Empire. Turkey categorically rejects the charges, saying the death
toll is inflated and that Turks were also killed as Armenians revolted
against the Ottoman Empire in collaboration with Russian forces for an
independent state in eastern Anatolia. The US House Committee on
Foreign Affairs and the Swedish Parliament recently passed resolutions
endorsing the Armenian version of that period of history, angering
Turkey.
When ErdoÄ?an said Turkey could deport 100,000 illegal Armenian
immigrants, he drew ire from human rights groups, who said this
amounts to using destitute people in political bargaining. The number
was also contested. A recent study showed the number of Armenians
illegally residing in Turkey as between 10,000 and 12,000.
Å?irinoÄ?lu took the blame for the mix-up. `We gave the figures to the
prime minister. Since he trusted us deeply, he did not check it with
other sources. We apologize for this,’ he said, adding that the
correct figure was about 20,000.
Tensions over the genocide claims may go up as US President Barack
Obama prepares to issue an annual statement on April 24, the date
which Armenians say marks the anniversary of the beginning of the
genocide. Despite his pre-election promises, Obama refrained from
using the word genocide in his message last year in order not to harm
a process of reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia. The two
countries signed two protocols last October on normalizing their ties.
The steps envisioned in the protocols include the creation of a
commission of historians to study the early 20th century events.
When asked if ErdoÄ?an had asked for support from the Armenian
community for the reconciliation process with Armenia, Å?irinoÄ?lu said
there was no such request. `The prime minister is already doing what
is necessary to solve problems faced by minorities, for which we are
thankful to him,’ he said. Å?irinoÄ?lu was also hopeful that the
reconciliation process would succeed. `I expect both Turkey and
Armenia will learn from history. This process will be concluded
swiftly,’ he said.
He also said the Armenians felt safe in Turkey and that they had no
complaint to that effect. When asked how the Armenian diaspora reacts
to his remarks, Å?irinoÄ?lu said diaspora representatives should come
and see how Armenians live in Turkey. `Those people who have been away
from their country for a long time should come and see Armenian
property and schools, they should see how Armenians live in Turkey and
then they should decide,’ he said.
The question of what happened to Ottoman Armenians is a sensitive
issue in Turkey. Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who called
the killings genocide, was killed by a teenage gunman in 2007. His
assassin said he had killed Dink because he had insulted Turks.
Many Turks felt frustrated because the Armenian version of history,
which is accepted widely in the West, fails to mention Turks and Kurds
massacred by Armenian gangs. The European Union, which Ankara aspires
to join, urges Turkey to ease laws restricting freedom of speech,
under which one can land in court for calling the events genocide.
Å?irinoÄ?lu said most of the 1.5 million Armenians who were living in
Anatolia when the killings began had migrated to other countries —
Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, the United States, France and others. `I am not
saying nothing happened, but there is no benefit in digging deeper
into the past. If we do this, our future will remain in the dark,’ he
said.
27 March 2010, Saturday
TODAY’S ZAMAN Ä°STANBUL
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
