Dear Mr. Hamilton:
The Armenian Reporter
May 20, 2010
Mr. Lee Hamilton
President
Woodrow Wilson Center
Washington, DC
Dear Mr. Hamilton:
I am writing this letter as an American of Armenian decent. This
great country, USA, is the only source of hope and aspiration to
all those people that have been undermined in their national and
historic context.
Armenia/Armenians is one of those unfortunate people that were
subjected to the first recorded genocide during 1915-1918 by the
Ottoman Empire of Turkey. Yet to this date, inspite of the fact
that twenty countries of the world and forty States in the USA have
acknowledged the undeniable fact of the Armenian genocide, the Republic
of Turkey denies it unconscionably.
One would think that, any civilized country or society will be eager
to atone for past tragedies and atrocities committed by their country
in order to move forward to a brighter world order. But, Turkey, for
reasons that defy any good judgment, has denied their transgression
towards the Armenians for over ninety-five years.
Perhaps countries that encourage Turkey in their stubborn "policy
of denial" of the Armenian genocide are equally responsible for
suppressing the truth. One may wonder what the world would be like
today if Germany vehemently and persistently denied the Jewish
Holocaust. The consequences would be unthinkable. Accepting past
wrongs will only brighten the future for all concerned.
Nevertheless, your esteemed institution, The Woodrow Wilson Center,
has decided to honor Mr. Davutoglu, Foreign Minister of Turkey,
with the much coveted WWC Public Service Award.
This inspite of: 1) Turkey’s continued policy to keep their borders
closed with Armenia, to economically strangle and starve the people
of Armenia;
2) Turkey’s recent threats that they may expel the 1000,000 Armenian
workers presently in Turkey;
3) Turkey’s ongoing threats that they will inflict massive irreversible
economic damage to any and all countries that formally acknowledge
the Armenian genocide, including the USA, its economic source;
4) Turkey’s continued tarnished record on Human Rights issues; and,
5) Turkey’s continued oppressive occupation of Cyprus.
If all these facts can filter WWC’s scrutiny with a favorable
deposition for a Public Service Award to Mr. Davutoglu, one wonders
about the bench mark of your criteria for qualification. Do you
truly think, even for a moment, that this person and the country it
represents today are on par with WWC’s past recipients of the coveted
Public Service Award?
Or, is this a political strategy, by those supporting this award, to
encourage Turkey that their current policies are both acceptable and
worthy of reward. If so, it is noting less than a shortsighted and
bankrupt strategy, as it thrives to punish the weak and unfortunate
by exalting the evil and powerful.
Why would otherwise WWC, acting in the name of President Woodrow
Wilson the champion of the Armenian people in the aftermath of the
Armenian genocide (1915-1918), act in this manner?
Please explain Mr. Hamilton so that we can understand and support
your prestigious institution.
Thank you.
Steve Tashjian
Former State Minister
Republic of Armenia