Today’s Zaman, Turkey
April 18 2015
Pope’s, EP’s `genocide’ remarks prompt debate on mass killings of Armenians
Pope Francis (Photo: Reuters)
April 18, 2015, Saturday/ 17:00:00/ DENÄ°Z ARSLAN / ANKARA
Recent decisions by both Pope Francis and the European Parliament (EP)
to publicly describe the 1915 mass killings of Armenians as a
`genocide’ may prompt a domino effect around the world, sparking other
such acknowledgments, and push Turkey — which denies that the events
amount to genocide — to grow increasingly isolated over the issue.
The pope’s remarks last Sunday were followed by a similar move by the
EP, which voted on Wednesday to pass a resolution acknowledging the
1915 events as `genocide’ and calling on Turkey to stop its policy of
`denial’ and find a way to reconcile with Armenia. The two countries
have no diplomatic relations and Turkey refuses to open its border
with Armenia.
Furthermore, the EP’s resolution calls on all member states of the EU
to officially recognize the 1915 massacres as `genocide.’ If other
nations follow suit, then Turkey may struggle to push its position on
the Armenian issue and end up paying compensation to the families of
the victims of the 1915 events.
The EP’s resolution has prompted a stern rebuke from the Turkish
government, with President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an responding that Turkey
does not accept the decision and the Foreign Ministry stressing that
Turkey does not respect those who are `mutilating history and the
law.’
While almost all opposition parties rallied behind the Turkish
government’s stance against the EP and the pope, one exception came
from pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Co-chair Selahattin
DemirtaÃ…?. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, DemirtaÃ…? strongly
criticized the Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) response to
the EP resolution and the pope’s genocide remarks. `The government
should be in a position to examine what has happened in the past. The
pope says something and they react in a childish way. This is
difficult to understand. The government needs to tell people to face
up to the Armenian issue,’ DemirtaÃ…? said. He added that by rejecting
the pope’s remarks, the government cannot resolve the Armenian
problem.
Speaking to a group of businesspeople during an official visit to
Kazakhstan on Thursday, ErdoÄ?an said, `We don’t recognize decisions
taken by [foreign] politicians and parliaments,’ adding that Turkey
will ignore all such resolutions. He stated that the EP’s decision on
the Armenian issue is merely a reflection of its `anti-Turkey
approach.’
ErdoÄ?an also stressed that Turkey does not have any problems with the
Armenian people and urged politicians around the world to leave the
debate to historians.
According to a source close to the Vatican, the pope’s remarks do not
only reflect his personal views but the new official position of the
Vatican. When the pope used the word `genocide’ in 2013, he attracted
Turkey’s anger but the Vatican was able to smooth diplomatic relations
by explaining to Turkish officials that they are the pope’s personal
view.
The next step that would potentially further isolate Turkey’s stance
on the Armenian issue may be US President Barack Obama’s annual
statement to commemorate the 1915 events. Before he came to power,
Obama was clear in his acknowledgement of the mass killings and
deportations of Armenians as genocide. Since he took office, Obama has
avoided using the word `genocide’ to describe the 1915 events in the
official statements he issues every year on April 24 because it does
not reflect the official policy of the US. It is not clear whether
Obama will use the word `genocide’ or not this year, in line with a
possible change in the US administration’s official policy on the
issue. US-Turkish relations have become increasingly distant due to
differing policies in the Middle East, particularly with regard to
Turkey’s reluctance to contribute to the US-led coalition against the
Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
Armenians around the world are getting ready to commemorate the
centennial of the 1915 killings and mass deportations on April 24 and
the Armenian government has invited a number of world leaders to
Yerevan. In response to these commemorations, Turkey’s ruling AK Party
decided this year to move the commemoration of the 100th anniversary
of the Gallipoli Campaign of World War I for the first time, to April
24-25. The move attracted widespread criticism by Armenians and other
groups, with some observers describing it as a crude, failed attempt
to distract international attention from the centennial of the
Armenian commemorations. President ErdoÄ?an had invited Armenian
President Serzh Sarksyan to the Gallipoli commemorations but Sarksyan
dismissed the invitation, instead calling on Turkey to end its policy
of genocide denial.
Pope Francis angered Turks when he described the massacres of
Armenians during World War I as `the first genocide of the 20th
century’ in Mass on Sunday of last week to honor the centennial of the
1915 events, held with Sarksyan in attendance. This was not the first
time the pope has used the word `genocide’ since he took over his
position, with Francis rumored to have close ties with the Armenian
diaspora since his time as archbishop of Buenos Aires.
`Everybody has been taken by surprise by the pope’s remarks. It was
known that he would receive a high-level Armenian delegation but
nobody expected him to use the word `genocide’,’ the source close to
the Vatican told Sunday’s Zaman on the condition of anonymity.
The source pointed out that the pope was very cautious on the Armenian
issue during his visit to Turkey last November and restricted himself
to calling for reconciliation between Ankara and Yerevan. Three months
after being elected to the papacy, the pontiff first used the word
`genocide’ when receiving a group of Armenians in June 2013. However,
the Vatican informed Turkey via diplomatic channels that the pope’s
remarks simply reflected his personal views.
The official newspaper of the Holy See, L’Osservatore Romano, reported
last week in an editorial that without accepting the past, wounds will
remain open. Standing firm behind his remarks in a radio program last
week, the pope also mentioned the `Christian courage’ involved in
speaking one’s mind over the Armenian issue.
Despite knowing that his remarks would anger Turkey, Pope Francis used
the word `genocide’ during his Mass last Sunday. Turkey immediately
recalled Mehmet Paçacı, the country’s ambassador to the Holy See, to
Ankara for `consultations.’ The Vatican’s ambassador in Ankara,
Archbishop Antonio Lucibello, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry on
Sunday as well.
Former Turkish Ambassador to the Holy See Kenan Gürsoy told Sunday’s
Zaman on Monday that recalling the Turkish ambassador to the Vatican
for consultations after the pope’s remarks does not mean that Turkey’s
relations with the Vatican have come to a complete halt. Gürsoy said
that recalling the ambassador simply means that things are not going
well and that some adjustments are needed to put the relationship back
on track.
Gürsoy added that the pope’s remarks don’t match his positive messages
conveyed during his visit to Turkey last November, adding that he
finds this change `ironic.’
`If the pope had acknowledged the pain of Muslims, Turks and Armenians
during World War I, it would have been more appropriate. His recent
remarks don’t match his statements in support of peace between
different religious groups,’ Gürsoy said. In November of last year,
Pope Francis was the first foreign dignitary to visit Turkey’s lavish
new presidential palace, which was constructed on the wishes of
President ErdoÄ?an.
In his first response to the pope’s remarks, President ErdoÄ?an sharply
criticized the pontiff. During a meeting with members of the Turkish
Exporters Assembly (TÄ°M) in Ankara on Tuesday, ErdoÄ?an said, “I
condemn the pope and warn him to not repeat the same mistake.’
Prime Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu went further and accused the pontiff of
participation in `plots’ against the AK Party and Turkey. `I am
addressing the pope: Those who escaped the genocide carried out by the
Catholic world in Spain via the Inquisition found peace and safety in
our just system,’ DavutoÄ?lu said.
`We are ready to look into everything but we will not let our nation
be insulted over its history. We will not allow Turkey to be
blackmailed through historical debates,’ the Turkish prime minister
declared. Speaking to reporters in Antalya on Tuesday, Foreign
Minister Mevlüt ÇavuÃ…?oÄ?lu also criticized the pope’s remarks,
describing them as “insincere.” ÇavuÃ…?oÄ?lu recalled that the pope had
employed different rhetoric when discussing the Armenian issue during
his November visit and that his recent remarks do not match his
previous comments. “Religious leaders should focus on peace and
reconciliation and not hatred and discrimination,” ÇavuÃ…?oÄ?lu said.