TURKS COULD GAIN MORE THAN ARMENIANS BY ACKNOWLEDGING THE GENOCIDE
By Harout Sassounian, The California Courier
AZG Armenian Daily
22/12/2007
Hundreds of newspapers, internet sites, wire services, and radio and
TV programs in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia, France and many
other countries had a field day with my column, "Armenians Demand
Justice, not Recognition."
Here are some of the headlines that appeared in the Turkish media last
week: "Prominent Armenian Journalist: ‘Our Goal is Compensation and
Land from Turkey,’" (Hurriyet); "Sassounian: ‘Our Aim is to Get Land
from Turkey,’" (The New Anatolian); "Time is not on Armenia’s Side,"
(Turkish Daily News); "Armenians Seek Land and Compensation," (Aksam);
and "Call for Armenian Strategy," (Radikal).
It was somewhat surprising that the Turkish media provided such
extensive coverage of a column that simply suggested reordering the
sequence of traditional Armenian demands. Even more surprising is
the fact that State Department officials expressed serious interest
in that column.
Turkish and American officials have known for decades that Armenians
have been seeking "Recognition" of the Genocide, "Restitution"
for losses suffered and "Return" of their lands. The only new
idea in my column was that Armenians should not pursue those "3
R’s" in the foregoing sequence. I suggested that Armenians, having
already accomplished recognition of the Genocide by the international
community, should proceed immediately to their next two demands. Thus
they would avoid falling into the Turkish trap of being stuck forever
on demand number one. Knowing full well the sequential nature of
the Armenian demands, Turkish denialists have cleverly refused to
acknowledge the Genocide – the first demand — thus blocking the
pursuit of the remaining two.
The great Turkish interest in my column notwithstanding, my real
intent was to remind Armenians that their fundamental aim revolves
around demand number three — To bring justice to a nation that was
not only massacred, but forcibly deprived of the inalienable right
to live in its own homeland.
After devoting so much time and energy to the pursuit of international
recognition of the Armenian Genocide, and having accomplished that
objective, Armenians should not be misled into thinking that they
have achieved their ultimate aspiration. Such a false sense of
accomplishment carries a major risk. Should the Turkish government
someday acknowledge the Genocide, most Armenians may consider it a
successful final resolution of their demands from Turkey.
In reality, the acknowledgment of the Genocide would benefit Turks
much more than Armenians. Turks would gain everything and lose almost
nothing. Turkey’s leaders would receive accolades from throughout the
world, even possibly a Nobel Peace Prize, for "bravely" facing their
nation’s ugly past. Turkey’s entry into the European Union would be
facilitated and its shortcomings in other areas ignored. In addition,
such an acknowledgment would have no negative legal or political
consequences for the Republic of Turkey.
The suggested shift in focus from genocide recognition to bringing
justice to the Armenian people has thrown the Turkish strategy of
genocide denial into disarray.
While Turkish governments over the years have developed elaborate
mechanisms to counter accusations of genocide, such as hiring lobbying
firms and pressuring other governments, Ankara is completely helpless
in knowing how to deal with Armenian calls for justice!
For example, prominent Turkish propagandist Semih Idiz, in responding
to my column, can only resort to the hackneyed trick of trying to
create an artificial split between Armenia and the Diaspora on demands
from Turkey. In trying to contradict my assertion that the borders of
no country have remained unchanged throughout history, Idiz incredibly
declares that Turkey’s borders have not changed since "Roman times."
In reality, the current borders of the Republic of Turkey were formed
less than 100 years ago! Idiz also tries to use another well-known
trick by asserting that my column makes "the hard-liners in Turkey
more hard-line towards all things Armenian." Such an unfounded
accusation implies that Turkish "hard-liners" were on the verge of
making major concessions to Armenians and were dissuaded from doing
so after reading my column!
Finally, there has been more commotion on the "armworkshop" website
after my latest column. Some Turkish and Armenian "reconciliationists"
became nervous after seeing their statements reproduced in my
column. Utku Diril indignantly asked in his posting: "Can anyone just
take any conversation on the list and publish it anywhere?" Sebouh
Aslanian tried to reassure him by providing groundless legal advice.
Reprinting the postings of "armworkshop" is "not only highly unethical
but probably illegal," Aslanian wrote.
Dickran Abrahamian disclosed that he subscribes to a "maximalist"
viewpoint on Armenian-Turkish issues.
However, he said he keeps silent on most issues, in order to avoid
being "thrown out" of the "armworkshop" He wondered why, when Turkish
opinion columns are posted on the "armworkshop," none of its members
object, but when Sassounian’s column is posted, it "hits raw nerves?"
It is noteworthy that prominent and sensible businessman Osman Kavala
wrote in his "armworkshop" posting: "It is not possible to dismiss
the issue of compensation so readily. One can find it controversial,
unrealistic [and] harmful to strategic priorities, etc., but it is
clear that unlike ‘land return,’ it [compensation] will remain an
issue to be discussed in the course of the reconciliation process."
While continuing to counter Turkish misinformation efforts on the
Armenian Genocide, it behooves Armenians to shift their focus of
attention to Armenian demands for justice, which entails the recovery
of lands and properties that belonged to their ancestors.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
