Daily Star – Lebanon
Jan 3 2007
Armenian protest mocks Turkey’s peacemaking credentials
By Maria Abi-Habib
Special to The Daily Star
Thursday, January 04, 2007
BEIRUT: About 300 Armenian-Lebanese protested Wednesday’s visit
to Beirut by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, arguing
that his country’s bloody past made it impossible for him to foster
reconciliation among Lebanon’s squabbling political parties.
"I know what Turkey has done in its past – it murdered Arabs,
Armenians and Kurds, all those who wanted to live with Turks," said
Shiraz Djeredjian, an American University of Beirut student. "Now
Turkey is coming because they want to join the EU, but we know they
can’t be mediators. It’s not in their culture to be peacekeepers;
their culture is blood and murder – murder is in their blood."
Erdogan visited Lebanon to help broker an agreement between the
Lebanese government and its opposition.
Turkish peacekeeping troops which constitute part of the United Nations
Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were also on the visit’s agenda.
Yet the Armenian diaspora in Lebanon is skeptical about Turkey’s
intentions.
"The main issue is that we know [Turkey’s] history and I don’t trust
them," said Vatche Moughalian, 31. "Just recently Turkey refused to
open its sea ports to Cyprus. They are coming here to show they can
be mediators to get into the EU. Let them try to sort out their own
country’s relations first. Then maybe we’ll start trusting them."
Turkey does not recognize the killing of 1.5 million Armenians in
1915-17 or accept that the massacres were attempted genocide.
Instead, Turkey claims the deaths were the result of inter-ethnic
discord, disease and famine that plagued the region during World War I.
Turkey’s vehement genocide denial is one of several obstacles the
country faces in its bid to join the EU. Out of 27 EU countries,
12 believe the Armenian deaths were genocidal.
Lebanon’s Parliament officially recognized the genocide in 2000,
the only Middle Eastern country to do so. In total, 16 countries
worldwide officially believe Turkey attempted Armenian genocide.
Armenians were forced to flee from Turkey through Syria. Many survivors
settled in Lebanon. By 1926 there were 75,000 Armenians in Lebanon.
"In Lebanon we are diverse peoples living together," said Shadia
Hashem, who is not Armenian but attended the protest to show her
solidarity. "How can the government bring someone from Turkey when
that country has historically divided and persecuted non-Turks?"
In the Ottoman Empire, which included Lebanon, non-Turks and
non-Muslims often bore the brunt of discrimination.
Many protesters were thankful for the support Lebanon’s government
has given to Armenians, though they were offended Erdogan was invited
to Beirut.
"We don’t want Turkish troops or politicians in Lebanon, as Lebanon
is our second home and we love it," said Vanig Dakessian. "How can
a country that [created] genocides in the 20th century – not only of
Armenians – come to make peace without first apologizing?"
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
