The New Anatolian, Turkey
Feb 17 2007
Gross injustice
Gunduz Aktan
17 February 2007
Following last month’s assassination of Hrant Dink, some U.S. State
Department officials and Armenia’s foreign minister urged Turkey to
use this opportunity to normalize relations with Armenia by opening
the border and "face our history" by abolishing Article 301.
The Americans say that if Turkey "helps itself" by taking such steps,
the administration will be able to defend Turkey more easily in
Congress. One cannot help wondering whether the "opportunity" that
arose as a result of Dink’s murder is for Turkey to use in order to
serve the interests of the U.S. and Armenia.
Even though Turkey hasn’t established diplomatic relations with
Armenia, it recognizes the country. The Turkish-Armenian border is
closed, but goods are transported annually by 4,000 TIR trucks to
Armenia via Georgia. In this way, Turkey is the second-biggest
trading partner for Armenia. There are 60,000-70,000 Armenians
illegally working in Turkey. Flights are operating to Istanbul and
Antalya, etc.
Despite these facts, an additional demand to open the border and set
up diplomatic relations would mean abandoning Azerbaijan in the face
of the continuing Armenian occupation of Karabakh and other parts of
this country. Moreover we have to keep in mind that the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) does everything for a solution
while the international embargo against it continues.
There is not a single Ottoman monument left in Armenia. Not a single
Turk or Azeri lives there. You could think that the Ottoman Empire’s
Revan province never existed. However, we invited the Armenian
diaspora to restore the Akhdamar Church. Since there was no reply,
Turkey did the restoration as a gesture. In return, the infamous bill
was introduced to the French Parliament and a resolution introduced
at the U.S. Congress.
Meanwhile, pressure on us to repeal Article 301 is continuing. Thus,
we are expected to "face our history" and recognize that the 1915
events amounted to genocide. Actually, if we accepted the genocide,
nobody would want us to face our past.
Today, Armenia is a Tashnak dictatorship. But it dares to urge us to
expand freedom of expression. Not a single book that denies the
genocide claims is sold in Armenia. Let alone those written by the
Turks or foreigners, even the report (rather the testament) submitted
to the Tashnak Assembly of 1923 at Bucharest by the first prime
minister of the independent Armenia and the most important Tashnak
leader of the era, Hovhannes Katchaznouni, is still banned. They do
not read documents by even those who played a leading role in their
history so that they can keep intact their belief in a genocide.
Considering that it is almost impossible to have serious cooperation
with such a country, the U.S. should be expected to put pressure on
Armenia with a view to accelerating the democratization of its
regime. The U.S. not only does not do this, it does not even try to
prevent the unilateral genocide propaganda in its schools. But it
gives priority to influencing our attitude.
Under these conditions, there is no alternative other than seeking a
solution to the problem by adjudication or arbitration. Mr. Gul
expressed this view in December during the budget debates. In
response, not a word was heard from the U.S. administration, EU
countries or institutions, Armenia or the Armenian diaspora. It’s as
if all of a sudden everyone became deaf and mute.
In Turkey too, none of those who consider themselves intellectuals
said, "All right, let’s solve the problem by adjudication or
arbitration." They murmur, "It cannot be done through adjudication.
We should face our history and use empathy with the Armenians," just
as Armenia and the Armenian diaspora demand. I hope that they do not
render these services without remuneration.
Can adjudication be done without facing history? All the archives
will be opened and population statistics, forensic research, hospital
records and all incidents that happened during the relocation will be
thoroughly examined. Nothing better can be done to face history.
No, they urge only us to face history. They wish to ignore Armenian
insurrections, massacres, collaboration with the enemy, and betrayal.
As a result we would appear as perpetrators and they as victims.
The attempts to portray Turks as being responsible for genocide are
the basic reason for the current psychological regression and the
harsh nationalist reaction in our society. Nobody should entertain
any illusion that Turkey will eventually yield to these unilateral
allegations. We will take Armenia and its supporters to court and
will make them face history together with us. And we will make them
respect our dead as well.
There is no way out for anyone anymore.