Turkish apology for Armenian Genocide
| By Sarah Rainsford BBC News, Istanbul |
An internet petition has been launched in Turkey, apologising for the "great catastrophe of 1915" when hundreds of thousands of Ottoman Armenians died.
Many international historians say the massacres and deaths of Armenians during their forced removal from what is now eastern Turkey were "genocide".
Turkey firmly denies that, saying those who died were just victims of war.
The petition - the first of its kind - was initiated by prominent Turkish academics and newspaper columnists.
They say they want to challenge the official denial and provoke discussion in Turkish society about what happened.
The petition is entitled "I apologise".
A short statement at the top reads: "My conscience cannot accept the ignorance and denial of the Great Catastrophe that the Ottoman Armenians were subjected to in 1915.
I reject this injustice and - on my own behalf - I share the feelings and pain of my Armenian brothers - and I apologise to them."
It is a bold and original step in a country where writer Hrant Dink was killed just last year for openly saying that the events of 1915 were genocide.
Previously he had been tried for "insulting Turkishness" for his comments on 1915 - as was Orhan Pamuk, the Nobel prize-winning author, who said that a million Armenians
were killed "in these lands" and no-one dared talk about it.
Sparking discussion
Nationalist politicians have condemned the move as an insult to the Turkish nation, and the organisers have received abusive emails.
A group of some 60 former Turkish ambassadors has issued a counter statement, calling this petition unfair and contrary to Turkey's national interests .
Turkey admits that many Armenians were killed but it denies any genocide, saying the deaths happened during widespread fighting in World War I.
The petition does not call on the state to apologise for what happened and it deliberately avoids the highly controversial definition of genocide.
But the Turkish academic who dreamed up the idea says he hopes it will spark a proper discussion of what happened and promote empathy for what the Armenians suffered.
Cengiz Aktar called it the responsibility of all Turks to think and talk openly about how, and why, the Armenian people disappeared from a land they inhabited for 4,000 years.
"Our aim is to empathise with the grief of our Armenian brothers," he said.
The petition's authors say they have received many encouraging comments.
In the first few hours after the petition was launched, more than 1,000 people had signed their names beneath it.
Story from BBC NEWS:
OVER 4500 TURKS SIGN PETITION TO APOLOGIZE FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
PanARMENIAN.Net
16.12.2008 13:42 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A group of Turkish intellectuals and academics have
issued a public apology for the Armenian Genocide on the Internet.
4882 Turkish intellectuals, authors, journalists, scientists and
musicians have already signed the petition which reads, "My conscience
does not accept the insensitivity showed to and the denial of the
Great Calamity that befell the Ottoman Armenians in 1915. I reject
this injustice and for my share, I empathize with the feelings and
pain of my Armenian brothers. I apologize to them."
EX-TURKISH ENVOYS SLAM CAMPAIGN APOLOGIZING TO ARMENIANS
Hurriyet
Dec 15 2008
Turkey
A group of retired ambassadors slammed the recent internet campaign
launched to issue a public apology to Armenians regarding the 1915
incidents.
Around 200 Turkish academics, writers and journalists are planning
to issue an apology to the Armenians.
Retired diplomats and ambassadors issued on Monday a response to the
attempt, saying the campaign is "unfair, wrong and unfavorable for
the national interests".
"Such an incorrect and one-sided attempt would mean disrespecting our
history and betraying our people who lost their lives in the violent
attacks of the terror organizations in the final days of the Ottoman
Empire, as well as after, during the formation of the Republic," the
statement issued by around 60 retired ambassadors and diplomats said.
Armenia, with the backing of the diaspora, claims up to 1.5 million
of their kin were slaughtered in orchestrated killings in 1915.Turkey
rejects the claims saying that 300,000 Armenians, along with at least
as many Turks, died in civil strife that emerged when Armenians took
up arms, backed by Russia, for independence in eastern Anatolia.
The issue remains unsolved as Armenia drags its feet in accepting
Turkey's proposal of forming a commission to investigate the claims.
The statement also acknowledged that the forced emigration of the
Armenians during World War One had created "sour" consequences,
but the pain of the Turkish people suffered from the Armenian riot,
as well as terror attacks, is as much as the Armenians.
The diplomats also said in order to improve the relations between
neighboring countries both sides should recognize each other's borders
and mutually share the pain each side suffered.
The statement was signed by CHP deputies Sukru Elekdag and Onur Oymen.
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