Armenian News ... A Topalian... keghart.com Unconvincing Turkish Arguments re the 'G' Word Samim Akgönül 6 July 2015

Once upon a time, I had become a good reader of Harry Potter 

thanks to my children. I watched, of course, the film series 

several  times. I noticed in this period: Voldemort is normally a 

person "who must not be named”, but everyone, without exception, 

knows that his name is Voldemort and says it. I remember asking 

my eldest son "but his name should not be said, how it is possible 

that everybody say his name?" He answered with a very serious 

expression: "No, only cowards do not say it."

In Turkey, reactions about the Armenian Genocide have 

become very bizarre in 2015. This has become more visible 

with the recent statements of the Pope and the decision of 

the European Parliament. 

Let’s first remember what happened, we will then examine the 

reactions.

On April 12, 2015, the Vatican, with the initiative of the Armenian 

Catholic Church, organized Holy Mass to mark the centenary of 

the Genocide. People retained their breaths in Turkey. Would 

Pope Francis say "genocide" or "massacre" at the services held 

at the centenary’s occasion? It would be nice if he says “massacre” 

or “disaster” ... We realized later that the issue was raised during 

Pope's visit to Turkey. "Say what you want, but not genocide," 

he had been told. Mehmet Paçaci, ambassador of Turkey to the 

Vatican, comforted Turkish hearts: "He will not say genocide."

The Holy Mass was attended by Armenia's head of state. The 

Pope stated: "In the past century, our human family has lived 

through three massive and unprecedented tragedies. The first,

 which is widely considered ‘the first genocide of the 20th century’, 

struck your own Armenian people."

Following the remarks, the ambassador was immediately recalled 

to Turkey for "consultation". He said that the Pope had not kept 

his promise and had exceeded his "religious" mission. "He has 

shamed by speaking of genocide," the ambassador said.

Every year on April 24, we can observe that people retain their 

breath for the statements of the Pope and the president of the 

United States. If they say “massacre”, “catastrophe” or “Great 

Calamity”, it's feast time in Ankara. But those who read the 

statements must be aware that these manifestations of joy 

diminish progressively. The word that starts with "G" long time 

ago became normal outside Turkey. As for the reactions to the 

pronunciation of the word, it should be noted that they can be 

used together or alternately by the same people. Depending on 

the situation, one or more of these reactions may appear. I could 

identify ten of these:

"In fact, we were massacred by them" : I heard this argument 

gradually less and less until 2015. Finally, there is an obvious 

demographic problem. But I see that this argument is resurrected 

in 2015 probably due to the tactics that can be summarized as 

"the best defense is attack." According to the last Ottoman census 

of 1914, there were 13 million Muslims and 1,800,000 Armenians 

in the country (There were also 1,600,000 Greeks). According to 

the first census of Republic of Turkey in 1927, the Armenian 

population was 64,000. Fuat Dündar has several times written 

on this subject. It is not necessary to give more details here.

“They committed massacres also”: There is here a fundamental 

and structural problem, outside the statistical abyss discussed 

below. This argument makes equal the possible crimes committed 

by Armenians--while the principle must be the individuality of 

crimes --and the mass crime committed by the Ottoman State. 

Thus the Turks identify themselves with the Ottoman State. 

"They collaborated with the Russians" : This was the most 

widespread argument. But it was gradually abandoned when it 

became difficult to explain why Armenian participation in the 

Russian army in the Kars region could be pretext for deportations 

in the provinces of Eskisehir, Malatya or Edirne? I still hear the 

arguments sometimes.

"This kind of things happens in war": Of course this kind of 

things does not happen during war. If they happen, they are 

considered war crimes. In addition, there was no war in most 

of the places where "this kind of thing" happened in Anatolia.

"But Muslims are killed in the world and you say nothing 

about it" : This argument is problematic on three points. First, 

it is an anachronism and a comparison of things that could not 

be compared. Second, any massacres cannot be a pretext for 

another massacre. Third, no. We say many things about it.

"But Americans also massacred Indians": This is a confession. 

That means "Yes, we also committed massacres." In addition, 

the United States does not deny it and has given status to 

survivors. Besides, should be barbaric because there are other 

examples of savagery?

"But the French massacred Algerians and the Germans 

the Namibians": You can expand the list. See above.

"We should leave this subject to the historians": This is an 

important argument. But there are several issues. First, which 

historians? Who will select the historians? Secondly, historians 

have written entire volumes on this subject. There are very 

few things unknown. Imagine that a historians’ commission is, 

by chance, established. Let’s suppose that this commission has 

done its research and has given its verdict (even if an historian 

cannot give a verdict). If the commission said "this was genocide" 

those who oppose the definition will reject the decision. Or let’s 

suppose that the commission ruled it was not genocide. Will the 

Armenians accept the decision? I repeat: an historian does not 

judge. He consults and analyzes documents.

There is also the famous question of the archives. Based on 

the documents from archives around the world, historians have 

written about the genocide that was decided and committed 

against Ottoman Armenians. Not all archives in Turkey accessible. 

For example, general staff's are not. The accessible archives are 

those that have been cleaned and they are not open to everyone. 

Lastly, the Armenian Genocide is not just a question about history. 

For a nation, it is a question of reconciliation and strengthening its 

weak foundations. The Armenian Genocide issue is significant 

to save Turkey. It has no relation to Armenians.

"Our common pains": This is a new argument. If it included the 

meaning "the pain that Armenians suffered between 1909 and 1915 

and later are also the pain that we share," we might appreciate it.

But this is not the case. It means "we also have been killed 

(whatever that means), we also have pain; we cannot take care 

of you." This argument has also "don’t compare the suffering" 

version. But saying it, already compares pains. 

"The notion of genocide did not exist in 1915" : It is a technical 

argument. It is the strongest of the used arguments. Those who 

use this argument agree that Armenians were exterminated in 

1915. But they say that genocide is a legal concept that was 

created after World War II and the Armenian Genocide can not 

be qualified as genocide (at least, those who are the most 

reasonable say that). The weaknesses of this argument are 

the following: jurist Raphael Lemkin, who first used the term 

"genocide", claimed that he coined the word inspired by the 

Armenian and Jewish Genocides. Second, the definition of 

genocide fits what Armenians suffered. Lastly, the water was 

always water before it was defined as H2O.

Am I wrong? Voldemort's face did not become clearer with 

each episode.

Mr. Samim Akgönül is a Turkish historian and political scientist .


news.am 

Italian writer: More Turks refuse to shut their eyes and ears 

over Armenian Genocide
18.07.2015

A book of the famous Italian Armenian Antonia Arslan, coauthored 

with sociologist Enzo Pace, has come out through the Italian EDB
Punlishers. The book `Forget Genocide: Long memory of Armenian 

people' tells that despite anything the Turkish intellectuals are opening 

for themselves the truth about the tragedy, the Italian newspaper 

Avvenire reports. The co-authors exchange their opinions in the 

article.

`Enzo Pace: We have often talked about how the Turkish historical
memory about the Armenian Genocide is being erased. I have 

colleagues in several Turkish universities who openly state about 

this, noting the necessity to confront the past, as the Germans did

with regard to the Holocaust. This is told by journalists and used to 

be mentioned more carefully by several politicians from the current 

ruling party (but during the talks on Turkey's accession to the EU). 

We think that deciding to reopen the old pages means to have 

courage to address the unresolved issues of democracy, which 

hasn't yet matured and is too nation-centric, sparking intolerance 

towards numerous cultural, religious and ethnic minorities.

Antonia Arslan: The foundation of the denial of Genocide, which has
become a dogma since the establishment of the republic, is more
apparently developing cracks. Not at the level of state ideology, but
in public opinion, in the minds of many Turks, whether this is among
the circles of culture, journalism, science or ordinary people,
including those in the most distant regions in the east of Anatolia.
There is a growth in the number of Turks, who don't want to shut their
eyes and ears, who give different opinion, although not openly. The
fiction about the state, based on the pride of the Turkish blood, is
more strongly showing its fragility.

It's important to understand that the question here is not only about
Armenians. The policy of young Turks included extermination of other
Christian minorities (Greeks and Assyrians) as well, and the
assimilation of Muslim minorities, including Kurds.

Enzo Pace: Despite the significantly large Armenian community in the
United States, the the decisive acknowledgement of the Armenian
Genocide by the US Government doesn't take place. What is the
obstacle?

Antonia Arslan: Turkey has always been the loyal ally of the United
States, while the latter has large American bases on Turkey's
territory. The constant pressure [by Turkey] on the US government
makes it practically impossible to officially acknowledge the
Genocide.' 

ahram.org 

EGYPT'S POPE TAWADROS PRAYS FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE 

VICTIMS IN LEBANON
20 Jul 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Egypt's Coptic Pope Tawadros II prayed on Sunday in Lebanon's 

Armenian Orthodox Church for the slain victims of the Armenian 

Massacre at the hand of the Ottoman Empire, Ahram Online 

reports.

The pope also prepared the holy Chrism, an anointing mixture of
virgin olive oil and other herbs that date back to biblical times,
along with the Armenian Catholicos Aram I.

The pope landed in Lebanon on Friday and is scheduled to return home
by midweek, Coptic Orthodox Church Spokesman Fr. Boulas Halim told
Ahram Online.

Pope Tawadros' visit included a meeting with the Copts of the Levant.

This is the second time Tawadros prepared the holy Chrism since his
ordination in November 2012. The first time was in April 2014 at St.

Pishoy Monastery.

Last April, Tawadros flew to Armenia to participate in the hundredth
anniversary of the Armenian genocide in the capital Yerevan.

At the time, Tawadros said his visit represents pure religious support
from the Coptic Church to its brotherly Armenian Orthodox church.

armradio.am 

"GENOCIDE AFTER GENOCIDE" EXHIBITION TO BE DISPLAYED 

AT THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT - PHOTOS
17 Jul 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

An exhibition titled "Genocide after Genocide" opened today at the
Union of Architects of Armenia. Thirty-two posters in Armenian and
English present the monuments of Western Armenia destroyed by Turkish
authorities.

The exhibition was previously displayed in Stepanakert, Ijevan and
Vanadzor. This fall it will be taken to Brussels and will be on
display at the European Parliament. It will later move to other
European cities, including Lyon and Amsterdam.

Samvel Karapetyan, President of the Research on Armenian Architecture
Fund, said at the opening ceremony that the initiative aims to show
what has been happening in our historic homeland ever since 1915.

According to him, the current generations must be informed about our
cultural legacy. "If the monuments are endangered, we have a duty to
keep the public informed about the cultural genocide," he said.

CAN TURKEY CONFRONT ITS PAST?
Today's Zaman, Turkey
July 16 2015
GUNAL KURÅ~^UN

In my last article, about the Srebrenica genocide, which was
commemorated for the 20th time annually by thousands last week, I
wrote that I recognized a great importance in Serbian Prime Minister
Aleksandar Vucic's visit to Srebrenica. Though he was the target
of the ongoing rage of the crowd, I think he has to understand it,
and I've received dozens of comments on my article, which brought to
mind another issue.

I discussed in my article that his visit was a very brave move,
comparable only to former German Chancellor Willy Brandt's kneeled
apology to Polish Jews during a visit to a Warsaw ghetto in 1970.

Brandt was not guilty himself, but he apologized on behalf of his
nation. Neither was Vucic guilty, and we have to view his visit as
an apology on behalf of Serbs who would like to repair ties with
their neighbors. What would happen if a similar visit was made by
a Turkish prime minister? What would be the consequences for Turkey
and her neighbors?

Let's visualize together that a Turkish prime minister makes a visit
to Armenia's capital Yerevan and that his first stop coming from
the airport is Tsitsernakaberd, specifically the Armenian Genocide
Memorial Museum. Even before seeing his Armenian counterpart, feeling
sincere agony, the Turkish prime minister gets down on his knees and
reads a silent Fatiha, a chapter from the Koran, for all the souls
and victims, both Armenian and Turkish, who suffered. Is this so
unreasonable to expect?

Maybe a more realistic dream could come true: As is known, Serbia's
former president, Boris Tadic, has already apologized, first
to Bosnians and then to Croats, for war crimes committed by his
nationals during war. Tadic was the first major Serbian politician
to apologize for the atrocities committed. This apology triggered a
storm of criticism in 2007. Vucic, a former secretary-general of the
Serbian Radical Party, blamed Tadic for "admitting to something that
objectively didn't exist."

Earlier this week, I read in a newspaper that Rejha Avdic, the
mother of a Srebrenica victim, has said: "Yesterday, Serbia's former
President Tadic told Vucic, 'Go to Srebrenica and apologize to the
people there.' Vucic replied: 'I'll never admit that it was genocide.

I'll go to Srebrenica with my head held high.'" This explains, though
does not justify, the bottles and stones thrown at Vucic during his
visit, but can you see how similar these situations are?

I'm sure that in our more realistic dream, the Turkish prime minister
would use exactly the same words as Vucic and "never admit that it
was a genocide," but still go to Tsitsernakaberd.

Confronting the past requires courage, and Vucic showed some this
week. He definitely knew that if Serbia wants to be a part of the
civilized world and find peace, he had to attend the 20th commemoration
of the Srebrenica genocide in order to show that Serbia is ready to
confront its shameful past.

Whenever I say this, I receive two types of responses. The first type
says that these two incidents are not comparable, that Serbia lost
the war but Turkey won, so I shouldn't expect an apology from the
winner, as winners don't apologize. I also receive responses asking
why I don't ever write about the Hocaly genocide Armenians committed
against Azeris, or about the Akkerman Turks of Crimea, or the Muslim
minority in Greece, the Turkish minority in Bulgaria, or the Uyghur
Turks in China. Indeed, all these subjects deserve an article each,
but in this article, I would like to express a selfish approach.

These are not Turkey's problems, these are Turks' problems. These
are Armenia's, Russia's, Geece's, Bulgaria's or China's problems. Of
course, they have to confront the atrocities they committed, but it
is something for those countries' prime ministers to confront. If
they do, their countries will benefit. My attitude is that it is
important to first clean out the closet. Should winners sometimes
apologize? I believe so, if they have the conscience to, and if the
truth sets everyone free. 

armradio.am 

UNITING CHURCH IN AUSTRALIA RECOGNIZES THE ARMENIAN 

GENOCIDE
21 Jul 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

The Uniting Church in Australia has formally acknowledged that the
Armenian massacres and forced deportations constitute a genocide.

The UCA is the third denomination at a national level to acknowledge
the genocide that took place 100 years ago.

Carried out during and after World War I under the Turkish Government,
the genocide was implemented in two phases - the wholesale killing
of the able-bodied male population and subjection of army conscripts
to forced labour.

This was followed by the deportation of women, children, the elderly
and infirm on death marches leading to the Syrian desert.

Driven forward by military escorts, the deportees were deprived of
food and water and subjected to periodic robbery, rape, and massacre.

The total number of people killed as a result has been estimated at
1.5 million. A further one million were displaced.

Rev. Dr Krikor Youmshajekian from St Andrews Longueville Uniting
Church and former minister at the Willoughby Armenian Evangelical
Uniting Church of Sydney addressed the Assembly.

"In the years of 1915-1918, the Armenian people were under the grip
of annihilation and the brutal plans of genocide - but God saved
this first Christian nation from being wiped out, said Rev. Dr
Youmshajekian.

Rev. Dr Youmshajekian said that many countries and many communities
in Australia had been involved in providing support, relief, food,
and safe places for the Armenian people to live.

"By accepting this proposal the assembly will keep the story of the
first Christian nation alive," he said, giving thanks to the many
Uniting Church congregations who had held liturgies to commemorate
the genocide.

Rev. Dr Chris Walker, National Consultant for Christian Unity Doctrine
and Worship, told the Assembly that it was deeply fitting for the
Uniting Church to make give this acknowledgement as the Armenian
people mark the 100 year anniversary of the Genocide.

Rev. Dr Walker acknowledged that both the World Christian Council
and the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA)had made statements
acknowledging the massacre that took place and the suffering of the
Armenian community.

"Accepting this proposal would be an act of ecumenical solidarity with
the Armenian people who have suffered so much and continue to do so."

After the proposal was adopted a prayer was offered by the NSW
Moderator Rev. Dr Myung Hwa Park, both sung and spoken in Korean
and English.

The 14th Assembly has also agreed to:

commend the NSW and SA governments in acknowledging the Armenian
Genocide and encourage the Federal and other state governments to
do the same affirm the value of recognising a date on or near the
anniversary of the Armenian genocide, as a day of observance and
commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.

Request the National Consultant Christian Unity, Doctrine and Worship
to prepare