By Sabri Atman
The Turkish Republic, as the lawful successor of the Ottoman Empire, has a policy of denial and refuses to acknowledge the genocide despite overwhelming evidence. The Republic of Turkey was founded on the genocide of 1915 and even after 104 years the genocidal mentality remains. President Erdogan maintains, “Muslims cannot commit genocide.”
During the years of World War I more than half of the Assyrian population in the Ottoman Empire was systematically murdered. The majority of those that remained were either slaughtered, deported and forced to leave their homeland. That genocide of over half a million Assyrians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire in 1915 is a fact, but has largely been forgotten by the world. The pain of the Assyrian genocide is still a dark shadow over the Assyrian people. This pain and suffering continues in the collective memory of the Assyrians as Turkey continues to deny and publicly denounce responsibility for this largely forgotten crime during the First World War against the Assyrian, Armenian and Greeks. Obviously, the Turkish republic as the lawful successor of the Ottoman Empire keeps on advocating a denials policy and refuses the genocide that was committed against the Christians despite the overwhelming facts. The Turkish Republic, as the lawful successor of the Ottoman Empire, has a policy of denial and refuses to acknowledge the genocide despite overwhelming evidence. The Republic of Turkey was founded on the genocide of 1915 and even after 104 years the genocidal mentality remains. President Erdogan maintains, “Muslims cannot commit genocide.”
Kemal Yalçin is a Turkish author living in Germany. Yalçin has published many books about the Assyrian, Armenian and Greek genocide. He has done interviews on the genocide with many an Armenian and Assyrians. One of his books contains a passage of an old man that aptly summarizes the emotions and thoughts of many Assyrians. The old man spoke as follows: “Few of us have witnessed that great, horrible catastrophe. But its wounds have shaped our memories. I suffer even from its memory! Even though we didn’t experience those frightful days, those caravans to death, we bear their scars on us. And what did those that experienced those days do? In our region the killing of the Armenians was delegated to the Kurds. Everybody knows this. The Kurds use the term “The infidel massacre”. (I have to point out that the term “infidel” (gâvur) is a condescending term to depict Christians.) I’m by no means accusing all Kurds or Turks. My anger is directed to those that planned this catastrophe in detail. I will be relieved when all this is brought to light and is acknowledged. I don’t hate the Turks or the Kurds. They should be ashamed of themselves! But I prey that God will have them punished!”
These are the emotions and thoughts of the Assyrians as well. Our issue is with those that planned and implemented this genocide. Perhaps you will think that this is odd because the perpetrators are all dead. Yes they are. But it is on their heritage that a country was founded. The modern Republic of Turkey was founded in this manner. Turkey was homogenized, and this was solely due to the perpetrators. It is not an exaggeration to claim that the economic prosperity of successive political elites in Turkey could only be realized due to the genocide of the Christians. And I’m not aware of any serious research on this topic in Turkey so far.
The effects of the
genocide of 1915 were both economic and political. The present political elite
are still denying the genocide by asserting the following thesis: “the event is
a historical event, leave it to the historians”. I must say that this thesis
emanates from Turkeys wish to pacify and forget the whole issue. If it really
wanted to leave it to the historians, they would have been more tolerant to
dissenting academics. But we all know that it is impossible for any historian
to freely speak and write on the genocide.
With respect to this aspect, Turkey is far from being a democratic society.
Democratic societies don’t have taboos. The descendants of Assyrian, Armenian and
Greek victims of 1915 request acknowledgement and apologies for the atrocity
within the framework of international law.
Acknowledgement and
apology is the only right step to be taken with reference to the genocide.
Turkey will benefit greatly from critically scrutinizing its history because it
will receive more international respect. Denial will only bring the opposite.
Acknowledgement of the genocide does not only imply social maturity, but also
prevents future outbreaks of violence and persecution. Turkey’s reckoning with
its past, a growth of respect for human rights and an increase of
democratization will prove to be a great asset for the entire world.
Is there a difference between the mentality of the perpetrators of genocide, and those that deny one? The mentality I am talking about is in power today! This way of thinking is what we are opposing! We have no intention to foster hostility or hatred against Turkey or the Turkish people! Let us be aware that Turkey’s sordid past cannot be cleaned away with threats of Turkish leaders “we will do it again”, “So- called genocide”, “We will crush you forever”, or Erdogan’s “One Nation, One State, One Flag, One religion”. First and foremost, the Turkish state, which carries on its shoulder the historic responsibility of the Assyrian and Armenian genocide, owes us, the grandchildren of the victims, an apology!
I believe that the initial condition for eliminating these problems is not to compromise with history’s brutality. On the contrary, it is about not compromising! Every great nation has its disgraceful pages written in history. What is important, is what the nation learns, and embraces the chance to take responsibility, not just for the past, but also for the future generations to come!
Willy Brandt was the Prime Minister of Germany. Whilst visiting Poland he visited a monument to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust. He approached the monument, went down on his knees and apologized! This gesture, from an honorable statesman, opened the way to improve the relations between the German and Jewish peoples. It is well known that Willy Brandt actively struggled against the Nazi regime and that he lived in exile as a result. As an individual he bore no responsibility for the Nazi brutality. But as a German, he realized this was about collective responsibility and that his nation must apologize to the Jews. Willy Brandt gave the first step, on how a nation can take responsibility!
As for the Turkish Prime minister Tayip Erdogan and his foreigner minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, they have not demonstrated the same great statesmanship as Willy Brandt.
In reference to France and Italy’s recognition of the 1915 killings of Armenians as genocide, Minister Çavuşoğlu said “We are proud of our history because our history has never had any genocides. And no colonialism exists in our history,” at an event at Selçuk University in Konya on April 15.
The true democratization of Turkey is impossible without acknowledgment of the genocide.
