On April 24-25, I gave a commemoration lecture in Istanbul and then spoke at a conference in Ankara on the Armenian Genocide and its consequences. Speaking to an audience of predominantly Turkish intellectuals and activists during both events, I emphasized the importance of the work they are doing—right in the heart of denial—to create awareness of the Armenian Genocide.
In our critique of the discourse of progressive intellectuals in Turkey, as we sit in the comfort of our offices and homes and community centers in the diaspora, we sometimes forget the circumstances in which they are saying what they are saying, and the kind of audience they are “trying to convert.”
Which is why it was important for me to go Turkey and speak there. This was not a one-time event to make a point, however. I will do it again and again. As I spoke in Istanbul and Ankara, I started by saying that even when I make my arguments in Turkey, I am nowhere near as vulnerable to the pressures and threats as they are. After all, I am a tourist—I say what I want and leave the country. I do not need to live every day with the consequences of my words.
These consequences do no make the issue of intellectual responsibility any less important, however. Intellectual responsibility is crucial when talking about the Armenian Genocide in Turkey not despite the pressures, but exactly because of them. Regardless of what tactics progressive intellectuals use to generate a healthy discussion in Turkey, care should be taken to not get carried away by the tactics (generally based on concessions) and forget the goal.
One such issue is the framing of 1915 as a matter of democracy and freedom of speech in Turkey today. This is, of course, a good way of engaging otherwise uninterested people in the struggle of memory against amnesia and denial in Turkey. But the Armenian Genocide is first and foremost an issue of justice. An entire nation was not uprooted, murdered, and dispossessed so that 100 years later, those events are used to bring democracy and freedom of speech to Turkey.
The argument I repeatedly made in Turkey on April 24-25 was: Yes, we should be invested in defending democracy and freedom of speech in Turkey. But not at the expense of justice.
Dr. Khatchig Mouradian
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I agree completely. The tactics are varied and intended to enhance dialogue and increase recognition of the genocide among Turks, but the goal is singular: justice. We need to take care in walking the tightrope of negotiations along the path to justice, that we do not compromise our ultimate goal.
Concisely, just because intellectuals and human rights activists in Turkey must speak a certain way does not require us to speak in the same way even when we support their efforts. We can appreciate why they hold certain positions without embracing them ourselves. We have the freedom to speak in our own voice and an obligation to defend our rights.
YES INDEED…Justice is our ultimate goal…
Gayane
I deeply respect the courage of the “some Turkish intellectuals” or other individuals who speak about the Armenian Genocide and the courage of Armenians who go to Turkey to talk about the Genocide, raising various questions pertaining to the Armenian Genocide.
But I am uncomfortable with the importance given to these events. Justice for the Genocide is Justice for the Armenian Question, and Justice for the Armenian Question means TERRITORIAL COMPENSATIONS. I don’t care about a Turk returning a home to an Armenian. I care about Armenian historic lands returned to the state of Armenia in a manner that secures the National Security of Armenia and gives it access to the sea in an way that cannot be hindered or controlled by Turkey in the future. And I have yet to hear any Turkish intellectual recognizing the Armenian Genocide talk about this.
The atmosphere in Turkey is not ripe for it? Maybe. In that case, allow me to doubt all what is going on currently as “dialog between intellectuals” as an effort by Turket to let some steam out from the pressure cooker to further its own political ploys.
“I care about Armenian historic lands returned to the state of Armenia in a manner that secures the National Security of Armenia and gives it access to the sea in an way that cannot be hindered or controlled by Turkey in the future…”
I have a suggestion… how about writing a petition to the Turksih government? I can not see why they would not be interested in this very reasonable request. They seem to be good at this anyway. All they need to do is ethnically cleanse their own people from half of the their own country and make room for Armenians. Yes, it makes so much sense. As you demand they should do this in a way that preserves the security of Gretaer Armenia. They should do this because it is the right thing to do, and besides it would be too much to ask for Armenians to fend for themsleves against 50M angry Turks and worse, Kurds, not to mention Assyrians, Arabs and Greeks and who knows who else. After all, billions of people can trace their ancestors to these lands. Maybe those darn Kemalists should be all marched through Sahara, and maybe we can time it to take place around 2015. Now that would be a meaningful act, no? I am not sure why no one else thought of this before!
I cannot see why the Turkish government wouldn’t be interested in the very reasonable suggestion by Murat. Armenians know firsthand how good the Turkish state is at murdering and relocating older, more civilized nations. Indeed, in 1915-1923 the state ethnically cleansed their own people of Armenian descent from all of their own ancestral lands and made room for Turks and Kurds. Therefore, it makes so much sense in Murat’s suggestion to play the whole thing back by means of ongoing petitions to the governments of the world that will ultimately make Turkey acknowledge the annihilation of a millennia-old, indigenous Western Armenian civilization. Restoration of historical justice for Armenia would make modern Turks angry? Then with the same token imagine how, mildly speaking, angry the Armenians are, who decades before experienced the barbarity of the Turks: nomadic tribes that invaded Asia Minor in the 11th century AD and then formed their Ottoman empire, the prison of nations.
Throughout history, the six provinces of Van, Bitlis, Diyarbekir (Arm: Tigranakert), Kharberd, Erzerum, and Sivas (Arm: Sebastia), cumulatively known as Western Armenia, were populated predominantly by Armenians for millennia before all of them were mass exterminated or deported by the Turkish state. Armenians don’t need to trace ancestors in those lands, we know and the world knows, and even the Turks know, that we were there for millennia.
A counter suggestion: why won’t you try to answer the question as to why there are Armenians no more on these lands and why for 95 years they demand justice?
IAO.. THANK YOU.. I was going to list every province in Turkey to show that majority of the inhabitants were Armenians at that time.. We both know Murat is ignorant of the true history…
Murat is swimming in his own imagination and he needs to be forgiven.
I call upon Jesus Christ to give me patience and allow me to control my frustration because of Murat and his kind who deliberetly trying to stir the pot and acting like smat a********es***… That includes our own beloved Karekin..Oh how much I love his comments… It is like killing me softly.. Torture..
Jirayr.. Yes qo het em 100%.. The lands and everythign else that was taken from us should be given back… .. And yes, Greeks, Assyrians, Bulgarians and everyone who suffered during the Genocide should also demand their lost properties…..
Gayane
Maybe those darn Kemalists should be all marched through Sahara, and maybe we can time it to take place around 2015. Now that would be a meaningful act, no? I am not sure why no one else thought of this before!
Murat, someone thought of it before. You are talking to a whole audience made up of the survivors of this “idea” of yours
Gayane – haha, I learned an expression from a friend today! I will not say it to anybody but share with you her father’s expression …
“Ter dasu daree goozes vor esh ullas”
LOL… soooo funny Jenine…:)
I wish we had another way to get connected… do you have a facebook account?
I still need to locate Gary’s daughter’s profile…:)
Gayane