Opinion
Akcam: Beyond Roadmaps and Protocols: Obstacles and Opportunities in Turkey’s Path to Peace with Armenians
This article was written explicitly for an American audience in late spring 2009. When I penned it, there was no sign on the horizon of a rapprochement between Armenia and Turkey. I haven’t changed anything in the article, since recent developments are only a confirmation of what I had suggested last spring.
The purpose of this article
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The term “conflict” implies an equal fault from both sides. Nothing could be further from the truth. I’m not quit sure how one race deciding to exterminate another defenseless race off of their ancestral homeland and then continuing that mass murder through threats, denial economic blockade etc. constitutes a “conflict”. Turkey is a criminal state and one should make no mistake. It should be acknowledged as such an treated as such. This article also forgot to mention the biggest Turkish flaw and that is the “master race” mentality that still permeates Turkish society. This mentality is the core of all it’s criminal activities ie: It’s “right” to deport. It’s “right” to murder. It’s “right ” to lie, steal, violate and oppress it minorities. Last, Turkey will not change from within. Being the ultra opportunist that it is, the only time Turkey will change is when the “opportunity” to come to terms with it criminal past, to be democratic, to respect all it’s minorities is greater to do so. This pressure only comes from the outside not from within, when it has no choice but to do it. When the rest of the world unites and says this type of behavior is no longer acceptable that is when Turkey will change.
Thank you to Mr. Taner Akcam for this article.
As we have seen and observed recently US pressure on Turkey is has been minimal, not only because of national interest or security but unfortunately at this time main obstacles believe to be the Israel lobbies which has further complicated the whole issue.
– The United States of America has always used Turkey for its own psycho-political purposes against the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and now, the USA is trying to use Turkey against Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran;
– The conflict is between Turkey and Russia, not Turkey and Armenia;
– A more severe and serious conflict is between Kurds and Turks inside the Republic of Turkey.
Although I agree with the bulk of what our Anatolian brother says in the article, there is a pink elephant in the room everyone has ignored. There is a demographic bubble of Turkish youth in the urban centers that are a hybrid kind of Turk. Islamic and ultra nationalist, a kind of hyper-ottoman cadre of the future where european norms will be shed for nationalist-traditionalist ones. They are young and without direction but that will change. Turkey will go from the ataturk quote of ‘peace at home, peace abroad’ to which way to baku, yerevan, tabriz, kirkuk, batumi and salonika. If you think the ottoman empire was bad, wait till mid century, nothing will stop the blood lust of Turks. There are ways to stop this from happening but Western Civilization/liberal democracy has run out of steam for self preservation.
Taner Akcam is a good sociologist who understands Turkiys Society and Government and Political Parties goal…It is unlikly that AKP , now in power will go to extreme Islam due to certain restrains in legal and military pressure and maybe AKP itself accepted moderate Islam. However, as Taner Akcam mentions in its recommendion some form of retributive and restitution for Kurds…but he did not go to mention these issue on Armenian case.
So, should we understand, no homework for Armenian side?
From this article, I gather that the ball is at the Turkish / Armenian /US court.
It is very unusual for an international ‘conflict’ that one side is completely free of responsibilities; as nothing is black and white in real-life.
And if that was the case, why the Armenian Government signed a protocol with Turkey? Why did Armenia accept some responsibilities, action items for herself for this road?
Mr.Akcam’s this article might be reflecting not the democratic will of Armenians, but the view of a certain political fundamentalists in Armenia who does not like normalization of relationship between 2 countries… As Mr.Akcam frequently is hosted by certain Armenian diaspora organizations in USA, it seems to me that he is paying his dues now, to block this roadmap…
He makes very broad and sweeping statements without suppport, generalizations without backup, and with a very judgemental tone, devoid of scientific objectivity.
There are so many holes, it is not worth a complete review. He manages to fill pages here without a single mention of armed Armenian rebellions, attrocities and terroist acts committed by the revolutionaries, their unpunished crimes, their Greater Armenia plans and ambitions still alive today. No mention of Dashnak and Hinchak who carry the real responsibility for the tragedy that Armenians suffered.
He mocks how everything related to this topic is made into a matter of Turkish national security and a false taboo, while right here average Armenians discuss if and when they recover Greater Armenia what to do the with the hords of Muslim majority there! He claims Turks are made paranoid for self serving reasosn alone while his masters have clearly taken position against the protocols because it implies recognition of Turkey’s borders amng other things.
He stubbornly ignores how Armenia’s reversal of their invasion of Azerbeycan and a postive development there could help reconciliation more than anythign else and AKP or any other government can not possibly go further without a real gain on this fundemental and strategic issue. According to Taner, there is no releationship. Instead his advice is more outside pressure, which is sure way to create a deeper backlash and confirm the worst conspiracy theories afoot.
He seems to be oblivious to the concept and model of a nation state when it comes to Turkey. A model Turks were the last to adopt. A war that they fought against the colonial and imperial powers defined the country, not ethnicity or religion. A complete opposite of Armenia and Greece for example. He studiously ignores how the trauma of the WWI and the Independence War defined the regime and the role of military in it. He ignores the fact that ALL regimes are unique, shaped by their unique path in history and culture. By its very nature every new regime bad-mouths the previous one, so did Ataturk and his friends. They needed to contrast. Turkey today stands as proof that they mostly did right.
What is the responsibility of Armenians in all this? Apparently none.
Please give me a break! What is he talking about that is worth listening in this long, repetitive essay?
Everything is changing, except Mr. Akcam, himself, which he apparently has the same opinions he had 30 years ago.
He seems not to get over his Soviet-strong leftist interpretation of the dynamics in Turkey.
Talk to some different people than the ones in your usual circle Mr Akcam to have a better understanding of Turkey. You fool no one when you voice someone else’s opinions.
Hye, John, you have shown the Turk as the Turk is , from the Ottomans down to the present day, in all the actions of the Turkish leaderships as well. Are Turks going to admit to their own citizens that they have lied in all their denials of the Armenian Genocide? The only way is for the Turkish government to be replaced as was the Nazi government of Germany after WWII… The current leaderships make agreements/break agreements; make alliances/break alliances, and more. Not many of the civilized nations of the world, today, acts in this errotic behavior. It is as if watching an
immature adult acting as an immature teenager – who has yet to mature and behave as a civilized and dependable reliable adult. Not today, Turkey acts as a spoiled brat, too, a bully. Manooshag
Mr. Taner Akcam is morally derived and truthfully explains us in detail all the malignant problems that befouls Turkey for what it has been a 100 years, and the fact that it hasn’t changed since then.
John, I agree with your analysis and I must add that the rest of the world; meaning the most powerful nations in the world, (U.S., England, Russia, France) must change their ways of playing real polytik in the world for them to gain economically and more power to themselves, but forgetting their stand for morality, righteousness and ethics. If the powerful nations of today truly want peace in the world; then they cannot deny Genocides of the past by being silent and siding with a denyalist government such as Turkey; because it will come to haunt them, proof is today’s Sudan’s barbarity against the Darfurians and their acts of mimicking Turkey. For Turkey has shown them how to play around and dodge the Armenian Genocide by filling the pockets of U.S.’s congressmen, and forever shutting the mouths of the martyrs and their heirs from gaining even as little as acceptance of their miseries throughout 94 years since the Genocide. The shame lies to the superpowers of today, and not just Turkey or Sudan; but the US, England, Russia, France who cease to act morally and ethically in the world. They are therefore punishing the memory of the martyrs from the Genocide and their heirs; yet rewarding the countries that committed Genocides and continue to deny it, such as Turkey and Sudan.
Dear Taner,
Thanks for this article containing your clear vision as to what may be a way forward. I am aware of your profound knowledge of the Armenian Question and the way Turkish society works. I found many of your points very insightful, not least when comparing them with what Hrant Dink said in his time. I also appreciate that this forum gives me a chance to write to you directly.
Your approach is (rightfully) global, so let us consider some more recent global events:
Nobody held the hands of hundreds of millions of East Europeans when Communism crumbled. Needless to say that nobody apologized to them for Cold War policies. Most of these people now live the EU.
Nobody held the hands of the whole German nation earlier, when Willi Brandt knelt down at the memorial in the Warsaw Ghetto. Now, against many odds, Germany is unified again. It is the largest country in the EU.
Why does the World, and Armenians as some of those mostly affected, owe Turkey the good will to be patient?
You postulate that Turkey is a factor which has serious weight in world politics, but avoid commenting on the futility of this weight. You also do not mention its counterweight; several years ago Jewish scholars came up with a (almost forgotten) study that Turkey’s GDP is on par with the cummulative Republic of Armenia and Diaspora equivalent of GDP. Otherwise the Armenian Question would have been conveniently long forgotten by now, wouldn’t it? Waiting for the right moment for things to happen in Turkey reminds me of a famous piece of Samuel Beckett – how long to wait: 5, 10 years, one generation, another century? I think this was the souce of misunderstandings between Hrant and some members of the Diaspora.
You would say, we can do only things that can be done. If I agree with you, I would be putting myself in the “realpolitik overrules morality” camp. You say in your article that this cannot be a lasting solution. Godot has to come soon and I am not convinced the Turkish intelligencia sees the problem in this way. And while they have a steep and slippery hill to climb, I have all members of my family but one, still unburried in the killing fields around Sebinkarahisar. This was some 500-600km from the Russian positions, at a time when the fastest means of mass military transport was the horse. This should be easy to grasp by anyone in present day Turkey.
To Seervart:
The U.S., England, Russia, and France have all committed genocide. They know the value of genocide. They have gained economically and geopolitically from genocide and other crimes against humanity. Sudan raped, murdered and enslaved 2 million Christians and Animists in southern Sudan before the Darfur crisis. In the next two years they will go back to killing and forced Islamization in the south. Genocide will never be stopped. turks have contempt for Armenians and have but one desire: to continue the Armenian genocide.
To Mehmet:
Taner Akcam’s reason for being is to truely democratize and pacify the blood lust of the turkish people. The Germans were an aggressive murderous bunch for well over 2,000 years. Now they have been pacified. Akcam is only using the Armenian genocide issue for the good of the turkish people not the Armenian. He is against restoration of Armenian existence on the Armenian Plateau. Without complete justice there can not be peace.
To Murat:
Apparently you have not received the latest turkish propaganda memo. Your diatribe is so 1980’s. The evidence is overwhelming that their was no rebellion 1915 and there was no attempt in 1915 for recreating Greater Armenia. I know you truely believe your kemalist masters, but seriously, every excuse turks have made for the ethnic cleansing and mass murder of the Armenian people from their ancestral patrimony just does not holdwater with all the evidence, especially the German and Austrian political intelligence done in turkey during world war one. The Germans and Austrians made it clear that what was going on in turkey in 1915 was ‘race extermination’ and that rebellions were made up to facilitate the Armenian genocide.
Greater Armenia will be Armenian inhabited again, as well as Lesser Armenia, Commagene and Cilicia. As for those illegally occupy Armenian lands… I, as a pan turanist, think the best option is relocation…
May God bless him for his unwaivering quest for the truth, bearing true witness and extreme courage.
“Taner Akcam’s reason for being is to truely democratize and pacify the blood lust of the turkish people. The Germans were an aggressive murderous bunch for well over 2,000 years.”
I am curious,; do some of you folks get together in open fields in the middle of the night and dance around a big burning cross dressed in white coats with long white cones on your heads?
Taner is a relic of 70s, a rusty socialist still fighting long dead ideals and models.
Herif,
We all know you have your playbook on how to handle Akcam, socialist, relic, dead ideas etc very Reaganesque-kemalist 80’s. But you Murat, your rhetorical constructs are bipolar at best. Referencing the kkk about mentioning historic German barbarity shows how the enemies of truth go about their business. Taking things out of context, lies sprinkled with truth, out and out lies etc..
The rhetorical constructs/sophistry used by turks to deny the truth is I believe a mental illness because whatever the deniers of genocide cite is a manifestation of pure delirium. Compared to turks throughout history the kkk is a benevolent peaceful male bonding group. Trust me Murat nothing you have to say about the Armenian genocide or Armenian history holds water. Every Armenian genocide denial factoid is absolute intellectual fantasy. Your only way to fight back is to not use reason but using hit and run tactics of attacking the messenger and some how (ludicrous in your last post) demonize the ideas when, in fact there is no basis in fact. So Murat become an intelligent participant. If you have ideas without vitriol then present them, if not then go away.
The latest violations of elementary norms of democratic behaviour by all the organs and institutions of the Turkish state – this time against Kurdish democratic parties – is proof once again that it is incapable of reform from within and must be abolished from without, as the Nazi state was.
Mr Akcam’s analysis, a masterly distillation of his two great works (A Shameful Act, and From Empire to Republic), do not withstand the evidence and, at the end of the day amount to wishful thinking.
Let’s be clear about this: The Kurdish democratic movement, including the top leadership of the PKK, declare a ceasefire for the nth time, lay down their arms and leave the mountains and hand themselves over to the Turkish authorities only for the Deep State to conspire a terrorist attack against its own soldiers with a view to sabotaging the peace initiative of the Kurdish democratic movement with the Turkish ruling party – AKP- and provoking armed struggle again. Then the “Constitutional Court” in Ankara declares the Kurdish Democratic Society Party, which has been vocal and instrumental in bringing about the peace initiative, ceasefire and the dialogue, illegal! All this happening just before major local and national elections in Turkey where the ruling “reformist” AKP party, headed by Erdoghan and Gul, are seen by many to be very vulnerable and worried about losing big time in Kurdish areas, where people are supporting the Kurdish Democratic Society Party in their droves.So the Deep State does its usual terrorist trick, the judiciary throws in its bit while the AKP ruling party/government is coordinating the attack behind the scenes – or at best wrings its hands with pleasure at the abolition of a major minority democratic party in the middle of a Deep State provoked almost civil war situation!Conclusion: there is no capacity or inclination for reform or dialogue from within Turkey, as the ideology and culture are deeply racist and Turkish ultra-nationalist. Indeed the situation is hardly different from Nazi Germany which had to be destroyed from without, by the combined efforts of the civilised world – the Allies – before German society itself and all its neighbouring peoples and countries could be rid of the poison of Nazi racist militarism and foundations of a democratic German state could be laid – only on the total ruins of the racist-militarist Nazi state.The denial of the Armenian Genocide by the same racist state and its continued deep hostility towards and hatred of the Armenian people and the Republic of Armenia are parts and parcel of the same problem, as are the continued occupation of Cyprus and saber-rattling with Greece in the Aegean – to mention but a few of the problems caused by Turkey.The Turkish state, therefore, including its “reformist” AKP government, are clearly incapable of effecting any real reforms, despite their pretences and Mr Taner Akcam’s good intentions and wishful thinking; unfortunately for him, the evidence simply is not there. If anything the Deep State, were it to develop biological or chemical weapons, not to mention nuclear ones, soon could actually cause a serious threat to all its European neighbours – Bulgaria, Greece and even Russia. It must be destroyed and abolished by the civilised world before that tragic stage is reached which will additionally lay the foundations for a truly democratic society in Turkey itself for the benefit of all the peoples living in Turkey.
You are right Dino as that’s what Turks wish to do. They want to continue their stupid idiotic sick and warped dreams of pan-turanism but they will not do away with Armenia, that will not happen. Instead as you have already mentioned; we shall have back Greater Armenia, Lesser Armenia and «Աստուծոյ կամքով ԾՈՎԻՑ ԾՈՎ ՀԱՅԱՍՏԱՆ մեր երկիրը դրախդավայր»:
‘ I, as a pan turanist, think the best option is relocation…”
You mean Tehcir? You are confusing it with deportation probably. Then again there is so little you get right.
What if no one person has all the right or wrong answers? What if we mute the noise in our minds and listen to our hearts? What if we consider some of the points raised by Mr. Akcam? What if we consider the opposite viewpoints? What if the very point of the article is to just consider with open minds and open hearts? What if the discussions are around round tables as opposed to square ones? What if it’s not about choosing sides but choosing truth? God Bless!
In my view people like Taner Akcam and Orham Pamuk(and others) should be viewed as positive role model in Turkey. They have brought honor to Turkey as Turks contributing to the greater society… be it academics or journalism. Forgetting our Armenian perspective, there work is a good thing for Turkey.The fact that they have not been received in an appropriate manner illustrates how far Turkey has to go. As Armenians, we need to encourage this type of civil society emerging inTurkey. We have much to learn as Armenians(especially in the diaspora) have had little contact with Turks for many years. We are neighbors and always will be. It is in our mutual interest to learn from each other. The objectives of our sacred Armenian Cause will nor be achieved without a meaningful engagement with Turkish society…civil, political, cultural, academic, etc. This must be our motivation and as the anger in our hearts subsides… perhaps, just perhaps, we may make a few friends. Our cause will be best served with commitment and a pure heart.
Murat:
I do mean relocation, albeit temporary. A sunni turkish state in the desert region of Konya. About 11,000 square miles will suffice. Living an authentic turkish life in yurts. Preparation for a new life in turkmenistan and kazakhstan. As to what I get right, it’s all of the time, the proof of that is you have not refuted anything I have written. If you try, I have all the answers to explain turkish sophistry. You need to go back to turkish propaganda class for some retraining. You are a bit rusty in the rhetorical baloney of genocide denial. Every turkish construct against the Armenian genocide or Armenian history is pure fiction. Laughable in fact once deconstructed / analysed. The turkish ethos seeks to destroy everything Armenian. It is part of what I call turkic identity crisis. The turks who spend time fighting Armenians are actually the children of Armenians. The Ergenekon group is an excellent example. Many of the leaders are of Armenian descent. Abdul Hamid II’s mother was Armenian. He orchestrated the mass murder and forced conversions of 500,000 Armenians during his reign. So Murat, I would probably venture you are a child of an Armenian! So embrace your non-turkishness Murat and end your contempt of Armenians and contempt of all things Armenian. But then what will you do with yourself?
We must thank Dino for explaing here exactly what Ottomans have faced 100 years ago and why they were forced to take the measures they took against the Armenians who were bent on total ethnic cleansing of all Turks from most of Anatolia. I mean, just imagine his kind a century ago, and one now gets a picture of what Ottomans faced.
Dino thinks being a Turk is a matter of DNA or ethnic trait. That is exactky how Hitler thought too. He has no clue as usual, about the difference between Turk and Turkic. People of Turkey represent a mixture of multitude of ethnicities, some Turkic, many not. There is no ethnic defintion. Whoever calls himself a Turk is a Turk in our book. There is no doubt many have Armenian blood, Kurdish, Greek, Arab, Persian, and many others also. Anyone born there and embraces the flag is a Turk. Most nationalistic Turk I ever met was an Armenian. If anything, language is the common bond. I doubt if any of this is penetrating.
I am grateful though about lands around Konya Dino deemed good enough for Turks. It would be awfully crowded with 75M, but at least he did not propose gas chambers and ovens. Maybe it waqs implied. I am also sure Dino does not know that Konya comes from Iconium! So even that seems to be an incomplete solution!
barbarian,
I really dont have the time to deconstruct all your fantasies. But I will say this, I use terms precisely, although you wish to interpret them as you want. I am a turkish citizen and I speak turkish fluently. I know every square inch of so called turkey, it’s history, geography and ethnic make up. Ten’s of millions of Anatolians would not dare call themselves turks. I attended a family and friends get together yesterday I brought you up about your “everyone is a turk” and you were laughed down. 30 bolsahyes laughing to tears. Yours is only a fantasy of kemalist bigots who run a barbarian state.
I’m glad you think the way you think. barbarians love to underestimate Armenians. It’s that chip on their shoulder of thinking they are superior. As for Konya, you dont know my entire land distribution program, naturally, but the city of Konya would not be within the temporary turkic homeland. No city would be included. You are a nomadic tent people. Yurts murat, yurts! You came to Anatolia with nothing and you will leave with nothing.
The temporary turkic homeland would not just include 30 million turks of anatolia but the turks of Azerbaijan, turkified kurds and the turks of all of southwest asia. Alevi turkish speaking Anatolians, Alevi Kurds pro Armenian sunni kurds and other sunni’s who have rendered assistance may stay in their homes across anatolia and thrace.