Opinion
Queens of Hearts: Round and About ‘Deep Mountain’, etc.
When Taleen Babayan’s interview with Ece Temelkuran, the author of Deep Mountain, first began circulating in a somewhat scholarly context (which cited www.armenianweekly.com/2010/06/04/deep-mountain/), I took a deep breath, or sigh, and said “pass.” But it came back to haunt me.
My immediate readings then and now might touch as many nerves in others as Temelkuran's own comments touched in me, but so be it for the moment. There will surely come a time when Turkey will graduate from prod
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Thank you, Burcu Gursel, for this brilliantly written article! Please do write more often!
I agree Hampig. I received the Weekly’s e-blast with this one as the main story and just finished reading it. I am amazed at her sharp analytical mind… Is she Turkish or Turkish Armenian? The bio does not say it. Regardless, surely,this is brilliantly written. Ms. Gursel, we look forward to more!
I was at Temelkuran’s talk at the Watertown Public Library ans was really bothered by her constant reference to the “Armenian thing” (she was referring to the Armenian genocide). As if 1915 is a “thing” and only one that concerns armenians at that! I had purchased the book and started reading it, but was deeply bothered by the way she portrayed aermenians in it. I would not have been able to diagnose the serious flaws of the book and her discourse this well for the life of me, though. Thank you for publishing this review.
“..the Turkish people are not ready to hear certain things. They need to be acclimatized to the discussion, prepared gradually and emotionally, won over, by “intellectuals.”…”
How condescending. Is it possible that many Turks do actually know a little bit about their country’s and nations history, since in most cases it is their very own family story? Is this not one of the most exploited vandettas in history? Even Martians are familiar with it. Is it possible that the average Turk has not been “won over” since the facts have never been there?
Of course the whole era was full of tragedies and all of it makes for excellent literary material, but emotions and story lines are one thing, facts are another. The two seem to be seriously confused with each other here.
Brilliant. A very ‘mature’ analysis. Elevates the dialogue to essential constructs and sheds light on lingering prejudice. Much needed and much appreciated.
Both Temelkuran and Gursel speak of a numbness within Turkey regarding the ‘Armenian thing’. I would like to hear more discussion about this; more analysis of its roots. That which promotes a numb response usually is so emotionally powerful that numbness is the defense against being overcome or swallowed up by the emotion. If this is true, than it is incorrect to think of Turks as unfeeling oppressors with savage roots, instead of simply human beings with limited capacity to integrate and process painful memories in a hostile political and social environment.
Murat, unless I am mistaken, the statement you quote in your comment above is taken from Gursel’s interpretation of Temelkuran’s views. It is not Gursel who is condescending. You may wish to re-read the passage.
A brilliant “dissection” of this laboratory frog! Great observations – the heart is not beating, the colors are not those of a freshly killed frog, etc. Of course I use metaphor for effect but I appreciate this writer’s attention to detail and the time it must have taken to accomplish this. Now I have to distill this to the “elevator pitch” version for my American friends and some pro-Turkish Armenians that I know.
Bravo!
Do the citizens of a Turkey know of the Turkish Genocide of the Armenians?
Those in the larger cities, education shall be ‘edited’ to include, obviously, that the victims of the Turkish Genocide of the Armenian nation – were/are the enemies of the exemplary Turkish leaderships…. thus the need to kill, and treat all Armenians as belonging to a demeaned and obscene peoples.
Armenians, as sub-humans… Turks superior beings…
But, when Archbishop Mesrop Ashjian, of blessed memory, joined with the Armenian group that was to visit the villages… from whence their forbears
were ‘eliminated’ by the Turk… they found, in the villages those who spoke of the ‘elimination’ of Armenians… here it is not as the ‘edited’ written to reflect the victims as enemies… but rather, told to them via their forefathers, of the
slaughters and worse, of the Armenians. Too, as Archbishop Mesrob (who chose to live in Armenia after leaving the Prelacy in New York City) as they were in a village, the children at play were singing songs… lyrics in Turkish
but the melodies… Armenian – from grandmothers forced to become the grandmothers… Turkish style. Manooshag.
i’m sick and tired of the sort of novels that have a political purpose, or a supposed function. temelkuran could as well write an article to spare the world. as a novel it is worthless. as a political message it is subtly trying to evade the question in the guise of children’s literature. thank you for your insightful remarks.
This is some brilliant writing and a searing exposition of condescension. What an insult! Only a TURKISH-Armenian (Hrant) could get the ball rolling, and only the fact that Armenians missed ‘Anatolia’ could get Turks to feel empathy for genocide (oh, and of course, a fellowship at Oxford)! What an utter joke. I’ll quote the author of this review because she says it better than I could.
“How could I fail to be emotionally moved? I feel an urgent parental protectiveness vis-a-vis this poor Armenian child; I am deeply flattered that s/he, of course, misses my country—that superior, beautiful land that just happens to be mine. Such noble feelings would in fact constitute a sound basis for the Turks’ rapprochement with Armenians.”
Alex, I am confused. I believe the quote above is not the view of the reviewer, but Temelkuran’s attitude toward Armenians.
I resent Armenians being seen as poor waifs in need of their abusers’ mercy, longing for ‘Anatolia.’ When was this term created? I thought we learned in geography that it was called Asia Minor? Please! We are the rightful inheritors of the land of our ancestors, wrongfully displaced, and are now standing up in their names, to claim what is ours; Western Armenia. I don’t want Turks to feel sorry for us. I want them to feel sorry that their society produced such a heinous crime and then tried to get away with it. I want them to feel compelled to right this wrong because it is what good and moral people do. Period.
Hi Boyajian. Indeed, the reviewer is satirizing Temelkuran’s attitude by pretending to adopt it herself. My comment was meant to praise the reviewer at the expense of Temelkuran. And I agree with the rest of what you said.
Hi to you, Alex. Thanks for clarifying. We are on the same page!
I just watched this interview on AlJazeera English where this article is cited and the interviewer asks a very good question to Temelkuran based on the Armenian Weekly article:
http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/rizkhan/2010/12/20101216133234301716.html
Vartkes, I just watched the link you provided. I am struck by the fact that even ‘progressive’ Turks who would admit to having empathy for the Armenian Cause, don’t seem to experience the moral imperative to right this terrible wrong…or maybe they just can’t speak that boldly despite the new ‘tolerance’ for public discourse on the topic in Turkey. Both Temelkuran and Mustafa Aytol tread very lightly on the topic of Turkish accountability. They want Armenians to temper their actions and words so as not to ruffle the feathers of nationalist and ultranationalist in Turkey, presumably to foster a much needed dialogue between the two sides. Along these lines, Aytol urges Armenians to be more sympathetic for the suffering of Turks in 1915, but fails to acknowledge that the vast majority of Turkish suffering was not the fault of Armenians. I did appreciate Temelkuran’s honesty in stating that Turkey tried to cleanse itself of its past with the establishment of the modern Republic in 1923, and that this ‘cleansing’ resulted in a re-written (white-washed) history.
I also have to admit that, even though my blood boils when listening to the luke-warm, patronizing, and condescending empathy expressed by ‘enlightened’ Turks, this interview underscores the need for Armenians and Turks to engage in dialogue which focuses on hearing each others’ viewpoints. Both sides are looking at the situation of 1915 and the ongoing Armenian struggle for justice and seeing very different things. We have to come to some kind of common ground to move forward for the sake of our future generations. Turks have a long way to go in opening their eyes to the truth that was deliberately hidden/erased. It would be helpful if Turks were more willing to listen to what Armenians have to say without the usual defensiveness. And it would be helpful If Armenians could understand Turkish defensiveness in the context of how hard it is to hear things that completely contradict the history you have been taught about your ‘noble’ ancestry.
It seems sad to have to say this over and over again: I don’t hate Turks, and suspect that most Armenians feel the same way. I hate the evil ‘blindness’ and lack of understanding by Turks of what they took from Armenia.
Temelkuran and Akyol are cowards. They pose as “progressives” just to widen their audience. Their request, that the victims of genocide should be the ones to temper demands, is appalling. We suffered enough at the hands of Turkish nationalists–it is no longer our role to accommodate them. It is the responsibility of the supposed larger than life ‘enlightened’ Turks like Temelkuran and Akyol to marginalize the bigots in their society. It is not the responsibility of the Armenians who suffer from the bigotry. Enough is enough.
Boyajian, “for the sake of future generations” is right. For that sake, let’s just take this issue to court and win. Who cares what Turks think?
For example, in any regular case of murder, the family of the victim does not approach the murderer and try to convince him/her that the murder was wrong and that an apology is necessary. The family just takes the criminal to court, achieves justice, and moves on. That should be our approach. Let’s stop beating our heads against a wall of denial. Hayer miacek!