My Turn
After Coup Attempt, Turkish Scholar Boldly Speaks on Armenian Genocide
On July 13, two days before the coup attempt in Turkey, Prof. Halil Berktay of Istanbul’s Sabanci University answered six written questions on the Armenian Genocide posed by El Pais, Spain’s largest newspaper. But when El Pais did not publish his answers, Dr. Berktay decided on Aug. 15 to post his interview on a Turkish website, Serbestiyet, under the title: “With or Without the Coup, Genocide Was and Is Genocide.”
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We should commend Prof. Berktay for his courage, but realize that he does not intend to do us any favors. He is instead serving the truth, and his own nation. I think he has actually made disparaging remarks about Armenian efforts to gain recognition from time to time.
One comment he made stands out in my memory. He cites a specific Turkish Diplomat whom he says directed the removal from the Archives of incriminating material. A mutual acquaintance attributes to the Diplomat the remark “Boy, we really slaughtered them.”
I think that his remarks about why recognition is avoided by the State misses one essential truth that both sides find difficult. In my family, a “Turk” was often a rural uneducated bumpkin at best. However, Turks see themselves post 1923 as a superior and imperial people, in the mode of some Japanese and Chinese chauvinists. I think that much of their fury at Recognition comes not from the murders (of which I think they are quite proud) so much as the dhimmi, lower class identity of those of us who complain in public about them.
Very rational and pragmatic definition from Prof. Barktay about the Armenian Genocide. However there should be more Turkish academics and specially Turkish political leaders to express similar or factual realities. We had plenty of European and International recognition, now it is time for the Turkish Government, Turkish political parties and the Turkish public to follow others and accept the facts and recognize the Armenian Genocide. As time passes by, Turkey and the Turks are becoming more complex. Definitely, Turkey needs another present day Ataturk to lead Turkey in the 21th Century. Prof. Berktay’s comments is highly appreciable we have to wait and see who will be the next Turkish scholar or politician to express positive attitude towards a recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
I applaud Professor Berktay’s courage and honesty. There is even less of a probability that the Turkish tyrant will come to a bargaining position since he is using external threats and appeal to Turkish nationalism as a foil against the failures of his regime in all sectors of his society .I would not cede a demand for land restitution before entering into serious direct meetings. And that would not happen until the next generations of Turkish citizens.
Turks should look each other’s face oppanly and ask the question: ‘Why we don’t have a friends’.
Their present is the mirror of their own past. They havent change.
The country who believes in power of killing and don’t have an integrity and a respect to the others’ cultural values, they always will be the stimuli of the hate.
Good to know that there are some Turks who have human spirit. Although we can not bring million of Armenians back to life, but we do and will forever ask for my grand father’s and my ancestor’s Historical stolen lads to be returned back to us.