AZG Armenian Daily #123, 06/07/2005
Diaspora
EUROPEAN REFERENDUMS AND ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS
Toronto, Canada — “Turkey’s Entry into the European Union and its Relations
with Armenia in light of the Rejection of the EU Constitution” was the
subject of a speech given by Dr. Stephan Astourian, a member of the Zoryan
Institute’s Academic Board, on June 10, 2005 in Toronto.
According to Turkish Press, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul rejected
any link between his country’s bid to join the European Union and the French
“no” in a referendum on the EU constitution. Gul acknowledged that the
French “no” could trigger a debate in Europe on Turkey’s EU bid, but argued
that an EU decision in October 2004 to start membership accession talks with
Ankara could not be altered due to political or legal changes in an
EU-member country.
Opinions in Europe and among Armenians are heated and sharply divided on
this issue. Some feel that Turkey’s questionable human rights record and
tolerance toward ethno-religious diversity, its treatment of the Kurdish
minority, corruption, the northern Cyprus question, and the continued denial
of the Armenian Genocide are clear indicators of its inability to be a fully
democratic country at this time, and therefore that Turkey should be barred
from the EU. Others, among them Armenians both in the Diaspora and the
homeland, feel that it is in Armenia’s best interest to have Turkey as an EU
member on its border that has adopted and implemented EU standards regarding
open borders, democracy, including complete freedom of speech and assembly,
and acceptance of the darker chapters of its history.
Dr. Astourian considered the impact on the issues of the recent rejection of
the EU constitution by France and the Netherlands. He explained that the EU
has not included recognition of the Armenian Genocide as a precondition for
Turkish membership in Europe. “However, the issue of recognition of that
genocide has now become quite central in European and Turkish public
debates,” he said. “We must be aware that the issue of the Armenian Genocide
can and will be used for other purposes by people for whom it is not a
fundamental issue. It is up to concerned Armenians,” he added, “to think
realistically about such manipulation of the issue of the Armenian Genocide
by various lobbying and political groups and to ask whether it is useful or
detrimental to Armenia and Genocide recognition.”
In Dr. Astourian’s view, it may be reasonably inferred that some of the
reforms required of Turkey to join the EU, e.g., freedom of speech and
assembly, a decent human rights record, a significantly smaller role of the
military in political life, etc., will facilitate debate about the Armenian
Genocide in that country. Although such debate does not imply necessarily
that the Armenian Genocide will be recognized as a “genocide,” it will
undermine the orthodox, state-sponsored version of Turkish history in the
medium term.
Dr. Astourian noted that the prospect of Turkey’s entry into the EU does
raise a number of crucial issues. In particular, he challenged the audience
to consider what course of action Armenians should take if Turkey were to
rescind its official state version of history and recognize the Armenian
Genocide. Dr. Astourian stressed that addressing rationally complex issues,
such as the potential consequences of Turkey’s entry into the EU or an
evaluation of the position to be adopted in case Turkey should recognize the
Armenian Genocide as such, or as a “crime against humanity” or some such
other terms, requires knowledge and dispassionate expertise. After summing
the latest academic developments concerning the Turkish-Armenian dialogue
and research into the Armenian Genocide, Dr. Astourian pointed to the
extreme scarcity of scholars dealing with social scientific fields that
usually inform policy and decision makers. The speaker also indicated that
the very few major academics in Armenian-related fields are now close to the
end of their careers. Dr. Astourian emphasized, therefore, the need for the
Armenian Diaspora to invest in a new generation of social science scholars
who can effectively address complex issues over the next twenty to thirty
years and contribute to detached analysis regarding Armenian affairs. Dr.
Astourian pointed to the Zoryan Institute as the leading organization in
this regard, responsible for proactively trying to address the critical
issue of expanding a cohesive intellectual base for the Armenian Diaspora
through dispassionate education and research that conforms to the highest
standards of scholarship.
The event was part of an ongoing series of public lectures organized by the
Zoryan Institute on issues relating to Armenia, the Diaspora and genocide.
This lecture was made possible by with the participation of the following
organizations: Armenian Evangelical Church of Toronto, Holy Trinity Armenian
Apostolic Church, St. Gregory’s Armenian Catholic Church, St. Mary’s
Armenian Apostolic Church, Armenian Association of Toronto, Armenian General
Benevolent Union of Toronto, Armenian National Committee, Canadian Armenian
Business Council, Ryerson University Armenian Student Association, and the
University of Toronto Armenian Student Association; and with the support of
the following sponsors: Arax Jewelers, Robert P. Adourian Barristers &
Solicitors, and Indo-Iranian Rugs.
Prof. Astourian is Executive Director of the Armenian Studies Program,
Adjunct Assistant Professor of History at the University of
California-Berkeley, and a member of the Zoryan Institute’s Academic Board.
The Zoryan Institute is the first non-profit, international center devoted
to the research and documentation of contemporary issues related to Armenian
social, political and cultural life. To this end, the Institute conducts
multidisciplinary research, publication, and educational programs dealing
with Armenia, the Armenian Genocide, and Diaspora, within a universal
context.