Norwegian newspaper publishes article on Armenian Genocide Centennial
and Armenian- Turkish relations
18:46, 6 February, 2015
YEREVAN, 6 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. Norway’s Minerva Daily has published
the article by expert of Norway’s top Civita analytical center Bord
Larsen with the title `Useless Diplomacy’. The article is devoted to
the Armenian Genocide Centennial and Armenian-Turkish relations.
`Armenpress’ presents the translated version of the article.
`On the day marking the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,
Turkey will celebrate its heroic episode during WWI.
This year, Armenia will be marking the 100th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide with several foreign officials on April 24th. Of
course, this isn’t something that makes the Turkish authorities happy.
On April 24, 1915, 600 well-known Armenian intellectuals, officials,
political figures, writers, lawyers, doctors and officers were
arrested in Constantinople. Most of them were given a death sentencing
in the desert of Syria, hung from bridges or in the major areas of
Constantinople.
After that, the road was clear for perpetration of the genocide since
the opposition had been eliminated. In two years, more than 1 million
Armenians and hundreds of thousands of other Christians (Assyrians,
Chalcedonians and Orthodox Greeks) were massacred.
ErdoÄ?an ‘s response to remembrance of the Genocide is to attach
importance to the heroic efforts of the Turks (in this case-the
criminals) during the battles of WWI. The Turks have sent invitations
to the leaders of more than 100 countries.
This would be the same as saying Germany start celebrating its heroic
victories in Wehrmacht in the Eastern Front during WWII.
First World War
As is known, Turkey was an ally to Germany and Austro-Hungary during
WWI. The Battle of Dardanelles was one of the greatest battles between
the allied forces and took the lives of nearly 200,000 people, but
that battle took place on April 25th, not April 24th.
As already mentioned, April 24th is the day when the Ottoman
government massacred Armenian intellectuals and officials in the
capital city. These two events are closely linked to each other. The
Ottoman Empire had already taken the decision on the ethnic cleansing
of Christians, but it was implemented right when the Young Turks,
aware that the allied forces were approaching, feared the Armenians’
treason. It is a period thatErdoÄ?an wants to remember with glory, even
a day before the battle.
ErdoÄ?an believes that with this, he is extending a hand to the
Armenians since they were also fighting in the Ottoman armed forces
during the Battle of Gallipoli and, based on his imagination, this
proves that the Armenians weren’t persecuted, but were among the
people of the Empire. Such claims are new since just recently Turkey
denied that the Armenians were loyal subjects of the Ottoman Empire.
Turkey has always claimed that the Armenians have never fought from
Turkey’s side. It’s not surprising that throughout history, the claims
of Armenians’ disloyalty have lied at the core of Turkey’s denial. At
the same time, Turkey still has its pragmatic approach to confronting
the truth as long as it continues to consider denial of the Genocide
possible. Here both claims can be used as arguments to say that the
events of 1915 were not genocide. On the one hand, the Armenians were
potential traitors and were deported from Anatolia. On the other hand,
the Armenians were granted medals of courage of the Ottoman Empire,
and so they shouldn’t be killed.
Criminal dictatorship
Every now and then, the official Turkey claims that it doesn’t have
to be held liable for anything when it comes to the issue of the
Genocide because that happened during WWI in the Ottoman Empire, not
in modern-day Turkey. But this seems to make people forget the heroic
past of the country. Another factor is that it was the tension during
the transition from an empire to a state that led to the persecutions
and killings of minorities. And it wasn’t like there were no more
assaults in the new Turkish state. The authorities actively commit
barbaric acts to eliminate the traces of the cultures of the victims.
Religious buildings are robbed, destroyed or in ruins.
In spite of the fact that the Armenian Genocide took place a century
ago, it is still weighty in the political arena. The reason is because
Turkey has never been held liable for it. This year there will be a
lot of focus on the issue, and the problem is whether Turkey is
playing way too strong, overestimating its own attempts in that battle
of useless diplomacy, or as historians ironically say, Turkey’s
definition of the genocide is `that which we did not do against the
Armenians’.
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