THE LOST HOMELAND, INDEED
By: Apo Sahagian
Haytoug Magazine
June 19 2012
Ever since I could remember, I’ve always been around the Armenian
Genocide April 24th demonstrations staged in front of the Turkish
Consulate in Jerusalem, shouting slogans for recognition, cursing the
state denial of Turkey, and singing revolutionary songs knitted with
the memories of the lost homeland. For me the demand for recognition by
Turkey was inflamed by the hope that, once after recognition, Armenia
and Turkey would sit around a table and discuss the issue of justice:
“what now?”
Naturally, if such a situation did come to unfold, there would be
scores of Armenians attaching the obligation of compensation with
the return of Western Armenia. But before banging on the table and
ordering the realignment of borders, there is a bit of reflection that
is necessary before stomping our feet and roaring for the restoration
of Van, Mush, and Ararat under Armenian rule-no matter how right
and reasonable.
Somewhere in our decades-long struggle for Genocide recognition and
subsequent justice, we seem to have overlooked the changes that
transpired in the lost homeland. Not only were these changes not
addressed properly, they still seem to be avoided; and that act of
evading will do nothing but sadly blind the hopeful Armenians whom
desire to resettle the Armenian nation in the lands we consider our
cradle of civilization.
Though the Ottoman Turks were not successful in wiping out the Armenian
nation from the face of the earth, they did have a significant success
that came to light only after the demise of the Ottoman Empire and
the following years of the Republic of Turkey. They were successful
in their genocide of Western Armenia, the land. The painful truth
is that Western Armenia is indefinitely lost. It is impossible to
imagine Armenian authority established there within the foreseeable
future-or even the unforeseeable future. The facts on the ground impede
our national desires from ever being materialized if Turkey one day
decides to right the wrong and return Armenian lands to Armenia.
There are somewhere between 12-14 million Kurds residing in lands we
passionately call Western Armenia. The Kurds are themselves busy with
a national struggle for independence, or at least a more extensive
autonomy than the present one offered to them by the Turkish state.
Make no mistake that the nationalist Kurdish movements, fueled by
the wish for independence, will fiercely defend their claim on many
Western Armenian lands, especially Van and Mount Ararat. It seems that
for years, Armenian nationalists have known that if such a situation
unfolded where Western Armenia is to be returned to Armenia, the Turks
would no longer be our number one adversaries; rather, the Kurds and
Armenians will be caught in a confrontation. Yet, this possibility
of a Kurdish-Armenian conflict has been swept under the rug for the
moment, while both parties are still dealing with Turkey.
However, I’d like to state that Armenians have already lost this
conflict over Western Armenia. If Armenia did get the lands returned
to its sovereign rule, the country will have to face the national
aspirations of 14 million Kurds. These aspirations will inescapably
be opposed by Armenians, and low and behold, the occupation of the
Kurdish people will begin.
Living in Jerusalem has given me a foresight into what would transpire
if Western Armenia was put under the authority of the Republic of
Armenia. And I fear that that potential-scenario will unintentionally
turn Armenia into the Israel of the Caucasus. I don’t mean the good
Israel that is equipped with a decent healthcare system, an unshakeable
prosperous economy, or a place of sanctuary for many refugees fleeing
the slaughters of Africa. I mean the other Israel that carries out
the daily occupation of the Palestinian people, whom have their own
national aspirations for independence.
The outnumbering Kurdish population will surely put up an armed
resistance towards Armenian rule, but it is safe to say that Armenia’s
organized military will overcome the Kurdish opposition. But it will
not overcome the Kurdish presence. Similar to the Israeli occupation of
the West Bank (a land which holds biblical and historical meaning to
the Jewish people where Palestinians reside by the millions), Armenia
will have to occupy Western Armenia, a land which holds national and
historical meaning to the Armenian people where the Kurds reside by
the millions.
Occupation of a people is an ill and a state-evil that cannot be
justified no matter what. Thus, occupation is not the way, and should
not even be considered for a minute.
Western Armenia holds almost 14 million Kurds-Kurds that wish for
a free Kurdistan from Northern Iraq to Southern Turkey, and also
northeastern Syria. Indeed there are a few thousand Hamshen Armenians
and an allegedly one million ‘hidden’ Armenians in Western Armenia.
But these numbers don’t stand a chance against the strong 14 million
of the freedom fighting Kurdish people. Hence, Armenia, on the day
of receiving the returned lands of Western Armenia, will have to
cede the lands to the Kurdish national aspirations. Demography, the
most crucial element in this matter, is against the Armenian dream
of having Western Armenia back.
On a more pragmatic and practical level, there can be solutions to
satisfy both the Armenian and Kurdish contradictory aspirations. Mount
Ararat and an outlet to the sea should be given to Armenia, the
former because of its unspeakable and infinite attachment to Armenian
culture, and the latter for the basic reason of opening Armenia’s
trade routes. In return, the Kurds will be able to establish a free
independent Kurdistan with the promise of granting autonomous Armenian
provinces within the newly-independent country. This is not the ideal
solution for the inescapable conflict that will rise if Turkey ever
decides to relinquish Western Armenia, but it is a basis on which to
start contemplating.
For the many whom believe that occupation is an unnecessary
exaggeration and will not come to be, they should think once
more about perhaps offering Armenian citizenship to the Kurds of
Western Armenia. In such a future, Armenia’s population will still be
outnumbered by the Kurds, and through elections (taking advantage of
their new citizenship), the government and the state of Armenia will
be altered, as the Kurdish political figures will win overwhelmingly.
This latent fate should be averted, for the sake of the Republic
of Armenia.
And for others whom deem population transfer as a means for a solution,
let it be known to them that a transfer of a population (distinct from
yours and in the context of conflict) is absolutely inadmissible and
tantamount to genocide. Whether a neo-fascist Armenian is convinced
that the Kurds should abandon the Caucasus and return to their
Mesopotamia, or another zealous nationalist does not see anything
wrong and immoral in simply relocating the Kurds to a Kurdish state
in Northern Iraq, forced population-transfer is inhumane and an insult
to the history of Armenians; that is beneath us.
It is by national misfortune, an unpreventable reality, and a sad
patriotic heart that I say to all Armenians that the recognition
of the Armenian Genocide cannot deliver territorial compensation
favorable to the current Armenian veracity. With that in mind, the
Armenian nation should concentrate its efforts in territories where
Armenians do actually reside-the Republic, Kharabagh, and Javakhk.
Western Armenia will always remain in our hearts and minds, but not
in our hands. It’s a truth we have yet to face.
This article is not meant to picture a bleak, somewhat semi-apocalyptic
future for Armenia; the article is based on assumptions only, and is
heavily anchored by the actions of Turkey-if Turkey returns Western
Armenia to Armenia. Similar to John Mearshheimer’s controversial
article ‘Back to the Future’ in which his assumptions are exclusively
cemented in specific future actions of the US in Europe, my article
follows the same pattern of heavily relying on the specific future
actions of Turkey. However, that is an ‘if’ that is far from
materializing, and there are many other factors that have not been
taken into account in this article. Nonetheless, what I tried to detail
out is a brief, general idea of what is most likely to transpire if,
and only if, Turkey hands over Western Armenia to Armenia. Suffice to
say, that is a future scenario that should be handled and facilitated
cautiously and pragmatically…not ideologically.
From: Baghdasarian