Turkey Haunted by Phantom History
Secil Aksoy
Issue date: 2/1/08 Section: Editorial & Opinion
The chief authority is Bernard Lewis at Princeton. He told a French newspaper that there is no document proving the genocidal intentions of the Ottoman government, and on the matter of definition, "It depends what you mean by genocide." His reward for this was being sued in the French courts. Every historian who tried to speak up has faced vicious attacks and attempts to stop their publications. French parliaments are passing a law to outlaw the research of these events at the cost of a year in prison and a heavy fine. This is a ridiculous and contemptible business, bad history, and worse politics.
The Turkish government is not in denial. In fact, the government actually proposed the establishment of a Joint Commission of Historians ensuring full access to all its archives. On March 28, 2007 the Turkish deputy prime minister and Foreign minister Abdullah Gul reaffirmed this offer. "We eagerly await a positive response from Armenia, agreeing to establish this joint commission and declaring its readiness to accept its conclusions...I hereby extend an invitation to any third country, including the United States, to contribute to this commission by appointing scholars who will earnestly work to shed light on these tragic events and open ways for us to come together." The Consul General Republic of Turkey, U. Kenan Ipek said, "Come and find the truth! Or we come to you, we'll discuss it." He also said, "We Turks feel very secure, we are proud of our history, we have nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to hide. There will be maybe more accusations, [but] we are here! And we try to encourage everybody to discuss historical facts openly. Judging about history is not the judge of politicians but the historians."
But the Turkish government is still waiting for Armenians to come forward and agree to a joint commission. Why does the world want to leave the accusations alone now, only after the Turkish government calls the world to look at their documents and facts? Everyone should unearth the truth about what happened in 1915 together. Truth about the past, present, and future can only come out when the world gets together.
The Turkish government is not in denial. In fact, the government actually proposed the establishment of a Joint Commission of Historians ensuring full access to all its archives. On March 28, 2007 the Turkish deputy prime minister and Foreign minister Abdullah Gul reaffirmed this offer. "We eagerly await a positive response from Armenia, agreeing to establish this joint commission and declaring its readiness to accept its conclusions...I hereby extend an invitation to any third country, including the United States, to contribute to this commission by appointing scholars who will earnestly work to shed light on these tragic events and open ways for us to come together." The Consul General Republic of Turkey, U. Kenan Ipek said, "Come and find the truth! Or we come to you, we'll discuss it." He also said, "We Turks feel very secure, we are proud of our history, we have nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to hide. There will be maybe more accusations, [but] we are here! And we try to encourage everybody to discuss historical facts openly. Judging about history is not the judge of politicians but the historians."
But the Turkish government is still waiting for Armenians to come forward and agree to a joint commission. Why does the world want to leave the accusations alone now, only after the Turkish government calls the world to look at their documents and facts? Everyone should unearth the truth about what happened in 1915 together. Truth about the past, present, and future can only come out when the world gets together.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 70
simon manoyan
posted 2/15/08 @ 8:56 AM CST
Dear editors,
Being democratic country, we have no choice but offer equal opportunities to both the victims and victimizers and this is the way it should be! However Turkey does not reciprocate the notion . (Continued…)
L. Saryan
posted 2/15/08 @ 5:36 PM CST
This writer is confusing cause and effect. In 1914, the Turkish Ottoman leaders threw in their lot with the Kaiser, and proceeded to invade the Caucasus at the start of winter. (Continued…)
Suheyla
posted 2/23/08 @ 4:40 AM CST
Here is an Armenian source disproving lies that Armenians were innocent citizens. Their commander, Armen Garo boasts about how they beat up Turkish Army and number of volunteers that sided with Russians;
From "Why Armenia Should be Free, Armenia's Role in the Present War" by Dr. (Continued…)
Suheyla
Suheyla
posted 2/23/08 @ 4:59 AM CST
Continuing from the same source, p.19: "The Armenian reservists, about 160,000 in number, gladly responded to the call... Besides the regular soldiers, nearly, 20,000 volunteers expressed their readiness to take up arms against the Turks. (Continued…)
Suheyla
Suheyla
posted 2/23/08 @ 5:19 AM CST
Other sources, like Boghos Nubar Pasha as head of the Armenian Delegation during the peace conference said the same things;
"On August 3, 1914, i.e. (Continued…)
suheyla
posted 2/23/08 @ 5:48 AM CST
Hovhannes Katchaznouni, First Prime Minister of the short lived (1918-1920) Armenian Republic, presented to the Dashnaq Party Congress in 1923; "Historical events have their irrefutable logic. (Continued…)
Simon Manoyan
posted 2/26/08 @ 8:27 AM CST
Suheyla (without a last name)is defending the ottoman empire as if it was the victim of crimes against the humanity. In essence she defending the Turkish Government by quoting the Turkish Government sources mostly, fabriacted at that! US Archives are full of documents not in 50's but thousands of documents stating the opposite view of the turkish view. (Continued…)
S Manoyan
posted 2/28/08 @ 8:10 AM CST
Robert Melson calls Armenian Genocide was a prototype for holocaust and other Genocides and the turkish behavior of denying the Armenian Genocide is readyly being used by Rwandan, Sudanese and others. (Continued…)
jude erk
posted 2/29/08 @ 2:47 AM CST
It seems that there is a lot of confusion and I think some people confuse the cause and effect, indeed. Of course, if you look only one side of a conflict and ognore the others side and worse, just censor it, by calling it "government propaganda" supposedly you discredit the speaker. (Continued…)
jude erk
posted 2/29/08 @ 2:59 AM CST
To Mr. Manoyan-
And who tempted the first tribal war? Ottomans?
And who tempted the Crusades? Ottomans?
And who tempted the Genocide of Azeris at the hands of Armenians as recently as 1992? Ottomans?
Who started the WWI? The Ottomans?
Who committed real genocide against the Native Americans, indigenous people of the New World? Ottomans?
Let's get real. (Continued…)
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