We have certainly been scapegoated, and enduring an ongoing collective trauma, with no end in sight. The fact that the Turkish state could label innocent people guilty, and punish them for their association (even tangential) with the Gülen Movement, opened the majority of our eyes. If they could do this to us, it must be true that they did it to other minority groups (Kurds, Alevis) and certainly to the Armenians.
What happened to those goods and money, who consumed those and whose morality did they destroy? Is it lawful and normal for a state to rob its citizens out of their property? Let us say, as you claim, that the Unionists were Freemasons and unbelievers; what happened to you, oh Islamists? Account for this 100 year old robbery.
Question: Armenians are dhimmis. How can dhimmis be equal to Muslims? Answer: Let us not see ourselves in a magnifying mirror. We are to be blamed on this issue. We could not protect them as well as we should have; we failed to demonstrate the justice of Sharia. Because of the wrong practices of autocratic regime, we failed to protect their rights within the Sharia framework…
YONCA POYRAZ DOĞAN, İSTANBUL Though Turkey’s relations with Armenia have been strained by a number of historical and political issues, a Turkish Caucasus analyst who lived and studied in Armenia points out in his new book that only dialogue can solve problems. “There is a great panorama of civil society activities, and I can say […]
Armenian Co-Patriarch Aram Ateshian: “Orthodox Armenian Patriarchate hasn’t been recognized as a legal entity yet.” The gathering’s host, Journalists and Writers Foundation President Mustafa Yesil said, “Peace was established even on the ashes of a war in Europe that left 50 million dead. The 1915 incidents and sorrows shouldn’t hinder the establishment of peace.”
YONCA POYRAZ DOĞAN Archbishop Aram Ateşyan, deputy patriarch of the Armenian Patriarchate, based in İstanbul, told Sunday’s Zaman after returning from the Los Angeles Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival that Armenians are ready to be a bridge between the people of Turkey and the United States. “And having food at the festival makes it all […]
Markar Esayan A major component of Turkey’s official Armenian policy is the demonization of the Armenian diaspora. This component is still alive. The Hizmet movement, which has emerged as Turkey’s representative in the international arena, has been making serious efforts to compensate for the damage done in this regard. I mentioned earlier that I had […]
Markar Esayan Last week I visited Los Angeles to attend the fourth Anatolian Cultures and Food Festival, held between May 16 and 19. I wanted to write about my impressions before the effects of jet lag took hold and while my memories were still fresh. I was enthusiastic as this was my first visit to […]
İHSAN YILMAZ Retrospectively using the word “genocide” to describe what happened to Armenian Ottoman citizens in 1915 complicates the matter further and does not help Turks in facing their country’s history. A second major hurdle is the insistence in limiting the issue to legal discussions. The issue is much more complicated and, rather than thinking […]
MARKAR ESAYAN As Turkey is putting an end to its denial policy or at least going through a significant change in this regard, it is impossible to stick to the red lines of the old ideological mentality concerning the 1915 forced relocation of Armenians. The democratic progress made and reforms implemented during the last 10 […]
MERVE BÜŞRA ÖZTÜRK Turkey commemorated the 98th anniversary of the tragic events of 1915 — the killings of Anatolian Armenians during World War I — on Wednesday. April 24 is the date chosen to recognize the events of 1915 when close to 200 Armenian religious and intellectual leaders were rounded up in İstanbul and later […]
One can draw parallels with the Kurdish Question here. Similar to Armenian gangs’ massacres in Muslim villages, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has also been engaged in terrorism against civilians and has been bombing cities, shopping malls, mosques and schools. But we all agree that all of these do not justify a state repression of all Kurds or their forced relocation, etc.
Even the thought of an Ottoman massacre, lead them to a knee jerk reaction, as it contradicts with everything the conservative intellect is built upon. Although they believe that they’re defending their identity and history, just on contrary they’re defending a minority, which fought with this history and identity. So the conservative intellect better think about the fundamentals of the issue.
There is a story that Hrant Dink used to tell on many different occasions that I would like to share with you. Let us listen to the story from Hrant: “An old Turkish man called me from a village in the region of Sivas and said: ‘Son, we searched everywhere until we found you. There […]