Why Does Turkey Deny The Armenian Genocide?!

Ara Sarkis Ashjian

Despite the many archival proves that refer to the historical reality of the Armenian

Genocide, eyewitness accounts, official archives, photographic evidence, the reports of

diplomats, the testimony of survivors and the fact that all serious scholars of genocide

acknowledge this annihilation as the first mass scale genocide of the 20th century, the ruling

Turkish elite continues to deny the historical fact of the genocide of the Armenians.

This denial is due to the following reasons:

1. The stigma attached to the word genocide. They do not want to be identified with the

Nazis; therefore they refuse the term genocide. They claim that the Ottoman Empire is

finished, the Turkish Republic is an entirely different entity, it has no connection with the

Ottoman Empire; therefore the stigma of genocide does not apply to them (Prof. Vahakn

Dadrian, the director of Genocide Research at Zoryan Institute, a professor of sociology, and

an internationally-renowned expert on the Armenian genocide, interviewed by Ingrid

Hutterer, New York-Budapest, April 16, 2005, the text of the interview was sent to me by e-

mail; Sinan Ulgen, Chairman of the Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies

(EDAM) in Istanbul, CrossTalk on Genocide: Turkey's Burden, Russia Today,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xfrb_sCzDs). This means that Turkey does not want to

have the term „genocide‟ attached to its history, “because genocide is usually a crime of state,

it is in the interest of states using genocide to deny it if they can” (Fein, Helen, Denying

Genocide: From Armenia to Bosnia. New York: Institute for the Study of Genocide, 2001, p.

5) (Ninety-Two Years Later: How Turkey has Continued to Deny the Armenian Genocide by

Katrina Geukjian,

(http://internationaldevelopmentstudies.artsandsocialsciences.dal.ca/Files/Katrina_Geujkian.p

df). “The word „genocide,‟ as cold as it is, causes a deep reaction in the Turkish society.

Having been taught about its 'glorious' and 'spotless' past by the state rhetoric for decades,

people feel that they could not have possibly done such a terrible thing.” (Sabrina

Tavernise and Sebnem Arsu, Inside the Turkish Psyche: Traumatic Issues Trouble a Nation‟s

Sense of Its Identity,

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/12/world/europe/12genocide.html).

2. After denying this crime for decades, they will look foolish if suddenly they reverse

themselves saying, yes, it happened, then it will expose to the entire world that they have

been lying for almost one hundred years. When you continue to lie, it becomes very difficult

to reverse yourself and admit guilt (Prof. Vahakn Dadrian interviewed by Ingrid Hutterer,

New York-Budapest, April 16, 2005). In other words, Turkey‟s reputation and credibility in

the international arena would be destroyed. It would prove that they have been purposely

denying the event for all these years (Ninety-Two Years Later: How Turkey has Continued to

Deny the Armenian Genocide by Katrina Geukjian,

http://internationaldevelopmentstudies.artsandsocialsciences.dal.ca/Files/Katrina_Geujkian.p

df).

3. The fear of compensation and reparations, the fear of restitution and fear of also territorial

claims, etc, in other word the fear of the consequences of admission of guilt (Prof. Vahakn

Dadrian interviewed by Ingrid Hutterer, New York-Budapest, April 16, 2005). Also, Robert

Fisk, an English writer and journalist, Middle East correspondent of The Independent, Robert

Fisk speaks about the Armenian Genocide by the Turks. The 1st Holocaust,

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5hwD9bqOuE&feature=player_embedded#at=17).

As Akçam and Cooper state, “The Turkish government fears the economic claims that might

be made upon it if it were to acknowledge the Armenian genocide, and the experience of

other countries indicates that its worries may be justified: it might be called upon to seriously

consider the issue of reparations and compensation” (Akçam, T. & Cooper, B. (2005), p. 91.

Turks, Armenians and the “G-Word”. World Policy Journal, 22 (3), 81-93. Retrieved

November 5, 2007). Fear of acknowledgement is based on the fact that recognition might

instigate “Armenian territorial demands and calls for restitution of property confiscated a

century ago” (Akçam & Cooper, 2005, p. 85). Furthermore, Akçam and Cooper state that the

restoration and preservation of the Armenian cultural heritage in Anatolia (Western Armenia)

would be a desirable form of reparation, correcting the ongoing attempt to wipe out traces of

the Armenian presence. This could include the reaffirmation of the Armenian contribution to

the culture of Anatolia through the proper identification of cultural artifacts and architecture

in the region. A further method could be the bestowal of symbolic citizenship or special

residency rights in the Republic of Turkey on descendants of deported Armenians (2005, 92).

Reparations or compensation would ultimately hinder Turkey‟s growth, economically,

politically and geographically. According to Auron, the perpetrators of past genocides try to

deny genocide so that they do not have to be liable for their actions (Ninety-Two Years Later:

How Turkey has Continued to Deny the Armenian Genocide by Katrina Geukjian,

http://internationaldevelopmentstudies.artsandsocialsciences.dal.ca/Files/Katrina_Geujkian.p

df).

Also, Turkey does not want to have „genocide‟ recognized because it might instigate other

groups that were suppressed under Turkish rule to ask for reparations. The recognition of this

historic event “…could lead to a broader reconsideration of the repression not only of other

non-Muslim populations in the empire but of Kurds, Greeks, and Alevites in the republic, and

it could open up debate over more recent clashes between fascist nationalists and leftists, over

disappearances, death squads, and torture” (Akçam & Cooper, 2005, p. 85). The result of all

these groups asking for reparations would be devastating to Turkey‟s economic and political

development (Ninety-Two Years Later: How Turkey has Continued to Deny the Armenian

Genocide by Katrina Geukjian,

http://internationaldevelopmentstudies.artsandsocialsciences.dal.ca/Files/Katrina_Geujkian.p

df).

4. They will have to revamp, to restructure and reorganize their entire educational system.

New textbooks and history books will have to be written, in other words it will be a major

undertaking in the domain of national education, history writing, historiography, etc. (Prof.

Vahakn Dadrian interviewed by Ingrid Hutterer, New York-Budapest, April 16, 2005).

5. Perpetrators normally do not admit their crimes voluntarily, in particular not crimes of

state. Germany is exceptional because the victorious allies held tribunals and forced the

confrontation with their crimes upon the defeated Germans (Dr. Tessa Hofmann, a member

of the Eastern Europe Institute of the Free University of Berlin and author or editor of ten

books on Armenian history and culture, The affirmation of the Genocide of the Armenians A

human rights defender's point of view, by Dr. Tessa Hofmann (Berlin),

http://buybook.am/pages/THE-AFFIRMATION-OF-THE-GENOCIDE-OF-THE-

ARMENIANS-A-HUMAN-RIGHTS-DEFENDER'S-POINT-OF-VIEW-By-Dr.-Tessa-

Hofmann-(Berlin).html).

6. The word “Armenian” plays an important role in the structure of the Turkish identity. Each

misfortune, even the Kurdish problem, is connected with that word. It came to them calling

Abdullah Ocalan an Armenian (Turkish-Armenian editor, journalist and columnist Hrant

Dink who was assassinated in Istanbul in January 2007, by a 17-year old Turkish nationalist,

Word «Armenian» Has Important Role in Turkish Identity, May 24, 2005,

PanARMENIAN.Net,

http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/world/news/13428/).

7. The psychological, the moral, reason. The Armenians symbolized and were a constant

reminder to the Turks of their most traumatic historical events, namely, the collapse of the

Empire and loss of almost 90% of their territory over a forty-year period. They lived, in the

last 100 years of their Empire, under the constant fear that they would disappear from the

stage of history. The fear of total obliteration from the stage of history was a permanent

feeling during the demise process of the Empire, in a simple way. They felt that they would

disappear as actors from the stage of history. That‟s why they don‟t want to be reminded of

that past (Dr. Taner Akcam, a Turkish historian[1]

and sociologist, one of the first Turkish

academics to acknowledge and openly discuss the Armenian Genocide,[2]

and is recognized

as a "leading international authority" on the subject, Interview met Taner Akcam over

Armeense Genocide, http://forum.nedarm.nl/index.php?showtopic=33).

8. An important number of founders of the Turkish Republic, who supported Mustafa Kemal,

were either participants in this genocidal process or they enriched themselves from this

process (Dr. Taner Akcam, Interview met Taner Akcam over Armeense Genocide,

http://forum.nedarm.nl/index.php?showtopic=33). Mustafa Kemal did not hesitate to recruit

the members of the "Teshkilat mahsusa", the main coordinator and organizer of the

annihilation of the Ottoman Armenians, into his own irregular army in 1919 and to

implement its structures into the new Turkey. As one Turkish scholar said: the Republic of

Turkey is built on the bone of the annihilated Armenians.

(Dr. Tessa Hofmann, The affirmation of the Genocide of the Armenians A human rights

defender's point of view, by Dr. Tessa Hofmann (Berlin),

http://buybook.am/pages/THE-AFFIRMATION-OF-THE-GENOCIDE-OF-THE-

ARMENIANS-A-HUMAN-RIGHTS-DEFENDER'S-POINT-OF-VIEW-By-Dr.-Tessa-

Hofmann-(Berlin).html);

The Turkish identity was built on a painful foundation. Beyond the Armenian Genocide, in

which 1.5 million Armenians in eastern Turkey were killed, there were mass deportations of

Greeks and executions of Islamic leaders and Kurdish nationalists. Besides, “The Turkish

state and society both have traumatic pasts, and it‟s not easy to face them,” (Ferhat Kentel, a

sociologist at Bilgi University in Istanbul) (Sabrina Tavernise and Sebnem Arsu, Inside the

Turkish Psyche: Traumatic Issues Trouble a Nation‟s Sense of Its Identity,

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/12/world/europe/12genocide.html).

Turks fear to acknowledge the crimes of the past, because admitting that the founders of

modern Turkey were complicit in genocide 'contaminates' the republic's foundations (Robert

Fisk, Robert Fisk speaks about the Armenian Genocide by the Turks. The 1st Holocaust,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5hwD9bqOuE&feature=player_embedded#at=17).

The mere acknowledgment that some of the founders of the republic, heretofore glorified as

heroes, were involved in genocide could threaten the legitimacy of the state. For a nation like

Turkey, so unused to self-questioning, this could be seriously unsettling (Akçam, T. &

Cooper, B. (2005), Op. cit., p. 85) (Ninety-Two Years Later: How Turkey has Continued to

Deny the Armenian Genocide by Katrina Geukjian,

http://internationaldevelopmentstudies.artsandsocialsciences.dal.ca/Files/Katrina_Geujkian.p

df).

9. Turkish society knows very little about what happened in its own past for two reasons: One

is because of the alphabet reform that happened in Turkey in 1928, where the Arabic script

was abandoned and Latin script was adopted. Turks cannot read their own past historical

documents. And the second is that things from the past were selectively translated and

therefore very little scholarly information has been made available to them about the

Armenian question (Muge Gocek, Associate Professor of Sociology and Women's Studies

Ph.D., Sociology, Princeton University, Armenia Rejects Proposal from Turkey to Join Study

of WWI Events, http://www.jihadwatch.org/2005/04/armenia-rejects-proposal-from-turkey-

to-join-study-of-wwi-events.html).

10. The majority of Turkish people genuinely believe no Genocide took place and will

obviously vehemently deny the event. This is because for generations the Turkish

government adopted the total denial policy; the children are taught from childhood that

Armenians are nasty liars who try to blacken their names, that in fact Armenians committed

crimes against Turkish people, and that any small amount of Armenians dying (they accept

no more 100,000 deaths) in the period of 1880-1920 were just victims of World War I. In

such a climate, acknowledging Armenian Genocide is like becoming a pariah- Hrant

Dink was gunned down in cold blood after he called for the recognition of the event as

Genocide, Orhan Pamuk, Nobel Prize laureate, was charged, tried in court and found guilty of

'insulting national honor' for daring to talk about mass killings of Armenians and Kurds.

Also, many Turks, including Turkey's PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, deny the Armenian

Genocide claiming that their forefathers or Muslims in general, could not have committed

such horrible crimes! According to Yves Ternon, a French physician and author of historical

books about the Jewish Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide, Genocide is a premeditated

crime. This means that its perpetrator has anticipated a line of defense so as to claim non-

culpability. The perpetrator has planned the crime with great secrecy, has contemplated the

smallest detail, and has tried to eliminate all incriminating evidence. In due time the

perpetrator will deny everything and call on the accusers to furnish hard evidence” (Ternon,

Y., 1999, p. 238-239, Freedom and Responsibility of the Historian: The “Lewis Affair”. In

Hovannisian, R.G. (Ed), Remembrance and Denial: The Case of the Armenian Genocide (pp.

237-248), Detroit: Wayne State University Press Detroit).

One type of denial, which is seldom studied, is that of „innocent denial‟. This is based on the

idea that individuals find it inconceivable to believe that a group, let alone their own

community, is capable of committing such crimes. Israel Charny, Executive Director of The

Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide in Jerusalem, applied this to the Armenian case

(Auron, Y., 2003, The Banality of Denial: Israel and the Armenian Genocide. New

Brunswick: Transaction Publishers). This type of denial goes together with the desire to

forget the events because they believe that “…the acts of genocide are so terrible, that it is

difficult…to believe that human beings have really committed them” (Auron, 2003, p. 48).

This type of defense mechanism is an emotional reaction, and therefore, does not reflect the

facts (Akçam, T., 2004, From Empire to Republic: Turkish Nationalism & The Armenian

Genocide. London: Zed Books). This only applies to a small part of the population and

cannot be the reason why the government is denying that genocide took place (Ninety-Two

Years Later: How Turkey has Continued to Deny the Armenian Genocide by Katrina

Geukjian,

http://internationaldevelopmentstudies.artsandsocialsciences.dal.ca/Files/Katrina_Geujkian.p

df).

11. According to Gregory Stanton (the founder -1999- and president of Genocide

Watch,[1]

the founder -1981- and director of the Cambodian Genocide Project, and the

founder -1999- and Chair of the International Campaign to End Genocide, the President of

the International Association of Genocide Scholars from 2007-2009) there are eight stages of

genocide: classification, symbolization, dehumanization, organization, polarization,

preparation, extermination and, last but not least, denial

(http://www.genocidewatch.org/aboutgenocide/8stagesofgenocide.html). Many scholars

believe that Turkey continues to deny this genocide because denial is part of genocidal

behavior. Following the physical destruction of a people and their material culture, memory

is all that is left and is targeted as the last victim” (Hovannisian, R.G. (1999), p. 202, Denial

of the Armenian Genocide in Comparison with Holocaust Denial. In Hovannisian, R.G. (Ed),

Remembrance and Denial: The Case of the Armenian Genocide (pp. 201-236). Detroit:

Wayne State University Press Detroit). These ideas of Turkism, PanTurkism (which was the

exclusion of Armenians from national ideals) and Millî İktisat (Nation Economy, which was

the removal of Armenians from economic activity), was the basis for Turkey‟s national

identity (Astourian, S. H. (1999), Modern Turkish Identity and the Armenian Genocide: From

prejudice to Racist Nationalism. In Hovannisian, R.G. (Ed), Remembrance and Denial: The

Case of the Armenian Genocide (pp. 23-49). Detroit: Wayne State University Press Detroit).

Turkism replaced Ottomanism, and this notion of unity is maintained throughout the country,

and consequently alienates Armenians (Ninety-Two Years Later: How Turkey has Continued

to Deny the Armenian Genocide by Katrina Geukjian,

http://internationaldevelopmentstudies.artsandsocialsciences.dal.ca/Files/Katrina_Geujkian.p

df).