The current situation is very confusing. Turkey is facing a virtual onslaught throughout the world, and is being unfairly singled out for vilification and stigmatization.
The House Committee on Foreign Affairs, using parliamentary devices (keeping the balloting open until the resolution was passed), approved a non-binding resolution calling on the President to characterize the events in Armenia as genocide. Turkey withdrew its ambassador to the United States, the newly appointed Namik Tan. Further, the American Turkish Council has just cancelled its annual conference because of the non-participation of Turkish officials who have, according to the ATC statement “curtailed official visits to countries that have accepted claims of genocide, including the United States”.
The Swedish Parliament recently voted to recognize the events in Armenia as genocide and Turkey withdrew its ambassador.
In Switzerland, Zurich’s Court of Appeals also recently confirmed the initial verdict of a Swiss district court that ruled that three Swiss citizens of Turkish descent were guilty of denying the Armenian Genocide. The defendants had apparently called the Armenian Genocide a lie at a meeting in Switzerland in 2007.
These are truly disturbing developments and understandably the Turkish government and Turks throughout the world (and friends of Turkey and the Turkish people) find these actions to be unfair and very problematic. Most importantly, these events interfere with the vitally important Turkey-Armenia protocols. It is imperative that these protocols advance, including the establishment of the historical commission to look into the events in 1915 – which is the proper repository for these matters, not parliaments or legislatures (or committees) of other countries second-guessing historical events.
In addition, free speech should always reign and be supreme (that is a fundamental principle of American democracy) – on what possible basis in justice and propriety do the Swiss go ahead and convict someone for making a statement about a historical event? Can you imagine if someone tried to pass such a law in the USA – there would be a huge outcry against such an infringement of freedom of speech.
I would also point out that the Swiss should take a good look into the mirror with respect to their own actions during the Holocaust (I recommend the PBS Frontline documentary called “Nazi Gold” which investigates Switzerland’s acting as banker and financial broker for Nazi Germany, and the allegation that Switzerland allowed German train cars full of Jews bound for death camps to travel through Switzerland). For the Swiss in this situation, the adage is particularly appropriate: “People Who Live in Glass Houses Should Not Throw Stones”.
The question is: given this situation, What Should Turkey do? Turkey has apparently threatened 'serious consequences' after the US vote on Armenian genocide and is apparently not planning to return its Ambassador to the US until it receives assurances that the House resolution is dead.
I would urge calm on the part of Turkey and its people. I believe that Turkey should return its ambassadors to the US and Sweden. Ambassador Tan, for example, is a very experienced diplomat, and he needs to be in the US to work with US officials and others to stabilize the situation caused by the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s inappropriate action.
President Obama needs to weigh in and do his utmost to stabilize this situation, so that the Turkey-Armenia protocols can be salvaged (these Protocols are in a very precarious state in light of the House committee resolution and the complicating factor of Nagorno-Karabakh).
Frankly, the Turkish leadership needs to understand that in the American system, Congressmen vote their constituent interest and that can often conflict with national interest and policy. The President and Secretary of State need to act, and put pressure on the Speaker of the House to put the Resolution aside permanently. Right now, the President and the Congress are pre-occupied with health care, but the Armenian resolution may still rear its ugly head again especially as we get closer to April 24th (and the Presidential statement on the events in Armenia).
In the meantime, Turkey should not take any further hasty actions in respect of its relations with the US. The US-Turkish alliance is so significant that it should not be held hostage to this issue of the Armenian events, as emotionally impactful as this issue is on the Turkish leadership and every Turk throughout the world.
Turks and the Turkish leadership should know that they have loyal and devoted friends throughout the world who are outraged at these events. This too shall pass. Turkey should hold fast to the propriety of its cause, but should send its ambassadors back to the US and Sweden, and have its officials fully engaged again in active diplomacy, so that Turkey will not be isolated but will actively be “in the game” to fight, along with Turkey’s friends, for justice for Turkey, its reputation and its image in the world.
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Mark Meirowitz is a business lawyer in Manhattan. He also holds a doctorate in Politics and has taught undergraduate courses in Politics, History and Law at various colleges in the New York City metropolitan area. He is studying Turkish and is active in a number of Turkish American organizations. He can be reached at
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Mark Meirowitz/Turkishny.com
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