Another “April 24” has come and gone with all its suffering, accusations, counter accusations and cross-vilifications. In the meantime, ugly scenes took place in Yerevan and Beirut, where Turkish flags and effigies of Turkish leaders were burned by hard-liners. It did not take long for hard-liner Turks to reciprocate, and the next day Armenian flags were burned in Istanbul, which also frequently witnesses the burning of Israeli, American and Chinese flags, to name but a few.
Looking at all this, it is clear that the proverbial “glass” is not yet “half full” in terms of reconciliation between the Turkish and Armenian nations. But neither can it be said to be totally empty. This year there were unprecedented developments that cracked the hard shell of hatred between the two peoples. These can be expected to continue.
Armenian President Serge Sarkisian, for example, had kind words for President Abdullah Gül in his speech, in which he explained to his nation why Yerevan was only suspending the Turkish-Armenian protocols and not annulling them. He also thanked those Turkish intellectuals who have started to openly share the pain of the Armenian people.
It was noteworthy in this respect that two commemorative events took place in Istanbul on April 24 to sympathize with Armenians who suffered in 1915. The numbers of those attending were not great perhaps. But one of the organizations was the Human Rights Association, or IHD, which is well known and has branches all over Turkey. The other was by a group of intellectuals comprising academics, journalists, lawyers and businessmen etc., including some who are household names around Turkey.
These events were preceded by heated debates on television, where things never pronounced before concerning 1915 were said and where the term “genocide” was used without qualifiers, such as “so called” or “alleged.” Put another way, the infamous “article 301” of the penal code holds no sway over this debate anymore despite the existence of overzealous nationalist prosecutors.
In the meantime, one of the most notable articles in the mainstream Turkish press on the topic came from Hasan Cemal of Milliyet.
“Some may call it deportation, some a tragedy, some may say genocide, while some may refer to the great disaster. But you cannot deny it.” Cemal said going on to indicate he shares the suffering of the Armenian people. What makes Cemal's words important is that he is the grandson of the infamous Cemal Pasha who was implicated in the mass deportations of the Armenians in 1915.
Last year Cemal, while in Armenia, also met the grandson of the killer of his grandfather, who was gunned down by a vengeance-seeking Armenian nationalist in Tbilisi in July 1922. The meeting was later described by witnesses as “a civilized and highly emotional event.”
There was also something new in President Obama’s April 24 statement this year. Of course, he displeased Armenians because he did not use the term “genocide,” but his remarks and the concrete number he used for Armenian losses in 1915 were sufficient to show what he believes happened then.
But what was new in his statement was that he thanked Turks who had saved Armenians in 1915, a dimension of the whole issue that is not dwelled on in any great length when this subject is debated.
Even the great Austrian writer Franz Werfel acknowledges this important fact in his masterpiece “40 Days on Musa Dagh.” Those who have read this amazing piece of work know one of the “righteous” characters in the novel is a certain “Rifat Bereket Agha” from Antakya, who actually existed in real life.
Meanwhile, Turkish papers have become abound with human interest stories about Armenians. Contacts are increasing between Turkish and Armenian citizen groups, professional organizations and academicians. In addition to this, Turkish reporters are traveling both to Armenia and places like Beirut, where Armenians live in large numbers and are reporting on what they hear and see.
These reports indicate clearly that Armenians will never forget what happened to them in 1915, and no one has a right to expect this from them. But they also indicate a very lively curiosity about Turkey, as well as certain nostalgia, which is normal given that Turks and Armenians have much in common culturally.
So the proverbial glass is not yet half full by a long shot. But the developments of the past two years, including the two protocols signed by the foreign ministers in Zurich, have galvanized something between the two nations that did not exist before.
Hard-liners on both sides will try and nip this in the bud, of course. But many seeds have been and are being sowed presently. And anyone who works in a garden knows no matter how inhospitable the soil may be, some seeds will insist on growing.
Semih Idiz/Hurriyet Daily News
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