Turkey Warns of Fallout
Posted By shirley on March 6, 2010
Another article in our local newspaper recapping an Associated Press article reports that “Turkey warns of fallout for House genocide vote.”
What struck me as ironic was the statement from the Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu that “the issue was a matter of ‘honor’ for his country.” Really? I actually cannot respect Turkey for its denial and pressure it puts on our state department.
It would be more of an honor for them to finally come to terms with their past and admit that the Ottoman government ordered Armenians from their homes, cities and towns and led them into the desert. I know, because my grandparents told me so. See, they were some of those Armenians who went to Der Zor in the Syrian desert. Their house was bordered up and they were ordered to leave. With a small child in my grandmother’s arms, they walked into the desert. The toddler did not survive the trek. How were they “victims of civil war and unrest?” Please tell me because it makes absolutely no sense. My grandfather was even sent into the Turkish army. How can that be unrest? They did nothing wrong as so many of the Armenians who were living peacefully in their villages and cities.
I had been torn about the Armenian genocide resolution. I worried about harming relations with our Turkish ally who supports us by training Afghan police in Kabul and mediating between Israel and Syria.
Then I decided to view the issue using the analogy of a substance abuse and enablers.
Turkey is acting like a substance abuser who is addicted to Armenian genocide denial. As happens with drug abusers, they have stunted their maturity and throw tantrums every time the Armenian genocide is raised.
They manipulate their friends like Israel and the United States into being enablers.
The time has come for Turkey to grow up start behaving like the mature and civilized member of the family of nations it claims to be by accepting responsibility for the genocide.
The time has come for the United to stop enabling Turkey. That’s not good for Turkey or us.
Turkey needs make Germany its sponsor for recovery and follow the German example of how they took responsibility for the Holocaust.
As Turkey’s ally at the time of the genocide, Germany can help by not only assisting Turkey in its recovery but also by acknowledging their share of responsibility for the Armenian genocide.
We’re both children of the 60s and can recall the crisis when our nation confronted the horror that our founders were slave holders who committed genocide against the Indians.
The U.S. survived that and became a better nation because of how we dealt with it just as Germany has become of great nation because of how it dealt with the Holocaust. Turkey will survive acceptance of responsibility for the Armenian genocide and will also become a better nation.