During the discussion of any social, economic, scientific, historical or political issues, there are always pro and con arguments, explanations or contradictions based on virtues, emotions, facts, beliefs or interests. Even when the arguments are based on verity and realities, one may always find someone who will try to challenge it in its entirety in order to prove their counterpoint even if its content is devoid of factuality. The Turkish-Armenian arguments in terms of the definition of genocide, the evaluation of past and present bilateral relations, and ways to improve mutual rapport remain the subject of different interpretations and suggestions not only among Turks and Armenians, but even within their own respective groups as well.

It is true that the Turks are pursuing a more cohesive policy in this regard, thanks to their state-controlled collective thinking and the cohesiveness of their society. Armenians, in contrast, are more divisive, due to their individualistic approaches, and certainly the Turks are taking full advantage of it.

INCREASING RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
One after another, many countries' legislative bodies are now recognizing that what happened in 1915-1923 was indeed genocide. Already the legislative bodies of Uruguay, Argentina, Russia, Lebanon, Greece, Bulgaria, Belgium, Sweden, France, and now the Papal Office, recognize the historical fact that the Armenian Genocide did happen, and the legislative bodies of other countries, like Italy, Germany and the US, may join their ranks sooner or later.

The Turks are aware that there are documents in the archives of the US, UK Germany, Austria and Russia, which implicate the Ottoman government with the crime of genocide. The most credible eyewitness accounts by the missionaries stationed in wartime Turkey, and statements by the diplomatic corps, including German military personnel, all indicate that the disappearance of the Armenian population was the result of the premeditated, preplanned genocidal policy of the Ottoman government at the highest level. In order to confuse world public opinion, policy makers in Ankara are now running a very sophisticated misinformation and propaganda campaign, utilizing deceptive methods to mislead everyone, including Armenians. It is useful to review the following recent developments.
1) Ankara announced that it has established an Armenian chair and created a commission to study Armenian allegations in historical perspectives. In order to prove that there was no genocide, Turkish and foreign historians will be asked to check the Ottoman documents to determine what happened in 1915-1923 -- was it an act of genocide or were the deaths among the Armenians, Turks and Kurds the result of inter-communal fights?
Ankara is quick to add that the documents extant in the Ottoman archives will prove that the "so-called genocide" never took place, and there are no documents to prove that the Ottoman government gave the orders to annihilate the Ottoman Armenian population; on the contrary, there were orders to provide protection to the Armenian deportees. What this means is that the Armenian chair and commission are being set up to prove that the "alleged genocide" never occurred. According to critics, rather than trying to find out the facts, the Turks are already reaching a conclusion, which is based on their version of history.
In the meantime, they are already working on a new penal code, whereby if any Turkish historians and academicians ever use the term "Armenian genocide," they will be subject to imprisonment and severe penalties. This will make it virtually impossible for them to produce any impartial historical fact-finding studies.
Yet the Turkish authorities are attempting to create the impression that honest efforts are being made on their part, with the intent of forestalling the passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution by the legislative body of any given foreign country.

NIX ON "ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTIONS"
2) The Turks are issuing a warning that if the legislature of any foreign country passes the so-called "Armenian Genocide Resolution," Turkish-Armenian relations will suffer. Ankara is threatening to take unspecified measures against Armenia, thus trying to create an impression among concerned countries that the passage of such a resolution will have adverse effects on bilateral relations and Turkish-Armenian relations as well.

Turkish historian Professor Halil Berktay, Taner Akcam, leading Turkish activist and former president of the Turkish Human Rights Association Akin Birdal, Israeli Genocide and Holocaust scholars Yair Auron, Israel W. Charny, and British historian Sir Martin Gilbert all agree that, contrary to Ankara's allegations, recognition of the Armenian Genocide will heal the wounds and release the present generation of Turks from the burden of their history, and bring about reconciliation between the Turks and Armenians.

The Turks, by exploiting too the fears of Christian Turks (*) fears, which are prevalent among the minority residents of Istanbul, are coercing them to come out with declarations against the genocide resolutions. It is a known fact that all Christian Turkish institutions, like schools, hospitals, cultural associations, and churches, including even the two patriarchates (Greek and Armenian), are under strict Turkish state-controlled rules and regulations. The state controls these entities through the assignment of Turkish principals, religious affairs officials and informers recruited from among Christian Turks, to monitor the activities of the minorities in Istanbul.

It is a historical fact that the list of Armenian community leaders and notables, prior to their arrest on April 24, 1915 was also prepared by Christian Turk informers and subsequently submitted to Enver and Talat Pashas. It is also known that during important Christian religious feasts and community affairs, or funeral services of Christian Turk notables, there are always informers who listen for any anti-Turkish statements, in particular during the commemoration of "Nahadagatz Or" (Martyrs Day) in Sisli (Shishli) Armenian Cemetery every April 24th.

Naturally, most Christian Turks are unable to connect April 24th -- "Nahadagatz Or" - with the events of 1915, or simply they have not been informed about it by their elders out of fear of being accused of defaming the Turkish state. Devlet Baba (name used by Turks to show affection and respect to the Turkish state) always has a watchful eye on its citizens who believe that the state is everywhere.

OMNIPRESENT STATE SURVEILLANCE
Among the Christian Turk community, it was common knowledge that one of their notable community leaders, the late Dr. "S," was well known for his dual services. He used to discuss Armenian community issues, including problems involving the church and schools, with the leaders in Ankara; his requests and recommendations were readily accepted by the Turks in order to enhance his prestige among the Armenian community. For his loyalty as an informer, he benefited a great deal at the personal level also; he was able to be instrumental in dissolving some outstanding community problems. The Turkish leaders take great pride in declaring to the whole world that the Republic of Turkey is a secular state. Turkish generals, who are the real rulers of the state, maintain control over the civilian government, and they exercise their power not to give prominence to Islamic notables like muftis or imams. There are strict rules to keep religion out of politics, as we witnessed recently when the generals outlawed the Welfare Party and imprisoned its leader, former Prime Minister Necmeddin Erbakan.
One may wonder why officials in Ankara made an exception by giving prominence to the Christian Turks' Patriarch [Archbishop Mesrob Mutafyan] when they interviewed him on the CNN-Turk TV program for a discussion of Armenian issues [See text in Nov. 11, 2000 issue-ed]. Naturally the Turks used the quotations attributed to the patriarch for foreign consumption; i.e., if foreign legislatures recognize the Armenian Genocide, this would have a harmful effect on Turkish-Armenian relations. Turkish CNN-Turk correspondent Baydar, before posing any question to the patriarch, made the following statement while addressing His Beatitude "Your views are important not only for Turkey but also for the whole world." If Mr. Baydar had the audacity to make the same statement to the Grand Mufti of all Turkey (leader of all Muslim Turks), he would find himself behind bars for advocating and promoting Islamic fundamentalism.
Why then did the Turks give such prominence to the patriarch before the Turkish TV audience, obliging him to answer specific questions, which were particularly crafted to impress foreigners on the eve of the discussions of the Armenian Genocide Resolution in the French Senate, European and Italian Parliaments? They were giving the message that these kinds of discussions are having harmful effects on Turkish-Armenian relations. The idea is to dissuade foreign legislatures from pursuing the Armenian Genocide Resolution.

EXPLOITATION OF PATRIARCH'S POSITION
Mr. Baydar asked the following questions: "Who will gain if the Armenian Genocide Resolution is adopted by the House of Representatives and how will this affect the Turkish-Armenian community?" One should give high marks to His Beatitude Mesrob II Mutafyan for giving appropriate answers to these most delicate questions in a very prudent way and for using the correct terminology. The critics of this interview, however, are not by any means criticizing the patriarch, since no one has the right to expect a Turkish-Armenian citizen to promote the Armenian Genocide issue in a country where the people are put in jail daily for their beliefs, philosophies, and political orientation. The criticism, therefore, is directed to the Turkish officials for capitalizing on the fear of the Christian Turks in order to promote the Turkish agenda and propaganda.

The Turks are the masters of manipulation. The messages that they are trying to give to the world are the following. 1) The Armenian Genocide didn't happen. 2) The Turkish-Armenian deaths were the result of civil war, there were no Ottoman government orders to massacre Armenians. 3) Historians should determine what happened in 1915, politicians have no rights to legislate historical events. 4) The pursuit of the genocide allegations will harm bilateral relations between any foreign country and Turkey, as well as Turkish-Armenian relations. 5) Those pursuing the genocide allegations are fanning hatred between Turks and Armenians. 6) Armenians with alleged so-called genocide claims are aiming for financial and territorial compensation. 7) Armenians were not innocent victims either; they were waging a war of independence on Turkish territory, as attested in the memoirs of their fighters. 8) There are enough materials written about this issue as to why the Armenians are trying to legislate over and over again and conducting hostile anti-Turkish propaganda. The answer to all these accusations is simple. Armenians harbor no hatred against the Turkish people and they are not engaged in anti-Turkish propaganda.

They only want condemnation of the Young Turk government for willfully perpetrating the extermination policy. The Armenians do not hold the present-day Turks responsible for those crimes; they only want recognition that such injustice and crime has been committed, in order to relieve the pain and suffering of their ancestors, the survivors and their descendants. Armenians believe that recognition will lead to a healing of wounds and scars and will establish reconciliation between Turks and Armenians.

The Armenian campaign is not being pursued to disseminate hatred; on the contrary, its intent is to eliminate the burden of history hanging over succeeding generations of Turks and Armenians, which is preventing reconciliation and establishment of permanent peace. The issues and principles are the main topics for Discussion; any distortions, misinformation, false accusations and rhetoric will further inflame the situation and prevent peaceful co-existence.

The Armenians will support the quest of those brave Turkish intellectuals to find the truth, as well as their efforts to establish a meaningful dialogue between Turks and Armenians.

Newtonville, NY

Editor's note: Readers will surely have noted Dr. Acemoglu's deliberate use of the words "Christian Turk" and "Christian Turkish" in the above article. Of course, Christian Turk does not refer to Turks who have converted from Islam to Christianity, which is forbidden by Islam anyway. Rather, this appellation constitutes the "politically correct" and official Turkish term for all Christian citizens of Turkey, similar to the description of Kurds as "Mountain Turks." In both cases, the ethnic origin and identity of these "Turks" is deliberately ignored, indeed denied, in the Turkish state's continuing attempt to homogenize its population and make them all Turks.