Turkey’s holocaust denial
President Obama today raised the issue of Turkey’s entry into the EU, himself supporting Turkey’s cause. I am strongly against Turkey entering the EU until certain provisions are met, mainly reducing their occupation of Northern Cyprus and accepting that they killed 1.5 million people in the Armenian Genocide. Turkey need to commit themselves to a plan that progresses towards a more united Cyprus. This means ending their declaration of the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” – a country only Turkey themselves recognise.
The second issue that needs to be addressed before Turkey should be allowed into the EU is their continual denial of the first holocaust of the 20th century – one that would provide a blue print for the Nazis. This issue is something covered very well by historians and writers (noteably the brilliant reporter Robert Fisk) and is keeping Turkey in a static state that does not contribute towards future progress in the country. The genocide is recognised by the EU, the UN, 21 countries, and almost the entire historian community which makes it outrageous that Turkey could not only claim that the Armenian deaths were a result of famine and internal conflict but to regularly send Turkish scholars who speak out about it to prison (under Turkey’s infamous Article 301 prohibiting “insulting Turkishness”). This desparate situation was compounded in 2007 when Hrant Dink, a Turkish-Armenian scholar, was assassinated by a 17 -year old Turkish nationalist after he released a documentary about the genocide. He’d managed to escape two previous charges under Article 301 with only a six-month jail term but eventually paid the ultimate price for speaking out.
It frustrates me to see Obama giving uncritical support for a country that is regressive on so many issues, especially after claiming that “as President I will recognize the Armenian Genocide” early last year. I’m sceptical enough about Obama getting involved in matters such as the European Union, let alone him using the same “mutual respect” rhetoric about a country that silences people for speaking out. Where’s the mutual respect for Armenia or the Turkish citizens that have tried to spread the truth to their brainwashed compatriots?
