by CESAR CHELALA
“Of this photo, the United States ambassador wrote,[45] ‘Scenes like this were common all over the Armenian provinces, in the spring and summer months of 1915. Death in its several forms—massacre, starvation, exhaustion—destroyed the larger part of the refugees. The Turkish policy was that of extermination under the guise of deportation'”.
PHOTO & TEXT/Wikipedia
On April 23, Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan offered his condolences to the descendants of the Armenians who were killed by Ottoman troops during WWI in which many consider as the first genocide of the 20th century. Although it is an historic apology, Erdogan’s statement is only a first step that should be followed by other measures to restore ties with the Armenian government.
Stating that “The incidents of the First World War are our shared pain,” Erdogan said, “It is our hope and belief that the peoples of an ancient and unique geography, who share similar customs and manners will be able to talk to each other about the past with maturity and to remember together their losses in a decent manner.” And he added, “And it is with this hope and belief that we wish that the Armenians who lost their lives in the context of the early 20th century rest in peace, and we convey our condolences to their grandchildren.”
Turkey, however, still categorically rejects the term genocide and claims that only 500,000 Armenians died of fighting and starvation in 1915. In 2013, during a trip to Yerevan, the Armenian capital, Turkey’s foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu called the events of 1915-16 a “mistake” and an “inhuman act”. However, Armenians want Turkey to recognize the killing of 1.5 million people as genocide.
Armenians’ claims received an unexpected support from German Chancellor Angela Merkel. During an official visit by Erdogan to Germany in February, Erdogan asked Merkel and her ruling Christian Democratic Union party to be cautious in addressing the upcoming centennial of the 1915 events.
Undaunted by Erdogan’s request Merkel publicly scolded Erdogan saying, “Turkey must come to terms with its history. We cannot compare the Armenians living in Armenia with the Armenians who were forcibly dispersed around the world.” Erdogan replied, “You are asking us to accept something that we have not done,” adding that the entire Turkish archives are open to the world, an assertion that is not universally accepted.
Women’s International Perspective for more