ANCA: Erdogan Statement is Denial Repackaged

Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) executive director Aram Hamparian said the following about Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan’s statement on the “events of 1915”:

“Increasingly isolated internationally, Ankara is repackaging its genocide denials.”

“Prime Minister Erdogan, in his statement today, attempts, in vain, to escape responsibility for the Armenian Genocide, by somehow downgrading this still unpunished international crime to the level of a simple, unresolved bilateral conflict. Neither the facts nor any of the world’s commonly accepted codes of law or morality support this twisted view.”

“The fact remains that, as this cold-hearted and cynical ploy so plainly demonstrates, Turkey is, today, escalating its denial of truth and obstruction of justice for the Armenian Genocide.”

The statement comes in a period of intense pressure on Ankara, and is seen as an effort to preempt international recognition of the Armenian Genocide on the threshold of the centennial.

Employing euphemisms and the age-old “everyone suffered” denialist refrain, Erdogan concludes his statement by wishing that “the Armenians who lost their lives in the context of the early twentieth century rest in peace, and we convey our condolences to their grandchildren.”

13 Comments

  1. One makes peace with one’s enemies.

    Turkey is willing to play and so should we.

    Talking, negotiating, step-by-step, a messy process is how things get done in the real world. Armenians should abandon their blunt, fairy tale, all-or-nothing version of how things must unfold in
    relations with Turkey and adopt a more realistic one. Armenians must face the real world.

    The ultimate goal is to live with Turks in peace so both people can thrive and prosper. The ultimate goal is not the annihilation of Turks and Turkey. That’s not going to happen. Turks and Turkey are here to stay. So we have to reconcile with the idea that we have to live along and with Turks.

    What we need is a strategic, nuanced, smart approach to the resolution of the issue of Genocide with Turkey. Erdogan’s announcement could obviously be another ploy and politicking effort
    on part of Turkey to muddle the issue of the Genocide and ultimately deny us our demands but we are adults also, and smart too so we should be aware of that and stay alert to that. But we too can (and must) play strategic, politicking games.

    We too must manipulate, cajole, appease and do all the political
    game-playing and maneuvering that are necessary to achieve our goals. We can not stay rigid, unmoving without the willingness to participate in the give-and-take.

    And if this offer from Turkey creates that opportunity, we should be wise enough to take advantage of it.

  2. Human rights for all the minorities living in Turkey by accepting the Genocide.
    The process of restitution of losses for all of them.
    Liberty and justice for all, not only for some and educate the people towards that goal. Wishful thinking.
    Deal with historical facts and honesty.
    Teaching the people how to love their neighbors.

  3. O.K. my friends. Erdogan is also paying for a free Turkish Airlines flight to any city in Turkey for anyone whose grandparents had losses during World War I, packaged with another $1,000 free coupon valid for spending it in Turkey… Long live the memory of ancestors; and now we are co-existing in brotherly love!!!! See. How nice is Mr. Erdogan!

  4. How can a dead race murdered and slaughtered rest in peace?
    Erdogan deserves an oscar from Hollywood.How he sleeps at night shows
    what he is,just a barberic turk.

  5. ANCA could have used a more “diplomatic” language in its reaction and could have said something along these lines to encourage future dialogue:”This is a welcome development,only the first step in acknowledging the Armenian Genocide and the need for establishing the bases for a just solution”.It does not hurt to outsmart your opponent.

    • I Agree: Diplomatic Language can prove beneficial and productive for building constructive developments.

  6. ANCA is absolutely right!
    Erdogan is acting as a poor unimaginative composer, who released a new song keeping exactly the same basis but only changing the melodic line. Erdogan is outmoded.

  7. No so-called ‘diplomatic’ language will EVER be acceptable when it comes to the Armenian Genocide.
    Jews would never accept nor would they ever remotely entertain any ‘diplomatic’ baloney when it comes to the Jewish Holocaust.
    JH denialists are rightly and mercilessly hounded wherever they are, and jailed if possible: that is the ‘diplomatic’ language Jews use to ‘encourage future dialogue’ (…i.e. visit the scum in jail to discuss if they have repented yet…).

    Mr. Aram Hamparian: great response to the Denialist scum.
    Don’t give the Denialists a moment of respite.

    They are not so-called ‘opponents’: they are Denialist, Neo-Fascist, Neo-Nazi, Neo-Ottoman Anti-Armenian criminal scum.
    Terrorist sponsors who are not above organizing the murder of 100s of their fellow Muslims in Syria with Sarin gas to grab more land that belongs to others.
    Terrorist sponsors whose FM Davutoglu and MIT head discuss manufacturing an attack on some Turkish tomb in Syria to give them the excuse to invade and grab more land that belongs to others.
    Terrorist sponsors who are not above organizing an invasion of Armenian populated, peaceful Kessab by radical Islamist cannibals to terrorize and ethnically cleanse the descendants of AG survivors.

    This megalomaniac Neo-Ottoman psychopath has been denigrating, attacking, jailing, terrorizing, killing his own fellow Turkish citizens.
    Calling peaceful Turkish protesters ‘rats’, ’terrorists’, and who knows what else.
    What ‘diplomatic’ language are you guys talking about ?

    Keep hitting’em ANCA: you guys are doing Great.
    The denialist Neo-Sultan’s statement is nothing more than regurgitated TARC vomit: let him choke on it.

    • I agree with you, and you can disregard my previous statement. The Armenian Genocide, a crime against humanity, should be condemned by the international community.

      I’ve seen genocide denial behavior, among Turks on the Internet, a shallow case of guarding the pillaged wealth of Armenian Genocide victims, as well as guarding national pride.

      By the way, the founders of present day Turkey were guilty of perpetrating the crime of the Armenian Genocide, as well as the Young Turks of the Ottoman Empire. The Armenian Genocide (1915 – 1923) encompassed the Young Turk Regime of the Ottoman Empire, but when it collapsed in 1918, the founders of the Republic of Turkey completed the the work of genocide begun by the Committee of Union and Progress.

      White Genocide is a reference to the bloodless annihilation of the Armenian Diaspora, through cultural assimilation, in host countries, as well as the obliteration of the Armenian Civilization in Western Armenia (located in present day Eastern Turkey).

      For example: Armenian Churches and Monasteries in Western Armenia, reduced to rubble. Also, in my case cultural assimilation is erasing my mother’s Armenian legacy, as generation after generation intermarries with non Armenians.

  8. Turks have never been persuaded by our trying to be “good Armenians.” No bridges were burned here. The opposite is true; it is only because of straight forward pressure to stop the lying that Turkey is ratcheting up its denial machine to this level of soft soap. They hope that they can confuse us with this barely subtle non-apology apology. It is not out of respect that this statement was made; it was because they believe that we can be fooled so easily. Erdogon’s statement is nothing but obnoxious crocodile tears; the real message is, “move along, nothing to see here….”

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