From Turchunland With (no) Love?

Arpa · October 19, 2007

From Turchunland With (No) Love. ??

Yeah, yeah. We love you too. See first highlight.

Where does he get the idea that our music and theirs are “similar”? What kind of music? The ones that feature the oud and dumbek?

Then the outpouring of “love”, when the glove comes off. See second highlight. “our ultra-nationalist nuts will go crazier than ever…”

Who are those “nuts”? Hamid, Talaat and Enver resurrected to finish the job?

A threat is a threat, a blackmail is as black, no matter how one tries to soften and whiten it.

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An open letter to the Armenian Diaspora

TDN

An open letter to the Armenian Diaspora

Thursday, October 18, 2007

If we will start listening to your narrative, that will not be

because we are pushed into a corner by the politics of a powerful

lobby, but because our hearts are touched by the memoirs of a terrible

tragedy

Mustafa AKYOL

Dear all,

A few days ago a new friend of mine who happens to be an American

Armenian played some beautiful songs for me that come from the deepest

roots of her ethnic tradition. While I enjoyed the numinous rhythms of

that magnetic Armenian music, I realized how similar they were to the

tunes of the Turkish classical music that I have grown up

hearing. `Despite all the political warfare,' I said to myself, `alas,

look how similar we are.' I actually have a similar feeling when I

drive along the magnificent mosques and palaces of Istanbul, some of

which were built by Armenian architects - men in fez who devoutly

worshipped Christ and proudly served the Sultan.

Well, we were the children of the same empire, weren't we? We

actually lived side by side as good neighbors for centuries until the

modern virus called `nationalism' descended upon us. And then hell

broke loose.

A war of two narratives:

I know what you think about that hell, especially about its most

horrific episode, the one that took place in the year 1915. Your

grandmothers must have told you about the plunderers, killers and

rapists who attacked them and countless fellow Armenians. You call the

whole tragedy `the Armenian Genocide' and try to convince the

parliaments of the world to accept that definition. You also think, I

presume, that we Turks are monsters who not only committed that

horrible crime, but also refuse to take responsibility for it even

after nearly a century.

This is how you see history and the present moment, right? Well, as

a Turk, let me say that I understand you. Because I see that you

sincerely believe in the accuracy of the historical narrative that you

were raised on. How else could you have responded to that?

However, please note that there is another narrative about the

tragedy of 1915, and that is what we Turks have been raised on. Our

grandmothers told us that Armenians of the time collaborated with the

Russian invaders and started to kill our people. Then, the narrative

goes, our people started to kill the Armenians in order to both to

protect themselves and to take revenge. `They killed us and so we

killed them' is the summary of what 99 percent of the Turks know and

think about what you call genocide. And just like you do, they

sincerely believe in the accuracy of their historical narrative.

So there are two different accounts of what really happened in

1915. I know that in the Western academic world your narrative has

gained much more support, but there are serious non-Turkish scholars

who tend to agree with the Turkish version, too. When I read the works

of professor Guenter Lewy recently, for example, I was convinced that

what my grandmother told me was really true.

Of course I am no expert on the issue. I don't have enough knowledge

to decide whether the truth lies in your narrative, in our narrative,

or somewhere in between. But I am open to learning more and

reconsidering my position. `Follow the evidence,' one of my core

principles reads, `wherever it may lead.' And, believe me, that there

are so many people in Turkey who think the same way.

Pushing the wrong way:

Now since we are getting to know each other, let me be a bit more

blunt and take on what you have just done by convincing the

U.S. Congress to pass a resolution on `the Armenian Genocide.'

If you think that acts like these will push us Turks to be more

self-critical and initiate an internal discussion that will lead us to

consider your narrative about 1915, you are daydreaming. The reality

is quite the contrary. Foreign pressure will make Turkish society only

more reactionary. Grounds for internal discussion will

vanish. Moreover, our ultra-nationalist nuts will go crazier than

ever. Their most militant ones might well target, once again, liberal

intellectuals and our Armenian citizens. You are simply fuelling the

fire.

The leaders of Turkey's Armenian community, including Patriarch

Mesrob Mutafyan II, have been warning you about these dangers and

urging you to stop playing this resolution game. But sadly, you don't

ever listen to them. You accuse them for lacking courage and having a

defeatist psychology. But how do you know that you yourselves are not

the victims of another psychology - that of the diaspora? Social

scientists repeatedly say that diaspora communities tend to go

fanatic. Have you ever considered taking a hint?

If you would like to hear some friendly advice, here it is: If you

really want to see more Turks reflecting on your narrative about the

tragedy of 1915, initiate a genuine dialogue. Try to convince not

Mrs. Pelosi and her colleagues, but us, the Turks. Write more books

and articles, create better movies and Web sites, and organize fair

conferences and seminars telling us about your story. And do these not

as propaganda tools against the Turks, but as communication efforts

toward them.

Convey your message calmly, in other words, and it will be

heard. But don't try to impose it onto us. We are not a nation of

monsters, but we do have a stubborn side. When foreigners start to

dictate our history to us, we tend to revert back to our grandmothers'

stories. And if we will start listening to your narrative, that will

not be because we are pushed into a corner by the politics of a

powerful lobby, but because our hearts are touched by the memoirs of a

terrible tragedy. Sincerely,

Mustafa Akyol

A fellow Anatolian

Yervant1 · October 19, 2007

I read this letter in the early morning and I thought about putting it in the children forum but we don't have one, because even a 10 years old kid would have reasoned better than this so called kind hearted person. The second best I thought may be the humour forum because I couldn't stop laughing at the naivety of the letter writer or maybe the lack of it, since this seems to me is nothing but soft AG denial disguised as friendly and full of threats if you don't see as I see mentality.

First we didn't live side by side as good neighbours but master and slaves, we lived as providers of food, government administerators, Doctors, musicians, accountants, architects, bridge builders, art, ect. as second class no third class citizens with heavy taxes.

Second the story of the grandmothers respectively, but he fails to mention the countless turk grandmothers telling stories which agrees with the stories of Armenian grandmothers. Maybe he should read the recent books by turkish citizens about those stories where turkish grandmothers talk about it with a whispering voice so that the ear of the government does not hear it. My friend mustafa shamelessly recites the story of Genocide according to the textbooks of the government. Hey mustafa if you truly believe that those stories told by your grandmother were true why the government does not allow the discussion freely without punishment between the turks themselves.

Third there are no two accounts, it's gaining support by the western world because of it's accuracy believe me no country will support us if it were not true, even all the congressmen who voted against the resolution admitted that Genocide occured.

MR. mustafa we waited long enough for you to come to terms with your own history that's 92 years and how long do you want us to wait so that you may consider free discussion of this issue in your country? You have only yourself to blame if Armenians are pushing this too hard.

Mustafa you are the one who is daydreaming if you think that you will soften up our resolve and determination for justice, before you lecture us about understanding you fix your own disease with your nationalist cowards.

Fourth put your advice where your mouth is and instead of talking about threats and doomsday if we don't forget this, you tell your goverment to implement free speech about AG. If you are looking for honest dialogue start with one and get rid of that BS that 99% of your society is in denial, let them all express their opinions freely without reprecussions than we will see if it's 99% or not.

Fifth you don't need our grandmothers narratives in order to be touched by it, you go ask your own grandmother(s) but honesty is a must here then you will know the truth.

But then again I don't think that you are interested with the truth but the denial of it. Because I'm sure your grandmother told you the truth.

Armat · October 19, 2007

Mustafa AKYOL

Dear all,

A few days ago a new friend of mine who happens to be an American