08 03 2007 - Relayed from USA Armenian Life Magazine

Jean Eckian
Will Turkey Keep Its Promise? Friday March 9, 2007
By Appo Jabarian
Executive Publisher/Managing Editor-USA Armenian Life Magazine -Hye Kiank Armenian Weekly
The Armenian Genocide resolution, H.CON.RES.195,
commemorating the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923, is
widely anticipated to be put for a floor vote in the
United States House of Representatives in April.
Non-binding resolutions - like the recent resolution
on the Iraq Surge - go largely unnoticed especially by
the Bush administration.
However, the Armenian Genocide resolution, though
non-binding, is expected to cause a political
earthquake in Turkey. Yes, Turkey, only in Turkey and
no other place.
But the Turkish denialists are unwilling to remain
politically quarantined. That's why they are hard at
work to convince by way of threats the U.S. government
and the Congress that the political fallout will
spill-over outside of Turkey and will "seriously
damage" U.S.-Turkey relations.
The Turkish denialists' multi-pronged attacks on
Washington DC, in early February, began with the
massive deployment of parliamentarians. The Turkish
occupation forces in Washington DC were led by
individuals in the highest echelons of the Turkish
government.
These Turkish "lobbyists" were aided by another
contingent of "syndicated columnists" such as Gunduz
Aktan. These "columnists" authored a large number of
the denialist articles in a very brief time span. That
in itself is a clear indication of the intensity of
the anxiety and the level of frustration in Ankara.
They even produced a propaganda "pink booklet" to make
their false case.
In addition to flooding foreign capitals with print
and electronic media, the Turkish denialists and
occupation forces also took over the streets in Turkey
from Constantinople (Istanbul) to Trabizond. The
Turkish "lobbyists" and "writers" were also aided by
street gangs. One such gang's criminal act claimed the
life of journalist Hrant Dink, the most recent victim
of the Armenian Genocide. Another gang, a few days
ago, fired a lethal weapon in the courtyard of an
Armenian Church in Constantinople.
In a Feb. 17 article titled "Gross injustice," Gunduz
Aktan, the former Turkish Ambassador to the United
States, wrote: "Today, Armenia … dares to urge us to
expand freedom of expression. … Under these
conditions, there is no alternative other than seeking
a solution to the problem by adjudication or
arbitration. Mr. Gul expressed this view in December
during the budget debates. In response, not a word was
heard from the U.S. administration, EU countries or
institutions, Armenia or the Armenian Diaspora. It's
as if all of a sudden everyone became deaf and mute."
Aktan continued: "The attempts to portray Turks as
being responsible for genocide are the basic reason
for the current psychological regression and the harsh
nationalist reaction in our society. Nobody should
entertain any illusion that Turkey will eventually
yield to these unilateral allegations. We will take
Armenia and its supporters to court and will make them
face history together with us. And we will make them
respect our dead as well."
Mr. Aktan has yet to make good on his promise to take
the Armenian Genocide case to the International Court.
As several Armenian Americans recall, Mr. Aktan made
similar "threats" or "promises" almost a year ago. But
when he and his bosses in Ankara were asked to join
the Armenians in abiding by any verdict of the
International Court in reference to the Armenian
Genocide, they conveniently swept any such talk under
the rug.
Now, at the dawn of the 92nd anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide, and having forgotten his own
"promise," Mr. Aktan resurfaced his poker
game-bluffing knowing full well that his poker game
may turn into a political Russian Roulette for Turkey.
We shall see if this time around Mr. Aktan and his
bosses prove true to their word.
Aktan and his cohorts may well realize that in time
Ankara won't be able to escape from accountability for
the genocidal crimes of 1915-1923. They can no longer
try to defraud the Armenians into accepting "a simple
recognition" of the Armenian genocide; a recognition
"without consequences." A simple recognition "without
consequences," would effectively allow the criminals
and their descendants to maintain the post-genocide
usurpation of the lands of Western Armenia and the
Armenian victims' confiscated real and personal
properties.
Aktan concluded: "There is no way out for anyone
anymore."
One hopes that this time Aktan honestly means what he
says.
Sadly, some Armenian individuals in the Diaspora work
very hard to reflect the image of "visionary leaders,"
or "moderate Armenians." Yet, they don't realize that
their conformism and pandering to the denialist
leaders in Anakara may come at a huge expense to their
nation. At this time, individuals like myself, will
refrain from naming these individuals. They know who
they are. One may hope that they will quit the
willy-nilly way of holding a so-called "dialogue" with
Mr. Gunduz Aktan and other notorious deniers of the
Armenian Genocide.
Deep down, the Turkish "Deep State" may know only too
well that the political premise on which the so-called
modern Turkey is founded, is shaky at best. They may
also realize that the Treaty of Sèvres of 1920 may
have as much power and authority as the one-sided
Treaty of Lausanne of 1923. Sooner or later, a treaty
similar to the Sèvres has to be negotiated and
implemented. As a direct consequence, justice will
finally be served and peace will prevail by creating a
win-win-win situation for Turkey, Armenia, the United
States, The EU, Russia and the Middle East.

V.V