CEU eTD Collection In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts The Collective Memory of the Armenian Armenian ofthe Memory The Collective Supervisor: Professor Nenad Dimitrijevic Nenad Professor Supervisor: Department of Political Science Political of Department Central European University European Central Mari Hovhannisyan Budapest, Hungary Budapest, Submitted to Submitted (2010) By CEU eTD Collection for their supportduring my instay . staff of My Agosnewspapers.the address BagradEsdugian special thankshis to family and Harutyun my andsignificantMarutyan,to part of the Demoyan grateful research. Iam I would like yearacademic and me wholethe me. thesiswritingassisted process andencouraged to thank whole the throughout and me with patient so was who Timar, Eszter theinstructor Writing people whomy Academic Warmest to thanks this project. throughout andcomments encouragement kindly agreedimmediate formy Nenad supervision hisof guidance, the research, Dimitrijevic professional to givefamilycolleagues, likefriends.andmy toProfessor toexpress Iwould gratitude deepest me interviewsresearch wouldhavenot been possible theenormous without support ofmy professors, that wereHereby I wouldlike tothank all assistedpeoplethose me who while writingmy thesis. This a Acknowledgements i CEU eTD Collection comparative study of victimized nations’ memory and identity. for a be apattern can research This identity. national ’ the hasreshaped Genocide fact thememory massacresthe Azerbaijani city and that the 1988 inthe of of the Sumgait Turkishfollowing: denial, continuous the alive are the memory Genocideof keepingthe the collective memory is very the Diaspora Armenian of the environment foreign and the pressure, authoritarian regime much alive and is part historical throughout of thattransitions, Iargue by GenocideYoung Turks. committed the the national identity.Armenians’This memory and the perception collectivethesis 1915’s reveals the the of The incentives of Abstract ii CEU eTD Collection PEDX...... 50 ...... APPENDIX REFERENCES 47 LIST...... 44 CONCLUSION...... ARMENIAN 25 GENOCIDE...... DENIALOFTHE THE TURKISH AN THE MAINFORMS OF THREE -OVERVIEW OF CHAPTER CHAPTER TWO - THE COLLECTIVE 12 MEMORY...... 5 IDEOLOGY...... AND OVERVIEW DEFINITION, HISTORICAL -THEARMENIANGENOCIDE: ONE CHAPTER 1 ...... INTRODUCTION II ABSTRACT...... ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...... I THE COLLECTIVE MEMORY OF THE ARMENIAN 1 GENOCIDE...... Table ofContent 3.3 3.2 3.1 2.2 2.1 1.1 1.2 I I L E P D H MPLICATORY NTERPRETIVE RESENTISM VERSUS RESENTISM ITERAL VENTS AND ISTORICAL EFINITION OF THE EFINITION OF D ENIAL O P D VERVIEW ROCESSES THAT D ENIAL ENIAL ...... 25 ...... G P ENOCIDE ...... 41 ...... ASTISM ...... 34 ...... 6 ...... 12 ...... 5 ...... C ONTRIBUTED TOTHE ONTRIBUTED iii ‘R EVIVAL OF EVIVAL M EMORY ...... 20 ’...... CEU eTD Collection motivations and stagesof Genocide.the Therehasbeen ingrowinginterest studying the character. national Armenian changed the dramatically which p 32,Hovhannisian,inp.24; Dadrian, 2004, 1998,1971, p.12), thelist (Balakian, be thefirst is by Ottoman to considered Armenian in EmpireTurks the perpetrated Genocide identity. national its and origins nation’s the between tie bridging a of role the plays past the of of pastaheritagethe of from nation be the and canitits separated injustice history? Perhaps tragedy the memory past? Isn’t the the of erase Cananew regime by whom. question comes forgetting68). Ifforgettingis 2003,p. (Forsberg, ‘preferred’ the alternative, then the andchange moveforward” solet’s “We principle of the adopt saying cannot past, the nation’s identity. in onthe movement 1988haveleft trace mass the Karabakh their and atrocities during later in of Theespecially in Genocide experiences the caseof past. Armenian the a difficult1915 essential are statements learn These from. to as alesson past havingthe future shape the is itbutand acknowledge possible and theto past crucial Reshaping impossible, past the becan not neglected. itleaves legacies unruffled;that difficultor infamous orcelebrated, formation of future.Whateverone’s is past the –good bad, gloriousor miserable, or reformation of a nation’s character and identity. The perception of the past is essential for the Introduction A number of books have been published on the historical event analyzing the analyzing event historical the on published been have books of number A The 20 told been often have Armenians The Knowledge of the past is of great importance for the analysis, evaluation, and th century is called an era of mass atrocities, a century of . And the “Letbygones bebygones” and the follow slogan 1 CEU eTD Collection Tanier AkcamTanier Turkish that the (2007)arguing official on historicalthe position fact of 1915 author Turkish by Responsibility” Turkish of Question the and Genocide Armenian The documents onethe (1993). archived presents Sarafian Ara by Genocide” Armenian the on Documents Official in by Reflected Artistic The “United Literature” Rubina Peroomian book (2008). States: 1915:TheMetamorphosisafter of –GenocidePost the Armenian Identity as by Donald E.Miller and LornaTouryan “AndMiller (1999), Who Those Continuedin Living Vahakn N.Dadrian “Survivors: TheOral History (1999), Armenian the of written Genocide” by Conflict” – Armenisn of Turko Key Elements for Genocide: “Warrant – eyewitnesses and/or survivors of accounts the present others some conflict, the of origins the analyzing books There are (1995). by N.Dadrian Vahakn Caucasus” the Anatolia to to Hovhannisian “The (1991), History of Armenianthe EthnicfromGenocide: Conflict the “Thein (1990), Armenian in Perspective edited by Genocide Richard Perspective” Armenian The “Why Experience and Jewish Marian Florence Genocide? (1992), Holocaust Melson, Robert “Revolution and Genocide: On the Origins of the Armenian Genocide and the developments and/or comparingbackground later events with andgiving the – Holocaust the historical the presenting publications some are there Similarly, witnesses. American presents 2005, p. 35-49). massacres were called Hamidian after Abdul Hamid II who was giving the orders of mass killings (Balakian, 1 massacres Hamidian describes Question’, ‘Armenian the History of the Armenian Genocide” Armenian the BalakianGenocide (Libardian,1985).Peter in Gerard, “The A Tigris: Burning startsof testimonies the later and theimplementation motives, ideology, story the analyzing and presenting from the1890s, discusses of authors works renowned hascollected Genocide” Armenian Crime The of Silence: the origins of book titledin “A the GerardLibardian atrocities andgenocides. past the motivesdenial of of TheHamidian massacres took from place 1894 – 1896 and approximately 300 000 Armenians were killed. The It was of special interest to me to read and refer to the book titled “: 2 1 , the rise of the and CEU eTD Collection Armenianslivingin Armeniaand wasinfluential theDiaspora in analyzing terms its of in terms of remembering is myinitial there prove linktwotragedies literature between these a close current that guess the and the myinterviews Both . in Western past. sufferings recent their of Armenians the for I also discuss whetherArmenians in Azerbaijani the city the KarabakhSumgaitduring movement were reminders the communicationthe against committed atrocities the whether I analyze three. inchapter is elaborated which alive, Armenians the of memory between collective the keeping factors key the of one is denial the Turkish the that shows analysis My truth. the for search the to Armenians the for incentive answer these andthusfillquestions in gap. scientific that my or Ihave canbe tried Throughout not. to afactor state- thesis independent as perceived to Republic Socialistfrom – Soviet change analyze regime whether the to tragedy, and keeping alivememory factors the collective past the the has passedthrough, of Genocide Armenian the of memory collective the transformations what Genocide, the perceive comparison with other identity. national of formation similar events, of Armenian the massacresGenocide andlater againstcommitted Armenians on the role the identity”, national of etc., elements “keystone the analyzes (2009) Movement” Karabagh it is of interest Harutyun “Iconography Marutyan Armenian Identity: of The Memory and of Genocide by book published recently The toidentity. national the on effect learn Genocide the of analysis an been how also has There 2008). Richard, the(Hovhannisian, Genocide the after reconciliation Armenians of possibility the examining experience, Jews’ and Armenians’ the between comparison questions of history, Genocide’s the its illustration in literature, art, music, drawing a isfactual. not “Cultural and Ethical Legacies: The Armenian Genocide” is theaddressing In this thesis I argue that the Turkish continuous denial of the Genocide acts as an In addition finding aboutto out events exactthe of history, accounts, survivors’ 3 CEU eTD Collection and interviews. conducted Iagain III literature for my andinterviews, analyze literature and argument the did through my first argumentcontent Iusedboth analysis and argumentFor interviews. Ilooked II For change. the experienced have and issue the with dealt have who intellectuals Armenian and with interviews had Institute Armenian Genocide Museum- atthe documentaries the analyzed I where in Armenia, my work continued I Then denial. their of motives the identify to scholars interviewsTurkish with have conducted I where in Istanbul, Turkey, research as semi - structured interviews. To get the answers to my questions I have done the part of my andmedia, aswell historical documents analysis different of content and analysis, Genocide tragedy. of the perception different and experience different of inspite is alive Genocide the memory of the difficult past. My analysis show that this assumption is not plausible as in both communities My work is based on the critical reading of the existing literature on the Armenian 4 CEU eTD Collection part, a part, national, ethnical, religious racial or group, as such a crime and is one of the followingPunishment of the Crime of Genocide.According to Article 2of this Convention, genocide is acts and intentionally Prevention the on Convention Nations United 1948 in the found is definition legal committed to destroy, in whole or in genocide in followingthe way. p.79). killing 1944, (Lemkin, word “cide” Latin with the for tribe race, from Greekword or the He from “geno”familyof sufferedcombined a word during the JewishHolocaust. the that century. Itwas contrived by Raphael Lemkin a Polish- Jewish lawyer in 1944 as a descendent 1.1 Definition of the Genocide the of 1.1 Definition OverviewandIdeology Historical Chapter One - The Armenian Genocide: Definition, reproduce.(Warren quoted in Jones acts of genocidedeliberately or negligently brought about starvation, disease or neglect maydo also be genocidal. Indeed, somenot notinvolve all instances of genocide involve direct ordeliberate killing. DeathsFurthermore, or survive…. cultural culture disintegration or race victimized the of deaths members many though even atrocities, genocidal at all, butthe complete exterminationof a race of people rather….. Sometimes itis appropriate to speak of certain actions as consistThe concept of genocide, as it is commonly understood, does not apply only to those actions which resultin in the wrongful denial of the right to Mary Anne Warren an American writer and philosophy professor puts the concept of theconcept puts professor andphilosophy writer American Anne an Mary Warren The term The haslong term byscholarsgenocide been themiddleanalyzed since 20 the of However, while the precise definition of the term has been different among scholars, the c. Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical group; ofthe members to harm mental or bodily serious Causing b. a. Killing members of the group; and Genocide 5 , 2004, p.19). th CEU eTD Collection 1971, p.1). Eastern part was ruled bythe bureaucracy inRomanov the Russian Empire (Hovhannisian, and Russian empires. Western Armeniaplausible. was under Ottomanreligious andcultural andpower in regard this stakeof the seem assimilation not did their on Turks’ relied Armenians objectives, national their achieve to power domination,administrative legal own while when country the was ruled byforeign Being powers. deprived ofindependence and their the Unlike thestrong cultural and religious bases,Armenia’s lifepolitical wasfragile after 1400s, community”, which became basisthe forcollective their -identity 1998,p.4). (Croissant, possessing auniquelanguage, built they identifiable,up a“unique, religious ethno the 4 acknowledge the historical background of of historical the acknowledge nation. background the to necessary is it memory, collective their on state independent to totalitarian from transition Overview 1.2 Historical th On the eve of Armenia was divided into two parts between the Ottoman The history of back The history Armenians dates to 6 the of a To getclear perception influence of notion Armenians’ the of of Genocide,the the the For the purpose of my arguments, I will rely on this definition of the term. century Armenians were the first in the world to adopt Christianity (301 A.D.), and A.D.), (301 Christianity adopt to world in the first the were Armenians century Human Right: Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, 1948). Genocide, of Crime of the Punishment and Prevention the on Convention Right: Human for Commissioner High the of (Office group another to group of the children transferring e. Forcibly group; the within births prevent to intended measures Imposing d. destruction inwhole or inpart; 6 th century 59).By century B.C.(Mason,2005,p. CEU eTD Collection today in some parts of Turkey, and mainly in Anatolia, Armenians are called ‘gavur’. 2 gave power to a few individuals to act freely while ‘dealing with freelyfewindividuals while gavurs’ the ‘dealingwith toaact gave to power (War Minister), and Jemal Pasha (the Ministerve Terakke of Navy) took control of the whole eliminationstate from the andgovernment of those who could resist their plans. The leaders of fulfillmentthe of adoptedpolicy.the part important of other The ideology the gradual was the for became a prerequisite Armenians of the extermination the Thus, of policy. this realization the population. of homogenization the ideology was of that concept The main of empire. the minorities ethnic Being peoples of CaucasusChina,Asia andCentral the “Turkify”intending extending to to all Christians, Turkism -theestablishmentof empirea mega -Turkish all -speaking comprising Turkish the Armeniansp.144). On thewere eve of World nationalist 1992, genocide. warand pushed the (Melson, a pathof revolution, empire along seen War I asthe Youngthe Turkmain government obstacle adopted1971, p.9).However, by nineteenththe century circumstances the drastically shifted. a policy of the(Hovhannisian, of neighbors” and Panoverlords Muslim their with peace in live to learned “they conditions inmaintaining their national identity. Toputitin Richard Hovhannisian’s words the angerthe theArmenians against increased. inevitably dangerfrom coming governmentthe sawof Young Turks.Turks refusal this as treason, and itto two different states, was impossible. Armenians Moreover had realizedalready the requiring Armenians of Turkey to serve in the Turkish army during the war. Yet being subject accountability p.40). (Libaridian. 1985, Gavur is a Turkish word meaning unbeliever and those who were not Muslims were called ‘gavurs’. Even ‘gavurs’. called were Muslims not were who those and unbeliever meaning word a is Turkish Gavur In the first centuries of the Ottoman domination, the Armenians had relatively better Armenians hadrelatively the of Ottoman domination, centuries firstthe In the The wane of the in 1908 brought the Young Turks to power and power to Turks Young the brought 1908 in Empire Ottoman the of wane The The outburst of World War I was extremely painful for the Armenians; Turks were Party (Union and Progress) (the Minister of Interior), Interior), of Minister Pasha (the Talaat Progress) and (Union Party 7 2 without any without Ittihad CEU eTD Collection Turkish army. They were to leave their home and march in an unknown direction. Those who Those direction. unknown an in march and home their leave to were They army. Turkish the of commanders and soldiers the of orders the obey to had they defenseless, completely genocide-museum).(Balakian, p.176, 2003, later and killed.men do, were exhausted men able-bodied the work the that were enforced to hard the With army. in the serve to enlisted were age of years sixty and forty-five between With the start of World War I, Armenian men between twenty and forty-five and months later the Genocide. of all victims asa remember Armenians day the to 209, Melson, 1992,p.144; community,hundreds ofintellectuals were arrested and later killed. (Dadrian, 1995,p.204- phases.three April phase first leaders The commenced 24 1915,when on Armenian of the in implemented massacres were scheme War. tothe the According minister of the Pasha, of severe starvation Turks. Young were techniques the suitable opportunity itsfor implementation. Mass shootings, massacres, deportation and known Eastern inas Turkey) was late 1911.The adopted Young TurksusedWorld War Iasa Turkey. The fordecision deportation the of Armenians all from Western Armenia (today Melson,p.142). Before 2008, p.11, 1992, exilethere were2millionthe in livingArmenians Hovhannisian,p.10, between 1915and1923(Dadrian,1995,p.195,Hovhannisian, 1971, was subjected toannihilation; approximately andone ahalf million Armenians perished fromwhich 1920 existed 1971, p.95-110),(Hovhannisian,1918 to the western population Armenia, of Republic Democratic the Armenia, called republic of first and the establish The third phase was the annihilation of women, children and the elderly. Being elderly. the women,and children of theannihilation was phase The third community. the from men” able-bodied the of “elimination the was phase second The The genocide was organized by Talaat Pasha, the minister of the Interior, and Enver a independence togettemporary managed Empire undertheRussian While Armenians genocide-museum ). Consequently, this date is commemorated by is commemorated date ). Consequently, this 8 CEU eTD Collection Morgenthau wrote: Morgenthau publicthe only asthe way toprotect state the from betrayers andforeign intervention. to fates. werejustified Theviolence theirandpresented andgenocidal about wonder actions ordinary whohadTurks beenlivingnextto their Armenian years forneighbors andmight disease orwerestuffedcaves into and asphyxiated by fires”.brush (Balakian, 2003,p.176). massacre, Zor died"either regionstarvation the of of Deirand el survived– long way to the events of 1915, Winston Churchill wrote: the to Referring scholars. honest and respectful undoubtedly many by and survivors by later of time,the bydiplomats eyewitnesses, ideology was obvious andrecorded their nationalistic obstacle’ on their way foundingof a mega – Turkish Empire. theArmenians land from from andhistorical getreleased ‘great obliterate the eternally their comparison” (Charny,p.65). 1999, mayhowever “Amassacre, word Morgenthau: horrible sound, in the human would be Henry to wrote Armenians, against by Turks committed atrocities the while describing In the time of the deportation and mass killings American Ambassador to Turkey Turkey In timethe of to mass deportation the killingsAmerican Ambassador andH. the to present to plans their of justifications the about thought also had ideologists The The planned scheme of the extermination of the Armenian population on the basisThus, ofthis was a well designed plan of solving the “question of Armenians” that is to Leslie A.Davis, USConsul city at Harput(a in Eastern Anatolia)from 1917, 1915 to reasons. for political The planned andexecuted this crime was that doubt There isnoreasonable opportunityAsia Minor presentedwas about from of race clearance the inAsiaMinor….the Armenians of deportation massacre and as complete itself as such theinfamous general carried out began 1915theTurkish andruthlessly government In an act,for on clearinga scale so great, couldTurkish well be… soil of a Christian race attemptconceal to fact(Dadrian, the p.225). 1995, madeunderstood in well,this me,they with their noparticular and, conversations deportations,these for order the gave authorities Turkish the When massacre. of method a new of The wasrobbery it real andpurpose deportation the destruction; really represented they were merely giving the death warrant to a whole race; they 9 CEU eTD Collection Armenian political leaders, intellectuals, artists and just ordinary people became victims of victims became people ordinary just and artists intellectuals, leaders, political Armenian Many Unionperishedp. 235-245). Soviet the period during throughout this (Figes, 2007, challenges from past eradicate to efforts Stalin’s wasJoseph this particularly, state, Soviet the of ‘enemies’ made progress. However, the cost of that ‘ that of cost the However, made progress. whileArmenianeglectof Union, fact Sovietthat the the being apart Definitely, Icannot infuture. from possible disasters be any andprotected would progress would seeeconomic 1971, p.24). RepublicbecameArmenia, of ultimately integrated into the USSR in1920 (Hovhannisian, first the established and Empire Russian the from independence got who those Genocide, the p.229). 10 000Armenians” wereabout there (Balakian, 2005, in States midthe 1890ss the United “by Balakian it.states AsPeter enlarged significantly Genocide the and be earlier established to started Diaspora Armenian the that believe who those with I agree yet Genocide, the after emerged Diaspora the historians some to according larger; become has Diaspora Armenian in theirnationalityTurkey, disguising After 1986,70). (Hovannisian, Genocide the the 3 227-235). This was a ‘ Thisa 227-235). was became of Armenian History Stalin’s(Figes, 2007,p. apart governance) 1949 in1937and during the persecutions and political repression of campaigns of “GreatPurge” (aseries Old Marxists with different views were perceived as danger from the past. the from danger as perceived were views different with Marxists Old Becoming a part of the , the Eastern Armenians hoped that the country the Armenians that hoped Eastern Union, Sovietthe a partof the Becoming experienced that part Western the from Armenians the of fates distorted the to Contrary In meantime,the those who survived the Genocide either found shelter abroad or stayed Caucasian Moslems in(Churchill quoted p.220). Dadrian, 1995, and betweenTurkish only expense of Turkey,andplanned geographically at the allopposed to ambitions, cherishingTurkish national beambitions thatcould satisfied 3 and Approximately potential groups. opposition a million people cleansing campaign’ cleansing progress [Italics are mine] of those who were seen as 10 ’ [Italics are mine] was controversial. The CEU eTD Collection 1960s (Marutyan,p. 2009, 29). beginning of and the 1950s of the And end followedthe until a deepsilence GreatPurge. the 11 CEU eTD Collection regime of timethe andsocial are influentialenvironment factorsin addressing the past. way of injusticeinaddressing the framework, Historicaldone background, the past. cultural infuture which such wouldevents neverhappen again. Iargue therethat canbe acommon for andthecivilizedfrom justice, consensus terms trauma ofrecovering achieving restoring way itis addressed (LaCapra, 1998,p19). LaCapra, the past is a fact and shifting itis impossible, however, it is possible influenceto the to those who were not granted it in their time” (Forsberg, 2003, p.71). According to Dominick referring Booth,“rememberinginjustice to past isimportant, because we should give dignity itself”extermination (Baudrillardin quoted p.1). AsYoung, 1993, Forsberg it puts by the of is part extermination the “forgetting as remember to how is question the but Papazian,21). 2008, question behalf justiceon deal transitional of is“how to (LaCapra,with 1998,p17; past” the gain mind” from p.5). The trauma, andtheonly way to (Margalit, 2002, past of peace said to have healing power…thisp.16). “Making the traumatic, repressed communal memories open, explicit,is and conscious is the only way to (Minow,overcome 2002, trauma” of transmission “intergenerational bring about can of trauma the the irrationalityessential in terms of thatvictims’ mental health and political springsintegrity. Alack of proper addressing in past with us” (Greiff quoted Forsberg, the of burden the carry must “we moreover past, the forget simply cannot we and continuity Pastism versus 2.1 Presentism Chapter two- The Collective Memory Hence, there is Hence,aboutremembering there nodoubt past;it the is in a crucial precondition Thus,choose between weshould not andremembering forgetting (Minow, 2002,p.16) Many renowned scholars is argued have present that the resultthe historicalthe of 2003, p. 67). Collective response to atrocities is Collective to 2003, p.67). response 12 CEU eTD Collection the directorthe of Armenianthe Genocide Museum said- Institute, in interview:the and historian a Demoyan, Hayk world. scientific in the least at question the of is out past the Oriental Studies Department atYerevan State University, Ruben Melkonyan said: both the past and the present. conditions only they influence theperception of past. as the During on theimportance “presentism”, present Mauricethe Halbwachs puts to inclination explicit an thewith scholar, Another environment. interview current the to according shape its gets present a Turkologist, new14). The of (Marutyan,of drawn “from problem 2009,p. today” standpoint the the is ofthe memory HerbertMead,in thehis 1920sand notion built who the 1930s, theory Deputy Dean pastremember greatly our depends on presentsocialthe George According environment. to of the new valuesandsocial (Marutyan, p.14-15). Inotherwordsstructure 2009, way the we memory collective pastischangeableduetothe the the believe in“presentism” arguethat of influencesis it The of perception group or of who thepresentthat past. the our researchers The Armenian experience of the difficult past has shaped a certain kind of of hasshapedacertain The Armenian experience of kind perception of past difficultthe present the shapes past the whether scholars among debated been long has it However, My interviews conducted in revealed that in the Armenian reality remembering reality Armenian in the that revealed in Yerevan conducted interviews My Memory promotes interaction within the neighbors, nation and subgroups (Yerevan, April 30, 2010). subgroups and nation neighbors, the within interaction promotes Memory generation. If we try to removepromotes the memory of all nations outsideformulated within country it theor boundariesof a certain of undeniably then it will turn is into that memory of landscape The identity. nation’s and country’s Babel. particular shapes the that obligation and theconcept that is Memory memory. own its has nation country, Each exchange of a certain cultural and political codes to the coming 2010). itvictims,is but alsoone of meansthe restore identity to our (Yerevan, April 29, manifestation only And is ancestors, obligation not of ourtribute this to our toour the memory. a has distorted who asaperson or betrayal as is perceived it Genocide: the memory of Itwould Genocide. the bestrange if Armenian havean notdid memory of imagineimpossible the to Armenian identity Genocidethe without and the without itis And identity.of is unfortunately, today, partour asitGenocide a certain remember to the obligation morethe particularly has thatand obligation nation Armenian the But past. their remember to obligation the have people and nations All 13 CEU eTD Collection society, whatever its ideological climate, requires a sense of continuity with the past, andits past, the with a sense continuity of requires climate, its ideological whatever society, you will loseeyes” both in (Quoted Minow, 2002,p.16). and past the Forget eye. an lose will you and past the on “Dwell says proverb Russian old an past, which erase when the shock passes and there is no way to rush away from the reality.As Butthis Cohen, 2001,p.141). isjustatemporary ‘self from nightmarethe of the – protection’ in exist” (Germanmorally cannotnot existence quoted “Things possible is adage whose that believe they life, everyday in live and them to happened had what forget to want just who people victimized of psychology the is This calamity. the after but reality Armenian the in deniedsee thesameconcept European Jews upcoming the the I speaks who danger about said Sargis Seropyan. atleast hidein from theiror to carrying painandthis wayprevent children that trauma”, the speak much aboutit. “There was a generation just after the Genocide that was trying forgetto histhat grandmother the had whosurvived manydeportation lostandfamily her of not did interview confessed the bilingual newspaper,during of of editor Agos Armenian the the part to forget what happened to them, they did not want to speak about it. Sargis Seropyan, the same time, it is essential to emphasize that just after the tragedy many ‘direct’ just tragedy the after emphasizeis that it same time, essential to of it pastjustthe At because was difficultand isnotacceptable horrifying Armenians. the for be usedp.97) properly” (Marutyan, 2008, . should that wealth but down, thrown be could that a burden not is experiences with abundant memory the national or populace eachethnic “For Developments” and Possible Situation memory which changed their identity and psychology. and identity their changed which memory for human beings. Some were killed, forced to march the deserts and tortured, those who were not, got the 4 I am against using ‘direct’ and ‘indirect’ adjectives to describe victims as I think it is an offensive classification offensive an itis I think as victims describe to adjectives ‘indirect’ and ‘direct’ using against Iam However, contrary to “presentism” the theorists inclined to “pastism” claim that “every claim that “pastism” inclined to thetheorists “presentism” to contrary However, Althoughhe 2001,p.140). (Cohen, victim calls“cultures of denial” This is Cohen what The memory of the past is a part of the Armenian reality. Leaving behind the experience As Marutyan Harutyun itinputs his “Memory of Genocide as a factor:Current 14 4 victims tried victims CEU eTD Collection that madethat mechange my assumptions. There isno that theArmenians doubt living in werediscoveries yetthere guess, my original insome degreeproved interviews Iconducted times Republic– ofArmenia. Theanalysis of and existingthe literature the modern andindependentState, the into Socialist Republic –from period Armenian the Soviet memory Armenianof phases: Genocidethree the into duringtheSovietUnion, transitional experienced theGenocide. axis Butthe of memory the remains” (Yerevan, April 30, 2010). generationlivinggeneration generation evenwithin andevenwithin theto who those from time; allthe of memory occurs the “The transformation noticed: As HaykDemoyan past. memory the of formulating the factors crucial werethe theGenocide preceding events before and after pass Genocidethe didnot unnoticed. Thesocial as environments well the as Armenians of andthe historical cleavage perception. The geographical,current political, the shaped has Genocide the followed that experience past the that argue would I change? hasyears, haveinfluenced factors theperception How pastmodifiedin the the of what recent Armenians is more than just a memory of the difficult past – it is unique in its sense: Marutyan,p.20). 2009, shapes us,influences and ourconsciousness, whether welike not” itor (Schudson in quoted understanding of the present. AsMichael Schudson observed “The past becomes part of us; it ideology,enduringmemories maintain this continuity” (Marutyan,19). In 2009,p. “pastism”the the emphasis is on the existence of the past, which can lead to a proper Initially, when I started working on this topic, I conditionally collective the working divided topic, this I Initially, on Istarted when isThus,shapesArmenians’ it memory that collective puzzle the theGenocide?of the In his interpretation, Mr. Melkonyan emphasized that the memory of the Genocide for bit traumatic identity as he/shelives in a tenth alittle of his/her lost homeland. with lives today Armenian An identity. our lost we Armenia historical of past lostwas homeland. both It a loss and distortion of identity by as a losing significant values;fact is our and of makes us the alsoThe Genocide re-evaluate the there think 15 CEU eTD Collection “Living in the Lie: The Armenian Intelligentsia in the Soviet Union” the Genocide has Genocide the Union” Soviet in the Intelligentsia Armenian The Lie: in the “Living inhiswork stated W.Mason AsJohn past. the of forgetfulness or indifference as interpreted reutilization. Sovietthe andespecially in Union 1960sandonly till the 1960sthethe memory experienced memory of was Genocide the some andit kindpressed topicwas considered of taboo during the University State Yerevan at professor a and Science, of Academy National Armenian thisFor HaykDemoyan said: of the USSR. 28).2009,p. However unusualis it for morality, our itwas usual the totalitarianduring regime Armenian traumamention write (Marutyan,speak, aboutthe Genocide” causedbythe or of the Soviet Union. As Marutyan puts it “It was forbidden just between therelationships them. strengthened communication officially and non-officially,The communities to thememory. revivalthe brought to of communication the has mean communities within that they were exposedseparately to and the historical events theGenocide dueto of differentcommunities perception havedifferent the present environment have they live in. keptYet it does not necessarilythe memory of the Genocide alive, and the The silence or it is better to say the forced silence on the Genocide was often seenand often was Genocide the on silence forced the tosay is better it or The silence of Studies Oriental of Institute the of Director the Safrastyan, Ruben to According in Yerevan. met I scholars the among consensus got that statement the perhaps is This The Armenian infour subject its memory Genocide decades the and firstwas a closed that factthat (Yerevan, April 30, 2010). two similar in cases reality when had they such connectionsbutthey relative denied famous apublic toshift intellectual haveor figurethey it. theirdid utmost recorded I names last for with them; could fatal havea name of letters ifit associated been a even two with their of change The consciously. that doing were they and past that from get released to weretrying Empire from came Ottoman i.e.the people who Armenia, During Stalin’s despotism people werescared tohave anyrelationships with Turko- 16 CEU eTD Collection Karabakh. The different perception has its reasonable justification. And the assumption that assumption the And justification. reasonable its has perception different The Karabakh. establishis it that forgotten or left behindby Armeniansthe livingin Armeniatoday’s or is different: communities Armenian all. them unifies that memory mastering the inlanguagecountry, possessingorigins. host aforeign the Livingabroad, of the environment, traditionsunfortunately, and thecustoms memory state that, Ihaveto Asfor Diaspora the time of atthe silence. alive even Genocide was of the of the Genocide memory the ofthat proved analyzed I literature thethe and has interviews my Both it. remainedforget to wanted other the only nation,connecting tie withthe their Armenians have only that past: meaningdifferentArmenians for Sovietemphasizing that Armeniansremember not did their The fact that the Genocide is remembered differently by the Armenians does not does by Armenians the differently is remembered Genocide the that The fact Turkologist perceptionthe confirmed Ruben Melkonyan of that Genocide the of the Thus, itis not correct to say that people didnot speak about their pastjust because they Western Armenians or their successors the trauma is dominating (Yerevan, April 29, 2010). April (Yerevan, is dominating trauma the successors their or Armenians Western Genocide we conditionally divide them into subgroups. In the memories differently.perceive when influenceof the that wespeakaboutthe why That’s of the as compatriots they pain also but bearthat successorsthe Definitely, of Western the Armenians pain. that see not did Karabakh Nagorno from or Armenia Eastern from pains are stronger as they were deported. But Armenians from other parts, for example feelings, their have deeper directly deportation whoexperienced the those Armenians subgroups butin any case conditionally we can draw some lines. For instance, western Armenians. the Iam newagainst margins drawing and dividing Armenians into among manifestations different had Genocide the of memory collective The p.59). Armenianhas becomemeans identity the of alive (Mason, 2005, Diaspora akeeping been suggested by some historians preservingthat memorythe of 1915Genocidethe inhabited by has– day than States) Armenia. Armenians presentIt eastern the who the westernThe imageArmenians of the Armenian of peoplethe Diasporaas a nation of victims(especially has been fostered those more by who settled in the United 17 CEU eTD Collection whether we want it or not: or it want we whether perception to and approach issuethe than in one livingthe Turkey. Thus, anArmenian living in Unitedthe States would definitely have quite a different particular environment. andin that setof tothe rules particular obeys established state that of principles the adopts individual the of regime, type acertain to Beingsubject a Diaspora. inclined to forget the Genocide is notcorrect. This was stated by Hayk Demoyan as well: are or were Armenia Socialist inSoviet even or republic in today’s living Armenians the The Genocide is andunderstood valued quite differently among the Armenians of the Similarly, in his interpretations Mr. Melkonyan highlights that there a difference a there that highlights Melkonyan Mr. interpretations in his Similarly, Bagrad Estugian theeditor of Armenianthe part of Agosthe newspaper said: (Yerevan, April 30, 2010). for abroad but asignificant part of the survivors came toArmenia after the Genocidereligious presentrepublic Armenia arethesuccessors ofthose of survivors. left Manyof them and in the living Armenians political Many Genocide. their the of even memory collective is the despite differences, type, anthropological their citizenship, The common Armenian ideology, which connects all Armeniansthe despite of their it. enriched survivors many as Genocide the Diasporasay is myth to Genocide. It a that before the hadformulated The Armenian Diaspora is a result only of the Genocide. Definitely, it enlarged after the Armenia these perceptions in comparison with the Diaspora are alittlebit are different. Diaspora In with the incomparison theseperceptions Armenia reaction. stronger about bring should these that natural, is it And homes. their from deported been had they that lands, their lost had they that away, run had they States realize continuously consciencebeing of refugees. Finally,living were Armenians the inFrance orin Unitedthe they and nostalgia, thatcontinuous a felt they city, their lost they that had they conscience continuous the had arethey homeland the from foreigners.deported Being homeland. from historical their weredeported they They because ismore strained them collectively lived if we take Diaspora The natural. isquite with communities the of perception The different the constant conscience that according tothe environment they live in April (Istanbul, 25, 2010). remember they way in the other each from differ might [Armenians] they also, today And etc. relatives, mourn offamily, loss homeland, the maybe time toremember, more left inhabiteditforand of peaceful with.Thus,they they people newcountry the learn rules, They had traditions, generation language,of the to survivors]. the culture, first and remember exile,thesurvivors the have [after not timeto deported they did many first were Atpeople when differently. the Genocide peopleperceive Certainly, 18 CEU eTD Collection death in ‘ death 1953that the their arecommon kindred. among events that psychology, which has a direct influence on the way they memorize things and events evenhaveliving have anddifferentopportunities, different environment, conditions different if 5 century butalso demand restoring for justice. only keepto alive the memory of the injustice committed against them at the beginning of the not nation Armenian influenced the that factors other were there Yet wasreality. Genocide wenton strikes although realizing danger the of their actions wholethe made inits Union,event demonstrations, senseandthroughout Soviet people when genocide-museum.com). AsHaykDemoyan duringemphasized the interview itwas a unique frommeans Sovietthe buildrulers to theGenocide(Marutyan, Monument p.39; 2009, years get permission managed endeavorstheArmenianstwo with the later enormous toand Armenians publicly tothevictimsGenocide could tribute give of ofthe century first the and demanding inposters totheirwasthe forefathers. tribute 1965thatonly therecognition and It anniversary of hundred one Genocidethe about with Armenians wenttothe streets thousands and the tragedies of the past spoken about. On the day of the commemoration of the fiftieth Many people were sentenced and there was even an order to take out the army against the peaceful population. peaceful the against army outthe to take order even an was there and sentenced were people Many Thus, the different perception is understandable. People who are subjected to different subjected to People whoare isperception differentunderstandable. Thus, the Coming back to the Soviet period it is important to state that it was only itstate itis that Stalin’s to after was only importantperiod Soviet Coming back tothe Afterwards, the Rubicon had been passed and the yearly commemoration of the of commemoration yearly the and passed been had Rubicon the Afterwards, Diaspora Armenian is Diaspora deprived even of that. The anthem, has etc.. aflag, Armenia, of isacitizen he/she Armenia, Republic of Soviet Armenia,today’s or Armenia) had he/she thefeeling of lives state: the in the they had lost only a part of theirlands. The living Armenians in Armenia (it could be alreadypart livein homelandthe and,unlike instance, for anAmerican Armenian, even those Western ArmenianswhoWhy? inArmenia, settled from came Because the chains ’ [Italic are mine] ofmemory and human minds were re-visited 19 5 . CEU eTD Collection brutality soldiers: intoxicated brutality of Armenians livingin Sumgait in and Baku: of Armenian horrifyingthe presentsthe accounts Donaldthe E.Miller Genocide” (1999) “Remembrancecruelty between caseof denial:the In and andAzeri Ottoman Turks. Turks chopped with axes, beheaded andinburnt fires…” (Marutyan, 2009,p.93). raped, slainof beaten, and metal andwindows, out thrown tortured, with rods knives, Genocide ofArmenians at beginningthe century.Armenians of twentieth the were The Marutyan“the states methodof killing was thesame asthatusedby Turksduringthe the unofficial were datathere Armenians.115, 197andeven several hundred AsHarutyun killed Armenians. admitted Official data murderthe Armenian citizens of 26 of origin; according to Azerbaijanis massin organized killings publicand caused disorder Sumgaitagainst thememory awoke Genocide. of the that city Sumgait Azerbaijani Particularly,through present. the itwas atrocitiesthe committed against Armenians the in the Armeniansmixed werenew traumas andthepastwasseen (Dudwick, 1997,p.69).The for experiences new were Azerbaijan with war the and in 1989 movement Karabagh not be done thus, the Genocide Memory’ remained of ‘Revival tothe Contributed that Processes and 2.2 Events a historical fact with an open nerve and the Another survivor of massacreAnother survivor Sumgait wastrembling of the when the remembering similar confirm massacres Sumgait the of observers with the conducted The interviews On forFebruary threecontinuous27, 1988, daysin presencethe of Sovietthe Army the The Soviet Union was asociety “where rememberingwas muchanddangerous” could extinguishing cigarette butts on her skin. He saw it all with his own eyes. When he was tellingit, usaboutWhen he was nervously shaking and cryingp. 191) (Miller. 1999. eyes. own his with all it saw He skin. her on butts cigarette extinguishing they andhow were dance street the on forced to agirl and He sawhow was stripped My husband’s relative was living in Sumgait he and saw everything from his balcony. 20 CEU eTD Collection them were so influential that it seems there is no need for interpretation: of Some Genocide. of the continuation massacres asthe Armenians Sumgait sawthe that on April 24” (Marutyan,p.96). 2009, the victims of Sumgait was placed within the territory of the Genocide Memorial, and exactly commemorating -stone cross the that fact is the victims old and recent the between similarity of the Armenian intellectuals that were killed on April 24, 1915. As Marutyan states “another , the Genocide Memorial, with photos of the Sumgaitvictims and the photos of of 1915. On seventh the day itwas notunexpected: year is yearremembered (Marutyan,p.94). 2009, 6 According to the Armenian tradition the seventh and fortieth days after the death and the completion of the first of the completion the and death the after days fortieth and seventh the tradition Armenian the to According The posters carried by the Armenians on April 24, 1988 were verifications of fact of the 1988wereverifications onApril 24, carried by Armenians the The posters Sumgaitandwas aArmenians asHayknew tragedy wereexposedto noticed Demoyan There is no doubt that the massacre in Sumgait reminded the Armenians of calamity the of Armenians the isin massacrereminded doubt that There the noSumgait “The events in Sumgait are the sequence of sequence1915 Genocide”. in of are the Sumgait“The events p.190). husband” laterthe woman foundher out that sonalso hadbeen killed(Miller,1999, doorswerebroken, thehousebroken, wasdestroyed, the they hadmy and killed all were Windows them. burned and them on benzene poured had They everywhere. injured,carrying the sick, the hurt the and hospital.and tothe came Isawbodies I out were soldiers found the that I arehere’. becausego, soldiers the to got ‘You’ve soon as they mycame, neighbor, my neighbor Turkish washidingthat me, said: my jewelry. of Turks.Thethe killings had begun…Ihid my neighbor’s house and gaveaway Hadall I not, my son ‘Runyour forlife’. they Andhe took off. had They cutourelectricity,butnot that would Itold breakingdoors. and windows andtheystarted surrounded our Our building was have killed me, too. But the soldiers came. As after the atrocities in theatrocities Sumgait. after immediately in their which consciousness active became slaughterer, the of stereotype the was There sub-consciousness. its in had nation the what prove to came Sumgait 6 of the mass killings the Armenians in Yerevan marched to marched in Yerevan Armenians the killings mass the of 21 CEU eTD Collection name of Armenians both in Armenian and Karabakh to unify the latterwith motherland Armenia. of Genocide. 8 instead used was Yeghern Mets Thus, Armenians. against committed ofTurks atrocities cruel 7 answered: ‘I donotknow whoyour enemy is, butmine is Turk’. the man The front. the on fight to going was he was enemy the who knew he whether asked was awakening of Genocidethe memory, Mr. Melkonyan answered: in the had movement Karabakh the role what my question To in Yerevan. met I interviewees exception 1965 demonstrationsof -wasmade alive.was This statement confirmed by the mentioned above important, the with decades– several for silenced Genocide the of memory en mass “In wrote: organize an Armenians incase newspaper “Milliyet” TurkishMoreover, the 1991 Azerbaijan warTurkey during the with andmilitary armaments supported equipment. Karabakhwarbetween Armenian and Azerbaijanstarted in 1988 and lasted till 1994.was That ademand in the Mets Yeghern is in Armenian which means Great Tragedy as in 1915 there was not even aword to describe the Mr. Melkonyan areal told happenedstory that during WorldWar Once II. apeasant were Germany’slatter ally (Yerevan, April 29, 2010). against asnot Germansbutfightingagainst Turks the the their were subconsciousness ledoften themtoextreme strides. Even during World the Second War theArmenians in The promoting of power 60-70s’ actions was memory the Genocide,the of which very Union was by itsa totalitarian nature would ButI regime. describe thatperiod as a boiling pan. Soviet the as be clear not could identity national of manifestations The memory. victory for restoring ouridentity. Theimage of enemyhadthe long remained in our The Karabakh war This is highly factemphasized by thatduring the Karabakh the movement and already After the Genocide we had a need of victory, of a change of our status, weneededa status, a our of change victory, of of had aneed we Genocide After the “Sumgait is a continuation of Yeghern is of Mets the a continuation “Sumgait be repeated” (Marutyan, 2009, p.100). (Marutyan,2009, be repeated” is recognize“Humanity thefact Genocidenever of obliged to 1915 Sumgait for to the no Sumgaitin 1988”. recognizedGenocide the Government “Had wouldhave 1915, there theSoviet of been led Genocide acknowledge 1915Genocideto the the “Reluctance of to 1988”. attack on Karabakh, Turkey will have tointervene” (Demoyan, 2003, p.4). 8 importantly contributed to restoring the Armenians’ identity as the as identity Armenians’ the restoring to contributed importantly 22 7 ”. CEU eTD Collection confirmed my assumptions. me told Melkonyan Mr. that story the But lost. be once will memory collective the that alive. is still homeland Armenians is still historical the denied, injustice is still Theunanswered. grief lostthe of in majorfactor the Thesinleading martyrdom tothe this regard. of million andahalf one is denial Turkish the that believe I Armenians. of hearts in the pain stinging cause to continue Armenian reality. As longpeople’s inclination bemodern obvious to and cosmopolitan. Iarguethatthis is in possible as there is the Turkish young it with the denial topic. connect and Some backward outdated an Genocide the consider of the youths many Genocide, that stated Demoyan Hayk apprehension. that had in Yerevan met I theinterviewees memory will All 1915. the of tragedy rememberthe think, to speak, to to isyouth reluctant the that leastat until 2000. ina numberArmenia not question life. Itwas one substance of youngof inthe search people of mass exodus system, health insecure Azerbaijan, with war of the a result also was that poverty the instability, economic tothe due for remembrance Genocide little space There was in Mason,(Dudwick 2005,p.59). disturbingmixture andauthoritarianism” quoted chaos of “…a was state independent newly The expectations. optimistic Armenians’ the realize different. manifestations were due thebut to thecircumstances present was Genocide the of memory collective the period transitional the and Union Soviet of remembering theGenocide,is undeniably, yes. Itbecame apparentthatbothduring the While working on this topic and collecting for data my thesis notI didhave any fear is endangered, Genocide the of memory collective the that think scholars many Today In 1991 Armenia gotits independence from SovietUnion.the it However,did not Thus, the answer to the question whether the Sumgait atrocities were incentives in terms 23 CEU eTD Collection analysis of the types of denials that have been present in the Turkish reality for decades. terms of keeping the collective memory alive, I have dedicated the next chapter to the 9 Mushwas a province in Western Armenia, today in Eastern Turkey. Considering the Turkish denial Armenianthe of Genocide as mainthe incentive in back?’ (Yerevan,April 29, 2010). to meet Turks.asked where I was Shegoing. Then she wasturned already fivewas years about to leave old. as I had a conference I said withto that the Turkish journalists I was me shegoing ran meto and andhad awarwith they slaughtered usandTurks, homeland. exiled usfrom our I Once said: ‘Dad,lands;it living wehad fields, was Iansweredthat we picture. been then there, our our will youitwas inme she understand that what asked to speak, started my When daughter tell them giveOur family is originally from Mush our fields 9 . At home we have a picture of the fields of Mush. 24 CEU eTD Collection happened here, there was no massacre, they are all lying,massacre, it we wasnocould anything, happened here,there notnotice did are all they “nothing Claims like acquaintance fact. the of disallow thefact or inclined isdenial to to deny mass asgenocidehuge despite the killings the of amount evidence. Denial 3.1 Literal Turkish Denial ofthe Armenian Genocide Chapter three- An Overviewofthe FormsoftheMain the words the denial Genocide.of Armenian the which presentlater I am in to going and patterns demonstrate chapter this those in Turkish the p.134). collectivein culture Turkey and becamemore slowly prevalent (Cohen, outside” 2001, entered denials initial The uncertainties. and rumors speculation, into were transformed attention international of object the and time the at were certain that truths research: historical later and testimonies time, atthe survivor reports aswell in diplomatic as sources in Ottoman aredocumented “The events endeavors. government‘s is Turkish the atrocities of past record modalitiesof the Iwill developed by framework use the Stanley theoretical Cohen. the attention of the Christian world and bring about European intervention in Turkey’s internal affairs” (Lewy, affairs” internal Turkey’s in 2005, 16). intervention European about bring and world Christian of the attention the that nationalist Armenians in orderto get independenceargues “provoked Turkstocommitexcesses Lewy Guenter, would that draw historian, German The 1968). (Lewis, control of governmental weakening ofthe result Genocide claiming thatbetween1915 and1918 not only ArmeniansChristian but also many Muslims diedasa (Charny,2001).For example, a Jewishprofessor, ,puts in doubt fact of the Armenian the academicians” respectable fide bona “by also but ideologists only by not denied are genocides known states, 10 The Genocide is denied not only by Turks, but by different external agents as well. As W. Charny Until the present the Turkish government and the majority of Turkish society continues society Turkish of majority the and government Turkish the present the Until Literal Literal is“theis denial happennot assertion true”. ToCohen or didnot something that implicatory, interpretive and literal, denial: of types Cohen arethree there According to hide a to of attempt “State prominent inDenial ”, themost book Cohen’s As stated literal , factual and blatant have the same meaning in have this samethe meaningregard, of asthis type 25 10 In myanalysis In CEU eTD Collection who voted in voted who favor of passagethe of bills:the parliamentarians the historical of the knowledge weremore doubted and threatening those but resolution of the Armenian Genocide. In his speech Mr. Erdogan said: Foreign Affairs the paths of literalwas again highly emphasized in his speech made in March, 2010 when he directly pursued claim This is apparent. denial. denial blatant but interpretable hardly is religion on based statement That was an on Gaza angryand Darfur said “A [genuine] Muslim can notcommit genocide”. The logic of such a response visitspeaking the about Omaral of presidentof the makingSudan, – Bashir,and comments to the U.S House Committeemyth”, etc. on Diaspora’s is “it“it Armenian the just beis Armenian then the ”, genocide”, heard“ithave frequently genocide”,“Armenians wasnot are still living inTurkey, could how both by politicians and ordinary people all the time. In the Turkish reality itis often said and I In Turkish the denial of Armenian the such i.e.Genocide literalstatements, denials, aremade not haveus knowing”, happened without arefrom listthe ofliteral p.7).denial 2001, (Cohen, 13 Interestingly enough in both cases the bills were passed by only one vote. 12 resistance. apparatus’s presidential ofthe spite in Genocide Armenian 11 Abdullah Gul was commenting on the passage of the bill in the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs. LaterOn March 11, the SwedenParliament voted in favorof a bill to recognize the 1915 Armenian Genocide. OnMarch 4, 2010, the U.S House Committee onForeign Affairs passed a bill about the resolution of the On the same occasions the president of Turkey Abdullah Gul made official statements made Abdullahofficial Gul Turkey of thepresident occasions On the same On November 8, 2009, the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan On while Turkishthe PrimeMinisterRecepTayyip Erdogan November 8,2009, sphere. After thisvoting,claim not Turkey does forany responsibility negative in results any decision I seethis (www.azatutyun.am). brotherhood and love, tolerance of civilization the is civilization Our civilization. in our genocide no is There it. country’s history is as cleanI should underline that thisis country’s soldier [sic] bigger than history and this that and clear as the sun. No country’s parliament can tarnish 11 and to the Swedish government 13 , following the political configurations, asinjustice tohistory. 26 12 on the passage of the bills about the about bills the of passage the on CEU eTD Collection made by ordinary people are based almost on on samebeliefs: the arebasedalmost made by people ordinary validity these of isdocuments doubtedin Turkey. Yettoday WorldWarisintention the authorities apparent. even I Turkish the theof during their orders. which spread they through ministers letter of the arethe These MuseumInstitute. Genocide country that committed the first Genocide of 20 Genocidethe of thefirstcommitted that country is a beginning of today’s the Turkey,career. This position of their professional official 14 By this the president meant the passage of the bill in the Sweden Parliament. The literal denials do not come exclusively from officials. Those kinds of assertions the and government Turkish today’s of statements the between contradiction The This is the official order of TalaatPasha about the Armenians, written on March 25 I studied materialsArmenian atthe see that presentTurkish the Here I necessity the to The leaders of The leaders have of policy country the the adopted literal of from very denial the of of proceeds. the Watch its distribution vigilance;with always examine the accounts and usethe made Againme let remindyou of question the of left. Thisisproperty important. very heartstrings. allfor aplace find We will stupidity. of short nothing is those simplicity such merciful; be we whoAleppo] harshly usandurgedthat atcriticised committee delegate the Ali Riza[Note: will work. of its insuring the stability not of way saw noother but Djemiet the us, horrified methods these of contemplation cooperatefor thisit purpose is forced toresort very to bloody methods. Certainly the andforces different the which forcenturiesuproot annihilate have been a hindrance; withhas decided Djemiet thatthe to February weannounced 18th, dispatch In dated our us, a means desiredend. so that the usedmayleadtothe work must We placeWar. World the in entering made has Government the which sacrifice that whatmatter great is how happens,to this action rememberingno and the always will upon take responsibility,Weourselves therefore, must, theentire ourselves pledging wringin civilization. progress empire's the barrier to been havethe centuries for who elements theirwell-known the existence of out wiping of project noble delicate the of realization the lines possible broadest the on effect is to everyone of The duty will notutter even three words. significance to them. If you ask the personal opinions of each who voted in favor, they We know very well how such decisions 27 th 14 century. are made. We do not attach Weattach not aremade.special do CEU eTD Collection (Lifton, Markusen,Smith,p.5). 1995, the threats to the safety of Jews in Turkey if the “alleged” Armenian Genocide was discussed to cancel ina conference officials’ Tel Aviv in by endeavors 1982,which accompanied was studies: oneof attempts atsilencingthose of scholars Armenian history was that of Turkish version of Turkish history would agenocide- free that create of “institutes” supportingGenocide, establishment the governmentspends millions of prevent to trying dollars analysisthe of Armenian the beArmenians therecannot thus desire and reparation: about talk whichaccording to wholethe is story and invented be cannot addressed in away the declared: Turkey Assembly of GrandNational the aspeakerof Karaduman, Washington, D.C. (Lifton, Markusen, Smith, 1995, p.5). 15 In1982 Turkey granted three milliondollars forthe establishment of the Institute of TurkishStudies in The literal denial is orchestrated by well known scholars as well. The Turkish Similarly in 1994TurkishSeptember Prime Minister Tanzu Cillermade an assertion Literal a new denial is strategy not in On 13,1984NecemettinOctober Turkey. compensation for any such compensation a deliberately myth (www.scuchico.edu). demand created to senseless also is it reason simple very this For happen. not did which be something genocide accusedof Turkey to cannot in subjected any way. Therefore, claims are unfounded and illusory in light ofhistorical Armenians facts. were not called issue. Armenian Ourposition is very is It clear. evident today thethat Armenian It is not true that the Turkish authorities are unwilling tostate their position on the so – (Foreign inPolicy quoted Institute Aghjayan, p.24). 1982, north. the from came if they Iraq to deported, generally to Syria and Palestine when they came from southern Anatolia and they were as and compassionately carefully weretreated Armenians the that certain make to taken care was great time, that at faced Empire the which danger great of the face place,In the any or atthis war. duringsuch massacre,the took however,time No (www.schuchico.edu). astonishing of short nothing is circumstances, the under Turkey, of Vilification elsewhere. and has fleeing history tothose offeredrefuge persecution throughout tolerance of symbol a been has which country isa Turkey ‘Genocide’. Armenian resolution House inof pending the U.S. Representatives concerningthe so–called a regarding assembly memberthe from a of acommunication I have received 15 . They are also engagedin efforts of prevention of the Genocide 28 CEU eTD Collection known events of “allegedly”genocide doubt the factmust of the beGenocide. treated In ’sas acts words theof “blatant bitter denials ofand malevolent psychological Genocide. Armenian on the researches their with are acknowledged who scholars those upon discredit Lowry (1989), not only thevalidity doubted Armenian the of Genocide threw butalso Genocide” of Psychology the and Killing Medical Doctors, “The Nazi titled abook write Ambassador NuzhetKendemir behalf of which letter, on was written Inhis adviser Genocide. the ‘good’ denialof onthe their and authorities Turkish the with contact continuous in was memorandum, the authored obvious that Dr.Heath Lowry, the Executive Director of the Institute of Turkish Studies, who Smith,p.3-12). 1995, in byfunding their ‘objective’ denial study 1915– the of 1923 events (Lifton, Markusen, toengageintellectuals revealed efforts Turkey’s that signature- for Ambassador’s Lifton the to letter andadraft Ambassador the memorandum to whichincludeda States, Unitedto the Ambassador from Jay Lifton Turkish the Robert to letter –a documents three studied Lifton - (Smith, Markusen,Lifton, 1995,p.4). grant of a 1, 5 million dollars for the establishment of the chair was sponsored signature”.by the RepublicLowery ofwas the firstTurkeyambassador’s the for to a letter be awardedprepare then the and Ataturk a memorandum “write Chari scholars Genocide, in the Turkish Armenian check the Studies to at references content, Princetonfrom the about University. A information provide – 1989 in published Genocide” of psychology the 16 Dr. Heath W. Lowry was tasked to read Robert Jay Lifton’s book - “The Nazi Doctors, Medical Killing and Killing Medical Doctors, Nazi “The book- Lifton’s Jay Robert to read tasked was W. Lowry Heath Dr. Although ‘genocide’ word the is usedin letter,yetthe expressions the “so–called”, From the content analysis of the materials conducted by the authors of the article, it was of A renownedgroup –RogerW. researchers Smith,Jay Eric MarkusenandRobert historians of historians of periodthe in question (Lowry in Lifton, Markusen,Smith, 1995,p.3-12). individuals:your citationby Iwaseven duringtheFirst Ottoman the WorldTurks War. more disturbed when Vahakn perpetrated allegedly “Armenian so–calledto the Genocide”, book inyourreferences revealed N. 1986 publicationYour my brought…. wasrecently to attention. Iwasshockedby the Dadrian, that Helenyour sourcesFein and consistedLeo Kuper, ofnone articles of whom areand books by three 16 to send to Dr. Robert Jay Lifton, who had the courage to 29 CEU eTD Collection Then the defensive statements followed: statements defensive Then the the same government: same the public ignorance of ‘issue’ the conversation Mr.Gorgulu on onehandthe implicitly blamed the Turkishfor government the lies)(deliberate During orunconsciousmechanisms” defense (Cohen, 2001,p.7). our good or badfaith, and these (genuine whether claims aretrue ignorance), blatantly untrue genocide:society denies the he GorguluEconomic andSocialAybars ortheTurkish Foundation even that denied Studies today is inclined adopt to literalthe denial themostas reliable and comfortable one. 2001, p.4). all victims, against the butreally certainly human aggression, against of society” (Charny, 18 one is stillif But at theAkcam. Taner beginningor Pamuk of Orhan thelike career career s/hemade cannot already has s/he say if that Genocide as it events will the bename the endpublicly of his/her career. 17 He mentioned the same sentence several times during the interview “I do not see this asadenial”. see this not do “I interview the during times several sentence same the Hementioned Mr. Aybars Gorgulu during the whole interview did not call the events of 1915 Genocide. He said that one can As Cohen states, literal deniers repudiate to recognize the truth “for whatever reason, in reason, “for whatever recognize totruth the repudiate literal deniers As Cohenstates, During interview, my anassistant officer of Foreign Turkishat the Policy Program init TurkishFrom became that my interviewsapparent society conducted Istanbul, own history. That’s why they have this policy. this have they why That’s history. own accept thisyou your deny can denybecauseifyou government government] the [the do notI see do as adenial this them. of one is only issue Armenian the and in Turkey topics taboo of lots are There 26, 2010). April blame yougeneral,denying something anyone why that’s of cannot (Istanbul, 1915 very in lately, the past isyears. of couple There on a hugeignorance issuein the eventsof the talk to about started people Turkey is anything. In denying society the deny it.yousomething The should know governmentcan say deny, butIcannot that I donot think that this is a denialof Genocideyouthe as callit. First of all in to order 17 , on the other hand expressed supportive assertions infavorof handexpressed assertions , ontheother supportive 18 . Turkey has an official history on this issue. That’s why That’s issue. this on history official hasan . Turkey 30 CEU eTD Collection tragedy”. victims of 1915: they had posters reading “This is our pain. This is a mourning for all of us”, “We share this 21 (www.msnbc.msn.com). Genocide - 1923 of1915 events the word called the signatories petition the of but many the used, in not was Although genocide 1915. for brothers” “Armenian to apologize and petition a sign to Turks 20 p.1) Justice carries the of responsibility minister the to give that is the permissionchange to investigate essential the the and offence two, to (Amnesty years three International, from 2005,reduced been has penalty maximum to latest dataisthe nearly million 13 (www.trueknowledge.com). half of them were Armeniansthe living in Istanbul, while the population of the city according numbered “sharing Armenians”by a demonstrators painrough 2000and calculation the of so promising. againstnot “betrayers”, efforts The Turkish Turkish denialare the the leaflets wereshouting and andpropaganda with posters hadgathered nationalists a numberof the city [Istanbul], and if we also take intoaccount the fact that on the other side of the square it Armenian with thewhole thevictims population tributeof Genocidecompare to of and the history learningand but about past, the if at we look numberthe of people give gatheredto facing isfirst At victims its glanceseems it1915. of own way the Turkey really that to on organized by commemorate of ademonstration and the Kurdisha group to Turkish activists Armenian April firstGenocide, 24. Forthe timeinthehistory modern was there of Turkey 2008. Inthe amended version, word the Turkishness government. Under19 the European Union’s continuous pressure there were some amendments to it on May 9, On April On 24, 2010, agroup of Turkish Kurd and activists organized demonstrationa to commemorate the OnDecember 15, 2008 in Turkey a groupof intellectuals and academics started an online campaign inviting 301 Articlecode of penal the of crimeTurkey makes ita Turkey,to insult Turkish nation, andTurkish My stay in Turkey coincided with the Day of Commemoration of the victims of the of victims the of Commemoration of Day the with coincided inTurkey stay My Turkey right now. Some people say “I recognize the Genocide” the “Irecognize Some peoplesay now. Turkey right in atmosphere debate moreis open beginning. There very at the and weare history speak morea longhaveto people freely. It’s processoflearning started facing and But things arechangingin think.Turkey, I After in changethe Articlethe 301 should be (Istanbul,patient April 26, 2010). Armenians So appreciated. and mustbe this efforts making some people whoare Armenian Diaspora] is not helpful. There are some positive steps in Turkey. There are share this tragedy” 21 and in this regard the critical in and critical [the the of Diaspora regard the this attitude 31 has been replaced with thephraseNation, Turkish 20 , some people say “I the 19 CEU eTD Collection society: the of denial literal the of elements sensitive some revealed Dink), Hrant and newspaper its history itsGurgulu objectively history Genocide, the and Mr. acknowledge answered: aswell: factors other are there ignorance, interview Aybars with reaffirmedmyGorgulu guess;itis only not politics and public atrocities committed against Armenians at the beginning of 20 beginningthe the of at Armenians against atrocities committed and married to her grandfather. For decades her grandmother concealed the fact of being an Armenian. an of being fact the concealed grandmother her decades For grandfather. to her married and 23 22 Thestory was during that deportationthe her grandmother wasby taken forcedTurks, toapostasy, made Turk sentence. his changed he this, I heard when my surprise Seeing My interview with a respectful lawyer and writer, Fethiye Chetin (the lawyer of Agos To my question about where this nationalism comes from and whether Turkey will face will Turkey whether and from comes nationalism this where about my question To There is no doubt that Turkey itsTurkey There isnodoubt utmost that mass toavoid will do the recognition of I was twenty when I heard the story from my from story when IheardI was grandmother twenty the is in There ignorance aswell not in academia only public. well is The republic andlimited studies. not written period are researched.There benot isit but the casenow. tell theseto conduct tales: stories conversationsfairy these with those multiply who haveto similarbetter stories.is it Itis that especially realized importantI later to but to lie- told being young peopleand sopeople that theeveryonedid Turkishnot know hadand out run to shout suchwanted society aboutjust I days, in those kind indignant and “weit. surprised was I of could nationalism. stories,Atare first facetold thereI itswantedlies,newsI wasshockedby hadsome asayoung the feelingsabout retaining socialist who history.is a similartheyto fight society was ignorantcheat as nothingfairy was discussed,against taught at school or elsewhere. taleus”. Armenian not knowanything issue.The in the relatives about as wedid theStates having of almost fact the thislike not Yet did we and niece injusticeinat grandfather’s my was everythe grandmother my samehome – time asfarIknew because surprised was very I in U.S. with relatives the in touch our I noticed that almost history,itlikethings.do onlygood And shouldthat isastate be this see way the history is inthe written thingsTurkey:instance allglorious for the Turks The origins of nationalism are everywhere. Actually if you read schoolbooks, you will country. ideology in the nationalistic is and Azeri a this with brothers” of resulta strong relationships our wemaking are because of Armenians “these rubbish arethe read newspapers…. is Hugemajority facing stillagainst history One process. can often in the comments the read ever you If Turkey. in powerful very is Nationalism 32 23 th . Once she asked me to get century as genocide. My 22 , ok,it should CEU eTD Collection took place in Istanbul, at 19:00 on the 24 the on 19:00 at Istanbul, in place took 25 often read my ownwords, and cried”. The book is called “My Grandmother: A Memoir”write so published that I was inspeaking 2008. to someone telling him/her my story. Itwas very exciting forcloser me. While to literaturewriting I to do it. But as she said “no one dared to and I had to write it myself. And finally I decided to 24 Istanbul on April said:24, 2010, Demir, organizingactivists demonstration was oneof Burak who the young the student, is genuinely inguilty accuse matter) to this of their unawareness. This is confirmed by a (although forvery look it scapegoats shouldbe Turkish the often established that government mysupported initial guess: ignorance. own for their blame this the government question. Many them to answer the of got in Istanbul I my interviews information. From access tosources of to more no boundaries when thereare The demonstration was dedicated to the Commemoration of the victims of the Armenian Genocide, which Ms. Fethiye Chetin confessed that at first she did not dare to write the book herself and asked others who were Yet there were people to openly confess and thus confirm the hypothesis that people that thehypothesis confirm and thus openly confess to people were Yet there Yet one may ask, as I did, how a citizen of the 21 The interview with Altogh Elmaz, editor of of newspaper, Agos Turkishpartof Altogh the editor The interview with Elmaz, That’s That’s why write about abook I decidedto my story grandmother’s to learn yousomething can April(Istanbul, 24, 2010). but there are so many sources killing Armenians, occupying theirlands and they wheredo notwant people tolearn history one can get information Genocide whoby committed bythose created was government Yes, Iagreetoday’s as I did. So if you want Many say “wepeople anything” donotknow andthey blamefor thegovernment that. (Istanbul,April 24, 2010). Turkey in nationalism of level the and people of number the between correlation no is numberthe of people. Nationalism as ideology isan always readytocome up.There might it change isdecreasing; accordingsociety to the in the circumstantial nationalism of level the situation. that mean not But it does is not this But necessarily about not only school based inAndeducation. Ithink nationalism Turkey this, decreases. on is it collectinformation knowledge; and means to have People other internet. the take But there aresomanygetinformation ways to about rest the of worldthe just today, to construct how of a example, nationan as Turkey - state.take would I nationalism, teach and nationalism on to work aperson ideology. If I were yearsstate –nation for hundred climate Thishas been political state. the imaginary into this been educated haveGenerations 26, 2010). th of April, 2010. 33 st century can be ignorant of issues the of be ignorant can century 24 (Istanbul April (Istanbul 25 in CEU eTD Collection genocide before objective scientific research is done, thus going for interpretive denial. Here denial. interpretive for going thus done, is research scientific objective before genocide youwhat call it” (Cohen, 2001,p.7). not really an arms deal”, “what happened is notwhat you think itis, notwhat it looks like, not was and illegal not was deal arms “the cleansing”, ethnic not exchange, population was “this deniersassert names by avoid ‘interpretive’ the events their calling To apparent toothers”. meaning from seems they (something happened); facts rather what a different are given interpretiveCohen’s not “theAccording reject denial is raw does denial.to interpretive theory meansone nextcommon the areusedand denial techniquesall the exercised. are In Turkish p.103) If literal isdenial notworkable due anymore to indisputable evidence then other Denial 3.2 Interpretive those who condemned the brutality of the Ottoman authorities? human sympathy andjustice.for Were quest the anyhidden there thoughtsin mindsof the mind: to question was thepurpose Robertcomes make of what if Lord to this speech not 1915 declared:November, (AGMI).Museum LordRobertInstitute Cecil in in hisspeech the House of Commons in Genocide Armenian in the analyzed I that documents British the from materials present will I Studying the archiveddocuments andfamiliar getting with denials,such anaïve The Turkish government continues to claim that the events should not be named be not should events the that claim to continues government Turkish The 2001, (Cohen, is tried” next the work, not does strategy if “one states Cohen Stanley As To show the whimsical cynicism of and obvious contradiction presented in these denials November 1915Cols 1770-1776). was ordered from above… (House of Commons,Hansard (5 wipe out of existencedetermined on long crime ago…. It was a long –considered,is apremeditative deliberateThis policy world…. destroyto the of and history in the the committed been has crime Armenians horrible more no that exaggeration, of fear least the without be said, inmay it I think Turkey. It was systematically carried out. It 34 th Series), Vol. LXXV, 16 CEU eTD Collection Sweden was called back toAnkara, and on her return she said: to ambassador Turkish bills, the mentioned above the passageof After the people. ordinary 271). Let’s clean the spot from our clothes” (Armenian Genocide Museum –Institute, document no. Revenge, revenge, revenge, Let’s drench kneesour in blood, Let’s kill and crush, revenge, revenge, “Revenge, 1915, students atschools were taughtasongwhich said: written on February Gorge Horton’s letter 4, According“duty” to p.86). (Libaridian, 1985, and “patriotism” of atmosphere with encouraging an went scenario whole the Therefore, ideology of begenocide: they to and beeliminated”348). must deserve (Charney, p. 1999, for basis an attribution apowerful ofdangerousdemonicand intentprovides strength beings like us andmoral areoutside our of universe obligation protectto human life – and 15). “whathappenedillustrate doesnot convictionthe of (Aghjayan,genocide”, etc p.7 - 1998, be“therelocation”, applied genocidebutnot was notgenocidecan word retrospectively”, are some patterns of interpretive denial from the Turkish reality - “it was a civil strife”, “it Interpretive denial is again present both in the official statements and in the claims of claims in the and statements official inthe both present again is denial Interpretive human not are is “they that dehumanization” of “combination it calls Charney Israel conclusion (The Local: Sweden’s news in news English). Local: Sweden’s (The conclusion Thatis questionthe for historians and forresearchersexamine to before reaching a taken has place.genocide the normal position; that isadopt to parliament the Iexpected because surprised and somewhat I am disappointed not the job of parliamentarians to decide whether or not a 35 CEU eTD Collection H. E.Haluk Bayulkenwhile events about speaking the of 1915 said: minister Defense, Nationak former of the Turkish Holocaust” “The Hidden TV documentary to in 1992 given interview an In etc. intervention, external period, difficult time, war of light in is presented the rejected butis not –doings wrong factof the Very often Turkish reality. events. the of time the at support governmental the under victims wereactually whoare calledprove those that to Exposed”trying of Innocence be itdiegenocide. should necessarily called butnot people many time in war is that One by deniers. made interpretations several are there denial claim that the word genocide can not apply to thethe isevents that of 1915. For technique this Turkish particular-known well kindthe of pursued scholar the that mention to important itletter back comingby written is regard, to the Lowry, of Ambassador Turkish the Dr. ishowbut concern tocall happenedhave the them. itbeshould byhistorians examined and of experts field.the nodoubtis There that things The forms and claims representing interpretive denial have become quite common inthe common quite become have denial interpretive representing claims and forms The Similar seen in of Kamuran denial Gurun“Thewas thework ArmenianFile: Myth The Among intellectuals the interpretive denial is also a well perceived policy. In this In policy. perceived a well is also denial interpretive the intellectuals Among that is claim the happened, something that reject not does ambassador the speech her In were also civilians in (Gurun quoted 8). Aghjayan. 1998, Holland were civilians. Thosewhowerekilled the during FirstWorldWarin France, Belgium,also and civilians.who were killedThose inHiroshima and Second the Nagasakiduring WorldWar werealso situation. the change not Those does civilians were they that fact whoThe enemy. died in London ofthe the ranks hadjoined because they emigrate to forced were The Armenians during the Battle of Britain devoted to theHolocaust of WorldWar (Lifton, II” Markusen,Smith,p.3-12). 1995, itisInquisition), particularlyfind disturbing our in to own history distorted works continuing role ashaven forminorities (including Jews the from evicted by Spain the a field to his outside whoarelong areaFor Turks, justifiably of expertise. and our proud reference his in careless so forgotten, be never must barbarity and enormity It is particularly disturbing to see a major scholar on , a tragedy whose 36 CEU eTD Collection letter about ‘Armenian the issue’. ambassador was against this letter would he neversign it. Perhaps he did wantnot to spend time on writing a 26 of of provoking theirand perpetrators doing thus harm Armenians the accused scholar indicate that the to is mustit a Kendemir, Nuzhet Ambassador well. as society Turkish states “the advertisement As as Charny the events Israel recognize genocide. ofjustice not are infavor humanity anddo in the1985 international launched recognition2001, p.5).Up to presentthe days thisadvertisementis used by lobbying preventTurkish to new of erathe Genocideof sophistication with (Charny, government” of Ottoman in archives the been the had of researched records era the a claim that the “all “academic until Genocide Armenian the of victims the for Commemoration and of Day a aside dignitaries” camouflage who put halt Congress from a resolution of was adoptingpurpose to U.S the advertisementthe of to signed by 69 inpublished Washington TheTimes, and NewYork Post academics, several newspapersin 1985, other some of them rather respected and famous in their fields. The This is a denial by both an insider (Turkish ambassador) and an outsider(non Turk scholarLowry) as if the Going back to the above mentioned letter written written by backGoing aboveand the signedby letter mentioned Dr. Lowry to My interview with Aybars Gorgulu showed the signs of interpretive denials in the denials interpretive of signs the showed Gorgulu Aybars with interview My The next vivid example of the interpretive denial by intellectuals was the advertisement the was intellectuals by denial interpretive the of example vivid next The genocide convention can not be applied retrospectively. applied be not can convention genocide be the casebecause the this can not saying that on that of a couple articles read Turkey apologizesrecognizes or for 1915,they havewill topay much I compensation. recognizeWewe deniedif something cannot that decades.Many for think that people 1995, p.10). Smith, Markusen, (Lifton, ludicrous. simply inquestion, history the with familiar of is,anyone apeaceable people, attempt to to systematically a premeditated eradicate horrors the with populations Christian and Muslim the both on wrought it suffering human the and nationalists) byArmenian (initiated war compare civil To atragic a of the century ( both sides suffered from the event. But the allegationIn some cases, possible the Turkswerebeing so killed they sodefended themselves to that it was a genocide is entirelyit. about is doubt no There leave areasuffered. were askedto who the Some of those www.scuchico.edu 37 ). 26 : CEU eTD Collection the unfavorable circumstances: the werenotgood indicate there that implicitly andbad to tends suffered due to everybody people which victims, the with areequalized perpetrators the yet exile fact of the affirms Association Armenians’ and books publications: “nationalist” inthe given than smaller much is number real the that and imagination one’s itforgeriesisvictims. Armenians Very that by of stated often numbersare the the presented and a significant number of them were notexperts in that field. discovery surprising: was not majority grants by the was awarded Turkishthe government of the participating academicians and the history of the research grants they had received. The Armenianthe Assembly Americaof an carried out investigation of academicbackground the vivid when became more action of action.takingthis obscenity The partof that had regretted after the advertisement Israel Charny conducted a survey and reveled that many of the signers establishment” (Charny, of academic the bona members fide of newco –option earof began a and denials, 2001, p. 5). However, it is worthwhile to mention that some time Another example of interpretive denial made by the Assembly of Turkish American Turkish of Assembly the by made denial interpretive of example Another In the same report prepared by the Foreign Policy Institute in Ankara one may read: Within theframes interpretive of denial isalsoplayingthere with numbers the of the plague andfamine (Foreign quotedPolicy Institute in Aghjayan, 1998,p.15). severe shortage fuel,of food, medicine andothersupplies as well as large –scale of the deported Armenianscaravans passed deportations Inaddition, the their territories. through andsettlement took place at the as a carry bloodfeudsgeneral some forcesasthe insecurity which tribal sought to well out and as time passed, they which when through areas the in the on going Empire then activities bandit was suffering from as largeboth of somelost, lives 1917, certainly resultscale military the were and Out of somethe inArmenians 700000 whoweretransported way this early until Institute inquoted Aghjayan,p. 15). 1998, Armeniansthe many claimed that as had 600 as 000 been killed (Foreign war Policy the following immediately At first, time. over increased being claimed number the result of “massacre”. Like the rest of their claims, this alsois highly exaggerated, with million2 Armenians manyArmenian diedasthe 1.5to as propagandistsas claim that 38 CEU eTD Collection mostly written by foreigners serving in Turkey at the time of tragedy. The declaration made timethe The declaration of inat tragedy. byforeigners serving Turkey mostly written were documents is these that main difference the claims. However, Turkish of the opposite states: that claim made by Justin McCarthy in “Armenian Terrorism: History as Poison and Antidote” atrocities: committing and harm doing astheones latter the and victims as presented often were perpetrators group whichof Turks, says: The documentaries I studied at Armenian Genocide Museum Institute present just the present MuseumInstitute Genocide Armenian at Istudied The documentaries bethe onecan nominated ridiculous denial most the interpretive Within frames the of the that ofnumbers” “game the deep into so went denial interpretive The Turkish Similar claims are present in a pamphlet on “Armenian in Propaganda”Similar publishedbya claims on apamphlet arepresent victims perished in (McCarthy p.quoted Aghjayan, 1998, 18). genocide,it genocidea strange was in indeed, one manymorewhich killers than Anatolia as a whole, 600.000Armenians and 2.5million Muslimshad died.If was this 870.000 of Armeniansthe of sixVilayets hadthe become had refugees died. or In Caucasian leastMuslims. refugee had 130.000 Anatoliaat haddied,as Eastern of than million Muslims Anatolia the of More hadone become refugees. and Caucasus the Eastern from Muslims million 1.2 wars, Anatolian Eastern the of end the By Aghjayan,p. 18). 1998, AnatoliaMuslims insay between lost, Eastern in (Ozbekhan 2.5million 2 and quoted 600,000 people Turksandother andthe between525.000to review lost Armenians insaying of under eventswhich This to course darken the period the amounts the that 10). a result of the samethis wasno greater a percentage than that of theconditions Turks and other Muslims who died as some deportees the may 100.000Armenians, have diedin between 1915 and 1918,but the same placesweakening of governmentcontrol. As a resultof these conditions, asmany as 20%of at the same invasions as robberbands thatsprangwell as Anatolia upthroughout time duetothe Charny, 2001. p. p.17). Empirethe (Assembly of Turkish American in Associations quoted Aghjayan, 1998, as Christians sufferedvehicles, food, fuel, clothing, and other supplies in the entire Empire.Muslims as well terribly of a severe shortage time place of at took deportation however, the that is true, It at this time, even in Istanbul and other major cities of Muslims as well as non – Muslims also suffered from the ravages of vicious foreign vicious of ravages the from suffered also Muslims – non as well as Muslims 39 CEU eTD Collection interpretation”p.106). (Cohen, 2001, “This is a complexsociety andthen theysubtle go forto accept the raw materials. Butrenaming in this case if thestrategy, denial is still the adopted policy of a state or the events becausethat is interpretive the naming denial. Asof Cohenall defines,social events requires House of CommonsNovember given on 1915 16, said: wereaddressed: concerns these Fethiye Chetin with talk numbers victims? the the accordingthe During to lives ifwewilljudgeof acrime France and Russia says the following: on may 23, 1915 by the Government of Great Britain in common with the Government of Thus, when isnothere space for literal donotdenial have perpetrators the a way outbut in inhis speech Affairs for Foreign Cecil,State of –Secretary Robert Lord Under But do morality and conscience ask the number of victims? What is the value of our Series), Vol.LXXV, Col. 1770– 1776,AGMI). was ordered itwas Armeniansof wipe systematically existence in carried the out It out. turkey. anddestroy policy deliberate to itlong-considered, was long a ago…. determined on from crime isapremeditative this world…. in the of history the beencommitted has crime horrible more no that above…(British exaggeration, of fear least the without be said, may it I think documents, House of Commons,life on the basis of numbers are inhumane for me (April 26, 2010, Istanbul). 350.000300.000 or nomore”, theclarification discussion the and humanof being’s a Hansard “wherejournalistyou one half million take killed. did wrote- and Theycouldreach a tragedy but discussionsthe ithuman andopinions about area beyondlevel.is (5 that afemale Once this as issue this to approach inhumane see to me for offensive very is It for massacres Armenian (Doc.F0371/2488/63095. AGMI). responsible personally implicated, are as agents their of such as well as government, publicly sublimeto the thatthey port all hold will members the ottoman the of announce allied by fresh committed governments crimes In facethe these of turkey Constantinople is inoffensive against raging Armenian population. Armenians’ is quarter besiegedbyKurds. At samethe time ottoman governmentat Inhabitants 100villages itself of about all In nearvan were assassinated. town . all in and Zeitun, Moush, Sassoun, Bitlis, Egin, Dertchan, place April, Suchmassacrestook about themiddle of authorities. Erzerum, at engaged inmassacring with Armenians and connivance help often of with ottoman For about the last month and the Turkish population of Armenia have been Armenia have of Kurdsmonth population and the Turkish last For aboutthe 40 th CEU eTD Collection others andothers calling forgiveness for and leaving the pastin past:the etc. now”, can “whatwe do historians job”,do their “this is a new Turkey and hasnothing todowith Young Turks”, “let’s 1999,162), a global war (Charny, within war wasacivil Armenians’ experience “…thenotapply the events does Armenian term namedgenocide to “the as Genocide”, followings heard in arethe claims often Very denialof Genocide. the Armenian present the is (Cohen,This strategy p.8). etc what”, “So 2001, “What’s fuss about”, big the about”, with me”,“Why should a tovictimizemyself?”, Itake risk better “I’ve tothink got things genocide” (Charny,p. 21). 2000, wasa butnot It people war civil may died. denial course “Of wereatrocities there and claim is point knowledge whatwedowith implicatory that 8). Oneforour (Cohen, going 2001, p. evasions”. rationalization, In “justification, – in it other concepts several involves Cohen Stanley by words, coined implicatory term a new as denial Implicatory denial theirancestors. or by others beendone has that something means being aware itsdenialimplication” significance of or taking (Cohen,2001,p.8) or for anyresponsibility of the facts, yet here of morality forgoing implicatory denial,a refusal which is“not acknowledge to reality,buta the pass denial all the intend genocides boundaries well the professional to of career to the known Denial 3.3 Implicatory Implicatory denials sometimes illustrate human indifference towards the sufferings of sufferings the towards indifference human illustrate sometimes denials Implicatory Within theframes implictory of areassertionsthere denial like“it’s gotnothingdo to their dedicated who scholars of claims materials, the documented the to Contrary on on with life today (Charny, 2000,p.23). This is world.a practical Theis tolet only sensiblebygones thing bebygones and go somore world peaceful.forget, the be can forgive and make peace.These events arenot new. Hatred will morebring only bloodshed. Letthe people It happened a long time ago. You can’t bring the dead. People should 41 CEU eTD Collection pass the author of the article referring to the “reliable sources” from Turkey wrote: forced which to were horrors the through Armenians Depopulation Armenia”.of Presenting published article “The “The an titled Independent” September 27,1915 events of 1915. On the reported time that the also of the newspapers but letters their oftheofficialsand records military necessity and quoted Talaatbey’s todoctor Mortsman:words Armenians stating that the deportations of the people from eastern Anatolia did not bear just Hollweg 17,1915he onJune against theTurkish authorities’ criticized actions cruel Reich– Chancellor Behtmann addressed tothe GermanAmbassador the his tragedy.In report Armenians the against days of injusticethe on noticed committed the people the who victims” (Charny,p. 16). 2000, pave “future samepeople,the violence towards potential way the for towards other aswell as expressions: illustrative as classifies Charny Israel that immorality just name than The documents that I analyzed in the Armenian Genocide Museum institute arenot thatIanalyzed only institute The Museum intheGenocide documents Armenian of atrocities, the opponents were there of perpetrators the supporters Unlike today’s which crime, the justify means genocide the of denial the that states Charny Israel As However, in the Turkish reality there is a type of denial that can not have any other (Politarchiv).A-19743,ia Turkei 183. nr.7122,r 14086). Deutschlands Kaiserlichen des Amts Auswartigen des Archiv (Politisches consolidate. the interests to serve of all will allies of measure Turkey, This especially the Germans interference. and so the latter will diplomatic be able their to by it doing hinder won’t countries foreign that so Christians, local the enemies, internal from country The Sublime port intends to make use of the world warfor cleaning the whole area another where to theythem would not constitutetransfer to a security intended threat Charny,“simply” 2000, and p.23). revolution] the to opponents problemthe had it its of with population disloyal Jews/Chechens/ [Armenians/ The government of [Turkey/ Germany/ Russia/ Cambodia…] had a right to deal with 23). The Jews, Armenians, Cambodians Blacksdeservethey (Charny, what got p. 2000, That’s their place in history. You can’t goback there to change it. hashappened. Blacks Cambodians, Armenians, Jews, the What to happened be.will always there and genocide been There hasalways weak. the eats always The strong 42 CEU eTD Collection on on sand andthe future justiceof is endangered. isbuilt history isfake, present the same: is the upshot the is, denial the of reason the whatever on Thus,others. or onthesamepeople commit doers and wrong new massacres to genocides their successors by creating “a psychologicalforeign witnesses missionariesand are denied by Turksas the beingforgeries. victimization”,1960s arepartially destroyed. Thewere ones that saved by American, the German and other but also pave the wayprocess for the of facing history.objective analysis bylookingIt up in Turkish archiveshas as well is just anew way of escaping thebeen proved that Turkish the isthedenial still stubborn. The leaveclaim to and issuehistorians the conductan Turkish archives that world the around all verification existing andother much inWashington, Archives National were closed till 27 The material is available also on AGMI’s web site – As Israel As Israel Charny has noticed the denial isof past the notonly the disgracing victims, In spite of the numerous documented materials available at AGMI as well as the Museum Museum Institue) Women are internedfaith. harems in and childrenaresold slaves(Armenianthe Genocide as Christian their renounce to them force to torture to put being are Many starve Towns haveto been and upon inhabitants. of homes villages roads. the divested their their from driven been have families of Thousands race. Armenian the extirpate …..this amatterlocal isnot of petty or disorder oppression a systematicbut effort to 27 . 43 www.genocide –museum. am CEU eTD Collection has been an essential factor to keep the memory of the Genocide alive. Both the interviews I interviews the Both alive. Genocide the of memory the keep to factor essential an been has Firstly, Turkish were true. the years Genocidedenial that Armenian the of for Iassumed 95 of some and falsified them were hypotheses my initial of Some it pastandkeepingalive. the well. as outsiders for but it of guilty were who those or it experienced who those for only important not is Armenian Genocide had been responded appropriately. Thus, the memory of the difficult past if the happened have not might century the of massacres other and Cambodian, Rwandan, The Holocaust, 2003,p.408). Armenians”today annihilation (Dadrian, the the of of all,remark: “Who, after widelyquoted byAdolf speaks It ishighlystrengthened Hitler’s Armenians, then perhaps some of the atrocities of the 20 properly in its If time. memory the of Armenianthe Genocide had been alive notonly among Armenian Genocide could havebeen lesson a good formany people if ithad been addressed aswell.forbut others Genocide the The forexperienced nation the futurethat in notonly the tragedies in possible terms preventing of important Looking isextremely back presentstatus. of and presentthe goals. future achievement of Itshapesnational identity the and defines is that the for keep it haveshowed evaluation the examinations alive. nation’s past crucial My continuous allegations that they liveshould in presentthe and think of future. the foreignwere subjectedpass Union, who to generations Sovietthrough andthe the culture to of regime totalitarian the experience hadto it fact that of the isit inspite alive Yet forgotten. itwas exposedshouldbe tothorny itsuggestedthat was often this It sense. experiences; behind,itnot be must denied. The collective memory isof Genocide Armenian the vital in Conclusion In my thesis I have researched the factors that were influential in terms of in of remembering were influential terms that factors the haveIn my researched I thesis that factors and past the of memory the of importance the analyzed have I work this In Difficultispast essential mustand be can analyzed properly.be not It forgotten or left 44 th century could have been prevented. been have could century CEU eTD Collection which itwas suppressed duringtheSovietUnion.However,should be established the that of speak, Armenianscommunism would think thefreedom give the and evaluatetheirto past released being that obvious was it Yet not. or effect an had state independent an into regime past. cultural atmosphere political, isthe country the outside and inside Armenians between difference The way. that allowed or aliveany was memory the asinboth communities factor, be acrucial not itcan that showed for some time even Armeniapressed and the the Diaspora manifestation had a significant role of in theirthe remembranceand peaceful population of Sumgaitin the presenceof of the Soviet Army.the past. The probe infires killed burned unarmed tortured, Azeri and the later Turks consuls. Several decades killed one and a half million Armenians it presencethe of foreign officials, ambassadors, internationalthe Genocide Turks community1915 the waspresent; Young the of during saw the victimscases And Inboth cases as‘gavurs’. inboth little brothers’. perpetrators the the same.Armenians Moreover, sawAzerbaijanis and Turksas samenation the – ‘big and in the cases werealmost both it used was vital methods as the verified that My past. research recent their of them reminded city Sumgait in Azerbaijani the massacres the particularly and offence. and pain the strengthens wrongdoers the of behalf had Thedenialif for of apologized that. Genocideon been the strong perpetrators so the have not could memory The justice. restoring for fight and remember sufferers the makes key factors if not the most important. The denial of wrongdoings by those who are guilty of it isit Ianalyzedthe that oneof proved literature in inand the and Yerevan conducted Istanbul It was a part of my analysis to check whether the transition from from authoritarian the transition the check my whether was apartof It to analysis day in livingpresent Armenians the communication of the Thirdly,whether I examined Secondly, IhypothesizedArmenians’ that sufferings during the Karabakh movement 45 CEU eTD Collection transitional justice. transitional of field the particularly sciences, social to contribution its brought has thus and Genocide Armenian the of memory collective ofthe aspects significant the hasexplored research unofficially) and reported hadif more million However, time this as one I resources. and Unitedthe Armenianwith half of population official States amillion the according to data in and unofficially, million two than more and officially million one than more is population homeland,in andTurkey in bigother communitiesinstance (for in Russia the where communities. in all present is Genocide the of memory collective the yet abroad, live now Armenians fatal historical events Armenianthe nation is divided into twopartsand most of the the due to Secondly, regime. authoritarian Soviet ithas through fact passed of the that spite in is alive memory andthecollective nation of the greattragedy sincethe haveyears passed is firstly,victimized as uniquein people ahundred case Armenian the almost several aspects: and thepastfor demanding addressing recognition. yearslittle leaving accompaniedfirst space Armenia independent by crises of economic were My research beencould more have comparative –studying Armenians the living in of memory collective the of studying further for basis the as serve may analysis My 46 CEU eTD Collection University Press University Dominick LaCapra,1998. 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New Ed. . , CEU eTD Collection Azatutyun Radio station- Azatutyun America of Community National Armenian Agos – Weekly Newspaper http://www.agos.com.tr/eng/(accessed April 9, 2010) Web Pages Estugian Demir Elmaz Chetin Seropyan http://www.genocide-museum.am/eng/index.php http://www.anca.org/ancaprofile.php 25, 2010) Last name Last List of interviewees Appendix www.csuchico.edu- Armenia of The Armenian National Museum Genocide – Institute, Academy Scienceof of The Republic Bagrad Burak Altogh Fethiye Sargis First name California University State April (accessed 10, 2010) http://www.azatutyun.am/section/english/666.html Position newspaper of the Agos Armenian part Editor of the Workers’ Party Socialist Revolutionary member of Osil student, a A university newspaper the Agos Turkish partof Editor of the newspaperAgos the of Lawyer newspaperAgos the of Armenisn The editor of the 50 (accessedApril 10, 2010) interview Date of April 25, April Istanbul 24, 2010 April Istanbul 24, 2010 April, Istanbul 26, 2010 April Istanbul 26, 2010 2010 Istanbul interview Place of (accessedApril CEU eTD Collection Marutyan Melkonyan Safrastyan Demoyan Harutyun Ruben Ruben Hayk Armenia Sciences of Academy of National Ethnography, and Archaeology Institute of of Researcher Leading State State University Yerevan Prof. at Turkologist, Department, Studies Oriental Deputy Dean of University Yerevan State Science, Prof. at Academy of National Armenian Studies, Oriental Director of Historian historian, Institute, – Museum Genocide Armenian the of Director 51 April April Yerevan 28, 2010 April April Yerevan 30, 2010 April Yerevan 29, 2010 April 30, 2010 Yerevan