Turkey to Open Historic Armenian Church, Opposes Assyrian Genocide Memorial

(The lesson which Turkey fails to learn)
The longer Turkey denies its responsibility for the Assyrian genocide the more people will become aware of it.

12-25-2009
By Paul Kujawsky www.examiner.com los angeles

Turkey and its historic Christian minorities: one step forward, one step back, as the country struggles with its identity. Is Turkey defined by its "Turkishness," or is it a liberal democracy where members of minority groups have equal rights, and history is faced truthfully? Recent events reveal ambiguity. Turkey has announced that the tenth century Akdamar, or Aghtamar, Armenian church on Lake Van in eastern Turkey will be no longer be a museum, but will be opened for worship in 2010.

In its incarnation as a museum, there was no cross on top of the church; however, a cross will crown the church next year. One may wonder if many churchgoers will show up for services. If I'm not mistaken, the Armenian remnant in Turkey today lives mostly in Istanbul and Ankara, not in the historic territory of western Armenia/eastern Turkey. The mayor of Van, Munir Karaoglu, is quoted as saying that Akdamar will become a pilgrimage site for Armenians worldwide.

That is probably a realistic assessment. Akdamar will likely resemble the Cairo synagogue, nowadays frequented principally by American or Israeli Jews. Indeed, some Armenians reacted coolly to the announcement. Ruben Safrastyan, Director of Armenia's Institute of Oriental Studies, National Academy of Sciences, dismissed the opening of the church as a "formal gesture": "There are thousands of churches in Turkey, which have been systematically destroyed. The destruction of Armenian churches continues up to now."

But while the Akdamar decision is not as welcome as, say, Turkey's coming to grips with the Armenian Genocide, even "gestures" show some progress, progress that Turks and Armenians can build on. On the other hand, Turkey's reaction to events in distant Australia do not show it at its best. Fairfield, a suburb of Sydney, has approved the erection of a memorial to the Assyrian genocide. Proponents of the memorial state that about 750,000 Assyrians living in the Ottoman Empire, 75 per cent of the total, were killed by Turks in 1915-1918, the same time frame as the far more well-know Armenian Genocide. Turkey went ballistic. Oguz Ozge,

Turkey's ambassador to Australia, said that the proposed monument is "very offensive," adding: "It hurts the Turkish Australians living in this country and it is an attempt at destroying the harmony of the two communities living in Australia side by side. We are looking into whether we can do anything, legally or otherwise." These are the same sort of pressure tactics Turkey has employed for years in its attempt to prevent international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Frankly,

I didn't even know that Turkey had another genocide in its closet to deny. Turkey ought to take this opportunity to bravely face its past. That would win worldwide respect. Its current approach of denial, bluster and bullying shows a lack of wisdom and self-confidence--it earns Turkey no credit.