Just As We Were Saying, Turkey Hasn’t Changed
170,000 Armenians live in Turkey, of which 100,000 are illegal and not citizens of Turkey. Tomorrow, if necessary, we shall exile them from our country
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of Turkey. 16 March 2010
Any claim of a hundred thousand citizens of Armenia living illegally in Turkey is baseless. One can at the most speak of 12 to 14 thousand citizens of Armenia living in Turkey today, of which a significant part is legally resident in that country. However, they are not the subject under discussion, but the conduct of Turkey towards them and, in particular, the response of the international community. Or rather, the lack of one.
When the leader of the Party for Freedom of the Netherlands – merely the head of a party, a member of parliament – Geert Wilders declared that it was necessary to deport all illegal immigrants from the country, the world went into a flurry. How could we allow ourselves to do such a thing? Whatever happened to human rights? A very correct response indeed. So why is the world so silent today in the face of the head of the executive branch of Turkey’s government, in hearing Prime Minister Erdogan’s similar statement against Armenians? What, are you afraid of riling up Turkey? Where are your principles and human rights now?
Ten to 12 million illegal immigrants from Latin America currently live in the United States. These people are not only present in the country illegally, but many also entered America in an illegal manner. Nevertheless, – as opposed to the citizens of Armenia living in Turkey – their children have the right to attend school, and they receive major social benefits from the government. In countries of the European Union, towards which Turkey is tirelessly striving, there are 8 to 10 million illegal immigrants. There are a few hundred thousand immigrants from Turkey among them. A part of them – as opposed to the citizens of Armenia living in Turkey – eats their daily bread at the expense of local taxpayers.
Various sources indicate that 1.5 to 3 million Arabs live in the US today, whether by origin or citizenship. The data is unclear and very disparate, as a considerable part of them is illegally present in the country. When, on September 11th, 2001, the US came under attack by Arabs, no American official made any mention of running any illegal Arabs out of the US. Society in America was reeling under pain, violation and sadness, but the attack organised and carried out by Arabs caused no one to think of deporting the illegal Arabs living in the country.
Now let us imagine the response of the international community if Bush had suddenly decided, because of the attack on his country, to exile the illegal Arabs in the US. Certainly, “all of progressive humanity” would come together in anti-American demonstrations, protests and speeches. And it would have been right to do so. Each is responsible for his or her actions. The era of group punishments has passed.
To fully appreciate the absurdity of Erdogan’s threat, let us consider our circumstances. Armenia has not attacked Turkey. Armenians have not crashed a plane into the Blue Mosque or the Ataturk Mausoleum. Armenians have not killed three and a half thousand Turks in downtown Istanbul, as some did in downtown New York. It just so happens that a group of citizens of the United States and Sweden, the majority of which in this case are Armenians by origin, have managed to achieve, through completely legal and civilised means, the passage of certain resolutions at different levels of the US and Swedish legislatures. I do not wish to even refer to the contents or nature of those resolutions. That is not of any significance at this point. What is important is Turkey’s response and the lack of a condemnation of it by Europe or the US. Armenia, unfortunately, did not even have any part to play in the passage of those resolutions, but Turkey is gnashing its teeth in Armenia’s direction. If Turkey is upset at those resolutions, although getting upset at the reaffirmation of the truth would be mindless, let Turkey deport its Americans and Swedes. What, does not the shoe fit? Or do they only know how to thumb their nose at us? And this is how the Turks wish to be members of the European Union, to live in the same household with the Germans? A medieval and vindictive stench reeks from Erdogan’s words.
Just as we were saying, Turkey hasn’t changed.
Ara Papian
Head, “Modus Vivendi” Center
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