InternationalEditorial: Truth will prevail, if we persist
Published: Friday July 31, 2009
On April 24 President Barack Obama did more than fail to deliver on his repeated campaign pledges to recognize the Armenian Genocide as president of the United States. He also delivered a body blow to many Armenian-Americans' faith in our collective ability to bring about positive change through political organizing and action.
We certainly cannot deny that we are disappointed in the president we helped elect. But we continue to believe profoundly in political action. "When it comes to Turkey and Armenia, Turkey wins every time," our colleagues at the Economist quote a Western official as saying this week.
We respectfully disagree.
In the confrontation between truth and falsehood, as in any other grand confrontation, the outcome is not preordained. If good people work hard and tirelessly, then truth will ultimately prevail.
It is with these sentiments that we greet the action of 81 members of Congress this week, who wrote to President Obama, urging him to correct course on Armenia-Turkey relations and the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
The members of Congress correctly pointed out that Turkey acted in bad faith when it pretended to commit to a process of normalizing relations with Armenia. Having closed the border with Armenia unilaterally 16 years ago, Turkey continues to refuse to open it - even though its policy of strangling Armenia into concessions over Nagorno-Karabakh has failed completely.
Turkey seems to believe that keeping the border closed and holding occasional meetings with Armenian officials will yield a different desirable result: persuading U.S. officials to hold off indefinitely on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
The members of Congress quite reasonably point out that the two issues should be delinked: recognize the Genocide, Mr. Obama, as you said you would, and take away Turkey's reason for dragging out normalization talks.
The letter was initiated by four committed friends of the Armenian-American community, Representatives Frank Pallone, Jr. (D.-N.J.), Mark Kirk (R.-Ill.), Adam Schiff (D.-Calif.), and George Radanovich (D.-Calif.) We should all thank them for their initiative.
Joining the four members of Congress as co-signers were 77 others. If your representative is among those who signed on to this letter, please call him or her and say thank you. They deserve our gratitude.
I agree with premise that commitment and focus will not fail us. Strategically the battle for the recognition of the Genocide has been decided. The truth has prevailed over the deniers. The US governement know this and in moments of private honesty, the Turks know this. It's about timing and face saving. We can not be disheartened by short term setbacks. Who would have thought 94 years later that our position has never been stronger. Little Armenia is on the agenda of a US/Turkey summit. Our resolve is paying dividends. Don't measure success with each rhectorical move of political positioning. Look at the trend.It is indisputable. The changes within Turkey itself are the most signifcant. We need to embrace and encourage this enlightenment. The strategic question we need to ask ourselves is ... are we ready for life after recognition(we are beginning to enter that stage)... can we move on? Are we able to reconcile? What the Turks fear in the "R" word is not just recognition, but really reparations. This is a wonderful and exciting time. Let's be prepared. We represent the dreams of those that preceeded us.
By sgpiligian at August 11, 2009