Minority Report

Let us put it plainly, without beating around the bush: From the very beginning, the aim of the state in Turkey has been to reduce the number of Armenians as much as possible and ultimately eliminate them completely, alongside the other non-Muslim minorities; to unravel, weaken, and assimilate Armenian identity. Keeping schools under control and pressure was, of course, one of the most important components of this policy.

There are contradictory elements in the diaspora’s view of the Armenians of Turkey. there is, on the one hand, a certain disdain, while on the other hand there is admiration—or something akin to it. To put it differently, diaspora Armenians generally view the Armenians of Turkey as having been assimilated, as having lost their Armenian identity and become “Turkified.” Yet at the same time, they are the ones who remained in the “homeland.” True, those still living in their ancestors’ cities and villages are now few enough to count, but they are still in the country; they still live close to the ancestral lands.

Historical analyses beyond this may be true or false, but April 24 messages are not the appropriate opportunity to discuss historical arguments and counter-arguments. For example, the place to address the question of why/how the genocide happened should not be an April 24 message.