ANKARA—In April, 2009 the US Ambassador to Turkey said that Turkey’s ultra-nationalist opposition leader wanted President Obama to recognize the Armenian Genocide and end the annual speculation game that occurs every April in Turkey and the US, according to a confidential cable publicized by WikiLeaks.
In the confidential cable then US Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey recounts a meeting with the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahceli, who used the larger topic of the strategic partnership between US and Turkey to “address the issue of US political debate concerning the Armenian genocide issue.” (Note the ambassador’s use of the word genocide in the memo).
“His challenge to the US to finally put the Armenian genocide issue to rest reflects a wide perception that genocide is being used as a political tool: a large swathe of Turkish society believes that the US intends eventually to declare the events of 1915 to constitute genocide, but maintains the fiction of debate as leverage in negotiations with the Turkish government,” said Jeffery in his cable.
“In strong, emotional, but not angry terms, Bahceli said that the US and Turkey were on a mutually-detrimental cycle, in which the months leading up to the April 24 Day of Remembrance fuel debate over whether it will be this year that the US president will utter the word ‘genocide,’” said Jeffrey. “According to him [Bahceli], this foments an atmosphere of anti-Americanism, particularly among the youngest generation of voters who have experienced this political tension every year of their lives.”
“’Whatever the US is going to say, let it be said now,’ pleaded Bahceli, rather than let the issue continue to be a festering sore in Turkish-American relations,” explained Jeffrey.
“Bahceli’s challenge is also undeniably self-serving; the MHP stands to benefit most at the polls from the emotional reaction that a US recognition of an Armenian genocide would bring. He would lead the charge to trash relations with the US were we to use the term ‘genocide.’ He has been trying to make political hay, claiming the President’s use of ‘Meds Yeghern’ equates to ‘genocide’ ever since the President’s Armenian Remembrance Day message,” concluded Jeffrey.
Jeffrey’s is a coward, like those in the State dept. who fear the Turks. Cowards. It is shameful for them to kiss the *** of Turks.
This shows that the Turks are fed up , for every 24 of april ,wich reminds them of the atrosities they have committed towards a loyal people of there Impire the Armenians …….
Hmm, loyal people who sided with the Russians, and stabbed the Turks in the back.
Turkey is ripe for disintegration.
Are the Armenians ready?
No
Svetlana Swanson:
your first name is Slavic, most likely Russian.
your last name is Scandinavian.
yet you seem very pro-Armenia and very much interested in Armenia and Armenian affairs.
Please tell us why.
(I myself was born in Armenia; currently residing in USA)
Excuse me but how will you disintegrate Turkey? Reveal your plans and I will reveal mine to annex Armenia
Jessica, the same way the Ottoman state disintegrated and out of it came todays Turkey, which is a young Republic less than eighty years old.
We won’t do it: you Turks will, ‘Jessica’.
30 Million Kurds will do it from inside.
Your rising militant, virulent unstoppable Islamist tide that will engulf your allegedly secular, Kemalist state clashing with your secular military leadership will do it form inside.
As to your annexing Armenia: how will you do it while you are glowing radioactive from Russian Thermonuclear warheads will rain on you the minute the first Turkish tank crosses Armenia’s border ?
Avery you are very stupid just like your ancestors!! Is there any room for Turks to grow up! by the way my first name is Russian!!
Leveraging the souls of the dead is the work of the devil himself.
To make President Obama use the term “Genocide” loud and clear, the Armenian, pro Armenian and pro humanitarian
individuals and lobbyists should only tackle the reason or reasons, why president Obama
(of course pushed by the State Dept.) is not using
that “G” word. We should create reasons for him and optain our leverage to oblige him to say it before the
next elections and not beg for it, and see that he hasn’t any regrets for regonizing the Armenian Genocide !
This lecture merely proves that Turks know very well they are guilty of genocide, and lead the lives of deniers and liars which they have consciously chosen for themselves.
oh svetlana, you made me laugh, thank you
Perhaps Turkey will fully recognise the Armenian Genocide before the USA. You know what they say ” Fear of death is worse than the death itself”, so Turks think it’s better to accept the truth once and for all rather than face the music year after year. Come on Turkey, surprise yourself for a change!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Turks are getting tired of Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians exposing the world to their brutal grandfathers’ deeds. IT EMBARRASSES THEM! GOOD!
Where is the reset button now?
The Genocide is important to Armenian people, but it is not important to Turks in the same way. Turks who deny the Genocide do so not because they think they are being accused of a crime as they allege. That universal rejoinder is obviously false. Today’s denialist Turks know they are innocent of these crimes. They vehemently deny these crimes occurred because what they did inherit from their culture is disdain for minorities. They look down on everyone, not just Armenians. They see themselves as the noble inheritors of an Empire who hate being made defensive by a “lesser” people. Armenians and Europeans have trouble seeing Turks as people who see themselves as superior.
Poor Armenians, always genuinely believe in whatever a Turk says, ironically in this case a fanatic panturkist one , it seems they are destined to ever learning anything from the history!
As you American say “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twicw shame on me!”
Turkeys leaderships act out their vile inhumanity – still. Latest their obscene actions in the capital city of the USA… against the Armenians who gather in memory of the Turkish Genocide of the Armenian nation. Did Obama hear their language and see their ‘actions’ – before they paraded back into the Turkey embassy….
How would the Turks have handled such acts in a Turkey?
This is exactly why we need a strategic adjustment in out thinking from recognition to reparations. All parites are quite well aware of the historic facts of the Armenians Genocide. The lack of public “recogintion”
has less an impact on the politicla process than we care we acknowledge.It’s simply a matter of political expediancy and politicla leverage. It is very imprtant for us to understadn that the US and Turkey both know the facts and both will come to terms with this publically when it is in thier interests. I agree that the lack of US “recognition” is mostly about political leverage with Turkey. Given that this will happen, we need to focus on our readiness for the next step in the long road to justice. Are we ready?
yes Armenia wos ready bac in 2009 but Turke heve blo it ap, we did everything to make it better
but when Turkey began to steal requirements for Azerpegan, it was moor dan inaf for us to stoop that Turkish histeri,
Turks know not what they want
0.
“Turkey’s Ultra Nationalist Leader Wants Obama to Recognize Genocide” >>>> This is misinformation .
Turks will not recognise your facke genocide. You are the most hypocrite nation in the world!
Gort! Do you even know the meaning of hypocrite? How can a nation be hypocrite? Its like saying all the Turks are murderers. You must be an ignorant peasant who is brainwashed by your government. There were over three million Armenians living in Western Armenia before 1915, what happened to them?
John,
Somebody should have asked Gort grandfather!!Gort is a brainwashed Turk, who does not know, that even the quality of his blood running in his vain is not Turkish.If he find out about his ancestral terrible Turk behavior, he will commit suicide, once, in front of Ataturk “Hamam”!!
The article even says the only reason this ultra-nationalist wants America to recognize the genocide is because then he’ll get more votes from angry racist denialists. This isn’t really a sign of Turks becoming more “enlightened” at all.