Armenians of Turkey speak on Karabakh crisis: 'We should breathe for peace, not war'

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Most of the Armenians of Turkey live in İstanbul. Their population is estimated at 40,000. In the past, many more Armenians lived on this land.

How are the Armenians of Turkey affected by the tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan? We have spoken with Pakrat Estukyan from Agos newspaper, Rober Koptaş from Aras Publishing and author Jaklin Çelik.

The diaspora and the "loyal" Armenians

Jaklin Çelik: The tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan is not new. But Turkey's involvement as a party that feeds violence is scary. In this country, whenever governments find a brother and come side by side with them, they make Armenians a target.

Right now, the picture is that Turkey overtakes Azerbaijan with all its dynamics and is on the frontline in this war. For days, the partisan media has been in total hatred and hate speech, including morning programs and evening news. While they are doing this with the "degree of brotherhood," this speech makes all Armenians living in the country a target.

You know, there is a perception of being an Armenian among Turks in the country and around the world. For example, the Armenians of Turkey are "loyal," the loyalty mentioned here is a threat-based honoring, which is fueled by the official discourse. The diaspora is an external power that we don't approve of, and Armenia is a "country of terror" that we can't comprehend but try to make sense of within this systematics.

And the father of it is the country of 1915. Through such a trio, the reflex that this country is fueled by has always been and is continuing to be: "I will continue killing until you say 'You didn't kill'."

However, the politicians, who direct the events socially, should know that the diaspora is a part of the Armenians here and the Armenian country that they try to finish off by ignoring it is also the country of those who live here. Who can say otherwise?

Armenians here are silent as always. But for two days, the streets of Kumkapı have been captured by a mob that is ready to carry out attacks with all kinds of fascistic slogans coming from Azeri-flagged cars.

Armenians in Kumkapı and other İstanbul districts, including the islands, who learned about this, are confined in the holes, where they have been put by the language of politics. I ask, what is the sin of these people? What is the sin of young Armenian and Azeri soldiers, who were born into the war? Right now, Turkey is like preparing to sacrifice the children it doesn't own to 1915 again, in a war it doesn't own.

I know that none of the Armenians in Turkey and around the world want anyone's blood spilled. Because the Armenians are a people who are aware of the legacy left for future generations with blood. Just as when the blood of a Turkish youth is shed, the whole Turkish society bleeds; just as when the blood of a Kurdish youth is shed, the entire Kurdish society bleeds; when the blood of an Armenian youth is shed the Armenian society also bleeds in the middle of this repression. All Armenians, in Turkey, in diaspora and in Armenia are included in this.

As an Armenian author from Turkey, this is what I think. I know very well that my brothers also think like this. This shows us that we all bleed the same. The language of war and hate is not a good discourse. We must breathe out for not killing but keeping alive, not for war but for peace.

The eclipse of reason caused by nationalism

Rober Koptaş: In some issues in Turkey, the public gather around the official theses very quickly, especially in issues about Armenians and Kurds. There is an absolute prejudice and no one looks at what is really happening, the details of the issue, the humanitarian aspect of it. The state or people and institutions that have authority and create public opinion say something and everyone, including journalists, develops a discourse based on that.

For example, the Armenians of Karabakh have had a de facto state for nearly 30 years, even if it is not recognized by international law. But it is being talked as if they started an "invasion" movement today. Nobody asks, "Why now, why today?" Nobody looks at where it came from historically.

The first attack being carried out by the Armenian side has quickly become a truth that is generally accepted but nobody, including journalists, looks at whether this was the case. Even if the Armenians were the first to start the fire, nobody asked how did the Azeri army initiate an all-out operation along a contact line of hundreds of kilometers and whether preparations were needed for that. Even most objective-looking journalists didn't do that.

Even some respected authors, ignoring the chauvinist environment, criticized the "unrealistic anti-war sentiments" as if there was a strong anti-war atmosphere in the country around these events and fueled the fire by recalling the Hocalı massacre that was done in the early 90s, tried to nullify those who defend peace.

The Armenians of Turkey have already been living with an internalized fear for decades and this fear multiplies in tense times like this. And this is not a paranoid fear, it is based on many historical and current tangible examples and experiences.

Turkey is reacting as if it was at war, as if there was a direct attack against it. The reason for this is stated as "the historical and cultural ties with our Azeri cognates."

I have a lot of respect for the Azerbaijani culture and its people, but for some reason, everyone forgets the deeper and more layered cultural and diverse ties between Turks and Armenians, and everyone begins to view the issue based on lineage and race. Therefore, the Armenians of Turkey, of course, feel insecure, restless and fearful even at their homes.

Even we, a handful of Armenians who write, warn one another for speaking and writing carefully to avoid trouble.

The parade with cars and flags in Kumkapı was targeting Armenian migrants who already live in difficult conditions in Turkey (this is these people's real homeland) and it was very scary in this sense. Especially, if we think about pogroms such as the September 6-7 [1955 pogrom], we understand better how such demonstrations can turn into a firebal. I believe such street demonstrations are not done without the approval of authorities.

They probably wanted to flex their muscles a bit but this is not the right way to go and has no benefit to anyone. Turkey will of course have a policy for the Caucasus, but in an issue where we are a third party and where we could be much more effective if we played a mediating role, it is incomprehensible to have such a warrior stance.

I understand that the government can't do without enemies, it has to maintain a policy of constant tension, create enemies inside and outside, but in my opinion, the fact that the whole country quickly gets into that atmosphere so easily and even those who seem to be dissidents take sides in line with the official stance shows the eclipse of reason caused by nationalism.

"Young people are dying for nothing"

Pakrat Estukyan: We are in an extremely disturbing process. Personally, I am angry. This process came openly. We are going through an organized process.

Two weeks ago, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia said that "jihadists were preparing in the region." This was not covered in our press.

But they reported that "There is a PKK camp in Karabakh." Today, jihadists are fighting in Karabakh. Young people are dying for nothing. I'm so angry and sorry. (EMK/VK)