Why is Turkey working to set up an 'autonomous agency' against Armenian Genocide recognition?

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According to a report by daily Hürriyet, President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ordered the set-up of an "autonomous and civilian" agency to develop strategies against the recognition of Armenian Genocide.

The idea was proposed to Erdoğan at a meeting of the Presidency' High Advisory Council, the newspaper reported on June 23.

We have spoken about the issue with Garo Paylan, an Armenian MP from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), and Prof. Taner Akçam, a historian and sociologist.

Akçam noted that Turkey's theses of denial does not have any validity in either the academic or the political world. MP Paylan said it was former Justice Minister Cemil Çiçek who came up with the idea, recalling that he had said, "We are stabbed in the back," after a conference on the genocide at Bilgi University in 2006, which was also attended by Hrant Dink, a journalist who was later assassinated.

Paylan: Çiçek had said, "They stabbed us in the back"

When we asked Paylan whether he had information on the accuracy of Hürriyet's report, he said it was not denied.

"There is information that Cemil Çiçek made a presentation at the High Advisory Council meeting and the President gave an order after this presentation.

"Actually, I also expected this to be denied but we can assume that it's true since there is no denial.

"And there is the name of Cemil Çiçek. As you might remember, then Justice Minister Çemil Çiçek used an expression like, 'They are stabbing us in the back,' about the Armenian conference that was held at Bilgi University and was also attended by Hrant Dink and he targeted this conference.

"That was actually a significant statement that paved the way for Hrant Dink's murder.

"And apparently there is an idea that came from Cemil Çiçek again and the President supported it."

"No surprises"

The idea of denial has "continuity in the state," Paylan said: "There is no idea that surprises us. After all, there is a 105-year-long policy of denial. Another institution to demonstrate that the 105-year-long policy of denial continues and is embraced will be established."

In response to our question as to whether he has information about who will join the "autonomous agency," the lawmaker said, "There won't be any surprises either. Whichever historians have worked on covering up this issue or distorting it, they will be there."

"There will be lawyers who are experienced in denial, and diplomats... You know, there are also diplomats experienced in this. They have been stating on TVs for years that Armenians were not subjected to genocide.

"But the world does not take all these historians, diplomats seriously. Because there is an obvious truth.

"The truth is that one of every five people on this land was an Armenian 105 years ago. Armenians had thousands of churches, cultural assets. These are not there today. There is no confrontation with justice regarding this absence. There is only denial."

"Why did you wish condolences?"

Also recalling a 2014 statement by Erdoğan, where he said, "We wish the Armenians who lost their lives in the conditions of the early 20th century to rest in peace, and we extend our condolences to their grandchildren."

"Why did you wish condolence? Why did you define what happened as inhuman? And why do you deny the absence of the Armenian people today? Why do you need an institution to deny this?

"However, Armenians all over the world are waiting for justice. The Erdoğan who wished condolence to the Armenian people has turned into an Erdoğan who supports Cemil Çiçek's policies of denial."

Prof. Akçam: A new Armenian opening?

Prof. Taner Akçam, a historian and sociologist who has been working at Clark University's department of history for 12 years, said that "As far as I understand, the government is preparing for 2023 and the elections by developing a comprehensive program for all the republic's basic problems within the framework of its own understanding."

"I wouldn't be wrong if I said that 'There is an Armenian opening in question'," he added.

"We don't have much information about the content and scope of this opening yet. But I think that this opening should be thought about together with the repair of the historical Silk Road bridge in Ani, Kars.

"In the report of Hürriyet newspaper, some factors about why such an opening is necessary are already underlined. Among them, the decisions of the American Senate and Congress come first.

"These decisions are binding in terms of US domestic law and this situation can potentially put serious obstacles in front of Turkey."

Akçam also noted that a similar committee affiliated with the National Security Council (MGK) has become void after Turkey switched to a presidential system and a new organization is needed to replace that.

Being psychologically trapped

"I would like to add a few more elements to these two factors:

"I think the most important one is the matter of 'being psychologically trapped'.

"The denialist theses of Turkish governments don't have much validity anymore in either the academic or the political world.

"No one buys and takes seriously the memorized theses of denial, which can be summed up as, 'Nothing happened, even if somthing happened, the Armenians were at fault anyway'."

Another indicator of the state of "being psychologically trapped" is that the Islamic countries' recent moves to recognize the genocide, according to Akçam.

However, he said, the government's steps wouldn't yield any results without a "change of mentality."

"If the money that has been spilled for decades for the denial of genocide had been saved somewhere, very serious steps could have been taken towards the solution of the issue." (PT/VK)