100 Years Too Long

On April 24, the world commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. During this period from 1915 to 1923, over 1.5 million ethnic Armenians were killed in the declining Ottoman Empire and its successor state, Turkey. Historians overwhelmingly agree that the events in question constitute genocide—Raphael Lemkin, who coined the term genocide, was inspired by the Armenian Genocide to do so. Yet, despite the horrors inflicted by the Ottoman and Turkish governments on their own people during the early twentieth century, many nations and institutions refuse to recognize the Genocide as such. The United States shamefully remains such a nation. As we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, we hope the victims receive the recognition they deserve.

The actions of the Ottoman and Turkish governments during the early 20th century must be called a genocide; to do otherwise is to ignore the facts of history. Following the Ottoman defeat in World War I (in which some Armenian nationalists aided Russia against the Empire), Turkish leaders began a program of retribution against the Armenian people. Forced relocation, property seizures, and mass executions became the norm in Turkey. These actions were part of the nationalist policies of the Young Turk Party, and the New York Times at the time reported that the Turkish government “organized” the “systematic...massacres.” By 1923, Turkey was no longer a plural society with major populations of Armenians, Greeks, and Assyrians—ethnic cleansing had paved the way to national unity.

Modern attempts to deny labeling these atrocities as a genocide should be condemned. The Turkish government and the Armenian diaspora both have major lobbies in Washington, and Turkey thwarts each year’s attempts to extend U.S. recognition to the Armenian genocide. Turkey has also made clear that recognizing the genocide will lead to worse relations between the U.S. and Turkish governments. Ankara doubtlessly holds strategic importance to the United States, and our relationship with the country should not be taken lightly; however, to prioritize politics over the genocide of 1.5 million people is nothing short of craven.

In Turkey, today it remains a crime—“insulting Turkishness”—to even mention the Armenian Genocide. Beyond the problems of criminalizing speech, this law enters the dangerous territory of willfully ignoring the ghosts of the past. Countries throughout the world—including our own—must do better at recognizing the specters of past atrocities. Attempts to obscure violent histories must be opposed. Hasan Cemal, whose grandfather played a leading role in the Genocide, has said that the state must apologize for its wrongdoing. Cemal is correct: A formal apology is the first step toward healing.

100 years is far too long to ignore the Armenian Genocide. As the Armenian community continues to grieve and commemorate, we hope that the United States will extend the recognition that the Genocide warrants. We also hope that Turkey will embrace its difficult past—as all nations must—and work to amend it.