397) Kocharian Accuses Jews of Monopolizing Genocide Issues

Jan SOYKOK

 

ISTANBUL (JTW) - Armenian President Robert Kocharian said “Jews want a Jewish monopoly on genocide. I mean Jews would not accept other peoples’ genocides. But they will be changed, or they will have nothing to change�, Husnu Mahalli from Aksam daily paper reported.

 

Mahalli, who works for Aksam newspaper in Istanbul , said that Kocharian gave an interview to him in 1998 and confessed his true ideas about the Jews. According to Mahalli’s column, Kocharian accuses the Jewish people of not respecting other ‘nations’ tragedies’.

 

 

Moreover Kocharian said in his interview with Husnu Mahalli that would make anything possible to force to shift its Armenian policies in 2005. Kocharian further continued in the interview:

 

 

“In 90th anniversary of the genocide we will apply steady force on in European and American platforms in order to force to shift its policies. But will give up in 100th anniversary (2015). I mean will have to accept genocide and she will pay compensation.�

 

Kocharian also implied that the Jews in the cannot prevent Armenians.

 

‘KOCHARIAN DREAMS’

 

 

Turkish Armenian experts on the other hand found Kocharian ‘extremely optimistic’: Dr. Nilgun Gulcan from ISRO for instance argues that “Armenians accuse the Jews for anything they cannot success�. Dr. Gulcan further continued:

 

“A typical Jewish-sceptic Armenian approach. Armenian President Kocharian accuses the Jewish people. He says Jews want a monopoly on genocide issue. He implies that Jewish people intentionally rejects the Armenian genocide allegations. However he never question the Armenian policies. Armenians just accuse… to Jewish or to Turkish people for their own failures… Mr. Kocharian is extremely optimistic. He as a president cannot solve the economic problems of and rely on the imagined compensation which would come from .�

 

 

Similarly Kazim Turkcan also criticized President Kocharian: “He (Mr. Kocharian) confesses that the Armenian Government spent enormous energy for anti-Turkish lobbying in Europe and in the . If continues to undermine ’s national interests in these countries, should not expect any co-operation with . Yerevan criticized in bordergate issue. However ’s President undermines ’s interests in Europe and in the .� Turkcan added.

 

: ‘NO PARALLELS BETWEEN HOLOCAUST AND THE 1915 EVENTS’

 

In recent years the Israeli government’s attitude vis-à-vis Turkish and Armenians has changed and has not hesitate to declare its opposition to the Armenian claims. The Nobel Peace Prize Awarded former Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres for example declared that the Armenian political claims are meaningless. Peres in his speech in April 2003 left no doubt about that has a similar view with the Turkish government on the question of the 1915 Relocation, saying that the fate of the Armenians in Anatolia was a ‘tragedy’, not a genocide. Peres had further continued:

 

‘Armenian allegations are meaningless… We reject attempts to create a similarity between the Holocaust and the Armenian allegations. Nothing similar to the Holocaust occurred. It is a tragedy what the Armenians went through but not a genocide... should not determine a historical or philosophical position on the Armenian issue. If we have to determine a position, it should be done with great care not to distort the historical realities.’

 

Apart from the Armenian claims issue Peres underscored the good relations between the Turkish and Jewish peoples, and made special note of the esteem in which is held by the Jewish lobby in Washington . Peres having claimed ‘Turkey and Israel are in the same boat and Turkey-Israel relations are extremely good, said that he hoped the lobby would continue to lend support to Turkish causes. Peres’ statement caused great reaction among the radical Armenians; The Asbarez, a periodical of a radical Armenian political group, labeled Peres and as ‘denier’. Haig Boyodjian from the same periodical protested and further said ‘we Armenians in turn reject Israeli efforts at denying the reality of another genocide preceding theirs’.

 

MEMORIAL DAY: NO WAY TO THE ARMENIAN ALLEGATIONS

 

In addition to Shimon Peres’ statements the First Holocaust Memorial Day in also provided clear proofs for the Jewish stance on the issue of the Armenian attempts to create parallel between the 1915 events and the Jewish Holocaust. When the British government with the BBC organised a Holocaust Memorial Day, the Armenian lobbying groups saw this as an opportunity although the focus of the day was solely the events in the World War Two. In spite of this the Armenian political groups accused the British government and claimed that the British simply ignored the Armenians. Nevertheless they applied to join the day as the ‘victims’ of, as they called, a genocide. As expected the Armenian application was turned down by the British Government and the BBC and the Armenian groups were informed by the Home Office that the memorial ceremonies were designed for the Holocaust only. The representatives of the British Government frequently declared that the had never recognized the 1915 events as ‘genocide’ and its stance regarding the Armenian allegations remained the same. Not only the British but also the Jewish people and were unhappy with the Armenian political attempts. As seen Shimon Peres had clearly refused the Armenian claims while the British Jewish never supported the Armenian attempt. ’s Jewish community also declared that inclusion of other ‘so-called genocides’ in the commemoration of Holocaust Memorial Day in would be disrespectful to the Jews killed by the Nazis.

 

As the examples demonstrated that has made it clear its position about the Armenian allegations and officially and clearly rejected all Armenian attempts to present the 1915 Relocation as ‘genocide’. Another vivid example came from the Israeli Ambassador to Armenian Rivka Kohen. Mrs. Kohen on 7 February 2002, during a press conference in Yerevan said that the Israeli people and government are sorry for the both sides of the tragic events of 1915, but she refused to draw any parallels between the 1915 events and Holocaust. Rivka Kohen implied that the 1915 events couldn’t be considered as ‘genocide’ because the mass killings in these events were not planned and the Turkish Government had no intention to destroy a nation or a group of people. As a well-known fact many people from the Armenian and Muslim groups had lost their life in these events. She further argued that Holocaust is unique:

 

‘Holocaust was a unique phenomenon, since it had always planned and aimed to destroy the whole nation. At this stage nothing should be compared with Holocaust.’

 

The Armenian reaction to Kohen’s comment was bitter: First, Dzyunik Agadzhanyian from the Armenian Foreign Ministry said Kohen’s statements were “unusual and sad�:

 

‘It is sad that the political leadership of the nation which went through the Holocaust continues to adhere to such position, based on unclear political reasons’.[101]

 

Then, the Armenian Aryan party urged persona non grata status for the Israeli Ambassador. For the Aryan party, Kohen’s “pro-Turkish� statement was “cynical and interference in ’s internal affairs�. Aryan’s press release declared as “genocide denier� and claimed that helps and against . After an anti-Israel campaign, Armenian Foreign Ministry had to change its ‘moderate’ position. On 15 February Dzyunik Agadzhanyan the spokeswoman for the Armenian Foreign Ministry gave an interview to the Armenian press and criticized Kohen and Israeli policy regarding the Armenian issue. Agadzhanyan told the reporter that the Armenian Foreign Minister strongly denounced Israeli Ambassador’s remarks:

 

‘Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan has unequivocally negatively assessed Ambassador Kohen’s statement. Earlier the Armenian Foreign Ministry also negatively assessed a similar statement by Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres. This time the Armenian foreign minister has again taken serious steps to express his dissatisfaction… It is really regrettable that Israeli diplomacy sticks to such a position, which stems from certain political considerations…’

 

 

After the statement Armenian Foreign Ministry issued a note of protest to Israel over the Ambassador’s remarks and the Ministry cancelled Oskanian’s official visit to Israel which had been planned before the Ambassador crisis as Ms. Ashjain said ‘at this moment no visit on the level of foreign affairs minister is planned to Israel, and no delegation is expected from Israel at this moment in Armenia.’ As expected did not accept the accusations and Israeli Foreign Ministry released its answer to the Armenian note of protest:

 

‘As Jews and Israelis we are sorry for the killings and tragedies that took place particularly in 1915-16. We understand the outbursts of the feelings of both sides (Turks and Armenians) know that there were many victims and realize the suffering of nation. The examination of this theme requires discussions with participation of large communities of society and dialogue of historians, which will be based on facts and proofs.’

 

As anticipated this reply did not satisfy the Armenians and the Armenian press blamed Israel and accused the Israeli Foreign Ministry of ‘playing dirty political games’ In conclusion, Israel’s attitude regarding the Armenian allegation has deeply affected the relation between both states; on the one hand Armenia has insisted on its allegations and accused Turkey and Israel for their positions, on the other it has criticized Turks and Israelis for not to develop good relations with Armenia.

 

And now Armenian President Kocharian accused the Jews of maintaining a monopoly on genocide issues.

 

Jewish people in Armenia & Armen Avetisin, Armenian Ultranationalist Who was Tried For Anti-Semitism

 

Copyright: JTW
24 September 2005