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Biden speaks to Erdogan as Armenian genocide question looms

5 Comments
By AAMER MADHANI, MATTHEW LEE and ZEYNEP BILGINSOY

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I agree to all of the above. The Turkish Empire is the one that got away - scandalously. For 300 years they have behaved like Nazi's. They fought with Imperial Germany in 1st world war then fought with Hitler in 2nd world war. Indeed Hitler is quoted as using how they got away with the genocide against Armenia to justify his belief that he would get away with his own genocide against the jewish people. They invaded Cypress in 1970's and remained, still occupy half of that country. They are attempting genocide against the long-suffering Kurd's now. Their behaviour over 200 years in the Balkins was the root of the resentment that caused the Balkans war in the 1990's.They have been the evil empire that gets away with everything.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

When a country doesn't face up to its history, it festers like a cancer. Germany faced up to the holocaust, made sure every child learned about it in school, and moved on. Turkey did not. It is illegal in Turkey to say that the Armenian genocide happened. Turkey has lived a lie for a hundred years, and the Turks live in a country where the truth doesn't matter and the minorities who live among them (like the Kurds) don't matter either.

There is a lesson here for the United States. We don't criminalize the truth like Turkey, but neither do we teach it like Germany. Our country was founded on the ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Native Americans whose land we took and the forced labor of the Africans we enslaved. Many of our current problems are a result of not acknowledging 400 years of white supremacy. It is long past time that we do better.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Erdoğan needs to make friends and influence people.

Now.

With his foreign policy almost in tatters (particularly his failed Islamist-based foreign policy advances to moderate Arab world countries, who dislike his support for the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamic mass movements), ahead of scheduled elections in 2023, with almost no foreign currency reserves, tumbling lira rates, and significant inflation problem (consumer inflation, standing at 15% YOY will likely make it up to 17%; producer inflation possibly jumping to 27% from the current 25%), combined with a risk profile (foreign investor sentiment and external borrowing costs) through the roof, Turkey badly needs the appearance of domestic stability, and foreign funds to stabilize their economy.

Good time to talk to them.

Don't expect much, initially, though, considering Erdoğan’s unpredictable temper and his almost exclusive political pandering towards Nationalists (especially the far-right and vehemently anti-Western Nationalist Movement Party (MHP)), who will be quick to incite large anti-American demonstrations and violence to get their way.

Still, chances are good that Erdoğan needs Biden more than Biden needs him.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Armenians were mass murdered and ethnic cleansing happened. That's historical fact. The Armenians probably aren't ready to forgive or forget, but Armenian and Turkish cultures are similar - swap the religions.

Nobody alive today was responsible for that genocide of about 1 million Armenians.

Formal recognition of the historical events is the right thing to do, even if painful.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

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