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The Lost Homeland, Indeed
19.6.2012
By Apo Sahagian - Haytoug |
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June 19, 2012
Ever since I could remember, I’ve always been
around the Armenian Genocide April 24th
demonstrations staged in front of the Turkish
Consulate in Jerusalem, shouting slogans for
recognition, cursing the state denial of Turkey, and
singing revolutionary songs knitted with the
memories of the lost homeland. For me the demand for
recognition by Turkey was inflamed by the hope that,
once after recognition, Armenia and Turkey would sit
around a table and discuss the issue of justice:
“what now?”
Naturally, if such a situation did come to unfold,
there would be scores of Armenians attaching the
obligation of compensation with the return of
Western Armenia. But before banging on the table and
ordering the realignment of borders, there is a bit
of reflection that is necessary before stomping our
feet and roaring for the restoration of Van, Mush,
and Ararat under Armenian rule—no matter how right
and reasonable.
Somewhere in our decades-long struggle for Genocide
recognition and subsequent justice, we seem to have
overlooked the changes that transpired in the lost
homeland. Not only were these changes not addressed
properly, they still seem to be avoided; and that
act of evading will do nothing but sadly blind the
hopeful Armenians whom desire to resettle the
Armenian nation in the lands we consider our cradle
of civilization.
Though the Ottoman Turks were not successful in
wiping out the Armenian nation from the face of the
earth, they did have a significant success that came
to light only after the demise of the Ottoman Empire
and the following years of the Republic of Turkey.
They were successful in their genocide of Western
Armenia, the land. The painful truth is that Western
Armenia is indefinitely lost. It is impossible to
imagine Armenian authority established there within
the foreseeable future—or even the unforeseeable
future. The facts on the ground impede our national
desires from ever being materialized if Turkey one
day decides to right the wrong and return Armenian
lands to Armenia.
There are somewhere between 12-14 million Kurds
residing in lands we passionately call Western
Armenia. The Kurds are themselves busy with a
national struggle for independence, or at least a
more extensive autonomy than the present one offered
to them by the Turkish state. Make no mistake that
the nationalist Kurdish movements, fueled by the
wish for independence, will fiercely defend their
claim on many Western Armenian lands, especially Van
and Mount Ararat. It seems that for years, Armenian
nationalists have known that if such a situation
unfolded where Western Armenia is to be returned to
Armenia, the Turks would no longer be our number one
adversaries; rather, the Kurds and Armenians will be
caught in a confrontation. Yet, this possibility of
a Kurdish-Armenian conflict has been swept under the
rug for the moment, while both parties are still
dealing with Turkey.
However, I’d like to state that Armenians have
already lost this conflict over Western Armenia. If
Armenia did get the lands returned to its sovereign
rule, the country will have to face the national
aspirations of 14 million Kurds. These aspirations
will inescapably be opposed by Armenians, and low
and behold, the occupation of the Kurdish people
will begin.
Living in Jerusalem has given me a foresight into
what would transpire if Western Armenia was put
under the authority of the Republic of Armenia. And
I fear that that potential-scenario will
unintentionally turn Armenia into the Israel of the
Caucasus. I don’t mean the good Israel that is
equipped with a decent healthcare system, an
unshakeable prosperous economy, or a place of
sanctuary for many refugees fleeing the slaughters
of Africa. I mean the other Israel that carries out
the daily occupation of the Palestinian people, whom
have their own national aspirations for
independence.
The outnumbering Kurdish population will surely put
up an armed resistance towards Armenian rule, but it
is safe to say that Armenia’s organized military
will overcome the Kurdish opposition. But it will
not overcome the Kurdish presence. Similar to the
Israeli occupation of the West Bank (a land which
holds biblical and historical meaning to the Jewish
people where Palestinians reside by the millions),
Armenia will have to occupy Western Armenia, a land
which holds national and historical meaning to the
Armenian people where the Kurds reside by the
millions.
Occupation of a people is an ill and a state-evil
that cannot be justified no matter what. Thus,
occupation is not the way, and should not even be
considered for a minute.
Western Armenia holds almost 14 million Kurds—Kurds
that wish for a free Kurdistan from Northern Iraq to
Southern Turkey, and also northeastern Syria. Indeed
there are a few thousand Hamshen Armenians and an
allegedly one million ‘hidden’ Armenians in Western
Armenia. But these numbers don’t stand a chance
against the strong 14 million of the freedom
fighting Kurdish people. Hence, Armenia,www.ekurd.net
on the day of receiving the returned lands of
Western Armenia, will have to cede the lands to the
Kurdish national aspirations. Demography, the most
crucial element in this matter, is against the
Armenian dream of having Western Armenia back.
On a more pragmatic and practical level, there can
be solutions to satisfy both the Armenian and
Kurdish contradictory aspirations. Mount Ararat and
an outlet to the sea should be given to Armenia, the
former because of its unspeakable and infinite
attachment to Armenian culture, and the latter for
the basic reason of opening Armenia’s trade routes.
In return, the Kurds will be able to establish a
free independent Kurdistan with the promise of
granting autonomous Armenian provinces within the
newly-independent country. This is not the ideal
solution for the inescapable conflict that will rise
if Turkey ever decides to relinquish Western
Armenia, but it is a basis on which to start
contemplating.
For the many whom believe that occupation is an
unnecessary exaggeration and will not come to be,
they should think once more about perhaps offering
Armenian citizenship to the Kurds of Western
Armenia. In such a future, Armenia’s population will
still be outnumbered by the Kurds, and through
elections (taking advantage of their new
citizenship), the government and the state of
Armenia will be altered, as the Kurdish political
figures will win overwhelmingly. This latent fate
should be averted, for the sake of the Republic of
Armenia.
And for others whom deem population transfer as a
means for a solution, let it be known to them that a
transfer of a population (distinct from yours and in
the context of conflict) is absolutely inadmissible
and tantamount to genocide. Whether a neo-fascist
Armenian is convinced that the Kurds should abandon
the Caucasus and return to their Mesopotamia, or
another zealous nationalist does not see anything
wrong and immoral in simply relocating the Kurds to
a Kurdish state in Northern Iraq, forced
population-transfer is inhumane and an insult to the
history of Armenians; that is beneath us.
It is by national misfortune, an unpreventable
reality, and a sad patriotic heart that I say to all
Armenians that the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide cannot deliver territorial compensation
favorable to the current Armenian veracity. With
that in mind, the Armenian nation should concentrate
its efforts in territories where Armenians do
actually reside—the Republic, Kharabagh, and Javakhk.
Western Armenia will always remain in our hearts and
minds, but not in our hands. It’s a truth we have
yet to face.
This article is not meant to picture a bleak,
somewhat semi-apocalyptic future for Armenia; the
article is based on assumptions only, and is heavily
anchored by the actions of Turkey—if Turkey returns
Western Armenia to Armenia. Similar to John
Mearshheimer’s controversial article ‘Back to the
Future’ in which his assumptions are exclusively
cemented in specific future actions of the US in
Europe, my article follows the same pattern of
heavily relying on the specific future actions of
Turkey. However, that is an ‘if’ that is far from
materializing, and there are many other factors that
have not been taken into account in this article.
Nonetheless, what I tried to detail out is a brief,
general idea of what is most likely to transpire if,
and only if, Turkey hands over Western Armenia to
Armenia. Suffice to say, that is a future scenario
that should be handled and facilitated cautiously
and pragmatically…not ideologically.
HAYTOUG is the official publication of the
Armenian Youth Federation Western United States
Copyright © respective author or news agency,
haytoug.org
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