Please, I really want to come to your party
Charges against Ohran Parmuk, a Turkish novelist, were dropped recently by the Turkish government. Parmuk had come under national scrutiny for his beliefs that the Armenian genocide happened in the early part of the twentiety century?
Why were these charges dropped? Turkey wants to join the EU…and has come under scrutiny itself regarding civil right liberties. So is Turkey saying that the genocide did happen at the hands of the Ottomans, or is it alluding to it, or is it saying that regardless of the past, from this point on we will protect liberties. But please, I really want to come to the EU party…I’m all growed up.
Granted, this is a very complex issue that relates to Turkey’s modern identity and the country first formed in the aftermath of World War I. But, does a nation really lose by trying to make reparations…or at the very least, although certainly not the best recourse, acknowledging an atrocity….
What is that saying? With great power comes great responsibility. Responsibility not only to the privileged, I may add…but rather to all.
