April 24 of this year is a day of great importance. It marks a century since unthinkable crimes against humanity were committed, since men were systematically murdered and women were brutally raped, since an entire ethnic group was displaced and killed. April 24, 1915, was the initiation of the Armenian Genocide, in which the Ottoman Empire systematically murdered over one million Armenians. To this day, the Turkish government states the annihilation of Armenians was merely a war tactic, and that the death marches, displacements and shootings were necessary to purge the empire of enemy forces. This disturbing denial has received support from the Western World, including America. While running for president, President Obama assured the American people that he would recognize the Armenian Genocide fully, but he has not yet followed through on that promise. While political leaders are too worried about hurting Turkey’s feelings, there are millions of people who have yet to receive any kind of closure or retribution for the horrific crimes of the Ottoman Empire.
Recently, Pope Francis courageously broke this silence by confronting the Turkish government about their crimes and pathetic attempt to cover up historical facts. According to NPR, the Pope boldly accused Turkey of the murder of approximately 1.5 million Armenians by calling the Armenian Genocide “the first genocide of the 20th century.” Francis then called on all persons of political power to recognize the genocide and admit the truth.
Turkey’s reaction only proves that the nation is trying to hide their atrocities — the Turkish government immediately recalled their ambassador to the Vatican. Foreign Minister of Turkey Mevlüt Çavusoglu tweeted about Pope Francis’s statement, saying, “Religious offices are not places to incite hatred and revenge with baseless accusations.” Is that not what Turkey has been doing for the past 100 years? They have quietly used their political power to keep other countries quiet about the Armenian Genocide. That is why President Obama and many other important political figures will not openly admit that the Turks deliberately killed the Armenians. They cannot afford to jeopardize their relations with Turkey. Turkey is promoting the hatred and ostracizing of the Armenian nation by bribing its allies with continued benefits from the nation of Turkey.
As an Armenian with family members who were brutally disfigured by the Turks during their attempted ethnic cleanse, I find myself very frustrated by the current handling of the Armenian Genocide. It is not fair that millions of people are not acknowledged as victims and compensated for the crimes committed against them. It is not fair that Turkey has gained the support of the Western World because they are more economically beneficial to have as an ally than Armenia. It is not fair that the world has chosen to remain silent and pretend that the Armenian Genocide did not happen.
If other political figures would follow the example of Pope Francis and no longer accept the deceit of the Turkish nation, then there would finally be justice for Armenia. The more heads of state that recognize the Armenian Genocide, the more pressure Turkey will feel to admit to the crimes it committed. It is not possible for Turkey to cut diplomatic relations with every single country that does not support its fictitious account of what happened to a million Armenians, and that is why more political figures must take action. Pope Francis and the Vatican cannot enlighten the world on the slaughter of an ethnic group without the help and support of other diplomats.
After the Holocaust, the entire world stood united against Germany and demanded that they compensate the Jews as much as possible for the crimes committed against them, so why is the world not doing the same for the Armenians? There are no more excuses. It has been one hundred years since the Armenian Genocide, and my people should not have to wait any longer to receive the apology they deserve. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” It is time to break the silence surrounding the Armenian genocide. Now.