1915 Armenian problem is one of the problems Turkey is bothered from outside. Armenians try to make their so-called genocide claims be accepted via their diasporas in USA and Europe, and they are putting great effort to establish a perception of “genocide” for the world public opinion through the activities they organize on April 24 each year. When we look at the national and foreign archives, we do not see any evidence of genocide committed by the Ottoman State to the Armenians.
Armenian Diaspora has no documents, and they try to effect politics in the countries they reside. Ottoman State has invited Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Spain to establish a commission in order to investigate deportation in February 1919. But these countries have refused to participate in the commission.
The deportation of Armenians within the Ottoman territories in 1915 in other parts of Ottoman lands was tried to be turned into a “genocide” propaganda, as the term Genocide was used by Raphael Lemkin World War II. Western, or in other words, some of the European countries are using the Armenian problem as a strategic card against Turkey.
A few years after the deportation, Ottoman State realized that this could be used against itself by some other states and decided to establish a commission to investigate deportation. Two jurists were requested from Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Spain with the note sent to their embassies on February 13, 1919. But, the invited countries have rejected this invitation and the commission could not be established.
INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION FOR INVESTIGATION OF DEPORTATION
On February 13, 1919, Ottoman State has decided to establish a commission consisted of independent jurists in order to reveal the officers who did misconduct during the deportation. Ottoman State wanted to prevent the unfavorable presentation of deportation by some European states, and has invited The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Spain to take part in the commission that will investigate the event objectively. The invitation letter sent to the embassies of the mentioned countries has requested them “to send two jurists for the investigation committees to be established in order to reveal the officers who did misconduct during the Armenian deportation…” But, these four countries have replied that they will not send any representatives to that committee via their embassies. Two of the responses sent to Sublime Porte Foreign Affairs Ministry are interesting. It is obvious that the perception of the Netherlands and Sweden to the Armenian problem a hundred years ago was completely different than their perception today.
The replies sent by the Netherlands and Sweden to Sublime Porte Foreign Affairs Ministry are as follows;
REPLY OF THE NETHERLANDS
Reply of Netherlands dated March 15, 1919
“Netherlands Royal Legation, referring to Ottoman Foreign Affairs Ministry verbal note no. 14406/13 on the 15th day of this month, is honored to present the information to Ottoman State Foreign Affairs Ministry that the Royal Government considers it injudicious to participate at an investigation which has no direct relation with its benefits.” (Document: BOA. HR.MU, 43/17)
A century ago, Netherlands had rejected to send a jurist into the commission as it was not a part of their interest/benefit; and in 2004 Netherlands recognized so called Armenian genocide.
REPLY OF SWEDEN
Reply of Sweden dated April 11, 1919:
“We, as Swedish Royal Legation, are honored to inform the Ottoman State Foreign Affairs Ministry that we have received a telegraph from the Swedish Royal Ministry that the request for the participation of Swedish jurists to the mentioned commissions cannot be accepted.” (Document: BOA. HR. MU, 43/17)
On the contrary, the Swedish Parliament met in March 2010 and accepted the draft resolution about calling the 1915 Armenian events as “genocide”.
Consequently; The rejection of the Netherlands and Sweden to send representatives for the deportation commission in February 1919 indicates that those countries were not a side in the Armenian problem and that deportation was not genocide as it is claimed by some segments of the society today. But, in almost a century, it is seen that both the Netherlands and Sweden have considered the Armenian problem as their internal problem. The effect of Armenian Diaspora residing in Netherlands and Sweden should not be neglected when considering their approval of the so called Armenian genocide in 2004 and 2010. It can be clearly understood that the Armenian problem has been a tool of domestic politics in the Netherlands and Sweden. Consequently, some European governments use so called genocide as a tool for domestic politics.
Yorum Ekle