Yetvart Danzikyan: Davutoğlu’s Diaspora journey
Once the possibility of the HDP passing the election threshold became a genuine probability, the language the AKP about the Kurdish political movement became precisely the same of the language of the old state. In fact, on many occasions, it surpassed by miles. In the current situation, the AKP and its spin doctors in the media accuse the HDP of colluding with nationalists, Gülen’s Hizmet movement, pro-military coupists and everyone you can imagine who does not support the AKP, and ultimately, with the Armenian Diaspora. These are the traditional tactics of the mindset that defines the colour of the Republic of Turkey, and we must have understood by now that what shapes the intellectual structure of the executive cadres of the movement we call political Islam is the founding ‘regime’ of the Republic of Turkey.
Nothing’s shocking up to this point, we have already widely written about and discussed all this. However, the situation is slightly different when it comes to Prime Minister Davutoğlu. Because Davutoğlu, before this election business came up, at the part closed to the press of the meeting he held on 11 February 2015 with representatives of minority foundations and associations had said things like, “The Diaspora is our Diaspora”, [LİNK] and “Our Diaspora initiative will continue to progress”. So, the point that the same Davutoğlu who said all this has arrived at three months on is truly pathetic and exemplary. Accusing the HDP with colluding with the Diaspora, all of a sudden came up with this [LİNK] statement: “Do you think any good will come to the Kurd, Turk and Arab from [a party] who befriends the Armenian Diaspora?”
The place where these words that display the crudest, most undiluted and most primitive logic of nationalism were said was the AKP rally in Batman. This logic, which sets Kurd, Turk and Arab to one side, and Armenians to another side, is very clearly the most distinguished product of a racist and discriminatory mindset. However, it does not end here. On the night of May 24, Sunday, Davutoğlu took part in a program on Show TV. The things he said during that broadcast are not only in the same vein, but they are also more dangerous. The web site aljezeera. com. tr reported Davutoğlu’s statements during that broadcast as follows:
“Stating that at a time when the whole world is campaigning against Turkey on Armenian Genocide claims, Davutoğlu stated that Selahattin Demirtaş has taken position in opposition to Turkey, and has made statements accusing Turkey; and reminded the audience that Demirtaş had said, regarding the Armenian Genocide, ‘Kurds also have a responsibility and I apologize on their behalf’.
Addressing Kurdish citizens, Davutoğlu said, ‘Can someone who accuses your grandfathers in this way be your representative? If he says, ‘Kurds and Turks did this’ can he represent Turkey?’
(…) Davutoğlu declared, ‘I wonder what bargains he has made that led him to sabotage the Solution Process upon his return to Turkey, I wonder what bargains he has made that he is acting in tandem with the Armenian Diaspora, which claims a right over the lands on which the Solution Process focuses. If we can answer those questions, then we can stand in the right place regarding how the Solution Process will develop in the future.”
These are the words of Prime Minister Davutoğlu. He must have tried to kill a few birds with one stone. He must have wanted to both continue the State’s infamous ritual of “stoning of the Diaspora” from where it had left off, and to link the HDP with the issue; but most importantly, to warn the Kurdish people, “These Armenians have their eyes on your lands”. This, he must have reckoned, would make Kurds turn away from the HDP.
Now, the HDP will respond itself in the best possible way to the parts that concern them. But when we look at the complete picture, we see a malicious picture. Imagine a state that has committed a great crime 100 years ago. This crime also took place on the lands of Kurdistan. 100 years later, a party, or a political doctrine emerges, and seeks to face the part that falls to its share. Yet, the new representatives of the State that supposedly distanced itself from the mindset that carried out the rime in question, see no harm in wholeheartedly clinging to the arguments that precisely a 100 years ago motivated that atrocity. For what? For power. To remain in power.
We do not know how the election will turn out. Perhaps the AKP will succeed by means of all these primitive national discourses to push the HDP below the election threshold, and retain its single-party government. Who knows, after the election, Davutoğlu will perhaps once again say common pain, just memory etc. As if it weren’t himself who said all the things mentioned above, he will, perhaps, organize meetings with representatives of the Armenian community, and say, “We value your friendship”. And he will then warmly see his guests off.
100 years later, we would have loved to think that certain things have changed in these lands; however, we can’t. It is not easy to tolerate seeing what people will do for power, and how the smile on a face can, in a flash, change into an evil grin; but we will.
So finally, let us return to the top, to the sentence, “Do you think any good will come to the Kurd, Turk and Arab from [a party] who befriends the Armenian Diaspora?” It may sound like repeating the obvious, but one should say this: What you call the Diaspora, are the grandchildren of those who left these lands 100 years ago, or because this policy of denial continued, of those who were expelled, those whose properties were seized. In other words, our friends; and to be frank, quite literally, our relatives. I wonder if that makes it clear, Mr. Davutoğlu?
