Turkish Human Rights Activist: the Feeling of Insecurity Amongst Armenians Living in Turkey Increases Whenever a "National" Crisis Emerges (EXCLUSIVE)

• 06.07.2016, 14:52
•  Region,  World,  Interview

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"German Bundestag's passing the law recognizing the Genocide unleashed a rampant racism against Germans and Armenians," a human rights advocate, a feminist, a member of the Committee Against Racism and Discrimination of the Human Rights Association of Turkey (Istanbul branch), Ayşe Günaysu said in a talk with "Armedia" IAA referring to the moods in the Turkish society after the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Bundestag.

"Genocide denial is not only a consistent state policy in Turkey, but it is also very widespread in the Turkish society despite the existence of a handful of honest people compared to the vast majority. Genocide denial goes hand in hand with rabid racism against Armenians by ultranationalist masses and the other sections of the society, the bystanders, are extremely tolerant to such racism. This is why open, extreme racist discourse can be displayed with much freedom. For example that day, the day of Bundestag's decision, crowds gathered in front of the German consulate shouting "the best Armenian is the dead Armenian" slogans! And no police and afterwards no government authorities interfered, or condemned these words."

Referring to the possible pressures on Armenians living in Turkey after the Bundestag vote, the human rights advocate said that Armenians in Turkey are always under threat, but the level of threat suddenly rises whenever a "national" crisis emerges, adding that Armenians have no officially recognized representative community bodies.

 "Even the Armenian Patriarchate has no legal entity. Can you imagine the life of the descendants of genocide survivors in this country of gross genocide denial? They live in a constant anti-Armenianism everywhere! TV channels, schools, workplaces, in the street, everywhere! And as I said during such times of crisis the atmosphere of hatred escalates, which in return, increases the feeling of insecurity amongst Armenians. This is the case now. We, the human rights activists are helpless in such cases. The best we can do, is to raise the awareness against this hatred and to call the civil society to action. That's all we can do," Gyunaysu concluded.