De herinnering aan de Armeense genocide in het hedendaagse Turkije

Abstract

In this article I argue that the notable memory boom about the Armenian genocide since the 2000s in Turkey has diverted the attention away from the importance of formal genocide acknowledgement; in addition, the responsibility of genocide denial is assigned to the Turkish State only. Looking at the memory frames in the current public discourse in Turkey, however, in qualitative terms there is more of a continuity than a rupture in denialist discourse patterns. Most importantly, the increased public talk about the Armenian genocide serves as a key argument in the Turkish State’s denialist program, where it argues that the “Armenian issue” is not a taboo topic in Turkey anymore. Taking into consideration that the engagement of Turkish civil society has garnered much – if not most – attention in Turkey and internationally, I believe it is essential to focus on the needs and the claims of the victims, rather than making the emergence of a strong civil society in Turkey an end in itself.