Learning to say sorry in the Middle East
| Jerusalem
In a region better known for harboring old hatreds than saying, 鈥淚鈥檓 sorry,鈥� this was a seminal week.听
On the eve of the 99th听anniversary of the deportation and massacre of Armenians under Ottoman rule, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the grandchildren of the 600,000 to 1.5 million killed in what many regard as a genocide.听
And just as Israel began marking Holocaust Remembrance Day, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called the killing of 6 million Jews 鈥溾�澨齩f the modern era and expressed听鈥渟ympathy with the families of the victims and many other innocent people who were killed by the Nazis.鈥�
Both Armenians and Israelis dismissed what they saw as opportunistic statements by leaders under pressure. But whatever their motives, Mr. Erdogan and Mr. Abbas鈥檚 willingness to express empathy for the suffering of their adversaries represents a significant break from the region's听obdurate public diplomacy听in the name of honor.
In other regions, apologizing became "a very fashionable tool" beginning in the 1990s, says听Alon Liel, a veteran Israeli diplomat whose postings have included Turkey. "But not in the Middle East...I think because this element of honor in diplomacy is much more prominent [than in Western democracies],鈥� he says. 鈥淓verything is a matter of scoring points.鈥�
Uncertain motives stir criticism
To be sure, both Erdogan and Abbas鈥檚 statements came as they were facing international and domestic pressure.听
Abbas is caught in a blame game with Israel after US-mediated peace talks fell apart last week. And Erdogan is increasingly under fire for his repression of street protests, alleged government graft, and lack of progress on Turkey鈥檚 bid to join the European Union.
But that doesn鈥檛 undermine the value of such gestures, says Orhan Kemal Cengiz, a columnist and human rights lawyer.听
鈥淚t is the first time a Turkish prime minister talked about the grievances of Armenians,鈥� says Mr. Cengiz, who has worked extensively with minority groups in Turkey. 鈥淗e鈥檚 an authoritarian leader, he may have so many defects, but 鈥� he dares to take risks. He鈥檚 a doer.鈥�
Cracking open doors
Turkey for decades听has denied Armenian claims of a genocide that began during World War I, when Ottoman deportations and massacres led to the death of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians. The deportations came in response to a sporadic Armenian uprising in support of invading Russian troops.听
Even as听Turkish听academics began challenging that narrative of denial around 2000, using the word 鈥済enocide鈥澨齬emained听highly controversial. But they steadily pushed the envelope听in Turkish media and academia,听and commentators began using the term on TV.
Now with Erdogan鈥檚 statement, 鈥渆verybody has more space to discuss鈥� the issue, says Hugh Pope of the International Crisis Group in Istanbul.听
The same is true in Palestinian society, where Abbas鈥檚 statement cracks open the door to听discussing historical truths听that are听largely avoided for fear of justifying听Jewish claims to the land and thus undermining Palestinian nationalism.
Israel dismissed the statement, however, and the Armenian diaspora likewise rejected Erdogan鈥檚 comments, saying Ankara was simply 鈥�.鈥澨�
鈥淭ypically the response of a diaspora is, 鈥楾his is not enough, we need you to get on your knees and beg for forgiveness and repent of your sins,鈥� 鈥� says Mr. Pope.听
But both sides have a role to play in overcoming the rift, he suggests, comparing the process to water locks, in which the lock gates can鈥檛 be opened until the water level听is equal on both sides. 鈥淗iding behind your highly polished version of events, and refusing to acknowledge another version of events 鈥� it doesn鈥檛 work.鈥�
