Mixed reaction to Obama Speech in Ankara

Having promised to recognize the massacre and deportation of as many as 1.5 million ethnic Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire during WWI as genocide if elected president, the large and influential Diaspora lobby in Washington had hoped that this week’s visit by U.S. President Barack Obama to Turkey would see him fulfill a campaign promise.

But, mindful of the delicate state of negotiations between Armenia and Turkey to resolve the past, establish diplomatic relations, and to open a shared border closed since the early 1990s, Obama instead avoided referring to the genocide directly. While there has been little reaction to the speech from most Armenian bloggers so far, the general response worldwide has been mixed.

Referring to Obama’s campaign pledge intended to attract the Armenian-American vote, Enotitan Revolution is less than impressed.

President Obama’s sly diplomatic skills were put to the test while visiting Turkey. Although a firm supporter of recognizing the Armenian Genocide in the United States, he gently tip toed over the subject, careful not to use the word ‘Genocide’, as to not upset his Turkish hosts, yet during his campaign for presidency, then Senator Obama openly declared, “America deserves a leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian Genocide”. I guess truth, justice, and Human Rights are only good enough for drumming up financial support on the campaign trail.

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Meanwhile, Global Voices Online author Simon Maghakyan at Blogian [disagrees].

While some Armenians seem unhappy with Obama’s statement – there is now a SHAME ON YOU OBAMA Facebook group – I find Obama’s words tactfully affirmative. […] Specifically, he stated that 1) […] Turkey committed genocide but I won’t use the word genocide since 2) there seems to be real hope for normalizing Turkish-Armenian relations, 3) but Turkey needs to demonstrate that the normalization is process is real […], and (4) the latter should automatically include genocide recognition by Turkey. In Turkish professor Taner Akcam’s words, “[Obama] really pushed the borders, in a very positive and very smart way.”

Moreover, his comparison of the Native American experience – which is clearly an experience of genocide in the eyes of Turks – was also to the point (not mentioning that it was exactly what I had suggested to do in an earlier post :D).

There can be a lot more said about Obama’s handling of the situation. I am personally satisfied with the way he handled the issue given the place and time restrictions.

The full post where comments can be left is available on Global Voices Online.