To be honest, up until recently, I believed that the people of Turkish descent who denied the Armenian Genocide were just ashamed to admit it, but knew the truth deep down inside. I'm now convinced that many of them actually don't believe that it was in fact a Genocide. There is a difference in 'believing" and 'knowing'. You can avoid reading a single word of a document and 'believe' something.

There is a big disconnect among the two peoples, and it is sad to see that foreign vultures are taking full advantage of an issue that they know we both feel very strongly about. We are all being used, and will continue to be used, until we settle this issue.

Try to put yourself in the place of an Armenian, and you will realize that this issue is an unhealed wound that continues to haunt us.

It's been over 90 years. People have access to do all the research they want to do; There is no excuse to give an opinion if one hasn't taken advantage of the unlimited amount of material covering this period.

Stop putting your own words into a dead guy's mouth. Mr. Dink never said other countries shouldn't recognize the genocide, he said other countries shouldn't criminalize its denial. Whether or not a country will recognize the Armenian genocide is a matter solely related to that country and their stand on historical issues and their record (as a nation) against God. If one country recognizes it - it does it only for itself.

As an Armenian American Soli Ozel's article very illuminating of the topic of official recognition of the Armenian Genocide. What he says makes sense in that defensiveness is the natural reaction to being judged from abroad, and, in this regard, the resolution is, indeed counter productive towards getting Turkey to acknowledge the genocide. But the author fails to touch upon a vitally important subject, justice for the survivors of the genocide. Most survivors are already centurians, and they will have long since died before Turkey finally comes to terms with its crisis of conscience and identity. These are people who lost everything, and then had to endure being called traitors and liers by the nation that treated them so cruelly. The timing of the resolution is indeed poor, it should have been passed many years ago, when the vast majority of survivors were still alive.

Victoria

Did you stop to consider once that the US resolution was not aimed at Turkey as much as it was at genocide denial in the USA? In our media, there are many stories casting doubt on the Armenian genocide. Our politicians cast doubt on it. In the New York Times this morning, there was a story about the massing amounts of money being handed out to representatives from the Turkish government.

Quite frankly, I'd rather not have genocide denial in the United States, especially after many US scholars and historians have come out with a statement calling this a dead issue and an issue already decided.

I don't think the Turkish professor has any business lecturing Americans on how we should regard genocide denial in the USA. He should worry about Turkey.

Absolutely great article. Ozel is right about one thing, especially: the politicization of historical issues does not ease their resolution. Rather, it creates a banner around which the extremes flock, and closes off potential space for open debate.

Of course, I would question whether Turkey truly was moving towards reconciliation with this issue. I'd also like to know whether it is true that most Turks literally had no encounter with the facts of the Armenian massacre prior to the seventies. Its a surprising fact. I'd also emphasize more the negative role being played by the Turkish government, although Ozel's references to the sword of damoscles are telling of the atmosphere there.

To make my position clear: I think the historical record does show that a purposeful and planned ethnic cleansing (therefore, a "genocide") did occur. However, legislators do the Armenians no favors with this resolution, which only forestalls the Turkish people coming to terms with the grim history of the Ottoman empire.