The Arab Spring in Egypt has turned into a hellish summer
with countless casualties. Ever since the Egyptian military deposed President
Mohamed Morsi, one particular foreign leader has been screaming the loudest,
demanding his immediate reinstatement. That bellicose leader is Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, the Prime Minister of Turkey, a staunch supporter of his fellow
Islamist Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Egypt’s new leaders, backed by large segments of the
population, were infuriated especially after Erdogan severely criticized the
overthrow of Pres. Morsi and the killing of hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood
protesters. Using extremely harsh language, the Turkish Prime Minister
condemned the Egyptian military for “carrying out a massacre with its soldiers,
police officers, [and] heavy artillery.” Ironically, Erdogan called anyone who
keeps silent in the face of injustice, “a voiceless devil.”
There is no question that a human tragedy is unfolding in
Egypt and becoming more critical with each passing day. While no one can remain
indifferent to the killing and maiming of civilians, the Prime Minister of
Turkey is the last person on earth who should be taking such a self-righteous
attitude. Anyone who has blood on his hands has no right to demonize others!
One does not have to go back into history and recall the genocides committed by
Erdogan’s forefathers against Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks. Just a couple
of months ago, the Turkish Prime Minister’s own hands were soaked in blood when
he proudly acknowledged that he ordered the police to open fire on unarmed
demonstrators in Istanbul, killing five people, blinding 11, and injuring 8,000
others. Thus, Erdogan has been stripped of all moral authority to lecture
anyone else on democracy and civil rights.
Erdogan’s repeated meddling in Egypt’s internal affairs
and his staunch support for Pres. Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood escalated
the hostilities between the two countries to such a degree that Egypt and
Turkey ended up recalling their respective Ambassadors, further disrupting
their diplomatic relations. The worsening tension has jeopardized the $2
billion Turkish investment in Egypt and frozen the activities of 300 Turkish
businesses in that country.
What a difference a year makes! In May of 2012, when I
was visiting Egypt on a lecture tour, a local newspaper refused to publish that
part of my interview dealing with the Armenian Genocide. I was informed that
given the close relationship between the two Islamist nations, it would be
impossible to print anything against Turkey.
Curiously, after Pres. Morsi’s unceremonious departure
from power, a series of articles appeared in scores of Egyptian newspapers,
detailing the history of the Armenian Genocide, demanding that Turkey pay
restitution to the survivors, and calling on Erdogan to acknowledge his
country’s criminal past.
To top it all, a surprising twitter message was posted on
August 17 by Adly Mansour, Egypt’s Interim President, announcing that his
country’s “UN representative tomorrow will sign the international document
recognizing the Armenian massacres which were committed by the Turkish army,
causing the deaths of one million people.”
Even though Egyptian and Turkish newspapers widely
reported the twitter message attributed to the Egyptian President, we were
unable to independently confirm its authenticity. However, it is clear that the
current Egyptian government and media are intent on using the Armenian Genocide
as a way of getting back at Erdogan’s heavy-handed interference in their
domestic affairs.
Understandably, most Armenians would be displeased that
the victimization of their ancestors is being exploited in a political tug of
war between the two countries. Yet, unfortunately, this is politics as usual.
If Egypt’s new leaders find it expedient to recognize the Armenian Genocide,
this would be a welcome change. It is better to recognize the Genocide,
regardless of political motives, than not to recognize it for all the wrong
reasons! After all, no one can expect the Egyptian government to take a
position on an issue, if it is contrary to its own national interests. In this
regard, Egypt is no different from other countries, including the United States
and Israel, which periodically dangle acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide
as a Damoclean Sword over the heads of Turkish leaders.
The final decision on the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide depends on whatever concessions Cairo is expecting from Ankara. If
Egypt, the most populous Arab state, recognizes the Armenian Genocide, that
would deal a devastating blow to the Turkish government’s frantic efforts to
counter the worldwide commemorations of the Genocide Centennial in 2015.
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