Ahmed Altan's article in "Gazetem" website

Dear Friends,

On June 1, 2005, the Armenian "Marmara" online newspaper of Istanbul republished on its website (in Armenian) the article written by Ahmed Altan in "Gazetem" website on May 30 titled "We the Turks couldn't agree with you the Turks". The following is my translation of the article from Armenian:

"It was necessary that 30 thousand people died till the Turks understood that a Kurdish issue existed in the country.
After burying 30 thousand young men we reverberated that we have a serious issue that needs to be solved.
After sacrificing 30 thousand people before 15 years and spending nearly 400 billion dollars, we made revolution on this matter. And so-called revolution meant giving the Kurds permission to sing in their mother tongue. So far, Kurds are not allowed to teach in their mother tongue. Those who are applying for that are regarded as guilty persons by the Court of Cassation.
Now we have an Armenian issue. First of all we said: "There is no Armenian issue, only one-two persons died, but under war conditions that was normal". Then, the one-two number of dead people gradually went up to hundred thousands. It exceeded a half million and is on its way to reach one million.
Now, like a school student, we say: "Yes, it is right, we killed them, but they also killed us". "We" refers to in four directions spread the Ottoman Empire, and "They" are the Empire's subjects our Armenian compatriots.
We try to prove that the compatriots in the Empire were equal to each other. It is possible that in the end we accept realities about the Armenian issue. But only God knows what will happen to us before we reach that point. Why are we behaving in such manner? In my opinion, this has two reasons:
First, which I couldn't completely understand, is that we are unable to prepare qualified state officials. I don't know whether this failure comes from our race, genes, habits, or religion, but I know that on this land we have strong-minded, steadfast, farsighted, and vigorous new generation.
Second, doubtless the most bewildering thing is the unfortunate condition of so-called the education system. We, from the beginning to the end, teach our students lies as history. Yet, we accept the World War 1 as "a war waged by the Imperialists to fracture the Ottoman Empire". Thus, we mention superficially the war originated as a result of attacks of Ottomans on the foreign possessed territories.
In our history textbooks, we gave no place to Kurdish revolts, to Armenian massacres, to the unnamed crimes committed in countries in Balkans region, or to the economical results of the wars we were involved in without measuring our force. When we look at our history textbooks, we seem the greater "sacrificed people" in the history that gained the hostility of the whole world.
The infants grow up believing in these stories. The infant, who had never read about the Armenian carnage, when hearing the term "Armenian Genocide" gets mad thinking that the whole world is playing hostility to the Turks.
The grievous conflict of Turk assemblage with realities begins in this way. During this conflict two parties of Turks emerge: The first party harshly refuses to doubt about the lies inculcated in their mind. Even though knowing the reality, this party will have the fear that when facing it the state and the assemblage will suffer great damage. The lasting past, a population reaching 70 million, and despite of all this, the way we crossed are not enough to dissipate the multitude psychosis created by our cowardice.
From the other side, there is another party of Turks who don't startle from realities, believing that this assemblage can eliminate the difficulties created by the realities. I think that the conflict between the well-educated Turks, who receive the state's support, and the Turks who don't fear from the realities will continue for a long time. It will last as long as our timid Turks and state officials with insufficient capabilities comprehend that denying realities is insufficient to dissipate these realities.
Till they admit this fact, it is not obvious what will happen to us in our struggle. It is only obvious that we will be unable to win over the realities.