AKP readies diversion as genocide anniversary nears
Under the Justice and Development Party, Turkey has refused to face the Armenian question and is instead working to redirect the world's attention.
Before the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power, Turkey pretended it had no “Armenian problem.” Under the AKP, it finally acknowledged the issue, but keeps avoiding genuinely facing it.
Before the AKP, Turkey had an “Armenian taboo.” Under the AKP, it broke the taboo and let the genie out of the bottle, but then didn't know how to deal with it.
Turkey under the AKP had feigned a desire to normalize ties with Armenia. As part of this policy — branded the “Armenian opening” — a number of significant diplomatic steps were taken, but they, too, came to naught. The Turkish-Armenian border remains sealed and official bilateral relations are yet to be established.
Information from Ottoman and church sources indicate that some 1.5 million Armenians lived in what is today Turkey before 1915, making up 10% of the population. By 1923, when the Republic of Turkey was established, the Armenian population was gone, barring a tiny community in Istanbul. On the 100th anniversary of 1915, Turkey’s Armenians are estimated to number some 50,000 people.
