Garo Paylan, an MP of Armenian descent belonging to Peoples Democratic Party (HDP), delivered a speech Thursday and showed some pictures to the National Assembly of Turkey.

The photos showed some graffiti that had been daubed on the walls of ruined villages in a village in southeast during the recent curfews. The words “Armenian bastard” can be clearly seen on the photos and has sparked a serious debate on racism in Turkey.

Garo Paylan first showed pictures and said that the situation is in itself a crime. He said that this crime was committed not only by security forces but also by the Prime Minister. As you may recall, last week Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu was in Bingöl and said “the Armenian gangs have cooperated with the Russians during World War II.” Garo Paylan wisely asked Parliament whether it would be right for him to say the “Turkish gangs” about Turks and Kurds who sometimes join the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (EIIL)? Finally, he asked “what kind of racism that is it?”, Causing a thunderous response from the Justice and Development Party MPs (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

We will see that our father has committed a crime, namely kill our neighbor and bury him in our backyard. We had four years, but we saw the situation. Now we are great, but the reality, that is in our subconscious, returns occasionally to the surface. I think this was such a moment when Garo Paylan yesterday showed the images. To be confronted with reality is always painful, but postpone the confrontation creates only the biggest mistakes.

We have not faced racism within us. Although we were saying, it becomes visible at key moments. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he did not support or did not respect the decision of the Constitutional Court, the highest court in Turkey, after she declared February 25 as the imprisonment of Can Dündar editor Chief of Cumhuriyet daily and its representative in Ankara Erdem Gül for broadcasting pictures of an alleged transfer of illegal weapons in Syria was a violation of their fundamental rights. If the President has no respect for the rule of law, we can not expect positive developments in the field of democratization.

I convey my sincere greetings to all the Armenians living in Turkey and outside. Although it is not my duty, I apologize to every individual who has suffered. The Armenians living in the Diaspora should remember that there are still people living in Turkey who think they are the allies of the law and that there are still people who have not lost their conscience. We will not let our only neighbors and will not allow racism to reign in Turkey. The mentality Union and Progress (Ittihad ve Terakki) is still alive in Turkey and its representatives have not given up. Let me remember that there are more MPs in Parliament to stop this racism and Garo Paylan also found support from the Republican People’s Party (CHP). The most important thing is to confront the reality that racist media force us to continue past mistakes. The belief in law and conscience is the key to face this reality.

Zaman

March 3, 2016