Reparations
Reparations for the Armenian Genocide have been a hot topic both among Armenians, and between Armenians and Turks. The Armenian Genocide, unlike the Jewish Holocaust never saw any reparations by the Turkish state, and also unlike the Jewish Holocaust involved the taking of a massive Armenian homeland across Anatolia which had been Armenian for 3,000 years.
Calls for reparations include money, land, property, human rights for Armenians in Turkey and of course an apology from the Turkish government both for the genocide by their preceding government and the nearly 100 year long denial campaign by the current Republic of Turkey which has forced the scattered Armenian Diaspora to assimilate and disappear in many places.
Reparations options
Here are just some ideas of some of the things Turkey could or should offer Armenia(ns) as reparations when they finally mature and come to grips with the genocide. Truly, they should offer these sorts of suggestions themselves, if the spirit of what reparations are meant to represent matter.
- Holders of Armenian passports, or people of Armenian descent could be allowed visa-free travel to Turkey, as well as the right to live, work and buy property there. In other words, the right of return. If they want Turkish passports, they could be granted as well.
- Requirement for Turkish high school students to read "You Rejoice My Heart", by Kemal Yalcin
- All Armenian Churches, and church sites could be returned to the Armenian Church, regardless of what is on them now
- A standardized memorial could be put up in each village and town where Armenians were deported/massacred. The size corresponding to the number of victims at that settlement. Maybe a khachkar, maybe something else symbolic (like the blades of grass at the Genocide monument in Yerevan).
See also
External links
- http://www.regionalkinetics.com - site detailing demands for land