I’ve always firmly believed that this man has some significant responsibility for the Armenian genocide, but recently I’ve seen several Turkish Ataturk apologists recently claiming his responsibility is overblown and his complicity is somewhat debatable. If we have any Turkish comrades here I’d like to hear your perspective, or anyone who’s more knowledgeable. There isn’t a Prolewiki page on the subject, so I’d like to hear perspectives from here.
In 1915, Atatürk was a lieutenant colonel commanding troops at the Battle of Gallipoli, geographically distant from the Eastern Anatolian provinces where the mass deportations and killings occurred.
He was a high-ranking Ottoman officer and a member of Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), though he was not part of the inner “Three Pashas” clique that directly orchestrated the genocide. Early in his career, he publicly condemned the CUP leadership as “rascals” responsible for the massacres and acknowledged the deaths of approximately 800,000 Armenians. However, as he consolidated the new Turkish Republic, he shifted his narrative to blame Armenians for collaborating with enemy forces during World War I, helped establish an official state history that erased the genocide, and appointed several former CUP members to high government positions.
This is not a reality comrade. Genocide planned centrally not regionally. Ataturk was using genocide as a tool against the Enver Paşa.
Genocide plan was always an option of İttihat ve Terraki. Even though, German commanders in the frontline was recommending to happen to asap to gain resources from the Armenian people.
I’ll write a full analysis on that later.
I’d very much like to read it, because a lot of the apologia stems around the idea that he has an “alibi” because of which region he was operating in during the events.
In the Turkish left his role always been controversial. Because, Ataturk himself is contradicting with himself in many time in his career. For example, he was socialist when he was in early career and very anti-imperial, anti-colonialist pro-women rights etc etc. I’m telling you this because his role in genocide is controversial.
Ataturk wasn’t the party of the Ittihad ve Terraki during the genocide time. Actually, he was expelled from the party by the Enver Paşa which is his own arch rival. During the genocide he wasn’t the main player who planned the genocide. He was in army and fighting against the Al-tante in Çanakkale. Genocide was planned centrally in Istanbul and applied mostly in the East. So, in this frame he wasn’t in planning and applying. Let me correct something, genocide took place in all over the Ottoman Empire. Impounding the properties of the Armenian which were loyal to the state in masses. As a ML, we should see this accumulation of the capital and enclosure movement like in the UK. So, some Armenian groups worked for Britain that’s true but the majority of it was against the separate Armenian state. Especially, Taşnak ve Hınçak were so active. Even though, Hınçak was mention by the Engels because of the Armenian translation of the Communist Manifesto.
Back to the topic, Ataturk said this is cruelty what happened to Armenian people in one letter. Fast forward to Turkish War of Independence. When he came to general command of the army and rebel to Istanbul government he had to protect generals who followed the Armenian Genocide orders. Especially, in the East. He changed his view or sayings about like “Armenian people collaborated with imperialist”, “this wasn’t a genocide”. He sided with genocide denials. Some says that he built the Armenian genocide denials arguments and made its state official propaganda.
As a conclusion, he didn’t participate in the genocide but when he came to power he had to protect to bourgeoisie class and his genocide commanders to stay in power. Morally, he’s guilty but there’s no evidence that the followed the orders of the genocide. Controversy starts when he comes to power.
Currently, Turkish state still denies it and doesn’t want to pay its reparations to victims. They make the propaganda that if they accept it Armenians can expend to west and claim the Eastern cities. So, everyone stays quiet and people who go after it got killed like Hırant Dink!
Thanks for the perspective, I wasn’t aware of a lot of this.
This is not getting enough attention in general Turkish intellectuals. This is so controversial topic (Ataturk’s role) so most people stay quiet to not to talk about it. Many so called “communist” are still in denials of Genocide and defend the act.
Before I reply you, I had to look the real documents from the state archives. Because even myself, I didn’t go through that deep research on this topic. I know this topic got so popular after the Paradox controversy but I’m not getting into this debate.
To learn more, you should read Raymond Kevorkian the Armenian Genocide book. If you can translate you should read Hrant Dink’s writings maybe available in English as well.
For the modern Turkish state stance you can translate state’s official documents about it
