“Do not talk about genocide or you may be the victim of a new one!” – Turkish nationalists are quoted as saying in a Turkish Daily News column by Orhan Kemal Cengiz.

Angered with a recent written threat against Turkey’s tiny Armenian community, Cengiz mourns the homogenization of his country that was largely due to the Armenian Genocide.  “For some,” writes Cengis,  “homogenization of Turkey might be the final goal, but I assure you the side effects of achieving it will make this country unlivable, unlovable and primitive.”

“Once, Armenians lived all over this country,” writes the columnist making reference to what is now eastern Turkey’s indigenous Armenian population wiped out during World War I.

The brave columnist concludes that Turkey must finally face its history: “without having an honest and open discussion about our history, we will never heal and we will never able to put a mirror in front of these racists [that now threaten Armenians], which means that we will be seeing the same nightmares again and again. ”

…In the face of these threats we see no serious preparation to protect our citizens of Armenian origins. There are very urgent steps that the Turkish government should take to protect their lives and well-being. 

I would like to urge the government and state officials that we cannot stand any new attack on these vulnerable groups. Protecting them is the highest moral obligation of the Turkish Republic and no other priority should prevent Turkey from fulfilling this responsibility.

Our minorities are not able to take public positions. We do not see them as police officers, as soldiers, or as judges. What a pity! They are forced to live an isolated life in their ghettos.

Already long ago we lost the richness the minorities contributed to our lives. But losing even the last members of these communities to foreign countries would be unbearable…