The recently published book by Hasan Cemal titled “1915. Armenian Genocide” caused considerable reaction connected to the accusations that the writer Ilhan Selchuk’s mother Hiqmet Kasim was an Armenian, writes Zaman news agency. What makes the book outstanding and unique is that it was written by Hasan Cemal, an internationally renowned editor and columnist who is the grandson of Cemal Pasha.
This kinship is key to understanding the book’s historic significance: Cemal Pasha was a member of the triumvirate, whose other parts were Talat and Enver Pasha, responsible for the Great Armenian Tragedy, which started with a mass deportation of Ottoman Armenians from their homelands and ended with their annihilation.
In the preface, he writes: “We cannot remain silent before the bitter truths of the past. We cannot let the past hold the present captive. Also, the pain of 1915 does not belong to the past, it is an issue of today. We can only make peace with history, but not an ‘invented’ or ‘distorted’ history like ours, and reach liberty.”
He has discussed this before. In other books, he questioned his “militarist revolutionary” past (in the ‘60s and’70s), confronting boldly his own mistakes — his deep disbelief in democracy, plotting coups, his experience as editor, etc.
But this one is even more personal.
Ilhan Selchuk kept the secret of his mother’s identity till his death. What else he could do? The Seljuk brothers were famous by their political roles, and the fact that their mother was an Armenian orphan would badly hurt their career. “I write this with shame and sorrow, but the words “Armenian”, “Greek”, “Gypsy” are still vulgarism, offense.”- says the author.
