The Never-ending Taboo: The Armenian Genocide and Public Lynching via Social Media

Neynik
Jan 14, 2018
3 min read

Today, The Republican People's Party (CHP) held an election to choose the party's provincial head of Istanbul.

Canan Kaftancıoğlu was elected for the post.

Kaftancıoğlu, a woman in her 40s, born in Ordu which is one of the biggest cities in the Black sea region had studied forensic science in Istanbul Faculty of Medicine.

It is visible from her resume that since her days as a student, she has been involved in various associations and democratic mass organizations. She has been affiliated with the CHP since 2011 and has took the position of deputy chairperson responsible for Press, Culture and Communication and also been an Assembly Member.

Why did her election re-opened a never-ending taboo that Modern Turkey faces today?

It is because of a tweet.

In 2012, almost 6 years ago, Kaftancıoğlu‏ had tweeted about the Armenian Genocide.

On 24th of April*, she has stated from her social media account: “Today in History: The Armenian Genocide has started. We commemorate our Armenian citizens who had been massacred. At Taksim, 19:15.”

The Term "Public Lynching" in a Modern World

The concept “public lynching” via social media in this case, is used in line with the Turkish phrase of “the culture of lynching” (linç kültürü). Borrowing Tanil Bora’s definition**, while traditionally death is considered the end point; "lynch" can encompass various types of violence that does not necessarily reach that point but attempt to do so or even intent. According to Bora, the “means “should not be differentiated from the consequence.

As Bora states, the goal of lynching is punishment. Punishing someone who has been wrong on the terms of that particular group or people. Greater than bullying or insulting, the term connotes to a culture of humiliating, attacking and threatening to hurt or kill the person who has stated an opinion at public spaces, in this case, the social media.

The Responses

With her recent election, this tweet has been a topic of interest in social media.

We wanted to translate some of the responses to her tweet to demonstrate how this taboo on Armenians and Armenian Genocide lingers and adheres in the public realm.

These translations exclude the ones that uses abusive words and insults.

The ones that are on the side of the Armenians and betrays the nation…
So now this ignorant one sets the agenda
I wish we had committed the genocide. I wish…
They have done the genocide to your mother, Kurdish Canan.
Greetings to our Glorious ancestors.
You will be a better candidate for Armenia.
Who are you woman? Well, the amoral one! I wish we had! May you get no benefit from Turkish bread, you Armenian dirt.
If you are going to attack Turks, attack them on the basis of truth. You are liars, traitors and baseless. In the land of the Turks you live with a Turkish name, Turkish identity but betray it. You don’t have the right to live in these lands.
They have loaded the party with Armenians, HDPKK (which means the People’s Democratic Party- HDP and Kurdistan Workers Party PKK are the same) and supporters of Fettulah Gulen (Islamic cleric who is supposedly behind the attempted coup)
You are both liars and both degenerated
We are right in saying that you are rootless.
If we had massacred you would you be able to talk? I wish we had.
Sell-out, lowlife. Come on and say this today!
Turns out Istanbul’s provincial chairwomen loves Armenian Killers ...
Shame on you!
If we had done a massacre you wouldn’t be able to talk.
If Turks had done a massacre there wouldn’t be even one Armenian left.
The term genocide started to exist in 1948. Therefore, it is not possible for something like this to happen legally.
The Armenian Genocide is a lie. It is a lie to grab land from us. The ones that support it is a traitor. If they want land from us, let’s give it. But under the ground. These lands were taken with blood and will only be given with it.
If we had conducted a genocide, your race wouldn’t exist.
We will commemorate you soon.
Isn’t there any police?