Why Senator Flake as US Ambassador to Turkey?

Since his election as president, President Biden has not, in spite of all those other American concerns and interests, been soft on Turkey regarding human rights. As well as recognizing the Armenian Genocide, earlier this year, he criticized Turkey’s withdrawal from a European convention on violence against women. Going forward, and now after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, it remains unknown whether Biden and an Ambassador Flake will speak out for free speech in Turkey and the release from jail of numerous journalists. Even if they do, the effect of such advocacy remains to be seen.

Will the U.S. protest those individuals similarly constrained in Azerbaijan, Turkey’s self-proclaimed “brother” nation and ally in the recent war over Karabakh? A few years ago, Azerbaijan notoriously placed its own long-celebrated writer, 84-year-old (Azerbaijani) Akram Aylisli, under house arrest after he spoke out in favor of Armenian-Azerbaijani reconciliation, banned and burned his books, and stripped him of his officially awarded title, People’s Writer and other medals.

For now, I conclude that the principled politician Flake generally presents gives some reason to hope that he may be a responsible ambassador. The concerns and questions I raised will be asked and answered soon enough.

Author’s Background

I am a psychotherapist specializing in working with traumatized people as well as in conflict resolution efforts with Armenians and Turks, and Israelis and Palestinians. Partly that background, and partly the historical record of too much compromise and corruption (both material and moral) I was compelled me to write my book, Collective Trauma and the Armenian Genocide: Armenian, Turkish and Azerbaijani Relations Since 1839, published earlier this year. The book is addressed to Armenians, Turks, and Azerbaijanis who are seriously engaged in trying to improve their relationships, and to others interested, as citizens and concerned people, in conflict resolution efforts affecting their countries.

Beginning with my awareness of how important my great-grandfather, Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, was to Armenians, my book reports on my long journey in such “conflict resolution” work and on my learning. This includes my take on a history of these relationships from 1839 from the perspective of the role of collective trauma in that history. Writing the history from this perspective enabled me to see opportunities for better relations at different times, ones not usually discussed. I like to think that demonstrating that the history was not pre-ordained or inevitable is essential to inspiring people to feel that they can make a difference and thus help ensure a better future.