COMMON SENSE: How to Honestly Boycott Turkey

By JANO BOGHOSSIAN
Janoboghossian@ucla.edu

In the never-ending anti-Turkish sentiment Armenians have to this day, sometimes I feel like I am the only person who stands up for the pro-Armenian side. While there are many who feel completely indifferent to the cause, there have always been people trying to get Armenians to boycott Turkish products. Although some do it out of complete hate and ignorance, there are those select few who choose to boycott Turkey based completely on their own morals and principles.

A few weeks ago, I set foot into Jons Market for some quick snacks, but I left angry and disappointed. This was not because Jon’s is a poorly-run franchise, but rather the fact that this Armenian-owned grocery store chain was carrying and advertising aisles full of Turkish and Turkish-imported products without an ounce of shame. Not only were these products being sold in an Armenian store, but they were being imported by companies such as Karapetian and Kradjian imports.

Suddenly, I began thinking about my own upbringing, which consisted of boycotting Turkish products. Was this based on the misconstrued notion that Armenians (and people negatively affected by the Turkish government) should boycott Turkish products based solely on principle, or had I been the one with a backwards-thinking, closed-minded mentality?

As a child, I was taught to never purchase any products made in Turkey by my parents, who have also themselves never bought any Turkish goods. This was a decision my parents made because they are morally against supporting the repressive Turkish government with their purchase.

Although plenty in the Armenian community support this cause, many do not notice the big picture- it is not just about boycotting the Turkish government with the goal of crippling their economy with our ideas, but to always look for the Armenian alternative to the Turkish products, and purchase those imported goods with a clean conscience.

I make this decision on a personal level because I am morally against supporting the modern Turkish regime, which has supported repressive, cruel and intolerant policies in its almost nine decades of existence. These policies include, but are not limited to, the denial of the Armenian, Greek, and Assyrian Genocides, the seizure of the Hatay province from Syria in 1937, the invasion of Cyprus in 1974, the Istanbul Pogroms of 1955, the infamous Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, constant repression of the Kurdish population, and the fact that Turkey imprisons its own Nobel laureates and journalists for speaking the truth. The money spent on Turkish products directly funds the Republic of Turkey and its intolerant policies, yet people turn a blind eye to it.

Many Armenians chant for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide each year, yet they perhaps go home to their Turkish robes, watch Turkish soap operas and listen to Turkish music for pleasure. Some might argue that closing ourselves off from these aspects of Turkish culture simply breeds ignorance within our own culture, and accepting Turkish products is the first step in normalizing relations with our neighboring country. It is true- we should normalize relations with Turkey, only with certain preconditions. But even after that day has come, I will still choose the Armenian option over the Turkish one in any given situation. This is not due to any anti-Turkish sentiment, but it is a result of my pro-Armenian upbringing.

Before trying to criticize any move by their community or government to normalize relations with Turkey, Armenians need to reflect on their own habits and lifestyle to make sure they are standing for something positive and not simply anti-Turkey. Do you import and/or buy Turkish products? Do you watch Turkish television shows for pleasure? Do you listen to Turkish music? Point being, why give time and money to the Turkish government when there are perfectly good Armenian equivalents of the same products, which in turn benefit Armenia?

My previous column, “Through Dialogue, Not Diatribe, Change Will Ensue,” may seem contradictory to this piece, but there is a fundamental difference in my target. My previous column was about the Turkish people, whereas this is about their government. For the past few decades, our community has bred generations of Armenians to hold a grudge against the Turkish government, which is perfectly fine as long as the Republic of Turkey does not apologize and recognize their own nation’s history, but Armenians also have to change their mentality. When it comes to boycotting Turkey, also keep in mind supporting Armenia, for it is better to stand for something good instead of always rejecting the bad.