Turkey’s struggles with history

In recalling Henry Morgenthau’s role as U.S. ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, your editorial “Turkey’s war with history” (Sept. 8) unfortunately accepts a one-sided perspective of history as fact. Claims by Morgenthau of genocide at the end of the Ottoman period have never been legally substantiated.

This issue, like many in history, defies one-sided interpretations. As a result, Turkey opened its Ottoman archives to researchers. And earlier this year, the prime minister issued an unprecedented proposal to Armenia’s president for an impartial study of the matter by Turkish and Armenian historians, the results of which will be shared with the international community.

We hope Armenian expatriates in the U.S. and elsewhere will support this endeavor, as we seek a reconciliation that will allow us to look forward to a peaceful and prosperous future.

Regarding novelist Orhan Pamuk, although no authority can interfere with the constitutionally independent justice system in Turkey, all previous charges against him for similar acts resulted with no grounds for further legal action.

ENGIN ANSAY

Turkish consul general

Los Angeles

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In its editorial, The Times carefully avoided using the word “genocide” to describe what happened to Armenians between 1915-1918. There is no excuse for this omission. Every internationally accepted legal definition of genocide applies. Rafael Lemkin, who coined the term genocide, described the annihilation of the Armenians as genocide. So too have prominent historians of the history of genocide in the 20th century. It’s time for The Times to do the same.

ARMEN TAMZARIAN

Los Angeles