In Turkey, it's illegal to talk about the Armenian Genocide that took place during the First World War. In recent months, however, there have been efforts by Armenians and Turks alike to begin talking about their shared history as they move toward opening diplomatic relations. Today's New York Times features a story about Fithiye Cetin, an Armenian-Turk human rights lawyer who is working to encourage greater mutual understanding between peoples divided by the concrete experience of genocide as well as vastly divergent understandings of their shared history. "Turkey has to confront the past," she says, "but before this confrontation can happen, people must know who they are confronting." Find out more about her grandmother's story after the jump.For Turks living in Germany, it's another story entirely. A recent study on German-Turkish Values revealed that 45% of Turks feel "unwanted" in Germany. Moreover, two-thirds said they feel "German" when they return to Turkey even though they feel "Turkish" in Germany. Finally, 42% of them would ultimately like to return to Turkey. The study also reveals that many younger Turks are turning to traditional values (regarding sexuality and gender relations)--to a degree exceeding that of their parents' generation.
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