On The Possibility of a Civil Apology

Tuğba Sevinç Yücel

Jump to Content

On The Possibility of a Civil Apology

In: Forgiveness: An Interdisciplinary Dialogue

Author:

Tuğba Sevinç Yücel

Tuğba Sevinç Yücel
Search for other papers by Tuğba Sevinç Yücel in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed

Type:: Chapter

Pages:: 49–57

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1163/9781848880832_007

Purchase instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):

€42.00€35.00 excl. VAT

Add to Cart

Redeem Access Token

In this chapter, I will examine the concept of ‘civil apology’ with reference to the event of ‘Apology Campaign to Armenians’ in Turkey. In December 2008, 200 prominent Turkish intellectuals issued an apology for ‘The Great Catastrophe of 1915.’ The apology refers to the wrongdoings of the Ottoman Empire to its Armenian citizens during 1915-1918 and apologizes for the ‘denial of and insensitivity showed to’ the event. The Apology was controversial in many respects. The Campaign drew hostile and sympathetic reactions from both parties. In analyzing the campaign, I will distinguish ‘The Apology Campaign to Armenians’ from political apology. Instead of dismissing the Apology as an improper example of political apology, I will develop a concept of civil apology by which certain intensions and objectives of its contributors could be understood. I will argue that the Apology is not and cannot be a replacement of political apology. The wrong committed against Armenians requires political apology in addition to the attempts of civil initiatives. Yet, civil apologies have certain functions which cannot be fulfilled by political apologies alone. Civil apologies, I will argue, can be more sincere and spirited than political apologies could be, and they will contribute to success of political apology in relaxing past controversies. Because they rely on conscience, a human capacity for empathy and morality rather than interest, power and money, they can contribute to the process of forgiveness and help healing the wounds of victims.

Citation Info

Save
Cite
Email this content

Share link with colleague or librarian

You can email a link to this page to a colleague or librarian:
Email this content
or copy the link directly:

https://brill.edhh.ma/abstract/book/9781848880832/BP000007.xml
The link was not copied. Your current browser may not support copying via this button.

Link copied successfully

Collapse
Expand

Forgiveness: An Interdisciplinary Dialogue

E-Book ISBN:: 9781848880832

Publisher:: Brill

Print Publication Date:: 29 Apr 2011

Subjects
- Social Sciences
  - Comparative Social Sciences
  - Cultural Studies

Metrics

	All Time	Past 365 days	Past 30 Days
Abstract Views	119	28	5
Full Text Views	3	0	0
PDF Views & Downloads	2	0	0

African Studies	Education	Media Studies
American Studies	History	Middle East and Islamic Studies
Ancient Near East and Egypt	Human Rights and Humanitarian Law	Musicology
Art History	International Law	Philosophy
Asian Studies	International Relations	Religious Studies
Biblical Studies	Jewish Studies	Slavic and Eurasian Studies
Biology	Languages and Linguistics	Social Sciences
Book History and Cartography	Life Sciences	Theology and World Christianity
Classical Studies	Literature and Cultural Studies

Subjects

Authors

Open Access

Product Information

Company

Contact

On The Possibility of a Civil Apology

Citation Info

Share link with colleague or librarian

Forgiveness: An Interdisciplinary Dialogue

Table of Contents

Metrics

Metrics