Jump to content


Photo
- - - - -

Serzh Sargsyan invites next President of Turkey to Yerevan to confront


  • Please log in to reply
90 replies to this topic

#81 Yervant1

Yervant1

    The True North!

  • Super Moderator
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 21,603 posts
  • Gender:Male

Posted 07 April 2015 - 09:41 AM

Commentary
Armenians Should Build a Wall of Shame
For Those Going to Gallipoli on April 24

By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com

While Armenians criticize Turkey for genocide denial and other massive
violations of human rights, it is just as important to blame all non-Turks
who conduct business as usual with Turkey, thereby encouraging Turkish
officials to continue their outrageous behavior.
For example, right now, leaders of many countries are shamelessly preparing
to go to Gallipoli on April 24, to commemorate the Turkish victory a
Century ago, knowing full well that they would be participating in a
ceremony on a fake date designed to undermine the commemoration in Yerevan
of the Armenian Genocide Centennial.
Armenians should build a `Wall of Shame' and inscribe on it the names of
all world leaders who are in Gallipoli on April 24! Who is more to blame?
Pres. Erdogan who has shown repeatedly that he has no qualms about
violating human rights, or foreign officials who participate in his
orchestrated charades?
One would think that after Erdogan's objectionable actions, such as
supporting ISIS, money laundering, jailing journalists, ordering the
shooting of peaceful demonstrators in Istanbul's Gezi Park, and myriad
other abuses, he would be considered a pariah and shunned by the
international community!
Unfortunately, there are many foreign leaders who maintain warm relations
with Turkey and are willing to jump in bed with `the devil' in the pursuit
of their misperceived interests. While countless nations have their share
of the blame, most puzzling is the behavior of Israeli leaders toward
Turkey, given Erdogan's virulent anti-Semitic statements and anti-Israeli
actions! Yet, we hardly hear a single word of criticism of the Turkish
leader from Israel's outspoken Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. No one
should be surprised if Netanyahu ends up sending a high-ranking Israeli
official to Gallipoli!
For several decades, Israeli leaders have tolerated racist statements in
the Turkish media and even supported Turkey's denials of the Armenian
Genocide, not wishing to antagonize Turkey and endanger the lives of Jews
in Istanbul. We were told that Israel had to tolerate Turkey's misbehavior
because it allowed Jews escaping from Iran to cross its border, and that
saving the life of a single Jew was more important than acknowledging the
Armenian Genocide. Until a decade ago, Israeli officials were cautious not
to take any steps that would undermine their country's strategic alliance
with Turkey. Now that Turkey has become outright hostile, Israel's
leaders
have adopted a completely irrational position: let's not do anything that
would further damage `the fragile' relationship with Turkey!
Last month, the L.A. Jewish Journal dispatched Simone Wilson to Turkey to
report on the situation of Jews there. She described the hopeless condition
of remnants of the once thriving Jewish community: `Jews and other
ethnic
and religious minorities have been subject to waves of severe
discrimination -- in terms of property rights, freedom of language and
education, upward mobility and more.' The Jewish population has decreased
from 500,000 to a mere 17,000, and continues to shrink. In 2003, many Jews
realized that they could no longer remain in Turkey, after terrorists
attacked Istanbul's Neve Shalom and Bet Israel synagogues, killing
27 and
injuring hundreds. `Pervasive anti-Semitism in the public sphere also has
played an undeniable role' in Jewish emigration, reported Wilson. According
to a poll commissioned by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), `around 70% of
Turks harbor anti-Semitic attitudes.'
In Turkey, the situation of the Jewish minority is becoming more
intolerable. Last September, `a cellphone store in downtown Istanbul hung
up a sign in its window that read, `The Jew dogs cannot come in here,''
Wilson reported. Mois Gabay, editor of the local Jewish newspaper Salom,
wrote: `We face threats, attacks and harassment every day.' Last July,
Erdogan expressed his utter hatred of Jews by telling the Turkish public
during a campaign stop: `They [Jews] curse Hitler day and night, but they
have surpassed Hitler in barbarism.' Ankara's Mayor, Melih
Gokcek, member
of Erdogan's ruling party, praised a Turkish singer who had declared: `May
God bless Hitler.' During a Holocaust Memorial Day event in Ankara
on
January 27, Parliament Speaker Cemil Cicek was quoted as scolding Israel
for committing a modern Holocaust in Gaza.
The silence of Israel, the United States, and the international community
in the face of such outrageous Turkish behavior has created an out of
control monster. All those who have spoiled Erdogan are obligated to
restrain him before he becomes a true menace to the region and the world.



#82 Yervant1

Yervant1

    The True North!

  • Super Moderator
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 21,603 posts
  • Gender:Male

Posted 08 April 2015 - 09:14 AM

TURKS NEVER MARKED GALLIPOLI ANNIVERSRAY ON APRIL 24: ARMENIAN PRESIDENT

17:45, 07 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

On April 24, the day of commemoration of the 100th anniversray of
the Armenian Genocide, Armenians will be joined at Tsitsernakaberd
by representatives of the international community, including heads
of countries Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said in an interview
with Russia 24 Channel.

Speaking about the Armenian-Turkish relations, Serzh Sargsyan said:
"We have never posed any preconditions for normalization of relations
with Turkey, not even the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. A few
years ago I tried to reach a normalization, but the Turkish party
refused from its commitments because of some reason, and failed to
ratify the two protocols signed in Zurich," President Sargsyan said.

The President said he sent a letter to his Turkish counterpart,
inviting him to Armenia on April 24 for 100th commemoration of the
Armenian Genocide. "The Turkish authorities not only refused to attend
the events, but also extended an invitation to participate in the
events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli Battle"

"It's known to everyone that the battle in Gallipoli did not start or
end on April 24, and Turkey never marked the anniversary on April 24,"
President Sargsyan said.

The President added he can't say how many people in Turkey are willing
and ready to recognize the Armenian Genocide and get rid of that heavy
burden. "But we see a positive move, and I'm grateful to those Turkish
citizens, who have started the movement," Serzh Sargsyan stated.

http://www.armradio....nian-president/
https://www.youtube....h?v=m2q28roM-Uw
 



#83 Yervant1

Yervant1

    The True North!

  • Super Moderator
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 21,603 posts
  • Gender:Male

Posted 08 April 2015 - 09:23 AM

IWI LEADER CALLS FOR MAORI BOYCOTT OF ANZAC DAY

Scoop, New Zealand
April 7 2015

Tuesday, 7 April 2015, 8:59 am
Press Release: David Rankin

Media Release
For Immediate Release

Iwi leader calls for Maori Boycott of ANZAC Day

* Says ANZAC Day is being hijacked by Turks to hide the genocide
centenary * Turkish Embassy refuses to respond * "Take poppies off
to show solidarity with indigenous Armenians"

The Ngapuhi leader and academic David Rankin has called for Maori
to boycott this year's centennial ANZAC commemorations becaue the
Turkish Government is using the event to deflect attention from the
Armenian Genocide, in which over a million indigenous Armenians were
killed by the Turks.

"The Armenian holocaust began on 24 April 1915, so what better way
for Turkey to hide it than to put all attention on ANZAC Day," says
Mr Rankin. "The indigenous Armenian population was slaughtered by
the colonising Turks and our involvement in the ANZAC centennial at
Gallipoli is supporting the genocide of the coloniser. Indigenous
peoples need to stand up and fight the oppressor"

"Turkey was the ISIS of its day," says Mr Rankin. "It killed nearly
one and a half million Armenians because they were Christians and
they were on territories that the Turks wanted to colonise. We are
effectively supporting this by going along with the commemorations that
are being orchestrated at Gallipoli. They are a diversionary tactic."

Mr Rankin wrote to the Turkish Ambassador to New Zealand about this
matter in January but has not received any response. "This shows me
that their attitude to indigenous peoples has not changed in a hundred
years. We can still be ignored and treated like dirt," says Mr Rankin.

Mr Rankin is calling on Maori and other indigenous groups to boycott
this year's ANZAC Day events and as a sign of their solidarity with
the indigenous Armenians, to stop wearing poppies this year.

ENDS

http://www.scoop.co....f-anzac-day.htm
 



#84 Yervant1

Yervant1

    The True North!

  • Super Moderator
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 21,603 posts
  • Gender:Male

Posted 08 April 2015 - 09:33 AM

WILL ANKARA SURPRISE THE WORLD ON APRIL 24?

Cihan News Agency, Turkey
April 7 2015

CIHAN | ISTANBUL- 07.04.2015 11:38:50
by YAVUZ BAYDAR

Well, folks, come April, "G-word" season is here -- but this time
with a big gong.

One of the greatest chapters of shame written by the leaders of these
tormented lands exactly 100 years ago remains fully open, before our
eyes, 100 years later, leaving all the wounds in the hearts and minds
of the Armenians also fully open.

As the centennial commemoration of the great Armenian tragedy
approaches, the descendants of Armenians who were subjected to severe
acts of genocide by the Ottoman army, their local collaborators --
local militia and tribes, Turks, Kurds and others -- are wondering
whether Ankara will express some form of regret or remorse for what
took place in history after all this time.

Will the Turkish government also acknowledge some responsibility for
the systematic, aggressive denial and massive cover-up of the crimes
against humanity that took place in 1915-18?

The silent majority in Turkey seems, well, indifferent to the
anniversary. But for Ankara, April 24 continues to occupy the agenda,
with a question in bold: Will US President Barack Obama use the G-word
this time? Nothing else seems to matter.

Put two counter-dynamics in the picture of "realpolitik" as well:

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan -- and the Justice and Development
Party (AKP) to which he attaches all of his hopes for a power grab --
has now realized that one should not rock the boat of the nationalist
part of the electorate at all. Erdogan has for a long time deliberately
returned to the template of denialist state rhetoric, at times using
language against Armenians bordering on hate speech. In a move that
was easily exposed as sufficiently populist, he is now preparing the
nation to celebrate the World War I victory of Gallipoli on April
24. The previous day marking the battle was on March 18.

Needless to say, it came as a delightful piece of news for all of
the denialist forces within the state, as well as nationalists of
all ranks.

The counter-dynamic to this lies with the US Congress. After a period
of deterioration in Turkish-American relations, members of Congress
were subjected to severe attacks by Erdogan, who called them "hired"
by a "parallel structure," a murky term he believes exists. The
resentment Erdogan caused, along with other rifts with Washington,
has created momentum to pass a resolution in favor of acknowledging
the events of 1915 as genocide, which may be difficult for the White
House to ward off this time.

As with many opportunities to transform society, Erdogan could
have brought Turkey to reconciliation -- social and political --
but the nationalist in him awoke, emboldened by huge victories. He --
if you ask me -- demolished his opportunity by preventing the signing
of protocols with Armenia. This has slowed down the social processes
in Turkey of understanding and internalizing the malicious affects
of the genocide.

Optimistic Armenians and Turks were falsely encouraged by the written
message Erdogan's office released last year, in April 23, which in
shy terms expressed condolences for the families of the victims of
the tragedy.

It is known by now that it was a strongly "watered down" text, and even
with that minimal content it created a stir among the top echelons
in Ankara. The fact that Erdogan never uttered a word about it,
nor was asked, explains the "strained state of mind" in the capital.

Thus, friends of reconciliation, lower your expectations to the
minimum this year as well: Ankara has not changed.

In fact, there are those who argue that there are strong forces who are
pushing for a reversal. My Armenian colleague Aris Nalcı wrote that
"[The official] Turkey is now returning to its factory settings,"
pointing to the recent production of state and AKP rhetoric with a
bold emphasis on denial.

There are strong signs indeed of resuscitating the evil ghosts
of the past. Last week, a flurry of "copy paste news" activity was
registered in pro-government media outlets, all of which told us that
the ASALA, an Armenian terrorist group, was "reborn" and that it is
now sending letters of threat to all the countries that accepted the
AKP government's invitation to take part in the Gallipoli anniversary
on April 24. The "story" smells strongly of fabrication and exposes,
in worrisome ways, the backslide the AKP has taken.

http://en.cihan.com....-CHMTcyOTg1Mw==
 



#85 Yervant1

Yervant1

    The True North!

  • Super Moderator
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 21,603 posts
  • Gender:Male

Posted 08 April 2015 - 09:35 AM

EL HERALDO: ANKARA'S PETTY TRICKS DIDN'T HELP IT

20:45, 07.04.2015
Region:World News, Armenia, Turkey
Theme: Politics, Analytics

After a century Turkey must immediately recognize the Armenian
Genocide, Honduras newspaper El Heraldo reports.

"It is high time for this to happen, since a whole century has passed
after the events committed on the territory of Turkey. Two million
unarmed and peaceful Armenian residents, including women and older
people were killed," the newspaper writes.

The commemoration events will take place in Yerevan, as well as
among Diaspora communities scattered all over the world. Numerous
conferences, commemoration evenings and exhibitions will tell about
the tragedy, which began at the end of the 19th century and continued
till 1923.

"Modern Turkey established by the Young Turks is watchful about the
rights of its country's minorities - Armenians, Kurds and Greeks. The
modern Turkey leaders seem to be unable to make a step forward and
put an end to this century-old pain. Conversely, Ankara authorities
decided to distract the attention from the 100th Anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide in a dishonest and petty way, adjusting its date
to that of the celebration of the victory at Gallpoli battle, which
took place during the same period

However, this trick had no impact on the international community. A
number of different international delegations will visit Armenia. The
presidents of Russia and France will visit Yerevan together with other
leaders to pay tribute to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims,"
the newspaper writes.

http://news.am/eng/news/260752.html

http://www.elheraldo...nocidio-armenio
 



#86 Yervant1

Yervant1

    The True North!

  • Super Moderator
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 21,603 posts
  • Gender:Male

Posted 19 April 2015 - 12:31 PM

Egyptian Streets
April 17 2015

Coptic Pope Tawadros II To Participate In Events Marking 100 Years
Since Armenian Genocide

Kari Megeed


Coptic Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria, Egypt has announced plans to
travel to Armenia to participate in events marking the centennial
since the Armenian genocide.

Purported by Turkey's former Ottoman government, the genocide saw 1.5
million Armenians systematically killed by 1915. The Pope's statement
came amid current tension between Egypt and Turkey that developed
after Turkey expressed disapproval of the ousting of Former President
Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

While most Armenians do not typically follow the Coptic Church, they
comprise a separate branch of Oriental Orthodoxy, the Armenian
Apostolic Church, which observes a similar calendar and traditions and
recognizes the same Pope. Pope Tawadros II stated that he will be
participating in commemoration events in Armenia, in addition to
visiting Coptic communities in Europe in May.

Coptic Orthodox Christians make up approximately 15% of Egypt's
population- around 10 to 13 million. President Abdel Fattah El Sisi
recently greeted Pope Tawadros II and Copts abroad in the spirit of
Sham El Nessim, or the Orthodox version of Easter, and sent delegates
to attend the Easter Mass held in St. Mark's Cathedral in Abbassiya on
Saturday.

The decision of Coptic Pope Tawadros II to participate in the events
came before Pope Francis called the 1915 mass killing of Armenians a
genocide, but was not reported widely.

Following Pope Francis' statement, Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan warned him not to make such remarks.

"I condemn the Pope and would like to warn him not to make similar
mistakes again."

It remains to be clear whether Coptic Pope Tawadros II will also
describe the 1915 events as a genocide. The Egyptian government,
meanwhile, has never formally described the mass killings as such.


Edited by Marina Kilada.
http://egyptianstree...enian-genocide/



#87 Yervant1

Yervant1

    The True North!

  • Super Moderator
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 21,603 posts
  • Gender:Male

Posted 22 April 2015 - 09:28 AM

TOP LEVEL ATTENDANCE LOW AT GALLIPOLI CEREMONY

04.21.2015 14:05 NEWS

The list of participants has been announced for the Gallipoli
ceremony, which have this year been made to overlap with April 24,
the beginning of the Armenian Genocide. The ceremony in Turkey will
be attended by a total of 79 officials including 21 heads of state
and 5 prime ministers.

The commemoration ceremony will be held on 24-25 April and will
feature attendance at the level of president, parliamentary speaker,
deputy president, prime minister, minister and ambassador, and will
be attended among others by Charles, Prince of Wales, representing
the United Kingdom; Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan; Fuad Masum,
President of Iraq; Tamim bin Hamad el Hani, Emir of the State of Qatar;
and Khaled Khoja, the President of the National Coalition for Syrian
Revolutionary and Opposition Forces.

The commemoration ceremony will also be attended by international
organization representatives including Helen Clark, Administrator
of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP); Turkic Council
Secretary General Ramil Hasanov; Thorbjorn Jagland, Secretary General
of the Council of Europe; Iyad bin Amin Madani, Secretary General
of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC); Ambassador Smail
Chergui, Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union;
and also David Baragwanath, President of the United Nations Special
Tribunal for Lebanon, and Tawakel Karman, co-recipient of the 2011
Nobel Peace Prize.

1,100 journalists from 14 countries will attend the ceremony.

http://www.agos.com....lipoli-ceremony



#88 Yervant1

Yervant1

    The True North!

  • Super Moderator
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 21,603 posts
  • Gender:Male

Posted 22 April 2015 - 09:45 AM

REVELATION OF ARMENIAN FIGHTER IN GALLIPOLI BATTLE STIRS CONTROVERSY

The Voice of America
April 21 2015

Dorian Jones

April 21, 2015 1:31 AM

ISTANBUL--

Turkey commemorates on Friday the 100th anniversary of the World War
One battle of Gallipoli, when Ottoman Turks defeated a British-led
invasion force.

On the same day, Armenians around the world will mark the 100th
anniversary of the mass killings - which Armenians describe as genocide
- by the Ottomans of its Armenian minority.

The calamitous events are captured in the story of a Turkish Armenian
army officer, Captain Sarkis Torossian; but, the publication of his
memoirs of fighting in the Battle of Gallipoli has stoked controversy
in Turkey.

Torossian's story deals with many taboos and dark chapters in Ottoman
history.

Mass deportation

Even though he was a decorated Ottoman army officer, that fact did not
save his mother and sisters, who perished during the mass deportation
of Armenians by the Ottoman rulers. The mass deportation has since been
dubbed as a genocide by many - a label that Ankara vehemently denies.

Bilgi University professor Ayhan Aktar said the most contentious part
of Torossian's story is that he fought at the crucial World War One
Battle of Gallipoli.

Aktar said Torossian's story contradicts both Turkey's official version
of events that only Turks fought at Gallipoli as well as the latest
Islamist interpretation of the battle.

"When you form a Turkish republic based on ethnic nationalism,
you rewrite history. In the last 15 years, an Islamic narrative
started.They started to talk about the kinds of saints coming from
the sky, protecting the glorious Islamic army against the infidel,"
Aktar said.

"In both narratives - in the Turkish and Islamic narrative - poor
Captain Torossian is persona non grata, he does not have any place,
he is not Turk to take place in the Turkish narrative and he is not a
Muslim. He is Christian and therefore he does not fit in the Islamic
narrative," Aktar added.

The importance of Torossian's story, Aktar said, is why publishers were
persuaded to print it in Turkey. While Aktar said he was aware the
book was controversial, he was surprised by the unlikely alliance of
Turkish secular nationalists, Islamists and even the army attacking it.

"I mean, I was not expecting such a debate, such a fury," he said.

"They told me that I was naïve. I was cheated by the text and tried
to discredit the book by finding details, saying, this guy is a
systematic liar.

"When the Torossian debate started, the Turkish chief of staff made
an official declaration saying that there was no officer called Sarkis
Torossian on the Gallipoli front in 1915," Aktar said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan acknowledged the veracity of
the story, citing it in a communique to his Armenian counterpart,
Serzh Sargsyan, in a bid to persuade him to attend Gallipoli
commemorations. The offer was refused.

Worrying atmosphere

Aktar said the controversy over the book has created a worrying
atmosphere for Turkey's tiny Armenian minority.

"An Armenian Facebook friend wrote me a personal message saying that
my grandfather, Hacik Bey, was wounded at Gallipoli. I wrote to him
saying can I use this account, he said please do so, but don't give
my name," Aktar said.

"This upsurge of nationalism against an Armenian officer who
fought in the army created a kind of uneasy feeling in an ordinary
Turkish-Armenian citizen, who still has the trauma of genocide and
I never forgive this," he added.

Aktar said the controversy has opened the door to other accounts of
Armenian officers who fought at Gallipoli becoming known.

"This debate on Captain Torossian initiated another upsurge in research
about who were these officers in the Ottoman Army. Actually, I am
very proud of it," he said. "While we are commemorating a battle
or resistance or heroism, we should never forget the ones who are
fighting with us. This is very important and we should pay respect."

http://www.voanews.c...sy/2728286.html
 



#89 Yervant1

Yervant1

    The True North!

  • Super Moderator
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 21,603 posts
  • Gender:Male

Posted 23 April 2015 - 08:38 AM

US WILL SEND NO DELEGATION TO GALLIPOLI BATTLE COMMEMORATIONS IN TURKEY

18:10, 22.04.2015
Region:World News, Turkey
Theme: Politics

Turkey has suffered another blow in connection with participation
to its forthcoming 100th anniversary commemorations of the Battle
of Gallipoli.

Accordingly, not only has US President Barack Obama declined from
personally attending these events, but he will send no one from his
country to be on hand at these commemorations.

Even though a US delegation will not participate in the Battle of
Gallipoli 100th anniversary events to be organized by the Turkish
president on Friday, April 24, US Ambassador to Turkey John Bass will
be at Gallipoli, reported Sozcu daily of Turkey.

To note, the Vatican likewise has decided not to send a delegation
to the Gallipoli commemorations.

http://news.am/eng/news/263324.html



#90 Yervant1

Yervant1

    The True North!

  • Super Moderator
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 21,603 posts
  • Gender:Male

Posted 05 May 2015 - 08:52 AM

18:38 05/05/2015 » IN THE WORLD

Erdogan declines Putin’s invitation to Moscow ceremony in fresh diplomatic snub

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declined an invitation from counterpart Vladimir Putin to attend the ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of Moscow’s victory in World War II, in an apparent diplomatic reprisal against Russian leader’s decision to label the 1915 killings of Ottoman Armenians as genocide last month, Hurriyet Daily News reports. 
Russian diplomatic sources told daily Hurriyet on May 5 that Turkey would be represented by Ambassador Ümit Yardım at the May 9 Victory Day Parade in Moscow. 
Upon a question from a Russian journalist, Turkish Parliament Speaker Cemil Cicek said during his visit to Moscow on April 15 that he “was sure that President [Erdogan] would try come” to Moscow for the ceremony.
“April 24, 1915 is a melancholy date, related to one of the most horrendous and dramatic events in human history, the genocide of the Armenian people,” Putin said in a letter to the World Without Genocide commemorative event on April 23, the text of which was also posted on the Kremlin website. Furthermore, the Duma voted on April 24 to pass a resolution that described the 1915 events as "genocide." 
Putin and French President Francois Hollande were among the leaders who joined the commemorations in Armenia’s capital Yerevan on April 24 to mark the 100th anniversary.
After the Turkish Foreign Ministry strongly condemned Putin and the Duma, President Erdogan personally dove into the issue. 
“We wish that Mr. Putin and Mr. Hollande had not gone to Armenia [on April 24]. Two heads of states went there [in Yerevan]. Thank God, 20 heads of state came to us,” Erdogan said.
 
 

Source: Panorama.am



#91 Yervant1

Yervant1

    The True North!

  • Super Moderator
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 21,603 posts
  • Gender:Male

Posted 20 May 2015 - 09:03 AM

THE CELEBRATION OF THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE GALLIPOLI BATTLE BECAME PROBLEMATIC FOR PRESIDENT ERDOGAN

Tuesday, 19 May 2015 16:52

The events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
of 1915, which took place on April 24 in Yerevan, were attended by
Presidents of Russia and France Vladimir Putin and Francois Hollande,
who are also the heads of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair states carrying
out a mediation mission in the Karabakh conflict settlement process.

Their speeches delivered at Tsitsernakaberd, as well as the speeches
of Presidents of Cyprus and Serbia Nikos Anastasiadis and Tomislav
Nikolic were circulated around the world and were approval by the
people condemning the Genocide - regardless of their nationality,
race or religion. The emphasis of the Presidents were extremely
important in the sense that the Genocide recognition is the victory
of conscience and justice over intolerance and hatred and that's how
the peace and security of the planet can be maintained.

Upon learning about the decision of the Presidents of the two co-chair
states of the OSCE Minsk Group to visit Yerevan, the leaders of Turkey
and Azerbaijan immediately expressed their dissatisfaction. The
other co-chair state of the OSCE Minsk Group - the United States -
displayed that it does not, at least, welcome the idea of organizing
the celebrations in Gallipoli. It was testified by the April 18
information of the US Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Robert Sekuta, given
to the Azerbaijani APA News Agency that "perhaps the United States
will not participate in the events at Gallipoli". Later it turned
out that no delegation and no high-ranking official from Washington
arrived in Turkey. Only the US Ambassador to Turkey participated in
the events at Gallipoli. It was another slap to Turkey by the United
States: in 2014, none of the White House staff participated in the
inauguration ceremony of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan - only one
employee of the US Embassy to Turkey attended the ceremony.

The general picture is quite eloquent: the heads of the three co-chair
states of the Minsk Group expressed their disagreement with the Turkish
side, thereby enraging the leadership of the two fraternal states -
Azerbaijan and Turkey. The expected statements by the latters were
immediately issued. However, we should note that President of France
Francois Hollande managed to avoid the Turkish-Azerbaijani attacks,
which could be conditioned by his visit to Baku. Hollande departed
from Yerevan to Azerbaijan to meet with President Ilham Aliyev.

In a series of statements that followed the event the first was
the statement of Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu who noted
that the participation of the Presidents of Russia and France in the
event in Armenia cast a shadow on the impartiality of the OSCE Minsk
Group. He was outraged that Putin described the Armenian Genocide as
"one of the most terrible and tragic events in human history". The
Turkish Prime Minister threatened to take appropriate diplomatic
steps against the statement of the Russian President.

The Azerbaijani side uses every opportunity to state that the process
of peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict should be withdrawn
beyond the Minsk Group and considered at another platform. Hollande's
and Putin's presence in Yerevan was another excuse for hysteria in
Azerbaijan. A few days after the celebrations in Gallipoli, Russian
Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin had to note that any attempt
aimed at the change of the format could lead to the distortion of
the negotiation process. Neither the parties nor the mediators can
hope for any outside "magic recipe" of immediate resolution of the
Karabakh conflict.

Why was the Turkish leadership outraged just by the visit of the
Russian President? After all, Presidents of other states, as well
as delegations from 60 countries and international organizations
were also in Tsitsernakaberd. How many applications should sound
from Ankara, how many Ambassadors should be recalled, and how many
people should give clarification? Comments are not needed, only the
words of Serbian President Nikolic can be quoted, "Could we not to
be present here today and to betray those who are from the bloody
past and believe that only the truth will save us? No, we could not
and didn't dare to miss the event".

The sanctions promised by the Prime Minister of Turkey, surely, if
they take place, we will see in the near future; let us just note
President Erdogan's statement addressed to the Russian side, in which
he demands clarification regarding the actions of Russia in Ukraine
and the Crimea. In response, the President's Press Secretary, Dmitry
Peskov, reminded the Turkish leadership from the Kremlin that Armenia
is Russia's important strategic partner, a member of the Eurasian
Economic Union and, above all, Moscow and Yerevan are connected with
deep historical roots. Then, he explained that Putin's participation
in the ceremony to commemorate the victims of the Armenian Genocide
was not a reason for negative reaction by Ankara.

That official Ankara considered its event failed is a fact and that's
why it started to throw its "diplomatic arrows" in one or another
direction, to recall its Ambassadors, as it was in the case with the
Vatican and Austria, and to threaten the partner-states. However,
there was no result. A question arises here: why did Erdogan, who was
sitting joyfully at the festive table with representatives of the
friendly countries, suddenly change his cheerful mood and began to
discuss the behavior of the officials who had arrived in Yerevan? We
can conclude that the initiative of the Turkish political elite did
not reach its goal.

Another logical question arises: why did Erdogan recall the Turkish
Ambassador from Moscow? To do this it was necessary to take the risk,
but Turkey will not impede the implementation of the agreement on the
export of the Russian gas to Europe through its territory - annually,
63 billion cubic meters of gas will be sent here. So, Erdogan says
for nothing that Vladimir Putin's statements distress him. After all,
he realizes well that after some distress he will again thinking
about the Russian gas.

By the way, the spokesman for the Russian President also expressed hope
that Ankara's statements would not affect negatively the bilateral
programs and, in particular, the fate of the "Turkish Stream" gas
pipeline. <<We hope that our relations will develop steadily as they
have developed so far>>, Peskov said.

The conclusion is clear: the Gallipoli event had no positive value
primarily for Turkey itself. Moreover, it became a problem for
President Erdogan, affecting the relations with the partner-states.

And the European community was finally disappointed with the political
elite of this country, which has been advised in the recent years
to follow the example of Germany and thus to turn the dark pages of
its history.

Both Turkey and Azerbaijan should try to clarify the cause-and-effect
relationships of the recent events and to think not about condemning
the international community or changing the format of the negotiation
process, but first and foremost about how to change their thinking
and strategy. And since they are not yet psychologically ready to
recognize the historical truth and justice, their efforts to find
friends and like-minded people on the world arena will be unsuccessful.

Ruzan ISHKHANIAN
http://artsakhtert.c...itics&Itemid=17
 






1 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users