Turkish Foreign Policy

[Boghos]

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/contents/articles/security/01/04/foreign-policy-not-on-right-trac.html

[Arpa]

Yes Boghos "foreign/voren" policy!

 

Ever since when they were booted out, do the Germans know that word? Seems they do, as Delalla told me to.... hivand yeghik) from Europe mehmet gave up all hopes of joining the EU they turned their sight back to the east and south. This is a déjà vu, history repeats. When in the 19th and 20th centuries they were thrown out of Europe they remembered their eastern origin and turned to the interior of Asia Minor and beyond. Guess who was the main obstacle in the way from stambokh to bokhu, and what happened to them.

The irony. The long time master osman and his slaves in the Arabian Peninsula** are conspiring to destabilize and islamize Syria, one with weapons and the other with money and propganda (al Jazeera in Qatar). Syria, the only ally of Iran in the region. Let me repeat. Those who cannot, are afraid to beat the eshek will beat the saddle.

 

http://espliego.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/leloir-lazarillo-beating-donkey1.jpg

 

 

I wish that Persia would forsake that comical Islamic “schmislamic republic” nonsense and go back to their glorious past reestablish their great Empire all the way to stambokh and beyond.

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mjF0l75DxpI/SQnmoye8j_I/AAAAAAAAAC4/YmmFsv2f8bE/s320/persian_empire_map.gif

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mjF0l75DxpI/SQnmoye8j_I/AAAAAAAAAC4/YmmFsv2f8bE/s320/persian_empire_map.gif

 

 

Except, this time bypass Armenia, and instead include those jokes of so called “countries “ in the Arabian Peninsula.

See what Johnnnes said #16 here;

http://hyeforum.com/index.php?showtopic=34759&pid=291131&st=0entry291131

 

“Those 'caring' countries of the Arab league lecturing us on how to establish freedom and democracy, do not even have them themselves, they lack the primary means of communication with their people such as Parliaments or even elections for a new president. All they have is a dictatorial regime based on the King and his laws... women in those countries are not allowed to vote or to be elected to high political positions, they can't even drive or watch a football match!!!”

 

**They called the Peninsula Hijaz/Hejaz (hajjaz?). Is it related to “hajj/haji”*** or visa versa?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hejaz

 

*** Off topic? Many Armenians, both male and female were (nick) named Haji, i.e pilgrim who had visited Jerusalem. I have personally known some of them. Were they named so because they were born on the way to and from Jerusalem, or even born there? Google ( About 338,000 results ) and see all the Armenian family names “haji-ian/Hajian. Or was it meant to be Khachian/Hachian?

Tamar Hajian;

http://www.armeniapedia.org/index.php?title=Tamar_Hajian

Edited April 14, 2012 by Arpa

[Yervant1]

IS TURKEY LOSING POLITICAL WAR AGAINST ARMENIANS?

By Appo Jabarian

 

USA Armenian Life Magazine

April 13, 2012

 

During recent years Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's much

fanfared foreign policy of "Zero problems with neighbors" has turned

into "Zero neighbors without problems."

 

After Turkey's posturing as a mediator between Israel and Arabs has

backfired both in Tel Aviv and the Arab street, Turkish Prime Minister

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has turned against his longtime ally President

Bashar Assad of Syria. Compounding the situation, The Economist

magazine reported that Mr Erdogan's secular critics argued that

"his behaviour points to another troubling impulse: to lead an arc

of Sunni Muslim countries spanning Africa, Asia, the Balkans and the

Middle East. As evidence they point to Turkey's coddling of Syria's

Muslim Brotherhood."

 

The Economist underlined: "These days, when Mr Erdogan attacks Kemal

Kilicdaroglu, the CHP leader, he draws attention to his membership of

the minority Alevi faith. He has even suggested that Mr Kilicdaroglu

opposes intervention in Syria out of a sense of kinship with Mr Assad,

who belongs to the Alawite sect, often seen as a close cousin to

Turkey's 15m-20m Alevis. The Alevis practise a liberal form of Shia

Islam and have long faced discrimination. Although their rituals

differ from the Alawites in Syria, they feel some solidarity with

them. Mr Van Dam warns that any war against Syria could 'further

polarise Sunnis and Alevis within Turkey.'"

 

Making matters worse for Mr. Erdogan, The Economist continued:

"The Syrian crisis has exposed another long-running Turkish sore:

its Kurdish minority. Selahattin Demirtas, leader of Turkey's mainly

Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), insists that Turkey is seeking

regime change in Syria 'to ensure that the Syrian Kurds don't get any

more rights than Turkey is prepared to grant its own Kurds, which is

hardly any at all.'"

 

It is against this backdrop of numerous explosive internal problems

with about 25-30 million Kurds, and 15-20 million Alevis; intensifying

problems with neighbors such as Iraq, and Syria; lingering problems

with Greece and Cyprus; Armenian advances in the international arena,

Turkey desperately seeks to find solace in Diasporan 'soft' Armenians.

 

Disheartened by its own failed efforts to derail Armenian quest for

justice; and by its fruitless attempts to make the facts of Armenian

Genocide debatable on the world stage, Turkey is becoming more and

more desperate in scoring a political victory against Armenians with

the help of 'soft' Armenians.

 

Harut Sassounian, Publisher of The California Courier has captured

the essence of the moment in his most recent article: "Realizing that

Turkey had to deal with the Diaspora, not just Armenia to resolve

genocide related issues, Davutoglu once again turned his attention

to Armenian communities worldwide. During a March 24, 2010 CNN-Turk

interview, he announced that Turkish authorities would initiate a

dialog with 'sensible' Diaspora Armenians. To pursue this stratagem,

in April 2010 Davutoglu met in Washington with Turkey's ambassadors

to the United States and Canada, and Consul Generals in Chicago,

Houston, Los Angeles, and Toronto. He instructed them to contact

Armenians who are open to dialog, and to avoid 'hard-line groups,'

according to the Turkish 'Today's Zaman' newspaper."

 

"Dissatisfied with the efforts of his diplomats, Davutoglu decided

to take matters into his own hands. Last month, he spent several

hours in Washington meeting privately with several Armenians and

non-Armenians from the Los Angeles area to discuss 'Armenian-Turkish

reconciliation.' The Turkish Foreign Minister also invited the

attendees to come to Ankara and bring along other 'prominent'

Armenians. Since then, Davutoglu has held similar meetings elsewhere,"

Sassounian pointed out.

 

Jirair Tutunjian, a well-known Armenian activist ridiculed Turkey's

attempts to woo 'Soft' Armenians: "As of this morning, I will wait

with bated breath for the postman to deliver the buff envelope with

the crescent-and-star insignia of the Turkish Embassy on the top

left corner. In it I expect to find an invitation for a two-week

familiarization trip to Turkey, featuring a whirlwind visit to Turkish

government archives which would prove there was no genocide, followed

by a visit to the Great Mustapha's mausoleum to place a wreath. ... To

wrap up the trip, I expect to be regaled .... I will return from the

junket with several kilograms of Turkish bumph about 'Turkey: bridge

between East and West', 'Turkey: Model Muslim Democracy', 'Turks: the

Origin of the Human Race', 'Armenian Terrorists Allies of El-Qaida',

'1,000 Turks Who Changed the World.' I would expect that the man

from Turkish foreign ministry insist that he pay the airline for

the extra weight. ... Upon my return, I will tell every one I know

that Turks are our bosom cousins, that some Armenians were killed by

Kurdish and Circassian bandits in 1915, that some treacherous Armenian

revolutionaries had wanted to tear apart Turkey and eventually rule

it with Russian help, and mention the benefits of Armenia becoming

a Turkish vassal state...discount-price canned imam bayildi, ....I

think I just heard the postman ring the bell."

 

Echoing the concerns expressed by Sassounian, Joseph wrote on

armenianweekly.com: "'Reconciliation' has nothing to do with

rapprochement with Armenians. Just like TARC, the Turkish state wants

to utilize 'reconciliation' to deflect genocide recognition full-stop.

 

That is the only purpose and it's so disgusting but then again,

what more can you expect from them?"

 

Avery commented: "Why bother? What 'dialogue'? There is nothing to

'dialogue' about. If and when the State of Turkey unconditionally

recognizes the Armenian Genocide, then we can 'dialogue' about the

depth and breadth of reparations. Other than that, there is nothing

to talk about with representatives of the Turkish State (private or

official). Just don't open the door when FM Davutoglu knocks. Ignore

them and they'll go away."

 

Sella added: "I agree with Avery, that we have to keep our doors

closed when Mr. Dovlotoghlu and 'his friends' knock, but the problem

here is that if we close our doors they are going to enter from the

windows. So, Armenians, please keep your doors and windows shut. Never

forget that 75%, (if not more) of our people were killed by Turks.

 

And, that 7 million Armenian Diaspora is created by Turks. ... Devil

did not do us as much harm as Turks did."

 

Add to this mix, the positive political developments in France.

 

Whether a modified French law criminalizing the denial of Genocide

gets instituted next year or in coming years, it is secondary. What's

important is the creation of a defacto political firewall around the

veracity of Armenian Genocide. The noble attempts to legislate that

law, by the French people and the parties in power and the opposition,

as well as the Executive and Legislative branches of French state

have further solidified the Armenian Cause. It doesn't matter how

these political efforts are fueled!

 

Whether incumbent French President Nicolas Sarkozy is seeking votes to

get re-elected; or he is leading a pan-European movement to keep Turkey

- "The Sick Man of Europe" out of the European Union, is subordinate to

another factor - the reinforcement of the notion that the international

community is not debating the factuality of Armenian Genocide. And

that spells trouble for Turkey in the coming years and decades.

 

Turkish courageous Publisher and an outspoken critic of Ankara's

denialist policy, Ragip Zarakolu's April 10 release Turkish prison

undoudtedly will empower many more Turkish activists to come forward

with their public acknowledgement of the Genocide.

 

"Arab Spring" has engendered "Turkish Spring!" Hardly a day goes by

without the members of the Turkish Deep State seeing the world around

them collapse. An increasing number of Turkish youth refuses to be

duped by their denialist leaders into "buying" the Turkish state's

false propaganda against Armenian genocide and Armenians.

 

As anti-genocide activitsts get further organized, and are joined by

an increasing number of righteous Turks, the noose around the Turkish

denialism will surely become tighter. The exodus from the Turkish

denialist is expected to intensify as Turkish righteous activists

become bolder.

 

And why is Turkey losing the political war against Armenians?

 

Undeniably, the latters are well-armed with truth, and have ablsolutely

no qualms about discharging their political guns at every step of

the way.

[Johannes]

Arpa;

About Hijaz, i think it's from hajz-haajez; պատուար, լեռնաշղթայի անունէն առաջացած է երկրի հին անունը:

 

 

[Johannes]

Էրդողան կերթայ Թեհրան,

Կը խնդրէ 5+1 ժողովը գումարել Իստանբուլի մէջ,

Իրեն կըսեն՝ մեզմէ չէ որոշումը, Այաթոլլան է որոշողը:

-«Ո՞ւր է Այաթոլլան», հարցին, կըսեն՝ Մաշհադ,

Կըսէ երթամ հոն:

 

Կերթայ եւ ժամեր կսպասէ Այաթոլլային, որովհետեւ ան ծիասակատարութեան մէջ է: Այաթոլլան Ժամեր կսպասցնէ Էրդողանին, ով կը խնդրէ Այաթոլլայէն, ժողովը անպայման գումարել Իստանբուլի մէջ, որպէսզի թուրք ժողովուրդին ցոյց տայ, որ ինք մեծ քաք մըն է (sorry):

 

This Opinion first appeared in Frontline's "Tehran Bureau" on April 3, 2012.

 

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's high-profile visit to Iran last week demonstrated one reality more than anything else: that Iran is very uncomfortable to have to rely on Ankara as a mediator but equally short of suitable alternative partners at the moment. Erdogan left Iran after having secured his hosts' blessing that the next round of Iranian negotiations with the P5+1 should be held in Istanbul on April 13. Given the escalation in tensions during the last year between Ankara and Tehran, this was no minor feat for Erdogan. Still, the two large regional states are set to remain at loggerheads on a number of pressing challenges in the Middle East. The primary schism right now concerns the future of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Damascus, but other regional rivalries -- including the Iranian-Turkish contest for influence in Iraq -- hugely complicate Tehran's dealings with Istanbul. The ambivalent feelings of friendship and rivalry were clearly visible throughout Erdogan's two-day stay in Iran.

 

Lackluster reception for Erdogan

From the get-go, speculation was rife about Iranian receptiveness toward Erdogan. The Turkish press highlighted the fact that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did not receive Erdogan at the airport; in fact, the Iranian president did not see Erdogan at all on the day of his arrival, claiming to be sick. The Hürriyet Daily News pointed out that Ahmadinejad nonetheless met a lesser delegation from Turkmenistan that same day. Regardless of whether a snub was intended or not, there is little doubt that the Turkish premier's visit to Tehran in May 2010 prompted far more Iranian enthusiasm. Back then, Erdogan, together with then Brazilian President Lula da Silva, had helped draft the so-called trilateral agreement that was meant to solve Iran's nuclear dispute with the International Atomic Energy Agency and the United Nations.

 

The trilateral agreement was rejected by the Western states, and in the interim the unfolding Arab revolutions have put Iran and Turkey in opposite regional camps. Whereas between 2009 and the end of 2010, Iranian officials spoke euphorically of Turkey joining the "resistance block," the period since early 2011 has seen Tehran increasingly consider Turkey as not only a primary regional rival but also a country that will happily stand hand-in-hand with the West or anti-Iranian Arab states such as Saudi Arabia if it serves to advance Ankara's geopolitical interests. Key advisers to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei went so far as to publicly tout the idea that Turkey -- together with Saudi Arabia and Qatar -- was pushing an American-dictated anti-Iranian agenda in the Middle East at a time when Tehran declared itself the role model behind the wave of Arab popular uprisings, which it calls the "Islamic Awakening."

 

At the moment, a critical issue dividing Iran and Turkey is Syria. Perhaps as a gesture of his commitment to friendly ties with Iran, Erdogan traveled to the holy city of Mashhad to see Khamenei, who likes to holiday in his hometown for the Persian New Year. There the Supreme Leader reportedly told Erdogan that Iran will maintain its support for Assad because Damascus "supports the resistance front against the Zionist regime [israel]." Khamenei issued this declaration despite the fact that a key component in this so-called front against Israel -- Hamas -- has all but given up on the Assad regime.

 

Meanwhile, as Istanbul played host this past weekend to a "Friends of Syria" summit whose agenda was how to remove Assad from power, Iranian officials spoke in ever louder voices of their support for the Syrian Baathist regime.

 

In Beirut, Iran's deputy foreign minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, said Iran "would not spare any effort to" back the Syrian leadership. At no time since the Syrian uprising began have Iranian officials been so vocal in expressing support for Assad's rule, most likely because the reading in Tehran is now that Assad will not, in fact, fall and that Iran no longer needs to keep its Syrian options open.

 

At the "Friends of Syria" summit, Erdogan probably had the Iranians in mind when he stated that in dealing with the Syrian crisis "geopolitical interests" should not set the agenda and drive regional policies. The Iranian side meanwhile dismisses such talk as high and mighty and aimed to disguise what it perceives as Turkey's Machiavellian plan to emerge as the geopolitical winner once the the Arab revolutions wind down.

 

Turkish shrewdness

The idea that Turkey is seeking regional dominance at the expense of Iran permeates almost all Iranian analysis about Istanbul's policies in the Middle East, not just Syria. Tehran sees a direct Turkish challenge to its interests in places such as Iraq, where the pro-Iranian government of Nouri al-Maliki was never Ankara's preference. Lately, the Iran-Turkey split has also began to resemble the kind of sectarian competition that has long characterized Iranian-Saudi relations. During his recent visit, the Iranian media lampooned Erdogan for voicing his support for (mainly Sunni) Syrian demonstrators but remaining quiet about the fate of the (mainly Shia) Bahraini protestors who face a Sunni ruling elite. One Iranian news outlet ran the sarcastic headline "Prime Minister, Anything Going On in Bahrain!"

 

Despite all these Iranian misgivings about Turkey, however, the simple fact is that Tehran needs Ankara -- probably more than vice versa. Turkey has become a key trading partner for Iran: the volume of trade between the two countries has risen from about $1 billion in 2000 to $16 billion last year. And from the Iranian perspective, Ankara plays an important role in backing its right to a nuclear program, by far the most important diplomatic challenge Tehran faces. This is a theme whose importance Erdogan recognizes, and he returned to it again and again during his visit, speaking out strongly against any military strike against Iran. The Iranian side recognizes that Turkish diplomatic support for Iran's nuclear program is self-serving, conditional, and finite but thanks to Iran's self-created isolation, the authorities in Tehran need to hang on to any token of support they can find on the international stage, regardless of how fickle.

Mein link

 

 

 

 

 

[Boghos]

A few comments:

 

1. Iran going back to its deserved place in the Middle East would be fantastic

2. I think in very few cases in human history have we seen a country's policy go from being a model to a laughing stock: Turkish foreign policy.

3. Armenians are ready to discuss. Armenia even accepted the Protocols...what else can Turkey ask for?

[Nvard]

A few comments:

 

1. Iran going back to its deserved place in the Middle East would be fantastic

and that is...?

[Boghos]

That is not longer a pariah state run by a religious mafia but a modern secular country with a balanced foreign policy.

[Nvard]

which is not what Armenia needs.

[Boghos]

what does Armenia need?

[Nvard]

Iran being strongly against Turkey and completely independant from the West