Armenian journalist appointed chief advisor to Turkish Prime Minister

[Yervant1]

The appointment of an Armenian as a chief adviser to Davutoglu seems like a double edged sword. I'm more inclined to believe that he will be used by the president.

13:49 25/10/2014 » TOPIC OF THE DAY

Armenian journalist appointed chief advisor to Turkish Prime Minister

Turkish-Armenian journalist and writer Etyen Mahcupyan will serve as a chief advisor to Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.
Davutoglu offered the post to Mahcupyan last week, on the sidelines of a meeting of the intellectuals’ council. Mahcupyan accepted the offer, according to Sabah daily.
Davutoglu stressed that Etyen Mahcupyan made an important contribution to Turkey’s democratization and the formation of civil society.
It is noted that Mahcupyan will deal with the settlement of the Armenian issues.
He headed Agos weekly for some time after Hrant Dink’s assassination, and gained wide public recognition.

Source: Panorama.am

 

Edited October 26, 2014 by Yervant1

[onjig]

I would think this is a way of gathering information for Orcish reasons.

[Yervant1]

ETYEN MAHcUPYAN'S APPOINTMENT NOT TO IMPROVE TURKEY'S POLICY TOWARD ARMENIA - EXPERT

21:19 â~@¢ 28.10.14

The appointment of Etyen Mahcupyan, former chief editor of the Agos
newspaper, as Senior Advisor to Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
will not have any impact on Turkey's policy toward Armenia, expert
in Turkic studies Hakob Chakryan told Tert.am.

"They adopted this policy back in 1991, and they are following it now.

Five or six presidents have changed in Turkey since them, as well as
governments, but the policy remains the same. So it would be wrong
to hope for Turkey's better attitude to Armenia because he [Etyen
Mahcupyan] is an Armenian," the expert said.

As to what is Turkey's real aim, he said:

"The aim is to improve its international image. The European Union
demands that Turkey respect ethnic and religious groups, including
national minorities' rights. It is Turkey's step in an attempt to
meet the EU's demands and improve its rating."

http://www.tert.am/en/news/2014/10/28/armenia-mahchupyan/

[Yervant1]

MAHCHUPYAN'S APPOINTMENT: A NEW STEP IN GENOCIDE DENIAL POLICY?

November 4, 2014

BY ALINE OZINIAN
>From CivilNet

Turkish Sabah newspaper, which has come to be considered in recent
years as the mouthpiece of the ruling Justice and Development Party,
announced the appointment of Etienne Mahchupyan as Chief Advisor to
Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on October 25. Sabah "adorned"
the news of the appointment with the fact that after Erdogan's
"constructive" April 24 message this was yet another important step,
this time taken by Davutoglu, toward the "normalization" of relations
between Turkey and Armenia (the term used in Armenia-Turkey protocols),
by appointing an Armenian as his Chief Advisor.

This appointment was regarded in Turkish press as an important step
which would assist Davutoglu in his policy on minorities and the
improvement of Turkey-Armenia relations. At the same time, Mahcupyan
denies the Armenian-Turkish orientation of his appointment, giving a
wider role to his activities. Mahcupyan said that it was a compelling
proposal which he gladly accepted. In the meantime, Turkish media is
emphasizing his Armenian roots, underscoring that the AKP managed
to bring even an Armenian to the position of chief advisor to the
Prime Minister.

Who is Etienne Mahchupyan?

Mahchupyan's acquaintance with Davutoglu has an old, intellectual
past. They met when Davutoglu was a scholar, and those meetings
continued even after Davutoglu became Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Mahchupyan was part of the "Council of Wise Men" which was created
by the government to find a solution to the Kurdish question.

After graduating from Turkey's prestigious Bogazici and Ankara
universities, Mahchupyan also lectured at those universities. He was
engaged in his own business until 1996 and worked as consultant for
other companies. In 1996 he ended his entrepreneurial life and made
the foray into politics, writing columns mainly in the democratic
and left democratic-oriented media.

Mahcupyan is also the author of numerous scientific papers, monographs
and books mainly about the issues of Turkey's democratization and
Western orientation, liberal democracy, army-state relations, religion
and democratization, Turkish-Kurdish relations and so on.

Since 2001, Mahcupyan worked for the Gulenist Islamic-conservative
daily Zaman, putting forward the idea that the Islamists have the
greatest potential for the creation of a new Turkey.

Mahcupyan was also one of Hrant Dink's best friends. In addition to
being political comrades, they also spent their free time together
travelling, making bets at the racetrack and passionately discussing
anything related to football. Their possible nomination as AKP deputies
was even discussed at the time.

Mahchupyan, who had frequently been writing for Agos, assumed the
post of Editor-in-Chief following Hrant's murder.

Mahchupyan as AKP defender In 2010, resigning as Editor-in-Chief of
Agos, Mahchupyan went to work again in Zaman. In the early years of
AKP in power, some Democrats and Liberals, not sharing the party's
conservative and Islamic position, continued to support the party's
policies. Mahcupyan who was considered an intellectual with left
Democratic views, was among them.

The party's slow and reluctant steps towards Turkey's democratization,
which included finding a resolution to the Turkish-Kurdish conflict,
caused the above mentioned political forces to stop supporting the
government. Immediately afterward, followers of the Gulen movement
also pulled back from pro-government positions.

But working for the Gulenist newspaper, Mahchupyan sided with Erdogan
and defended the AKP position during the Gulen-Erdogan conflict of
about a year ago. This surprised the readers of the scholar, who was
highly regarded by the Gulenists.

As an appreciation of his new political views, he received an
invitation to collaborate from Aksam, the most pro-government
newspaper, which he accepted.

Recently, Mahcupyan even defended Erdogan during the "Sorry, I've even
been called an Armenian" crisis. Shortly after that, in an interview
Mahchupyan linked Erdogan's conduct to his father's. No matter how
strongly Mahchupyan's sharp turn and unconditional welcoming of all
AKP steps were criticized by the Armenian community and Democratic
circles, he kept insisting, that the AKP was a chance to destroy
Kemalism and militarism and to create a "New Turkey" where Armenians
should also be actively involved.

Mahchupyan's appointment as a new step in Genocide denial policy Today
the appointment of an Armenian to the position of Chief Advisor to
the Prime Minister is important indeed, regardless of whether that
Armenian considers himself an Armenian or not, whether he emphasizes
his ethnicity or Turkish citizenship, whether he highlights the honest
coverage and acceptance of historical issues of ethnic background or
Turkey's democratization, or their coherence. It is hard to expect
that even such a talented intellectual as Mahchupyan will be prudent
enough to avoid becoming an instrument in Turkey's anti-Armenian policy
and will resign from the "high-ranking" position of Chief Advisor.

Although Mahchupyan stressed that the offer of Chief Advisor did not
clarify the possible areas of activity, it is obvious for everyone
that Turkey took this step on the threshold of 100th anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide in order to demonstrate to the world its
generosity and lack of problems with the Armenians. But AKP's trick
for the international community is not even perceived inside Turkey
by its own electorate and the supporters of those parties who portray
themselves to be democratic, who consider bestowing a high-ranking
office to an Armenian as treason.

It is possible that the government will explain Mahchupyan's
appointment to their supporters by the numerous examples of Armenians
holding high-ranking offices in the Ottoman Empire. This tradition
was continued by the Young Turks, a factor, which did not hinder them
from implementing the Armenian Genocide.

What we are witnessing is neither a development nor an attempt at
dialogue, but rather the next step in a pointless diplomatic game
with the Armenians, in which Armenia is unfortunately involved.

The invitation to participate in the commemorations of the 100th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide issued personally to Erdogan and
resembling a wedding invitation was presented by the Armenian side as
the next "brilliant" diplomatic solution, followed by trivial "proud
and victorious" statement: "The ball is in the opponent's field."

However, it is time to realize that the point of the game is not
constantly sending the ball to the opponent's field but scoring a goal.

The same logic implies that the Armenian blow has ricocheted.

Mahchupyan's appointment is one of the more important steps taken
by Turkey as it prepares for the 100th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide. Another blow, which can't be discounted in the near
future, might be the candidacy of Armenian Margar Esayan as Member
of Parliament.

http://www.horizonweekly.ca/news/details/52179

[Yervant1]

ETIENNE MAHCHUPIAN SEEMS TO BE FAR FROM ARMENIANS' GRIEVES - OPINIONS

11:26 * 05.11.14

The recent statements made by Etienne Mahchupian, the newly-appointed
senior advisor to Turkey's prime minister, demonstrate that he is
estranged from the common problems and grieves shared by the Armenians
worldwide, says an Armenian orientalist.

"The statements he has made since becoming a senior advisor to the
Turkish premier, as well as the other statements made before give
rise to many questions. He announced, for example, that Armenian
and Diaspora are in conflicts over the recognition and the 100th
anniversary of Genocide. This is definitely wrong, as being an
Armenian, he is obliged to know that this is the kind of problem over
which the Armenians cannot be split. And the same was later repeated
by the country's president, [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan," Ruben Safrastyan,
Director of the National Academy's Institute of Oriental Studies,
told Tert.am.

Citing Ermenihaber.am, a Turkish-language news website covering the
developments in Armenia, the Armenian service of RFE/RL (Azatutyun)
reported Mahchupian as saying recently that visiting Armenia on April
24, 2015 is a gesture which requires numerous other new gestures. "If
those gestures are made, the situation may mature, and the president
may go to Armenia. But if we are realistic, I don't find it possible.

As Armenia is expected to demonstrate an unusually tough stance in
2015, Turkey will not make that gesture," he was quoted as saying.

Mahchupian's approaches give ground to think that he is on the wrong
track, Safrastyan said, addressing his remark. "Erdogan's [decision]
whether or not to come to Armenia has nothing to do with Armenia's
position. If he comes, he will do so to raise his country's honor a
little bit; that's not for Armenia," he noted.

Turkologist Vahram Ter-Matevosyan had earlier told Tert.am that
he doesn't expect either positive or negative developments from
Mahchupian's appointment. He warned against attempts of searching
for hidden conspiracies behind the move or, on the contrary, getting
very enthusiastic.

Commenting on Mahchupian's recent statements, the expert said he
knows that the Turkish political system would never allow someone
with pro-Armenian positions to be appointed to a senior discretionary
government post.

"That man's activities will be pro-Turkish, first of all; all the rest
is a matter of comment. He cannot do anything beyond that framework;
he was appointed there for specific political activities. And his
activities do not have to have anything in common with the Armenian
factor. Hence it is better to avoid great expectations not to
be disappointed later. This is a process which we must use as an
opportunity," he added.

As for Erdogan's possible visit to Armenia, the expert agreed that
it isn't reasonable to jump conclusions months before the Genocide
centennial. "Armenia adopted the tough rhetoric in 2010, so there's
nothing new about it. And however tough Armenia's rhetoric, Turkey
is to blame for it. As to whether or not the viewpoint expressed is
realistic, I can add several factors to that, including the fact that
Turkey will be on the threshold of elections. So if there is a will,
everything else is of secondary importance," he added.

http://www.tert.am/en/news/2014/11/05/Armenia-sarfrastyan-comment/

[Arpa]

Is Mahjoobian a fitting surname for him?

To see what it means we will go here;

Hijab

http://hyeforum.com/index.php?showtopic=11844&page=1&&do=findComment&comment=176789

[Yervant1]

Armenians were loyal millet (citizen) before, they are still loyal millet today! Mr. Mahcupyan is saying nothing personal, it's just a job.

 

ADVISOR TO TURKEY'S PRIME MINISTER DOES NOT THINK ERDOGAN WILL VISIT ARMENIA ON 24 APRIL 2015

by Marianna Mkrtchyan

ARMINFO
Wednesday, November 5, 11:52

One should not expect any progress in the Armenian-Turkish relations
in 2015, Etienne Mahcupyan, Advisor to Turkey's Prime Minister,
says in an interview to Ermenihaber.

He says that the bilateral relations may normalize after 2015
only. He thinks that the tension will decline in 2016. When the events
dedicated to the 100th anniversary are over, efforts will be directed
towards mutual understanding and this will have an impact on the
policy as well. He says that the contacts between the two countries'
societies are being enhanced and more and more new projects are being
implemented. Ordinary citizens of Armenia are becoming more tolerant to
Turks and the same is observed in Turkey. "But normalization cannot
happen at once, because there is a Karabakh problem and there is
Azeri oil. All these factors hinder the process", says Mahcupyan.

When commenting on the possibility of Turkish President Recep
Erdogan's visit to Armenia on 24 April 2015, Mahcupyan points out
that Erdogan's possible visit to Armenia "is an important gesture,
which demands numerous other gestures".

"If these gestures are made, the situation may change and the President
may visit Armenia", he says. Nevertheless, Mahcupyan adds that he
does not consider Erdogan's visit realistic because in 2015 Armenia
will display rigidity in the matter of Armenian Cause.

As regards the Armenian-Turkish relations, Mahcupyan says that this
issue is not a priority for official Ankara. "If we rank Turkey's
tasks by their priority, the Armenian issue will be somewhere in the
middle of the rating", he says. Mahcupyan stresses that notwithstanding
his Armenian origin, he will not lobby this issue but will act as a
Turkish official.

 

 

[Yervant1]

TURKEY CREATING AN ILLUSION OF POSITIVE CHANGES AHEAD OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CENTENNIAL

15:21, 10 Nov 2014

Karen Ghazaryan
Public Radio of Armenia

Turkey is actively pretending to be changing and is taking illusionary
steps in preparation for the Armenian Genocide centennial in 2015,
expert of Turkish studies Gevorg Petrosyan told reporters today.

According to him, Armenian Etyen Mahcupyan's appointment as Adviser
to the Turkish PM also fits into this framework.

"I think those are superficial steps and there have been no changes
on a deeper level. The purpose is to create an illusion of positive
changes in Turkey ahead of 2015," the expert said.

It's obvious that Turkey is doing everything possible to reach the
target, and is even resorting to falsifications and dissemination
of misinformation towards this end. An evidence of this was Charles
Aznavour's imaginary interview to the Turkish press. This is an
obvious demonstration of the Turkish propaganda ahead of 2015.

"This was a propaganda step, a manipulation attempt, a misinformation
that contained certain messages peculiar of the modern Turkish
authorities. Through such an "interview" Turkey tries to manipulate its
own society and create a positive image of Turkey on the international
arena, and it partly succeeds in doing so," Petrosyan said.

The refutation of this "interview" reached us, but didn't reach the
world, at large. This way of action is no news to us, and Turkey will
continue to take similar steps in the future, he added.

As for the anti-Armenian statements of Turkish officials, the expert
said those are meant for domestic use to win votes.

Referring to reinforcement of the Republicans' positions at the US
Congress, Gevorg Petrosyan said "this weakens the Armenian lobby,
as the number of pro-Armenian Congressmen decreases."

The expert added that what Armenians need ahead of 2015 is legal
action, not just recognition, as the latter does not imply elimination
of genocide consequences or reparation.

"We should concentrate our efforts on solving the issue on the
legal level. I think spending our resources, time and attention on
international recognition is not correct," he said.

http://www.armradio.am/en/2014/11/10/turkey-creating-an-illusion-of-positive-changes-ahead-of-armenian-genocide-centennial/

[Yervant1]

PRIME MINISTER'S ARMENIAN ADVISOR

Daily Sabah, Turkey
Nov 12 2014

Etyen Mahcupyan 12 November 2014, Wednesday

A common view is shared among the Armenian diaspora and the
intellectuals of the Armenian community nowadays: "It is a tactical
move for Turkey's prime minister to appoint an Armenian as his chief
advisor with the 100th anniversary of the 1915 incidents approaching.

Moreover, it is obviously a move for the denial of the Armenian
genocide." Like many other aggrieved minority communities, a vast
majority of Armenians feel assured that the world revolves around
their own issues. This view is also common among the Kurds. They
think all the initiatives of the government are directly related to
them, regardless of what the government does. And they interpret the
government's actions accordingly. Consequently, Davutoglu's assigning
of me as the chief advisor has drawn the attention of many Armenians
to my Armenian identity. What really matters for them is not the
advisor's political tendencies, but the fact that an Armenian was
appointed. One is naturally obliged to ask this question when looking
from this perspective: Why did the prime minister choose an Armenian?

Then you have to answer it as part of the definitions of Armenian
identity. In this way, you inevitably make a remark that manipulates
Armenian identity. And most of the Armenian intellectuals in Turkey
are desperately wallowing around this vicious circle. As soon as you
define the others based on what you have been subjected to, you can
assume that all the deeds of the others are done for or against you.

Giving prominence to the identity of an Armenian advisor also has
another interesting outcome: If this advisor was really chosen for his
Armenian identity, then he is supposed to act like an Armenian and his
deeds will be evaluated from a criteria that accords with his Armenian
identity. Those with this perspective are not even aware that they have
a somewhat racist perspective since expecting me to unconditionally
act like an Armenian is not, in principle, different from a negative
implementation conducted against me since I am Armenian.

The fact is, one does not become more or less Armenian just because
he is appointed as the chief advisor. Moreover, when my case is
considered, it cannot be said that you are against a proper Armenian.

In this case, we are talking about a man who has never considered
himself as part of the community in social terms, and a man who has
never stood out as an Armenian, with his identity defining him. The
matter comprises of contributing to the creation of a shared wisdom
and influencing the government that, as much as possible, is working
among a major reform process and is in a tangle of serious issues
that are waiting to be resolved.

Being an Armenian only refers to a trivial sphere within the overall
mission. If we attempt to list the issues Turkey needs to resolve, the
Armenian "issue" or "genocide" is only in the middle of the list. And
my duty as chief advisor is giving advice to promote democratization
while paying the required amount of attention to each subject.

Expecting me to pay more attention to that issue than it really
deserves in terms of the current and future conditions of Turkey
might lead to disappointments.

In the meeting where Davutoglu offered me this position, the word
"Armenian" was not mentioned once and the prime minister did not
imply that he would charge me with a specific duty. On the contrary,
he focused on the general picture and needs of Turkey. For some,
it might be hard to accept but this is the reality: There are many
people in Turkey who are not trapped within their ethnic or religious
identities and sometimes life can bring some of them together.

http://www.dailysabah.com/columns/etyen-mahcupyan/2014/11/12/prime-ministers-armenian-advisor

[Yervant1]

Turkey PM is demanded to sack Armenian chief adviser

00:04, 05.12.2014


The recent statements by Etyen Mahcupyan, the Istanbul-Armenian
journalist and writer who was recently appointed as the Senior Advisor
to the Prime Minister of Turkey, have caused discontent among the MPs
of the country's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

The Office of the President of Turkey and the AKP deputies have
expressed complaints to PM Ahmet Davutoglu and demanded that he sack
Mahcupyan, reported Sozcu daily of Turkey.

The ruling party MPs were very concerned by the PM senior advisor's
statements, according to which the people believe that AKP members
were involved in the 2013 corruption scandal in Turkey.

On December 17, 2013, simultaneous operations were conducted in
several locations in Turkey, and it came to be called the Grand
Bribery Operation. AKP ministers' sons, businessmen, and officials
were detained during the operation and, subsequently, many of them
were arrested.


Armenia News - NEWS.am

[Yervant1]

WHY DAVUTOGLU'S ARMENIAN ADVISER ANGERED AKP DEPUTIES

Al-Monitor
Dec 9 2014

Author: Mustafa Akyol
Posted December 8, 2014

On Oct. 25, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu appointed an
unexpected name as his "top adviser" in political matters: Etyen
Mahcupyan, a prominent public intellectual of Armenian descent.

This was widely seen as a wise decision, because Mahcupyan, with his
newspaper column and regular TV appearances, has been one of the
most sophisticated defenders of the Justice and Development (AKP)
government in the midst of many crude attempts. The inclusion of an
Armenian voice in the top echelons of the Turkish government was also
seen as a prudent decision on the eve of the centennial of the ethnic
cleansing of Armenians from Anatolia in 1915.

Etyen Mahcupyan is one of the renowned "secular liberals" who supported
the AKP government against the secular Kemalist establishment in the
first decade of this century. (He always refused the term "liberal,"
though, and declared himself a "democrat.") Many of those liberals
gradually became disappointed with what they saw as the AKP's
authoritarian turn, and increasingly turned into critics, if not
outright opponents, in the last few years. However, Mahcupyan kept his
support for the AKP solid. During the confrontation between the AKP
and the Gulen movement, which was the definitive matter throughout
2014, Mahcupyan solidly supported the AKP, despite the fact that
he was then a columnist for Zaman, the flagship paper of the Gulen
movement. No wonder he resigned from Zaman in June and moved on to
Aksam, one of the several pro-AKP newspapers.

However, the very sophistication of Mahcupyan soon proved a bit too
much for some AKP folks. Mahcupyan appeared on a TV show on CNNTurk
Nov. 25, and answered some tough questions about the government. When
asked about corruption, he replied: "Corruption is not totally
baloney."

He added: "But when [pro-AKP] people put this [corruption] on
one side of the scale and what happened on Dec. 17-25 [corruption
investigations] on the other side, the latter proved more dangerous
and corruption became mundane. They [pro-AKP people] did not want
to risk a coup for the sake of going after corruption. Quite the
contrary, they accepted living with corruption for a while to
avert the coup threat. There were two evils and they had to choose
the lesser one. They made a rational choice, and it was clear that
they would make this choice. Turkey is going through a very serious
transformation. It is not willing to risk what it has gained in the
past decade with one stroke."

To some, this sounded like a realistic defense of the AKP position.

However, to some AKP members, it sounded too realistic. Two deputies
from Ankara, Zelkif Kazdal and Fatih Sahin, wrote angry tweets against
Mahcupyan. "No one has the right to cast any suspicions on the AKP and
AKP governments," Kazdal said. Another AKP deputy, Mehmet Metiner, who
is also a frequent media face for the party, also warned Mahcupyan,
asking, "What logic does he serve?" Everybody, Metiner, argued, had
to "talk according to the requirements of their office." In return,
Mahcupyan wrote a note to Metiner in his column in Aksam, implying
that he will not "distort facts to comply with the official position."

Metiner responded with fury, telling Mahcupyan to be "wise."

In all this tit for tat, Mahcupyan deserves respect for not "distorting
facts," and openly acknowledging that Turkey's ruling party has a
big problem with corruption. If he keeps on being this frank, he will
probably get more reaction from the more propagandist voices of the
AKP, but also perhaps make a contribution to Turkey's shamelessly
Machiavellian political culture.

However, I believe that Mahcupyan is also contributing to the same
Machiavellian culture on a different level: By arguing that "law"
is not a value that transcends politics, and thus easily disregarding
law for the sake of supporting the "correct" political project.

This led Mahcupyan to two gross mistakes over the years. The first was
his rigorous support for the "coup cases" against the military and its
secularist allies between 2008 and 2012. The so-called Ergenekon, or
"Sledgehammer," cases put hundreds of officers along with dozens of
academics and journalists in jail. More objective observers warned
that these cases were turning into "witch hunts," but some Turkish
"democrats," including Mahcupyan, insisted that they were all
justified, and had to go on "until the end."

Their fundamental error was to care more about the political results
of these "coup cases" rather than their legal contents. ("These
cases are needed to save Turkey from military rule," they kept
telling us, disregarding the fact that some of the "evidence"
looked too overblown.) Their belief in a political project (called
"democratization") made them disregard the universal criteria of law,
such as the presumption of innocence and the benefit of the doubt.

Then, in the second round of the same drama, came the corruption
investigations of Dec. 17-25, 2013. For figures such as Mahcupyan,
again, the key matter was not the legal content of the cases, but
their probable political results. The investigations could have led
to the resignation of some AKP executives and led to a decline in
the party's votes. This, they said, amounts to a "coup," and thus
they supported the blocking of the cases by the government.

In fact, Mahcupyan is aware of the meaning of his stances on these
matters, and that is probably why he wrote several articles arguing
that there is no such thing as "universal law." "Law does not have
the supra-political or nonpolitical role that is ascribed to it," he
claimed in one his recent pieces, targeting one of the assumptions of
"liberal democracy." He also reminded that societies "turn their faces
from law to politics in eras of critical transformation." Elsewhere,
he defined Turkey's current "critical transformation" as a "people's
revolution." The underlying lesson was that we had to put politics
above law, especially in such glorious moments.

No one can say such arguments by Mahcupyan are dishonest or shallow.

But I find them erroneous and dangerous, because they help justify
the hegemony of politics over values that I indeed consider as
"supra-political" such as human rights, rules of justice and freedom.

History teaches us that "revolutions" that disregard these values
"temporarily," supposedly for the sake of a better future, end
up rather creating a "permanent revolution." In the meantime, the
"revolutionary" political power, unrestrained by any higher law, ends
up creating a Leviathan that recognizes no rights other than its own.

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/12/turkey-davutoglu-armenian-adviser-corruption.html

[Yervant1]

Turkish-Armenian official hints scenario of breaking border deadlock

14:46 * 13.12.14


An ethnic Armenian advisor to the Turkish premier has prompted a
possible solution towards the opening of the closed interstate border.

In an interview with the Russian radio channel Golos Rosssii, Etienne
Mahchupian said he thinks that package settlement remains the only
best possible option. "The border between Turkey and Armenia will open
only in case of a package settlement, and that addresses both the
Turkish-Armenian and the Armenian-Azerbaijani relations," he noted.

Mahchupian said he doesn't expect Turkey to take any steps to satisfy
Armenia's demands. Meantime he ruled out any concessions by the
country.

Recalling former Prime Minister (and incumbent President) Recep Tayyip
Erdogan's condolence address issued ahead of the Genocide anniversary
in April, the advisor said he doesn't think that the country would go
beyond that threshold.

Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 to express solidarity
with Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh land dispute.


http://www.tert.am/en/news/2014/12/13/mahchupyan-border/1535220

[Yervant1]

Spoken like a Loyal Millet!!!!!!!

Mahcupyan: Turkey not to open border without Karabakh problem solution

The Senior Advisor to Turkish Prime Minister Etienne Mahcupyan said
the Turkey-Armenia border can open only in case of a package
settlement, Argumeti.ru said.

The matter concerns both the Turkish-Armenian and Azerbaijani-Armenian
relations, he noted.

Mahcupyan said that April 24, 2015 is a very symbolic date and the
approach of this date increases radicalism in the Armenian society
that takes an uncompromising approach to this issue.

The senior advisor said that he doesn't believe Turkey will take steps
in accordance with the demands of the Armenian side.

Turkey's making concessions in the issues of the Armenian Genocide and
opening of borders is impossible with such an approach of the Armenian
side, Mahcupyan said.

However, Turkey can take steps in this matter only a year later after
tensions ease, he added.


13.12.14, 15:18
http://www.aysor.am/en/news/2014/12/13/Mahcupyan-Turkey-not-to-open-border-without-Karabakh-problem-solution/884782

 

 

[Yervant1]

Spoken like a turk!

TURKEY, ARMENIA SHOULD LEAVE GENOCIDE ROW 'TO COMING YEARS': ETYEN MAHCUPYAN

10:52, 26 Dec 2014

Turkey and Armenia should not expect to resolve a long-running
dispute over the mass killing of Armenians in World War I on the
100th anniversary of the tragedy in 2015, a top adviser to the prime
minister said, AFPreports.

Etyen Mahcupyan, who is himself a member of Turkey's Armenian minority,
told AFP in an interview that 2015 would be a "tough year" because of
the anniversary and major breakthroughs would have to wait for later.

"I believe symbolic steps could be taken this year and a more emotional
relationship could be established," said Mahcupyan, who is a senior
adviser to Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

"But I believe more political or historical issues will be left to
the coming years and then it will be easier," he added.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered an unprecedented
expression of condolence for the massacres in April when he was still
prime minister, describing the killings as "our shared pain."

But this went nowhere near far enough for Armenians, who want the
deaths of an estimated 1.5 million people recognized as a campaign
of genocide ordered by the top security leadership of the Ottoman
Empire from 1915-1916.

Mahcupyan, one of very few Armenians to have held a government post,
said the priority for the future should be establishing relations
with Armenia as well as the millions-strong diaspora, many of whom
harbor a deep hatred of Turkey.

"I don't think we need to hurry 100 years on. What happens later on
should proceed more healthily," he said.

Armenia will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the massacres on
April 24, the date when in 1915 hundreds of Armenians were rounded
up and later massacred in Constantinople (now Istanbul) marking the
start of the killings.

Pointing to the striking "rapprochement" in relations between Russia
and Turkey over the last months, Mahcupyan said Moscow could play a
role "that facilitates this issue," he said.

http://www.armradio.am/en/2014/12/26/turkey-armenia-should-leave-genocide-row-to-coming-years-etyen-mahcupyan/

 

 

[Yervant1]

Today's Zaman, Turkey
Jan 6 2015

Is Etyen Mahcupyan a national security threat?

by JOOST LAGENDIJK
January 06, 2015, Tuesday


Whether Turkey likes it or not, 2015 is going to be the year when this
country, the successor to the Ottoman Empire, will be faced again with
the question - more pertinent than ever before--of how it looks back at
the atrocities committed against the Ottoman Armenians in 1915.

The rest of the world will be watching how Turkey will deal with the
allegations of genocide placed at its feet by Armenians all over the
world, morally supported by global public opinion that believes Turkey
has the responsibility to come up with a convincing answer. After 100
years of denial and failed efforts to redefine the issue, Turkey will
at least have to show it recognizes this unsolved problem and respond
to it in a constructive and compassionate way.

Many hope Turkey will continue where then-Prime Minister and current
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ended last year when he extended his
condolences for the Armenian losses in 1915. His actions were a
historic first and, together with speeches from then-Foreign Minister
and current Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, seemed to indicate a
willingness to initiate a new phase in currently frozen
Armenian-Turkish relations and in dealing with the haunting disputes
of the past.

I am sure that from now until April 24, we will see a lot of
speculation about what Turkey is planning to do in the run-up to and
on the day of the centennial. Expectations are high that Etyen
Mahcupyan, one of the most well-known Turks of Armenian descent who
has been nominated to be adviser to Prime Minister Davutoglu, can play
a positive role in that process.

Against this background of cautious optimism, reading a recent article
examining how Turkish textbooks deal with the Armenian genocide was an
alarming wake-up call, revealing the distance that still has to be
covered. Taner Akcam, the Turkish historian who opened the eyes of
many Turks to the horrors of 1915 and now works in the U.S., took a
close look at the history textbooks that are being used today in
Turkish schools, prepared and approved by the Ministry of National
Education. His conclusions are both shocking and sad.

Akcam cites many examples of blatant errors and obvious fabrications
that are being used in the textbooks to paint a picture of Armenians
as the true aggressors and Turks as innocent victims. Incredibly,
after all that has been published on this issue, history is still
being distorted and manipulated in order to legitimize the massacres
that took place. Akcam's conclusion is clear: "There is nothing new
about the New Turkey. Everything here is a repeat of what's been going
on for decades."

On top of these historical falsifications, what is most upsetting is
the way today's Armenians, in Turkey and abroad, are presented as one
of the biggest national security threats to Turkey. Turkish history
textbooks convey the message that every Armenian is an enemy. In the
words of Akcam: "Even if we set aside for a minute the diaspora and
Armenians in Armenia, it is clear that the government perceives a
segment of its own citizens and their problems to be a threat against
national security, and educates all of its citizens to engender
feelings of hatred an enmity towards this one segment."

How schizophrenic is a country in which students are indoctrinated
against Armenians, while at the same time Etyen Mahcupyan -- the most
visible representative of that ethnic group-- is one of the main
advisers to the prime minister?

At the end of his article, Akcam makes an almost desperate call to his
readers, one that I support wholeheartedly: "The Turkish government is
going to put up smokescreens, claiming to be interested in making
amends, and claiming that Armenians are the ones who keep backing
away, etc. It is going to try to create the impression that it is the
side willing to compromise and to find solutions. Please place these
textbooks directly in front of them at each and every opportunity, and
make it clear to them that if they want to reclaim any kind of
integrity on the subject they should first pull these books from
circulation."

http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist/joost-lagendijk/is-etyen-mahcupyan-a-national-security-threat_369067.html

[Yervant1]

Turkey seeking to cause split within Armenian Diaspora

18:13 * 29.01.15


Turkey is seeking to cause a split within the Armenian Diaspora and
show it is not unanimous in objecting to relations with Turkey, expert
in Turkic studies Arshak Shakaryan told Tert.am.

He thus disagrees with Etyen Mahçupyan, Senior Advisor to the Prime
Minister of Turkey, who stated that Armenia is more willing to
establish relations with Turkey than the Armenian Disapora.

"Ninety percent of the Armenian Diaspora are against relations with
Turkey. However, Turkey is able to find ten percent and work with them
and promise something to them, claiming that they are representing the
Armenian Diaspora," Mr Shakaryan said.

As to the fact that Armenian-Turkish official is the one that made a
statement, the expert believes that Etyen Mahçupyan was appointed to
make such statements.

"His statement has something in common with reality. However, it
reflects the fundamental principles of Turkey's policy," Mr Shakaryan
said.

Turkey has for a several years been seeking to establish relations
with the Armenian Diaspora, trying to present Armenian-Turkish
relations as Turkey-Armenians relations rather than Turkey-Armenia
relations.

"Numerous consulates hold meetings with diasporic Armenian
organizations, trying to draw then into a dialogue, discuss other
issues pertaining to Armenian-Turkish relations, including claims,
hold cultural events thus showing the entire world that
Armenian-Turkish relations are not restricted to frozen Ankara-Yerevan
relations," the expert said.

Turkey has come to realize that the Armenian side is locomotive in the
matter of recognition of the Armenian Genocide, and an opportunity to
cause a split within the Armenian Diaspora means slowing down the
process of presenting demands.

Although many Armenians are struggling for recognition of the Armenian
Genocide, they continue listening to Turkish music and watching
Turkish TV channels.

"Turkey is trying to make use of it. Davutoglu stated recently that
the Armenian Diaspora are former citizens of the Ottoman Empire, and
Turkey is even ready to consider the issue of granting Turkish
citizenship to some of them," Mr Shakaryan said.

As regards the possibility of slight progress in Armenia-Turkey
relations this year, he said that everything depends on Turkey.

"If Turkey makes just and reasonable steps, it will have more
opportunities for rapprochement."


http://www.tert.am/en/news/2015/01/29/artak-shaqaryan/1573535

[Yervant1]

Ruben Melkonyan. `It is strange for Etienne Mahchupian to comprehend
the counsel of April 24.'

January 31 2015

Advisor to Turkish prime minister Etienne Mahchupian, commenting on
Turkish president Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an's invitation addressed to
Armenia's President Serzh Sargsyan, had said that Armenians were also
killed in this Battle, and attending the celebration incurs form
Armenia's interests. In this respect, Aravot.am talked with Ruben
Melkonyan, who mentioned that one should understand Etienne
Mahchupian's political description to interpret his statements. `It is
clear that Etienne Mahchupian was appointed an Advisor to Turkish
Prime Minister due to this very description, a person who is Armenia
only by the surname, and a person who openly announces that first of
all he is a citizen and official of Turkey and serves the interests of
Turkey. Naturally, Etienne Mahchupian's statement is a statement of an
ordinary Turkish official, which should incur from the interests of
this state.' Mr. Menkonyan mentioned that Etienne Mahchupian supports
the left-wing ideology for many years, whose national identity is
subordinated. `It is probably strange for him to comprehend the
counsel of April 24, and whether it is possible for the Armenian
official to attend an invented and fabricated celebration on April 24,
the Centennial of the Dardanelles battle. Hence, I think that Etienne
Mahchupian's statement shows that he does not realize and is not
familiar with the Armenian perceptions and approaches the issue
one-sidedly ` from Turkish viewpoint.' The Turkologist believes that
this is not the case when Armenia should make a move to meet Turkey,
which will contribute to the establishment of relations between the
two parties. `This is clearly the case when the Turkish authorities
have invent a pretext to divert the international attention from the
Armenian genocide issue. This is one more campaign trick indicating
their move to meet Armenia.'


Ami CHICHAKYAN
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2015/01/31/168640/

[Yervant1]

Another Armenian being used for political reasons, not because Turkey is becoming a democracy! Just like in kindergarten, kids bring things to school for show and tell.

ARMENIAN JOURNALIST TO BECOME TURKEY MP?

16:44, 25.02.2015

In parallel with the forthcoming parliamentary election in Turkey,
the names of the MP candidates of the political parties are being
sketched out.

In the coming election, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)
has decided to nominate as MP candidate Istanbul Armenian journalist
Markar Esayan, who is a columnist in Yeni Safak daily, Aksam daily
of Turkey reported.

If Esayan makes it to the AKP's passing list, he will be elected to
the Turkish parliament and also become the first Armenian MP of the
party in power.

Turkey's next parliamentary election is slated for June 7.

Armenia News - NEWS.am

 

[Yervant1]

ANKARA MAYOR PRAISES MAHCUPYAN AFTER HAVING OFFENDED THE ARMENIANS

17:00, 27 March, 2015

YEREVAN, 27 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. Mayor of Ankara Melih Gökcek, who
recently stood out with his anti-Armenian statements, has expressed
his support to the Senior Advisor to Turkey's Prime Minister Etyen
Mahcupyan, who has declared that he considers himself an Ottoman. As
"Armenpress" reports, Gökcek posted the following on his Twitter
microblog: "Here we have an Armenian who deserves to be crowned...The
grandson of people who have been living in the Ottoman Empire for
centuries".

Earlier, Etyen Mahcupyan, Senior Advisor to Turkey's Prime MInister
Ahmet Davutoglu, had declared that even though he is Armenian, he
feels more like an Ottoman. The Prime Minister's Senior Advisor had
also said he doesn't care that Armenians refer to him as a "traitor".

"After all, all Armenians have different views. It's very likely
that there are also Armenians who call me a traitor, but that's not
important," he added.

http://armenpress.am/eng/news/799501/ankara-mayor-praises-mah%C3%A7upyan-after-having-offended-the-armenians.html

[Yervant1]

Istanbul-Armenian singer replied to Etyen Mahçupyan's odd statement

12:23, 28 March, 2015


YEREVAN, 28 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The recent statement of Etyen
Mahçupyan, advisor of the Prime Minister of Turkey, remain a topic of
discussion on the Internet. Mahçupyan said that although he is
Armenian, but feels himself more as an Ottoman. As "Armenpress"
reports that Istanbul-Armenian singer Hayko Cepkin reflected on this
issue in his micro blog on "Tweeter".

He recalled the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's earlier
words, where he had said by offensive tone. "Sorry, but they even call
me an Armenian". "It is possible that Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a
comment "Excuse me for my expression Armenian" having example to Etyen
Mahçupyan. If he has been used as an example, it means that in
general I do not take the words on me", Cepkin has written.


http://armenpress.am/eng/news/799564/istanbul-armenian-singer-replied-to-etyen-mah%C3%A7upyan%E2%80%99s-odd-statement.html

[Yervant1]

I am not a nationalist, but what happened was genocide: Mahçupyan

15:38, 28 March, 2015


YEREVAN, 28 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister of
Turkey, Istanbul-Armenian Etyen Mahçupyan, who is recently standing
out with his anti-Armenian statements, has declared that he considers
the events of 1915 as Genocide. As "Armenpress" reports, citing the
Turkish Haberler.com, this is what Mahçupyan talked about during a
roundtable discussion on "Understanding Change: The Era of JDP in
Turkey" in London.

He reiterated the statement that he had made in Belgium, stating that
even though he is Armenian, he considers himself an Ottoman. "As I
said yesterday, I feel more like an Ottoman than an Armenian. I am not
a nationalist, but I use the term "Armenian Genocide" when touching
upon the topic of the genocide of 1915. I believe what happened was
genocide since there is a clear formulation of genocide, and what
happened falls in line with that formulation. If you change the
formulation, the events may not be considered as genocide. Many people
might not understand me. Genocide is not a historical formulation, but
a legal term," Mahçupyan mentioned.

On 27 March, Turkish presses reported that the Senior Advisor to
Turkey's Prime Minister had said he did not care if the Armenians
referred to him as a "traitor". "After all, each Armenian has a
different view. It's very likely that there are Armenians who refer to
me as a "traitor", but that does not matter," he added.


http://armenpress.am/eng/news/799578/

[Yervant1]

Finally he saw the light, what was he thinking?

Etyen Mahcupyan steps down

The first ever member of Turkey's Armenian community to hold the post of senior advisor to the Turkish prime minister has retired, an official told AFP Thursday, after he described the mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as a "genocide."
According to AFP, the official, who asked not to be named, denied any link between the departure of Etyen Mahcupyan and the looming 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
Mahcupyan, 65, "has retired on the grounds of age," the official said, noting this was the age limit for all Turkish civil servants.
Mahcupyan, who was appointed last year as senior advisor to Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, infuriated some within the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) this week when he qualified the mass killings of Armenians as a "genocide," AFP says.
"If accepting that what happened in Bosnia and Africa were genocides, it is impossible not to call what happened to Armenians in 1915 genocide too," Mahcupyan said in an interview published this week.

Source: Panorama.am

 

[Yervant1]

ETYEN MAHCUPYAN DID HIS JOB - RUBEN MELKONYAN

13:33 * 17.04.15
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2015/04/17/ruben/1648813

The appointment of Etyen Mahcupyan as chief advisor to Turkey's premier
and his retirement is nothing, but a part of a "democratic" show made
by Turkey, expert in Turkic studies Ruben Melkonyan told Tert.am.

"Turkey has found itself is a rather serious situation after the Pope's
remark and the European Parliament's resolution. And pretending to be
a tolerant state allowing people to organize academic comnferences
on the Armenian Genocide has actually proved to be a show. And the
current development in Turkey are the best evidence of that state's
thinking," Mr Melkonyan said.

According to the Hurriyet newspaper, the reason for Mahcupyan leaving
his post is his age.

His recent statement on the killings of Armenians in 1915 at the hands
of the Ottoman Empire were a "genocide," evoked a strong reaction
in Turkey.

Asked if Mahcupyan used the term "genocide" because he was aware he
would retire for age reasons, Mr Melkonyan said:

"Etyen Mahcupyan may have been involved in general tendency. Although
he hardly has any serious ties with the Armenians and cannot be
considered an Armenian figure, he is an intellectual and cannot stand
aloof from international tendencies."

[Yervant1]

MAHCUP, AMOT, EMBARASSMENT

May 22, 2015

BY GAREN YEGPARIAN

Etyen Mahcupyan's "Compensation and territory" published May 12,
2015 in the Turkish Daily Sabah is a mass of drivel that constitutes
an affront to human decency and intellect. Please, feel free to read
it in its entirety. I will just address the most flagrant fallacies.

You might remember that Mahcupyan is an academic who worked at the
Armenian newspaper "Agos", then moved to Gulenist circles, and finally
ended up in AKP's (Erdoghan's party) orbit, even serving briefly
as an advisor to Prime Minister Davutoglu before his conscience
finally got in the way and he dared say "Genocide". Interestingly,
his surname describes well the spirit underlying this horrible op-ed
piece. While the root word, starting in Arabic means "veiled", as I
have come to understand the word based on conversation and Turkish
dictionaries, in practice it means: mousy, diffident, ashamed,
embarrassed, timid... you get the idea.

Hopefully, Etyen will see this piece and change his tune some.

"... a deeper perspective might suggest that a deliberate ambiguity
is created and the complex psychology of the Armenians lies behind it."

This strikes me as psychobabble deliberately used to distract the
reader from the real and relatively simple principles undegirding
any solution to the Armenian Question.

"...it is difficult to believe that the demand for territory has any
hope of being realized."

The flaw in the last sentence is painfully obvious, yet many people
make this or similar arguments, all the time.

1- If we don't pursue a goal we are CERTAIN not to achieve it;

2- No one would have believed, in 1980, the Soviet Union would collapse
just a decade, so arguing that territorial/frontier changes have no
hope of being realized is vacuous.

"... territory does not change hands on the basis of consent in the
world of nation states."

Really? How then are we to describe the land swap that occurred
between Iran and Turkey in 1930's thanks to which pan-Turkist ideals
were served by giving Trueky a direct border with Nakhichevan?

"... as two member countries of the U.N., Turkey and Armenia must
respect each other's territorial integrity."

Fair enough, but the current border/frontier is ILLEGAL, Mahcupyan
should know this well. The LEGAL border/frontier is the one established
by President Woodrow Wilson's Arbitral Award. Even a cursory review
of Ara Papian's massive studies in this field makes it evident.

On the other hand, such a demand has a weak historical basis in that
the lands inhabited by Armenians in the past did not belong to them
(with the exception of those that constituted individual properties),
but to the Ottoman Empire.

Really? Why is the Ottoman Empire the starting point? Why not the
Cilician, Pakradouni, Arshagouni, or any other ARMENIAN kingdom or
principality? What about the human right of self determination? What
about the foundational concept legitimizing nation-states?

"... until the Ottoman Empire collapsed, no soil was regarded as
the territory of any ethnic group... Later, "Turks" took possession
of those lands... we have to acknowledge that Turkish nationalism's
assertion to be the continuation of the empire is stronger than that
of the Armenians, as far as the transitivity between Ottomanism and
Turkism is concerned.

I'm happy to see that Mahcupyan at least affirms the CONTINUITY of the
two Turkish states--Ottoman and Republican. But once again taking the
Ottoman Empire as the definitive starting point constitutes a flawed
approach. he should thus at least be able to understand why Ankara
is TODAY accountable to the Armenian nation for past misdeeds. Also,
it is not any portion of "Anatolia" that is in question, but the
Armenian Plateau (or Highlands). This linguistic legerdemain helps
confuse the uninformed. Asia Minor, which today's Turkey occupies
much of, is NOT synonymous with Anatolia. Rather, Anatolia and the
Armenian Plateau are PARTS OF Asia Minor.

The issue of compensation ... we deliberately want to leave it
ambiguous as well. Being content with the revival of Armenian heritage
in Anatolia as compensation does not seem satisfactory enough or
significant enough for the Armenian diaspora in that it is not very
clear to what extent Anatolia is their homeland... it would be rather
unethical to demand money in return for what was experienced. Who
can measure those sorrows and estimate a price for them? Thus,
the world of "compensation" is being kept on the agenda. However,
it will always remain futile.

Wow, more fatuous Mahcupyanisms! What does "revival of Armenian
heritage in Anatolia" mean? The goal is to return their as a
nation/people and have all stolen property returned to us. And why
is compensation for the property (real and movable) unethical? It
is simple:

1- Real estate gets returned to descendants of the original owners

2- Money similarly gets returned to descendants of the original owners

3-The value of expropriated goods, too, gets returned to descendants
of the original owners, unless the original goods themselves can
be returned.

4- When descendants do not exist, or at least cannot be found, the
above three are placed in a trust of some sor,t administered by the
Armenian nation (exactly how remains to be determined since it must
NOT be a exclusively governmental entity).

>From the Armenians' perspective, the triplet of recognition,
compensation and territory constitutes a holy integration.

FALSE

Recognition is the most important one and the necessary first steps,
without which, the next steps are impossible.

TOTALLY FALSE- each one stands on its own set of legal legs

"... from Turkey's point of view, recognition is not possible before
demands for compensation and territory become "realistic," ... no
progress has been made on this topic for many years, and this deadlock
might continue for centuries...

What a great way to excuse Turkish unwillingness to do the right thing.

Please, anyone who knows this Etyen Mahcupyan guy, please tell him
to just be quiet and stop embarasing himself, offending Armenians,
and making progress on the Armenian Question more difficult.

http://asbarez.com/blog/archives/136316