Turkish Forum

Category: Armenian Question

“The great Turk is governing in peace twenty nations from different religions. Turks have taught to Christians how to be moderate in peace and gentle in victory.”Voltaire’s Philosophical Dictionary

  • Alleged Armenian Genocide

    Alleged Armenian Genocide

    TP&J COM. IN CALIFORNIA
    Turkish Peace and Justice Committee California
    P. O. Box. 866 Sacramento, CA 95812-866 Tel: 530 297-1655 [email protected]
    ==========================================
    Update from California legislature

    Bad news:

    CA Senator Wyland introduced an SB 234.
    Approximately 4 year ago, former Senator Scott introduced a bill that allowed genocide survivors or their descendents to go to public school K-12 classrooms to tell their genocide stories orally. Implementation of these talks in the classroom was optional. Senator Wyland’s bill SB 234 makes it mandatory for schools to include it in their curriculum. And compensate these people (clowns) that participate in this subject.

    The intention of this bill (SB 234) is to allow children to be brainwashed by the so-called genocide survivors. By putting on theatrical shows, they will brainwash and transfer their hatred to the naive and innocent American children. The end result of this bill will demonize the Turkish people and their nation.

    Some people might not see the importance of this affair. Unfortunately, this occurrence is very dangerous for us (Turkish nation and its people) and for our next generation (our children). In the business world and State Capitol, I am already encountering graduates form UCLA and other schools that were brainwashed and have negative feelings against Turkey and the Turkish people.

    I vigorously worked to defeat Senator Scott’s bill but couldn’t succeed. Know that we have a second chance to make our voice heard and heard clearly. We have no choice but to stop this nonsensical political bigotry. I am begging every one of you. Please take all the necessary steps to organize and fight back for the sake of our country and our next generation.

    I am not going to plea for help again. I am very frustrated with chasing bill after bill; it never ends. I do not have the time and energy to do so. I have no choice but to direct my limited energy and resources to the objective. Even though in the last 12 years we did accomplish some successes, we have not overcome this problem fully, and this is frustrating me. Many times I intended to quit but the love of my country stopped me.

    I am attaching bill SB 234 for your information.

    In addition to SB 234, Assembly member Krekorian introduced a resolution AJR 14 relative to the Armenian Genocide. I was waiting for this resolution. This type of resolution comes up every year for approximately the last forty years. Because I knew it is coming up, I started lobbying against it since January. Before that, I volunteered for the election campaign. Every year it is getting harder for them to pass the resolution, but we were not able to stop it completely.

    For some reason, our community is not sensitive on this issue. The so-called Armenian genocide resolution is the main source of fuel to start other laws and resolutions. I believe that if we can succeed to stop this so-called Armenian genocide resolution, we will be able to stop other laws and resolutions that relate to this subject.

    Some might ask: what should I do? I don’t know, what is your intention and available resources? I suggest doing something such as: write a letter containing one sentence or even one paragraph; call and visit your senators and assembly members. Organize groups…..

    Respectfully yours,

    Karahan Mete

    CURRENT BILL STATUS

    MEASURE : S.B. No. 234
    AUTHOR(S) : Wyland.
    TOPIC : Curriculum: oral histories: genocide.
    HOUSE LOCATION : SEN
    +LAST AMENDED DATE : 04/13/2009

    TYPE OF BILL :
    Active
    Non-Urgency
    Non-Appropriations
    Majority Vote Required
    State-Mandated Local Program
    Fiscal
    Non-Tax Levy

    LAST HIST. ACT. DATE: 04/13/2009
    LAST HIST. ACTION : From committee with author\’s amendments. Read second time. Amended. Re-referred to Com. on ED. Set for hearing April 29.
    COMM. LOCATION : SEN EDUCATION
    HEARING DATE : 04/29/2009

    TITLE : An act to amend Section 51225.3 of the Education Code, relating to curriculum.
    BILL NUMBER: SB 234 AMENDED
    BILL TEXT

    AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 13, 2009

    INTRODUCED BY Senator Wyland

    FEBRUARY 24, 2009

    An act to amend Section 51225.3 of the Education Code, relating to curriculum.

    LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL\’S DIGEST

    SB 234, as amended, Wyland. Curriculum: oral histories: genocide.
    (1) Existing law requires each pupil completing grade 12 to satisfy certain requirements as a condition of receiving a diploma of graduation from high school. These requirements include the successful passage of the high school exit examination and the completion of designated coursework in grades 9 to 12, inclusive. The coursework requirements include the completion of 3 courses in social studies, including United States history and geography, world history, culture, and geography, a one-semester course in American government and civics, and a one-semester course in economics. This bill, commencing with the 2010-11 school year, would prohibit a pupil from receiving credit for passing a course in United States history and geography, or in world history, culture, and geography, without exposure in that course to an oral history component, as defined, specifically related to genocides , as specified . To the extent that school districts would be required to provide a higher level of service in order for pupils to meet this requirement, the bill would create a state-mandated local program.
    (2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state,
    reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.
    Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
    State-mandated local program: yes.

    THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

    SECTION 1. Section 51225.3 of the Education Code is amended to read:
    51225.3. (a) Commencing with the 1988-89 school year, no pupil shall receive a diploma of graduation from high school who, while in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, has not completed all of the following:
    (1) At least the following numbers of courses in the subjects specified, each course having a duration of one year, unless otherwise specified.
    (A) Three courses in English.
    (B) Two courses in mathematics.
    (C) Two courses in science, including biological and physical sciences.
    (D) (i) Three courses in social studies, including United States history and geography; world history, culture, and geography; a one-semester course in American government and civics, and a one-semester course in economics.
    (ii) Commencing with the 2010-11 school year, a pupil shall not receive credit for passing a course in United States history and geography, or in world history, culture, and geography, world history, culture, and geography, without
    exposure to an oral history component in that course, specifically related to genocides , including, but not limited to, the Darfur, Rwandan, Cambodian, Jewish Holocaust, or Armenian genocides . As used in this clause, “exposure to an oral history component” includes, but is not necessarily limited to, in-person testimony, video, or a multimedia option , such as a DVD or online video .
    (E) One course in visual or performing arts or foreign language. For the purposes of satisfying the requirement specified in this subparagraph, a course in American Sign Language shall be deemed a course in foreign language.
    (F) Two courses in physical education, unless the pupil has been exempted pursuant to the provisions of this code.
    (2) Other coursework as the governing board of the school district may by rule specify.
    (b) The governing board, with the active involvement of parents, administrators, teachers, and pupils, shall adopt alternative means for pupils to complete the prescribed course of study , which may include practical demonstration of skills and competencies, supervised work experience or other outside school experience, career technical education classes offered in high schools, courses offered by regional occupational centers or programs, interdisciplinary study, independent study, and credit earned at a postsecondary institution. Requirements for graduation and specified alternative modes for completing the prescribed course of study shall be made available to pupils, parents, and the public.
    SEC. 2. If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

    BILL NUMBER: AJR 14 INTRODUCED
    BILL TEXT

    INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Krekorian
    (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member De Leon)
    (Principal coauthors: Senators Cogdill and Simitian)

    APRIL 14, 2009

    Relative to the Armenian Genocide.

    LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

    AJR 14, as introduced, Krekorian. Armenian Genocide: Day of  Remembrance.
    This measure would designate April 24, 2009, as “California Day of Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923.” It would memorialize the Congress and the President of the United States to act likewise to commemorate the Armenian Genocide.
    Fiscal committee: no.

    WHEREAS, The Armenian people, living in their 3,000-year historic homeland in eastern Asia Minor and throughout the Ottoman Empire, were subjected to severe persecution and brutal injustice by the rulers of the Ottoman Empire before and after the turn of the 20th century, including widespread massacres, usurpation of land and property, and acts of wanton destruction during the period from 1894 to 1896, inclusive, and again in 1909; and WHEREAS, The horrible experience of the Armenians at the hands of their oppressors culminated in 1915 in what is known by historians as the “First Genocide of the Twentieth Century,” and as the prototype of modern day mass killing; and
    WHEREAS, The Armenian Genocide began with the arrest, exile, and murder of hundreds of Armenian intellectuals, and business, political, and religious leaders, starting on April 24, 1915; and WHEREAS, The regime then in control of the empire, known as the \”Young Turks,\” planned and executed the unspeakable atrocities committed against the Armenian people from 1915 to 1923, inclusive, which included the torture, starvation, and murder of 1,500,000
    Armenians, death marches into the Syrian Desert, the forced exile of more than 500,000 innocent people, and the loss of the traditional Armenian homelands; and
    WHEREAS, While there were some Turks and others who jeopardized their safety in order to protect Armenians from the crimes being perpetrated by the Young Turk regime, the genocide of the Armenian people constituted one of the most egregious violations of human rights in the history of the world; and
    WHEREAS, The United States Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Henry Morgenthau, Sr., stated \”Whatever crimes the most perverted instincts of the human mind can devise, and whatever refinements of persecutions and injustice the most debased imagination can conceive, became the daily misfortunes of this devoted people. I am confident that the whole history of the human race contains no such horrible episode as this. The great massacres and persecutions of the past seem almost insignificant when compared to the sufferings of the Armenian race in 1915. The killing of the Armenian people was accompanied by the systematic destruction of churches, schools, libraries, treasures of art, and cultural monuments in an attempt to eliminate all traces of a noble civilization with a history of more than 3,000 years”; and WHEREAS, In discussing World War I, President Theodore Roosevelt wrote that “… the Armenian massacre was the greatest crime of the war, and the failure to act against Turkey is to condone it … the failure to deal radically with the Turkish horror means that all talk of guaranteeing the future peace of the world is mischievous nonsense”; and WHEREAS, Winston Churchill wrote: “As for Turkish atrocities: … massacring uncounted thousands of helpless Armenians, men, women, and children together, whole districts blotted out in one administrative holocaust–these were beyond human redress”; and 
    WHEREAS, Contemporary newspapers like the New York Times commonly carried headlines such as “Tales of Armenian Horrors Confirmed,” “Million Armenians Killed or in Exile,” and “Wholesale Massacre of Armenians by Turks”; and 
    WHEREAS, Adolph Hitler, in persuading his army commanders on the eve of World War II that the merciless persecution and killing of Poles, Jews, and other peoples would bring no retribution, declared, “Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?”; and 
    WHEREAS, Unlike other peoples and governments that have admitted and denounced the abuses and crimes of predecessor regimes, and despite the overwhelming proof of genocidal intent, the Republic of Turkey has inexplicably and adamantly denied the occurrence of the crimes against humanity committed by the Young Turk rulers, and those denials compound the grief of the few remaining survivors of the atrocities, desecrate the memory of the victims, and cause continuing trauma and pain to the descendants of the victims; and 
    WHEREAS, The Turkish Government has engaged in concerted efforts to revise history through the dissemination of propaganda falsely suggesting that Armenians were responsible for their fate in the period from 1915 to 1923, inclusive, and by the funding of programs at American educational institutions for the purpose of furthering the cause of this revisionism;and
    WHEREAS, The Republic of Turkey has been condemned by Amnesty International and other human rights organizations for making free speech a crime by enacting Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, which makes “public denigration of Turkishness … the Government of the Republic of Turkey, the judicial institutions of the State, the military or security structures ” punishable by imprisonment, and has used this device to harass, intimidate, prosecute, and imprison Turkish citizens who have written or spoken honestly about the Armenian Genocide, including Nobel Prize winning author Orhan Pamuk; and 
    WHEREAS, Among those charged with “denigration of Turkishness” by Turkish prosecutors for his forthright acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide was journalist Hrant Dink, and in this atmosphere of intolerance of dissent, Mr. Dink was assassinated for his views on January 19, 2007; and 
    WHEREAS, The accelerated level and scope of denial and revisionism, coupled with the passage of time and the fact that few survivors remain who serve as personal eyewitnesses to the indescribable brutality and torment, compel a sense of urgency in achieving formal recognition and reaffirmation of the historical truth of the Armenian Genocide; and 
    WHEREAS, By honoring the victims and survivors, and consistently remembering and forcefully condemning the atrocities committed against the Armenian people as well as the persecution of the Assyrian and Greek populations of the Ottoman Empire, we guard against repetition of the crime of genocide; and 
    WHEREAS, California has become home to the largest population of Armenians in the world outside of Armenia, including Armenian Genocide survivors and their descendants, and those citizens have enriched our state and our Nation through leadership in academia, medicine, business, law, agriculture, government, the arts, and many other worthy endeavors, and they are proud and patriotic practitioners of American citizenship; and 
    WHEREAS, The State of California has been at the forefront of encouraging and promoting a curriculum relating to human rights and genocide in order to empower future generations to prevent recurrence of the crime of genocide; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly and Senate of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature of the State of California hereby designates April 24, 2009, as the “California Day of Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923”; and be it further Resolved, That the State of California commends its conscientious educators who teach about human rights and genocide; and be it further Resolved, That the State of California respectfully memorializes the Congress and the President of the United States to act likewise and to formally recognize and reaffirm the historical truth that the atrocities committed against the Armenian people constituted genocide; and be it further Resolved, That the State of California calls upon the Republic of Turkey to acknowledge the facts of the Armenian Genocide and to work toward a just resolution; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, Members of the United States Congress, the Governor, and the Turkish Ambassador to the United States.

  • Joint statement of Azerbaijani and Turkish MPs in Milli Majlis

    Joint statement of Azerbaijani and Turkish MPs in Milli Majlis

     

     
     

    [ 15 Apr 2009 19:24 ]
    Baku. Elbrus Seyfullayev – APA. Azerbaijani and Turkish parliamentarians held a forum entitled “Turkey Azerbaijan: joint interests and problems” in Milli Majlis, (Azerbaijani Parliament), APA reports.

    Members of the Turkish parliament Yilmaz Atesh, Shukry Elekdagh, Shahin Mengu from the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Attila Kaya, Turna Chirkin from the National Movement Party (MHP), as well as MHP Deputy Secretary General Bulent Didinmez and Mahammad Azeri attended the forum.

    Leaders of the Azerbaijan’s Ana Vatan (Motherland), Citizen Solidarity, All Azerbaijan Popular Front, Great System and Justice Party, organizers of the forum, as well as members of the parliament from New Azerbaijan and Musavat parties and independent parliamentarians also joined the meeting.

    MP, Chairman of Ana Vatan Party Fazail Aghamali said the forum was organized for discussing of issues cooling relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey. He said Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) also agreed to attend the meeting, but then they didn’t come to Baku unfortunately. Aghamali said the AKP officials didn’t explain the reasons of their refusal to join the forum.

    He noted that if Turkey opens borders with Armenia before the liberation of occupied Azerbaijani lands, there will be no difference between Turkey and Russia and Iran for Azerbaijan. “It is impossible to speak about the stability in the South Caucasus until the liberation of Nagorno Karabakh”.

    Turkish MP from CHP Shukru Elekdagh said Turkey wanted peace, security and welfare in the South Caucasus. He reminded that Turkey closed its borders with Armenia in 1993 because of Armenia’s invasion in Azerbaijan. He said Armenia refused to fulfill US resolutions about withdrawal of its forces from the occupied Azerbaijani lands. “If the borders are opened in this situation, it will be impossible to liberate Karabakh. Turkey can’t do it. 95 percent of Turkish community doesn’t want this”.

    Elekdagh said Armenia had problems not only with Azerbaijan, but other countries in the region and reminded about the Armenia’s territorial claims against Georgia and Turkey as well.

    Chairman of Great System Party, MP Fazil Mustafa also noted that loss of Karabakh means Turkey’s losses in the South Caucasus. “Turkey must be interested in closing of its borders”. The lawmaker said they could sign a statement as a result of the meeting and describe the context of the forum.

    Turkish MP from MHP Attila Kaya said they wanted AKP representatives to attend the forum. He said public communities of both countries were protesting the opening of Turkey-Armenia borders and it gave a result. Speaking about the history of friendship between the two countries, A. Kaya noted that one should approach equally to all the problems of Turkic world and jointly take part in their solutions.

    Chairman of Civil Solidarity Party, MP Sabir Rustamkhanli proposed to often conduct such meetings between Turkish and Azerbaijani parliamentarians: “We have been talking about the establishment of Parliamentary Assembly of Trukic countries for 16 years. Despite it has been established, but does nothing at all. If this organization functioned well, such situation would not emerge”.

    Acting rector of Turkish Giresun University, Azerbaijani Professor Aygun Attar noted that AKP representatives did not join this meeting. According to the professor, Armenians do not give up their genocide claims even in the time when the talks are conducted between Turkey and Armenia at present.

    Chairman of United Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, MP Gudrat Hasanguliyev noted that Azerbaijan was seriously concerned about the reports on opening of Turkey-Armenia borders: “We are told that Karabakh problem remains unsolved for 16 years. The policy should be changed. It’s not right. The United States committed the biggest genocide in the world. First, they should recognize the genocides they have committed, then let them demand it from Turkey”.

    Statement was made at the end of the forum. The statement was signed by 11 parties of Turkey and Azerbaijan. The statement says that the forum participants conducted detailed and productive discussions over the issue that Turkish and Azerbaijani communities are concerned about. It was reaffirmed that historical, national, religious and economic relations uniting Turkey and Azerbaijan to each other are of sustainable and constant character: “Both communities are very concerned about the spread of recent speculations on intensity of negotiations between Turkey and Armenia, establishment of diplomatic relations and opening of borders. Communities of both countries demonstrated unanimous position against this. The forum participants stressed the importance of demonstrating common position in Nagorno Karabakh, so-called “Armenian genocide”, PKK terror, North Cyprus issues”.

    The statement also reads that responsible authorities, political parties and NGOs of both countries should conduct constant consultations and joint meetings in the solutions of any problems henceforth.

  • Turkish Minister Due In Yerevan

    Turkish Minister Due In Yerevan

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    Turkey — Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, 19Apr2008

    15.04.2009
    Ruben Meloyan

    Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan was expected to arrive in Yerevan to participate in Thursday’s high-level meeting of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) organization and possibly hold fresh fence-mending talks with his Armenian counterpart.

    The visit was still not officially confirmed by the Armenian and Turkish governments as of Wednesday evening. “We don’t have any information about that so far,” a spokeswoman for the Turkish Foreign Ministry told RFE/RL from Ankara.

    Armenian officials seemed confident that Babacan will make what would be his second trip to Armenia in eight months. “The likelihood of his arrival is high,” a diplomatic source in Yerevan told RFE/RL.

    Babacan and Armenia’s Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian held a group meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama in Istanbul on April 7. Reports in Turkish and Western media had said that they might announce an agreement on a gradual normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations on the sidelines of the BSEC ministerial meeting in Yerevan.

    However, Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has poured cold water on the speculation, repeatedly stating this month that Ankara will not establish diplomatic relations with Yerevan and reopen the Turkish-Armenian border before a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh. Erdogan’s statements came amid an uproar in Azerbaijan over the possible lifting of the 16-year Turkish economic blockade of Armenia.

    That a breakthrough in Turkish-Armenian relations is not on the cards was reportedly confirmed by Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze late Tuesday. “The opening of the Turkish-Armenian border is not expected,” the Azerbaijani APA news agency quoted Vashadze as saying after talks with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington.

    The BSEC meeting in Yerevan is also due to be attended by Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mamedguliev. Azerbaijan will assume the organization’s rotating presidency from Armenia at the meeting.

    https://www.azatutyun.am/a/1609211.html

  • Professor Hovannisian in European/American Conferences

    Professor Hovannisian in European/American Conferences

    RICHARD G HOVANNISIAN PROFESSOR EMERITUS Ph.D., UCLA, 1966. Armenian Educational Foundation Professor of Modern Armenian History

    Phone: 310-825-3375
    Fax: 310-206-9630
    E-mail: [email protected]

    Press Release, April 14, 2009

    Contact:  James Robbins

    International Conferences

    UCLA. During the first quarter of 2009, Professor Richard G. Hovannisian, AEF Chair in Modern Armenian History at UCLA, participated in twelve conferences and community lectures in Europe and the United States. The most recent was the 35th Anniversary Conference of the Society for Armenian Studies held at UCLA from March 26-28. Hovannisian, serving for the seventh time as the president of the SAS, was the conference coordinator and chaired the session on the hundredth anniversary of the Adana/Cilicia massacres of 1909, with the participation of Drs. Bedross Der Matossian, Rubina Peroomian, and Ph.D. candidate Ohannes Kilicdagi.

    Drs. Richard and Vartiter Hovannisian were in Stockholm, Sweden, from March 20 to 25, for an international conference titled “The Legacy of the 1915 Genocide in the Ottoman Empire,” with the participation of Armenian, Assyrian, Pontic, Turkish, and Swedish scholars. The moving force behind conference, held in the Kungsholmens Konferens Center on March 23, was Mr. Vahagn Avedian, Chairman of the Union of Armenian Associations in Sweden, together with Stefan Anderson of the Living History Forum. In his morning keynote address on “The Phases and Faces of the Denial of the 1915 Genocides,” Hovannisian assessed the various stages and changing strategies of denial from 1915 to the present. Ragip Zarakolu of Istanbul reflected on current discussions of the genocide in Turkey; Prof. David Gaunt explained the internal and external struggle for recognition of the Assyrian Genocide; Laurent Leylekian of the Armenian Federation, Brussels, analyzed Turkey’s policy relating to the Armenian Genocide within the framework of accession to the European Union; and Professor Ove Bring considered the legal dimensions of the 1915 atrocities. The conference was moderated by noted foreign correspondent Marika Griehsel.

    On March 22, Hovannisian, Zarakolu, and Leylekian engaged in an informal roundtable with the Swedish Armenian community and organizations. And on March 24, before returning to the United States for the SAS conference, Hovannisian was guest lecturer at Uppsala University on the topic of the “Armenian Genocide as the Prototype of Modern Mass Killings.”

    Prior to his trip to Sweden, Richard Hovannisian was at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, for a four-day conference, March 18-21, on “Armenia and Armenians in International Treaties.” The conference was organized by the Michigan Armenian Studies Program under the direction of Prof. Gerard Libaridian. Among the more than twenty treaties that were discussed, Hovannisian focused on “The Unratified Treaty of Alexandropol as the Basis for Subsequent Russian-Turkish-Armenian Relations,” giving little-known details about the negotiation of the controversial treaty and its relevance today.

    Community Lectures

    Hovannisian’s community lectures during the first part of 2009 included the Comité des Arméniens de Belgique in Brussels, February 1; St. James Church and its newly-formed Armenian Cultural Association of Sacramento, February 7; Armenian Cultural Association of Munich, February 21, and Surp Khatch Armenian Church and Armenian Association of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, February 22; St. Sarkis Church and Armenian Cultural Association of the Carolinas, Charlotte, February 28;  La Casa Armena Milano, Italy, March 8; and the Armenian National Committee of Providence, April 3. In addition, on March 4, Richard Hovannisian was at the Pasadena headquarters of Facing History and Ourselves, Inc. to direct a conference call with staff members around the country on issues relating to the Armenian Genocide and approaches to teaching the subject in middle schools and high schools.

    In the second half of April, Richard and Vartiter Hovannisian will be in Yerevan for the annual meeting of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia and to participate in a conference sponsored by the Armenian Genocide Institute and Museum on the Cilician massacres of 1909.

    END

  • Turkey Prevails in Round 1; Kicks off Round 2 of Tricks on Armenia

    Turkey Prevails in Round 1; Kicks off Round 2 of Tricks on Armenia

    By Harut Sassounian
    Publisher, The California Courier
    Turkey brilliantly accomplished its objectives in the first round of negotiations ostensibly to open the border with Armenia.
    Ever since 1993, when Turkish leaders closed the border, they set two main preconditions for its reopening. Armenia must: 1) Stop pursuing international recognition of the Armenian Genocide; and 2) Return Artsakh (Karabagh) to Azerbaijan.
    Despite persistent Turkish attempts to impose such harsh terms on Armenia, successive Armenian governments have declared that diplomatic relations should be established and the border reopened without any preconditions. Thus, the standstill continues until today.
    During the past year, however, a series of unexpected developments provided new impetus for Armenia and Turkey to repair their contentious relationship. Both countries, under pressure from the U.S. and Europe, were now prodded by a new major actor, Russia, to open the Armenian-Turkish border. As owner of major businesses in Armenia, Russia sought to establish cross border trade with Turkey, thereby also diminishing Georgia’s strategic significance as a sole transit route for the region.
    The turmoil in the aftermath of the contested Armenian presidential election last year rendered the new leaders more sensitive to demands from the major powers, expecting in return their support to counter the opposition at home. To be fair, the Armenian government believed that opening the border was also in Armenia’s own economic interest. Moreover, when Armenia’s imports through Georgia were temporarily blocked during last year’s Georgian-Russian war, Armenian officials realized the strategic value of having an alternate border outlet.
    Turkey also stood to gain both economically and politically from an open border with Armenia because: 1) The population of Turkey’s eastern provinces, living in abject poverty, would significantly benefit from trading with Armenia; 2) Turkey would fulfill one of the prerequisites for European Union membership; and 3) Ankara hoped to preempt the White House and Congress from taking a stand on the Armenian Genocide.
    Despite such clear and immediate advantages, Turkish officials prolonged the negotiations, in order to secure maximum concessions from Armenia in return for opening the border.
    The first glimmer of a breakthrough came on June 23, 2008, when Armenia’s newly-elected President, Serge Sargsyan, unexpectedly announced, during a Moscow visit, his acceptance of a Turkish proposal to form a “historical commission.” However, the Armenian President insisted that the commission would be established “only after the opening of the border.” Later, the Armenian side announced that it would accept the establishment an inter-governmental commission that would discuss all outstanding issues between the two countries.
    As it became clear in late 2008 that Barack Obama would win the presidency and probably keep his promise to recognize the Armenian Genocide, the Turkish government launched a propaganda campaign to convince the international community that Armenia and Turkey were engaged in delicate negotiations which would be undermined if third countries acknowledged the Genocide. Clearly, the Turks were not sincere in their declared intentions. Had they been serious, the border could have been opened in a matter of days, not months or years! At the height of that campaign, the Presidents of Armenia and Turkey held a summit meeting in Yerevan on the sidelines of a soccer match between their national teams. Armenians were encouraged that Turkish officials made no mention of their usual preconditions for Armenia to desist from genocide recognition and to make concessions on Artsakh.
    Pres. Obama’s visit to Turkey last week had a critical impact on the development of Armenian-Turkish relations. Judging from his circumspect remarks in Ankara, it became clear that the American President had adopted the duplicitous Turkish line that third parties should not comment on the Armenian Genocide while Armenia and Turkey were engaged in serious negotiations.
    This carefully orchestrated Turkish ploy, however, almost fell apart at the last minute when Pres. Aliyev of Azerbaijan refused to go to Istanbul and meet with Pres. Obama. Aliyev was upset that Turkey was considering opening the border with Armenia while ignoring Baku’s interests. To reassure Aliyev, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan announced that the border would not be opened until Yerevan resolved its conflict with Azerbaijan. Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, objecting that Turkey was reviving its old preconditions, canceled his trip to Istanbul. However, he ended up taking a later flight, possibly at the urging of American officials. Aliyev, on the other hand, remained steadfast in his refusal to go to Turkey. Mr. Nalbandian’s presence in Istanbul regrettably gave credence to Turkish misrepresentations that the two countries were making good progress in their negotiations.
    Thus, Turkey managed to fool Pres. Obama and other world leaders into thinking that it was seriously trying to resolve its long-strained relations with Armenia. Consequently, Turkish officials were showered with many accolades and received priceless publicity. The Economist magazine aptly pointed out: “Turkey basks in the glory of a two-day visit by Barack Obama.” To be sure, the Turks managed to get maximal public relations benefits by simply talking about opening the border and succeeded in convincing Pres. Obama that it was not a good idea to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide while in Ankara. It remains to be seen whether Turkey has also secured the President’s silence on April 24!
    Round 2 of the Turkish ploy is now in full swing, with Azerbaijan threatening to take all sorts of measures against Turkey should the latter dare to open the border with Armenia, without linking such action to territorial concessions on Artsakh. The entire population of Azerbaijan has been whipped into frenzy over this issue. Opposition leaders in Turkey are also up in arms, accusing Erdogan of abandoning “fraternal Azerbaijan’s” interests. Pres. Obama, upon his return to the White House, immediately phoned Pres. Aliyev to assure him of America’s support for the resolution of the Artsakh conflict as well as normalizing Armenian-Turkish relations.
    While the charade goes on, Armenia’s leaders continue to make surprisingly positive statements about their negotiations with Turkey, despite repeated announcements by Turkish officials that the border will not be opened until Yerevan makes concessions on Artsakh.
    It now appears that Turkey will place the border negotiations on the back burner until the Minsk Group, composed of the United States, Russia and France, can come up with some evidence of progress on the Artsakh negotiations. Only then would Turkey consider opening the border with Armenia.
    To counter these Turkish/Azeri ploys:

    1. Armenia’s leaders should start playing hardball with Turkey and Azerbaijan and not get overly concerned with making a good impression on the major powers in trying to accommodate their demands.

    2. Armenia should stick to its long-avowed position of no preconditions for opening the border and establishing diplomatic relations with Turkey, and resist pressures from Russia, the U.S., and Europe.

    3. Armenia should consider setting October 7 as a deadline for opening the border. In case of Turkish inaction by that time, Pres. Sargsyan should refuse to go to Turkey for the return soccer match, thus exposing Turkey’s ploy on improving relations with Armenia.

    4. Long in advance of any border accord, the Armenian Parliament should safeguard Armenia’s national security by prohibiting all foreigners from purchasing land in sensitive border areas and making investments in certain strategic resources.

    5. Armenia and Armenian-Americans should condemn, in the strongest possible terms, Pres. Gul’s blatant denial of the Armenian Genocide during a joint press conference with Pres. Obama in Ankara last week, televised live worldwide. To set the record straight, Armenian-Americans should immediately submit to the U.S. Senate the counterpart of the House genocide resolution. After all, it makes more sense to pass such a bill in the Senate, which has never approved a resolution on the Armenian Genocide, rather than in the House which has already adopted two such resolutions in 1975 and 1984.
  • Turkey and Armenia: Opening Minds, Opening Borders

    Turkey and Armenia: Opening Minds, Opening Borders

    Europe Report N°199
    14 April 2009

    To access the media release of this report in Turkish, please click here.

    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS

    Turkey and Armenia are close to settling a dispute that has long roiled Caucasus politics, isolated Armenia and cast a shadow over Turkey’s European Union (EU) ambition. For a decade and a half, relations have been poisoned by disagreement about issues including how to address a common past and compensate for crimes, territorial disputes, distrust bred in Soviet times and Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani land. But recently, progressively intense official engagement, civil society interaction and public opinion change have transformed the relationship, bringing both sides to the brink of an historic agreement to open borders, establish diplomatic ties and begin joint work on reconciliation. They should seize this opportunity to normalise. The politicised debate whether to recognise as genocide the destruction of much of the Ottoman Armenian population and the stalemated Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh should not halt momentum. The U.S., EU, Russia and others should maintain support for reconciliation and avoid harming it with statements about history at a critical and promising time.

    Turks’ and Armenians’ once uncompromising, bipolar views of history are significantly converging, showing that the deep traumas can be healed. Most importantly, the advance in bilateral relations demonstrates that a desire for reconciliation can overcome old enmities and closed borders. Given the heritage and culture shared by Armenians and Turks, there is every reason to hope that normalisation of relations between the two countries can be achieved and sustained.

    Internal divisions persist on both sides. Armenia does not make normalisation conditional on Turkey’s formal recognition as genocide of the 1915 forced relocation and massacres of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire. But it must take into account the views of Armenians scattered throughout the global diaspora, which is twice as large as the population of Armenia itself and has long had hardline representatives. New trends in that diaspora, however, have softened and to some degree removed demands that Turkey surrender territory in its north east, where Armenians were a substantial minority before 1915.

    Over the past decade, Turkey has moved far from its former blanket denial of any Ottoman wrongdoing. Important parts of the ruling AK Party, bureaucracy, business communities on the Armenian border and liberal elite in western cities support normalisation with Armenia and some expression of contritition. Traditional hardliners, including Turkic nationalists and part of the security services, oppose compromise, especially as international genocide recognition continues and in the absence of Armenian troop withdrawals from substantial areas they occupy of Turkey’s ally, Azerbaijan. These divisions surfaced in events surrounding the assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink in January 2007. That the new tendencies are gaining ground, however, was shown by the extraordinary outpouring of solidarity with Armenians during the Dink funeral in Istanbul and a campaign by Turkish intellectuals to apologise to Armenians for the “Great Catastrophe” of 1915.

    The unresolved Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh still risks undermining full adoption and implementation of the potential package deal between Turkey and Armenia on recognition, borders and establishment of bilateral commissions to deal with multiple issues, including the historical dimension of their relations. Azerbaijan has strong links to Turkey based on energy cooperation and the Turkic countries’ shared linguistic and cultural origins. Ethnic Armenian forces’ rapid advance into Azerbaijan in 1993 scuttled plans to open diplomatic ties and caused Turkey to close the railway line that was then the only transport link between the two countries. For years, Turkey conditioned any improvement in bilateral relations on Armenian troop withdrawals. Baku threatens that if this condition is lifted, it will restrict Turkey’s participation in the expansion of Azerbaijani energy exports. While Azerbaijani attitudes remain a constraint, significant elements in Turkey agree it is time for a new approach. Bilateral détente with Armenia ultimately could help Baku recover territory better than the current stalemate.

    Outside powers have important interests and roles. The U.S. has long fostered Armenia-Turkey reconciliation, seeking thereby to consolidate the independence of all three former Soviet republics in the south Caucasus and to support east-west transit corridors and energy pipelines from the Caspian Sea. Washington was notable in its backing of efforts that kick-started civil society dialogue between Turkey and Armenia. The Obama administration is working hard at repairing the damage done to U.S. relations with Turkey by the war in Iraq. Although Obama repeatedly promised on the campaign trail to formally recognise the 1915 forced relocation and massacres of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire as genocide, he should continue to steer the prudent middle course he has adopted as president. The U.S. Congress, which has a draft resolution before it, should do the same. At this sensitive moment of Turkish-Armenian convergence, statements that focus on the genocide term, either to deny or recognise it, would either enrage Armenians or unleash a nationalist Turkish reaction that would damage U.S.-Turkish ties and set back Turkey-Armenia reconciliation for years.

    U.S. support for Turkey-Armenia reconciliation appears to be mirrored in Moscow. Russian companies have acquired many of Armenia’s railways, pipelines and energy utilities and seek to develop them; Russian-Turkish relations are good; and Moscow is looking for ways to mitigate the regional strains produced by its war with Georgia in August 2008. If sustained, the coincidence of U.S.-Russian interests would offer a hopeful sign for greater security and prosperity in the South Caucasus after years of division and conflict. All sides – chiefly Armenia and Turkey but potentially Azerbaijan as well – will gain in economic strength and national security if borders are opened and trade normalised.

    RECOMMENDATIONS

    To the Government of Turkey:

    1.  Agree, ratify and implement a normalisation package including the opening of borders, establishment of diplomatic relations and bilateral commissions; continue to prepare public opinion for reconciliation; cultivate a pro-settlement constituency among Armenians; and avoid threatening or penalising Armenia for outside factors like resolutions or statements in third countries recognising a genocide.

    2.  Avoid sacrificing implementation of the normalisation package to demands for immediate resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and withdrawal of Armenian troops from occupied territories in Azerbaijan; and seek opportunities to show Baku that by easing Yerevan’s fears of encirclement, normalised Turkey-Armenia relations may ultimately speed up such an Armenian withdrawal.

    3.  Make goodwill towards Armenia clear through gestures such as joint work on preserving the ancient ruins of Ani, stating explicitly that Turkey will recognise and protect Armenian historical and religious heritage throughout the country.

    4.  Encourage universities and institutes to pursue broader research on matters pertaining to the events of 1915, preferably with the engagement of Armenian and third-party scholars; modernise history books and remove all prejudice from them; and increase funding for cataloguing and management of the Ottoman-era archives.

    To the Government of Armenia:

    5.  Agree, ratify, and implement a normalisation package including the opening of borders, establishment of diplomatic relations and bilateral commissions; continue to prepare public opinion for reconciliation; and avoid statements or international actions relating to genocide recognition that could inflame Turkish public opinion against the current process.

    6.  Agree together with Azerbaijan to the OSCE Minsk Group basic principles on a Nagorno-Karabakh settlement; then start withdrawals from Armenian-occupied territories in Azerbaijan; and pursue peace with Azerbaijan in full consciousness that only in this way can normalisation with Turkey be consolidated.

    7.  Make clear that Armenia has no territorial claim on Turkey by explicitly recognising its territorial integrity within the borders laid out in the 1921 Treaty of Kars.

    8.  Encourage universities and institutes to pursue more research on matters relating to the events of 1915, preferably with the engagement of Turkish and third-party scholars; modernise history books and remove all prejudice from them; and organise the cataloguing of known Armenian archives pertaining to the events in and around 1915 wherever they may be located.

    To the United States, Russia and the European Union and its Member States:

    9.  Avoid legislation, statements and actions that might inflame public opinion on either side and so could upset the momentum towards Turkey-Armenia normalisation and reconciliation.

    10.  Raise the seniority and intensify the engagement of the U.S., Russian and French co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group until Armenia and Azerbaijan reach final agreement on Minsk Group basic principles for a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

    11.  Back up Turkey-Armenia reconciliation with projects to encourage region-wide interaction, heritage preservation and confidence building; and support as requested any new bilateral historical commission or sub-commission, development of archive management and independent Turkish- or Armenian-led scholarly endeavours to research into aspects of the 1915 events.

    Istanbul/Yerevan/Baku/Brussels, 14 April 2009

    » read media release

    Turkey and Armenia should seize their best opportunity yet to normalise relations, work on a new approach to shared history and open a European border that for nearly a century has been hostage to conflict. Turks’ and Armenians’ once uncompromising views of history are significantly converging. At this sensitive time, third parties should avoid statements or resolutions in the politicised debate over genocide recognition or denial that could inflame opinion on either side. Regarding the separate but related issue of Nagorno-Karabakh, Turkey should persuade its Azerbaijan ally that détente which makes Armenia feel secure will do more for a settlement than continuing a fifteen-year impasse.

    Contacts: Andrew Stroehlein (Brussels) +32 (0) 2 541 1635
    Kimberly Abbott (Washington) +1 202 785 1601
    To contact Crisis Group media please click here
    *Read the full Crisis Group report on our website: