Turkish Forum

Category: Main Issues

  • INTERVIEW-Turkey talks on Armenia “paused” – EU mediator

    INTERVIEW-Turkey talks on Armenia “paused” – EU mediator

    * Envoy does not see new Turkey policy on Armenia changing
    * Pause should not last so long as to lose momentum-envoy

    By Michael Stott

    MOSCOW, June 17 (Reuters) – Turkey has taken a “tactical step backwards” on normalising relations with Armenia because of hostile domestic reaction to the move, the EU’s envoy to the region said in an interview.

    “A step back was taken by the Turkish side … but this is not a U-turn,” said EU South Caucasus envoy Peter Semneby. “We expect the conversations will continue.”

    After decades of hostility, Muslim Turkey and Christian Armenia announced in April a “roadmap” for re-establishing diplomatic relations and opening their shared border.

    But Ankara’s Muslim ally Azerbaijan said Armenia should first leave Nagorno-Karabakh, a mostly ethnic Armenian enclave which broke away after fighting a bloody war with Azerbaijan in the 1990s and claims independence.

    Turkey then offered support for the Azeri position, complicating further progress in talks with Armenia.

    Semneby said in the interview, conducted at the end of a visit to Moscow last week, that it was important the “pause” in the peace process between Turkey and Armenia did not last too long because of the risk that impetus would be lost.

    “The normalisation (with Armenia) became the subject of quite widespread and heated discussion in Turkey,” he added in earlier remarks to a small group of reporters. “It seems to me, this discussion became more heated than was expected.” Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan promised Azerbaijan during a visit to Baku last month that Ankara would not open its border with Armenia — closed since 1993 — until Armenia ended what he termed its occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh.

    “I see this as a Turkish tactical step backwards,” Semneby told Reuters. “But fundamentally, the new foreign policy that has been pursued by the Erdogan government, I don’t see that this policy is changing.”

    PROGRESS

    Talks on the future of Nagorno-Karabakh have been dragging on for more than a decade under the auspices of the Minsk Group linking Russia, France and the United States.

    But Armenia, whose president, Serzh Sarksyan, is from Nagorno-Karabakh, is reluctant to budge and Azerbaijan periodically threatens military intervention.

    Nonetheless Semneby believes real progress is being made.

    “It is clear that if you look at the negotiating process, it is intensifying,” he told Reuters. “We had in a month two meetings and there will be another relatively soon between the presidents.”

    The Nagorno-Karabakh war, in which up to 30,000 died, was the bloodiest of a spate of conflicts which followed the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. Armed clashes still occur regularly along the lines separating Azeri and Armenian troops.

    Asked about the risk of conflict, Semneby said it would be foolish to neglect it but he felt both sides understood the enormous costs which would be involved in any large-scale military engagement.

    “Even with this very dangerous posturing that we see sometimes and the fact that the forces are not separated and there are incidents all the time, the two sides are by now used to managing incidents,” he said.

    “If anything, the Georgia war (last year with Russia), demonstrated the risks of military engagement … it was also a wake-up call to both countries how vulnerable they are.” (Editing by Alison Williams)

    Source:  www.reuters.com, Jun 17, 2009

  • PROVOCATION AGAINST TURKEY

    PROVOCATION AGAINST TURKEY

    ARMENIAN COMMUNITY IN US MAKES ANOTHER PROVOCATION AGAINST TURKEY
    Saturday, 13 June 2009
    APA’s US bureau reports that the US-based law office of Geragos & Geragos owned by famous lawyer of Armenian descent Mark Geragosian addressed heirs of Ethnic Greek New York Life Policy Holders who “were murdered” in the Genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Turks between 1915 and 1921.

    “Prior to 1915, New York Life sold life insurance policies to thousands of Greeks living in the Ottoman Empire. Countless Greek policyholders were among the hundreds of thousands of Greeks who perished in the first Genocide of the twentieth century. In the ensuing chaos, many of the rightful heirs were unable to produce the documentation required to claim the insurance proceeds while others were unaware that they were entitled to any insurance benefits. In 2004, a class action settlement of $20 million which involved 2,300 Armenian New York Life policyholders with unpaid claims was awarded to the descendents of the victims massacred in the Armenian Genocide of 1915,” Geragos & Geragos noted in the special webpage launched for this purpose.

    This is not the first campaign launched by the US Armenian community to damage Turkey”s image. Earlier, California State Assembly member of Armenian descent Paul Krekorian presented a bill “Justice for Genocide Victims” and wanted prohibition of investments in Turkey and other states that committed “genocide.”
  • Greek Cyprus and Turkey clash over oil exploration

    Greek Cyprus and Turkey clash over oil exploration

    Published: Thursday 11 June 2009   

    Cyprus said on 10 June it would press on with offshore oil exploration, despite strong objections from Turkey, and would open new fields for hydrocarbon research by early next year.

    Cypriot Industry Minister Antonis Paschalides told Reuters in an interview that Turkey’s decision to send warships to the area last year had not deterred investors eager to search for oil and gas in the eastern Mediterranean. 

    The first exploration deal was clinched with US company Noble Energy, which has already found a large gas reservoir off nearby Israel. 

    “The first round has been completed,” he said. “We expect that around the end of this year, the beginning of next, we can proceed with the second licensing round.” 

    In 2007, Cyprus launched its first licensing round for hydrocarbons in 11 offshore blocks, most in deepwater locations, despite objections from Turkey, which invaded the north of Cyprus in 1974 after a brief Greek-inspired coup. 

    In November last year, EU member Cyprus protested to the United Nations that Turkish warships had repeatedly harassed Norwegian research vessels off the southern rim of the island over blocks earmarked for exploration. 

    Turkey, which lies north of Cyprus, said the research ships had encroached on its continental shelf. 

    On Wednesday, Turkish officials called on Cyprus to abandon the project, saying the Greek Cypriot government in the south did not represent the whole island. 

    “We expect the Greek Cypriot authorities to end their calls for international tender,” said a Turkish foreign ministry official who requested anonymity. “Insistence […] will adversely affect the peace and stability on the island of Cyprus, as well as in the Eastern Mediterranean region.” 

    Paschalides said the incidents involving Turkey were not deterring companies from a second round, which would offer 12 blocks in a process where companies acquire data with the option of moving on to exploration, then exploitation. 

    “From the interest shown, there is no discouragement. We are optimistic that big companies are interested, international companies from many countries such as the United States, Russia, China and European countries.” 

    Israel’s find encouraging 

    The 12 plots include 10 from the first round but with more research data, and another two which have just opened for exploration. 

    Cyprus, over-reliant on heavy fuel oil imports and slow to switch to cleaner energy, was encouraged by Israel’s discovery because the area is only 65 km from the Cypriot field that Noble Energy will be exploring. 

    “We are optimistic if we take into account the Israel plot, where huge quantities of gas were found, neighbouring our own,” Paschalides said. 

    Asked whether Cyprus would change its planning after Turkey’s reaction, he said: “Not at all […] any natural wealth of Cyprus belongs to the Republic of Cyprus and the Cyprus people, and only them. We wish that the Cyprus problem would be solved so the Turkish Cypriots, as citizens of this Republic, could reap the same benefits.” 

    Turkish Cypriots in the north of the divided island say their Greek Cypriot rivals have no authority to explore for oil or gas and have warned the dispute could upset reunification talks. 

    Paschalides said Cyprus would continue to block EU aspirant Turkey’s energy negotiations with Brussels as a result of this dispute and intended to open more areas for exploration in future. 

    “How can Turkey stake claims and want to get into Europe, want to open the energy chapter, yet question the sovereign rights of an EU member state?,” he said. “What will Turkey do? Go and attack US research vessels?” 

    (EurActiv with Reuters.) 

  • Court dismisses Armenian Genocide denial

    Court dismisses Armenian Genocide denial

    Massachusetts District Court dismisses Armenian Genocide denial case

    In a major blow to Turkey’s global campaign to suppress the truth about the Armenian Genocide, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Mark Wolf today ruled in favor of the Massachusetts Department of Education, allowing it to continue teaching the facts of the Armenian Genocide, and other crimes against humanity, in public schools across the Commonwealth as constitutionally protected government speech, reported the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly).
    “The Armenian Assembly appreciates the court’s ruling in this matter. It sends a clear message to Turkey and its revisionist allies that history cannot be rewritten to further Ankara’s state-sponsored denial campaign,” said Assembly Board of Trustees Chairman Hirair Hovnanian. Carolyn Mugar, the Board’s President, added, “Given the overwhelming historical and legal evidence documenting the incontestable fact of the Armenian Genocide, this ruling is a victory for all those concerned about genocide education and prevention.”
    Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny noted that “today’s decision is in keeping with a growing trend toward teaching genocide prevention with nearly every state, including Massachusetts, formally recognizing the Armenian Genocide. We want to thank the office of the Attorney General of Massachusetts for not backing down in this case.”
    The court’s ruling preserves the teaching of accurate history, which is part of the official “Massachusetts Guide to Choosing and Using Curricular Materials on Genocide and Human Rights,” prepared in 1999. In 2005, the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA), along with others, filed the suit against the Department of Education arguing that the Commonwealth violated the plaintiffs’ First Amendment rights by removing materials from the curriculum that deny the events of 1915.
    In an unprecedented move, the plaintiffs attempted to use the federal courts to argue a tired and discredited practice that the “other side” of the story should be taught.
    “In light of the fact that Turkey criminalizes honest discussion of the Armenian Genocide, it is especially ironic that Turkish denialists turned to U.S. courts in an attempt to twist freedom of speech in America,” stated Assembly Board of Trustees Counselor Van Krikorian. “Even though the court viewed this case ‘in the light most favorable to plaintiffs,’ it still ruled in favor of truth, history and the U.S. Constitution. The sooner Turkey comes to terms with its past, the better it will be for everyone.”
    The Armenian Assembly immediately responded when the suit was filed, hiring Duke University Law Professor Irwin Chemerinsky, one of the nation’s leading First Amendment experts, and co-counsel Arnold Rosenfeld of the firm K&L Gates LLP. Over the past four years, the Assembly, and others, challenged the ATAA at every turn by filing a series of pleadings including an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief. The brief was intended to assist the Court in bringing the case to a conclusion in favor of the Commonwealth.
    Attorneys Rosenfeld and Krikorian presented the amicus brief before Judge Wolf. Rosenfeld and Krikorian warned that if the court accepted the plaintiffs’ First Amendment claims, it would open the door for any extremist group, such as Holocaust deniers, to challenge curriculum matters in court.
    Attorney Gabrielle R. Wolohojian, then of Wilmer, Cutler, Hale and Dorr LLP, also represented an Amicus Class, which included the Armenian Bar Association, the Armenian National Committee of America, the Irish Immigration Center, the Jewish Alliance for Law and Justice and the NAACP.


    11.06.2009 11:28
  • High-Ranking Obama Official Refuses to Acknowledge the Genocide

    High-Ranking Obama Official Refuses to Acknowledge the Genocide

    By Harut Sassounian
    Publisher, The California Courier
    sassun-21
    Pres. Obama continues to disappoint the Armenian-American community. After breaking two promises in a row on key Armenian issues — not acknowledging the Armenian Genocide and proposing reduced U.S. aid levels to Armenia — he appoints Philip Gordon Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs.
    Dr. Gordon, a former Director of the Brookings Institution — a think thank partially funded by Turkish sources — has written several pro-Turkish books and articles. He has been an opponent of congressional acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide and a critic of Greek Cypriot leaders rather than the occupying Turkish forces. Gordon served in the Clinton administration as Director for European Affairs at the National Security Council. During the last presidential campaign, he served as head of the Europe team in Obama’s group of foreign policy advisers.
    During his confirmation hearing by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the end of March, Gordon was grilled by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) on his views on Armenian and Cypriot issues. Several Senators pointed out that Gordon’s answers contradicted Pres. Obama’s campaign promises. Little did the Senators know that a few weeks later the President himself would not keep his word on these issues! Sen. Menendez submitted over two dozen questions which were to be answered by the nominee in writing after the hearing.
    Sen. John Ensign (R-Nevada) wrote a scathing letter to Gordon on April 7, expressing his dismay that the nominee, during his confirmation hearing, had used the word “tragedy” to refer to the Armenian Genocide. Sen. Ensign demanded to know if Gordon’s position on the Armenian Genocide was consistent with those of Pres. Obama, Vice President Biden, and Secretary of State Clinton all of whom, as Senators and presidential candidates, had strongly acknowledged the Armenian Genocide. Furthermore, referring to the early termination of the career of U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans for saying Armenian Genocide, Sen. Ensign asked if Gordon would “discourage Ambassadors or other Foreign Service personnel from using the term ‘Armenian Genocide.’”
    Sen. Ensign, not satisfied with Gordon’s answers, surprised everyone by placing a hold on his nomination, temporarily blocking his approval by the full Senate. However, just as surprisingly, Sen. Ensign lifted his hold, paving the way for Gordon’s Senate confirmation.
    In the meantime, Gordon answered in writing all 28 questions sent to him by Sen. Menendez, even though his responses were evasive and non-responsive. Regardless of the nature of the question, he mindlessly repeated the same answer over and over again, using just about every word in the dictionary, except “Armenian Genocide,” to describe the mass killings of Armenians.
    Only one of Gordon’s answers was particularly revealing, as he put the blame for the Armenian Genocide on the “officials and soldiers of the Ottoman Empire,” thus inadvertently acknowledging that it was a state sponsored genocide. Here is the verbatim text of that particular exchange:
    Sen. Menendez: “Who was responsible for the death of over 1.5 million Armenians during WWI?”
    Philip Gordon: “This administration, like those before it, does not deny the facts — 1.5 million Armenians were murdered, starved, or deported by civilian officials and soldiers of the Ottoman Empire, some of whom were sentenced to death for committing these crimes. The United States mourns this terrible chapter of history and recognizes that it remains a source of pain for the people of Armenia and of Armenian descent, and all those who believe in the dignity and value of every human life.”
    Gordon also disclosed to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the Brookings had received a total of $700,000 from the following Turkish sources 2006-2008:
    — $200,000 from the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association;
    — $190,000 from Sabanci University;
    — $150,000 from the Eksiogullari Group (construction company);
    — $100,000 from the Dogan Yayin Holding Company (media-entertainment conglomerate);
    — $30,000 from Nurol Construction and Trading Company;
    — $30,000 from Hedef-Alliance Holding (Pharmaceutical Company).
    A large number of pro-Turkish officials, such as Philip Gordon, can be found throughout the American government. Some of these Turkophiles are leftovers from the cold war era. Others, motivated by personal gain, serve in the government for a while, and then go to work at Washington Think Tanks, some partially funded from Turkish sources, or end up as lobbyists for Turkey.
    Armenian-Americans will continue to face great resistance in their lobbying efforts from pro-Turkish elements in Washington — regardless of which party is in power and who is president — unless they can expand their political influence beyond Congress into the Executive Branch, Think Tanks and the media.
  • Press Release : Federation Of Canadian Turkish Association

    Press Release : Federation Of Canadian Turkish Association

    Press Release
    CBC Radio-1 Interview with Peter Balakian
    May 30, 2009
    Dear CBC Ombudsman,
    The following interview of Ann Maria Tremonti on behalf of GBC Radio-1 with Peter Balakian on alleged
    “Armenian Genocide” ) is way beyond the
    boundaries of a fair, neutral and reasonable fact finding reporting practice.
    What the interviewer is doing here seems to be an extraordinary effort to making sure that every aspect of the
    well known typical Armenian propaganda can be heard one more time by Canadian public through CBC. This
    effort, with directing questions and reminding of the propaganda elements forgotten even by the interviewee
    himself, can not be without any collaborative intentions. This is not an acceptable attitude for a public
    institution which is established and maintained by tax payers’ money like myself.
    First of all, regardless of who is right in this scholarly long disputed 1915 events, it is okay to let anybody to
    express his/her side of the story, but without any contributing/supportive efforts, as long as other side of the
    story also is being heard fairly. Unfortunately, by not following this established public media ethics rule and
    integrity code, your interviewer Ann Maria and CBC has breached the public trust that has been granted. As
    the representative of Turkish Canadian tax payers, we, the Federation of Canadian Turkish Associations
    condemn this intentional wrongdoing, and demand an explanation from CBC management. We are also
    demanding an apology from Turkish Canadians with the assurance that it will never happen again.
    CBC, or any fair media for that matter, have to provide all involved parties of such disputed issues with equal
    opportunities, including the Turkish side in this particular case. We are aware that CBC has consistently failed
    to follow this simple fairness rule so far, and it is hard to believe this is just a coincidence.
    All these worldwide orchestrated Armenian allegations that have been spread by their propaganda machine
    tirelessly for decades are politically motivated with land and retribution demands (which are not a secret
    anymore) for the following reasons, rather than seeking the truth and justice :
    · Armenia has refused to sign a border agreement with her neighbor Turkey as of today.
    · All Armenian educational materials show east of Turkey as south part of Armenia.
    · Armenians at any level never have acknowledged atrocities committed by Armenian bands to Turks,
    Azeri Turks, Kurds, Jewish and other Muslims of Anatolia and Caucasus during the same period, in
    corporation with the great powers of time under Russian, Franch and British uniforms.
    · Armenia today keeps 25% of Azerbaijan since 1992, and despite many UN resolutions to return the
    occupied land and let a million Azeri refuges to get back their homes, Armenia refuses to comply.
    Turkey has imposed economic embargo to Armenia since then blocking its borders with Armenia.
    · In 1980s, Armenian terrorists have killed over 60 innocent people around the world including an
    RCMP officer and 40 Turkish diplomats, and as of today non of these killers have been condemned by
    Armenians at any level, including their churches. These killers have been protected, praised as
    freedom fighters, encouraged and rewarded by Armenian lobbies, civic organizations and political
    parties of Armenian state.
    · Turkey has long opened Ottoman achieves for a fair review of the events by neutral historians/scholars
    and promised to comply with its outcomes no matter what, and demanded all parties involved to do
    same. Neither Armenians nor her former (and currently same) allies France and Russia have agreed
    with the process yet!!! Armenia indicated would cooperate if and only if its genocide allegation is
    accepted first, without any dispute. This is not surprise considering that Brian Ardouny of the
    Armenian Assembly of America in a videotaped interview clearly clucked lately: “We don’t need to
    prove the genocide historically, because it has already been accepted politically.” Thanks to the
    support of opportunist politicians and fair (!) media such as CBC.
    KTDF-FCTA | [email protected]
    |
    PO Box: 45024, 5845 Yonge Street, Willowdale, Ontario, M2M 4K3, CANADA
    Press Release
    CBC Radio-1 Interview with Peter Balakian
    May 30, 2009
    Considering the fact that there is no legitimate/legal verdict by any genocide tribunals such as International
    Court of Justice or any other authorized UN bodies for the 1915 events yet, and Armenians have never
    attempted to seek the arbitration of these institutions in resolving the issue (never mention about their denial of
    revealing own archives to world scholars); helping these Armenian lobbies in their effort in building political
    allies at Western parliaments such as Canada and US by passing motions in favor, unfairly influencing the
    public opinion via supposedly neutral media such as CBC, aiming at finally to dictating their one-sided
    allegations on Turks, will not contribute World peace and harmony at all. To the contrary, it will push Turkey
    to take stronger defensive position against this efforts, due to a loss of trust in West’s justice and fairness.
    As a Canadian tax payer of Turkish decent, I don’t believe that this is the result, we, democratic nations like
    Canada, desire to reach. Especially in such times when all the World (including Canada) has been fighting a
    war against global terrorism and its adverse consequences (economical/social chaos), it is unlikely that we can
    prevail without our NATO ally Turkey’s support, which is sitting in the middle of world energy resources and
    the largest energy distribution hub of the middle east, Caspian Sea, Near Asia and Caucasus, with the second
    largest army of NATO after US. Therefore, on behalf of the Turkish Canadians, the Federation of Canadian
    Turkish Assassinations is strongly against the encouragement of these Armenian lobbies to be less cooperative
    in finding truth and more aggressive/abusive in misusing foreign politics by our wrong policies; and we
    condemn any irresponsible acts of trusted public entities such as CBC in this regard.
    We hope that CBC leadership is capable of anticipating all these facts as what they are and make sure that in
    the future all its employees will act responsibly in dealing with such sensitive issues, according to the
    requirements of these aforementioned realities, avoiding to take supportive positions for one side or another in
    disputed matters. We all need to help retain Canada’s well known reputation of fairness/neutrality instead.
    From Turkish perspective of the issue, I would like to bring to your attention, the elaboration of a March 23,
    1920, letter of Col. Charles Furlong, an Army intelligence officer and U.S. Delegate to the Paris Peace
    Conference: “We hear much, both truth and gross exaggeration of Turkish massacres of Armenians, but little
    or nothing of the Armenian massacres of Turks. … The recent so-called Marash massacres [of Armenians]
    have not been substantiated. In fact, in the minds of many who are familiar with the situation, there is a grave
    question whether it was not the Turk who suffered at the hands of the Armenian and French armed contingents
    which were known to be occupying that city and vicinity. … Our opportunity to gain the esteem and respect of
    the Muslim world … will depend much on whether America hears Turkey’s untrammeled voice and evidence
    which she has never succeeded in placing before the Court of Nations.”
    Nothing seems to have changed from those days, when Christian lives were more precious than the lives of the
    “others”, Turks and Muslims. If you are interested in learning more of the Turkish side of the story from the
    neutral sources, please find attached the opinions of a list of non-Turkish scholars and the entities, which do
    not agree with the Armenian allegations.
    Until this dispute is resolved justly on the legitimate International platforms and a scholarly agreement is
    established between two nations (Armenians and Turks), the third parties (governments and media such as
    CBC) should only encourage them to openly discuss the matter and mediate if needed by only giving equal
    chances for both side, rather than filtering one’s voice and supporting the other all the time.
    Sincerely.
    Dr. Mehmet Bor
    A. President of Canadian Turkish Associations.
    Tel: +1-647-230 9397
    www.canturk.net, [email protected]
    KTDF-FCTA | [email protected]
    |
    PO Box: 45024, 5845 Yonge Street, Willowdale, Ontario, M2M 4K3, CANADA