Category: America

US put pressure on Azerbaijan by «Armenian genocide»

Gulnara Inanch,

Director of Information and Analytical Center Etnoglobus (ethnoglobus.az),

editor of Russian section of Turkishnews American-Turkish Resource website www.turkishnews.com ,

[email protected]

According to BBC, a group of former and present high ranking officials of the US Administration has called the presidential administration to put pressure over the sides for implementation of protocols signed betweenTurkeyandArmeniain 2009. FormerUSSecretary of State Madeleine Albright in her statement before the US Council on Foreign relations said that implementation of the mentioned protocols would serve for improvement of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

However, while speaking of the very issue in her visit toArmenia, US present Secretary of State Hillary Clinton insisted that initial unconditional dialog betweenTurkeyandArmeniawould not have any impact upon Nagorno-Karabakh issue.

Contradiction between the statements of the present Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Madeleine Albright, who, despite, is not in power but preserved her reputation, is the reflection of US view with regards to the issue.

As you see, White House tries to pull out “Armenian genocide” issue from connection with Azerbaijanby strengthening their attempts to make Turkeyrestore negotiations withArmenia. Because, in order to force Turkey to come to the negotiations without any precondition agreement of officialBakuis required. Statement of Hillary Clinton that Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict has no connection with Turkish-Armenian relations proves it.

Therefore,Washingtontries to persuade Turkey that opening of borders between Turkey and Armenia will cause Armenia to compromise in Nagorno-Karabakh issue. On the other hand, as recognition of “Armenian genocide” is a principal issue for Azerbaijan along with Turkey, it is used as pressure object to Baku and Ankara.

The fact that “Armenian genocide” was the focus of attention again in Israel Knesset on June 12, it should be considered as pressure tool over Turkey and Azerbaijan. It is again proved by the report recently made by Madeline Albright together with former US president George Bush’s national security advisor Steven Hadley where this subject was the focus of attention as well. According to that report, establishment of good relations withIsrael by Turkey will lead to earning support of US Jewish society which will support Turkey to avoid discussion of “Armenian genocide” as in previous years. Israel Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman, who seeks for strategic cooperation policy with official Baku, said that this issue wouldn’t be discussed for the sake of strategic cooperation with Azerbaijanwhen “Armenian genocide” was focus of attention in Israel Knesset. Israel media that are close to state and power bodies has been asked to be attentive in the sensible issues related to Azerbaijan. Being attentive we can see that Israel media pretext not to see that “Armenian genocide” is brought to focus of attention in Israel Knesset.

Israel is Our Home (IOH) party head secretary Faina Kirschenbaum, Members of Knesset said that IOH – Kadima block would try to avoid discussions of “Armenian genocide” which is brought to focus of attention by the pressure of Israel Armenian church.

But the point is that some Israel politicians and public figures think that the “Armenian genocide” is the issue between Armenia and Turkey and it has nothing with Azerbaijan, especially with Nagorno-Karabakh. Therefore, in order to satisfy society and Jewish lobby, “Armenian genocide” is brought to focus of attention in the Israel Knesset.

Since “Armenian genocide” is the tool of political speculation, attempts by Israel officials to close the subject for the sake of cooperation with Azerbaijan will be temporary and it is expected to be used for the purpose of mollifying Turkey and Azerbaijan.

As we remember, along with speculations around adoption of the law prohibiting denial of “Armenian genocide” in French Senate, “genocide” issue was also brought to the focus of attention in Israel Knesset.

The fact that discussion of “genocide” issue in Knesset is due on June 18, on the eve of meeting between Azerbaijan and Armenian Foreign Ministers in France, is the another proof that this is the pressure method on Azerbaijan during negotiations.

Source New Baku Post (bakupost.az)

June 16, 2012
Obama Urged to Encourage Turkey to Acknowledge Armenian Genocide

WASHINGTON and ZURICH, June 12, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Taner Akcam Speaks at Christian Solidarity International (CSI) Event on the Future of Religious Minorities in the Middle East

Taner Akcam, Professor of History at Clark University, has urged President Obama and his European allies to encourage “Turkey to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, and to follow the post-Holocaust example of Germany by making appropriate compensation for lives and property.”

Dr. Akcam made this plea last week while contributing to CSI’s spring 2012 conference series on The Future of Religious Minorities in the Middle East. (See www.formime.ch for videos of Akcam’s lectures in English and Turkish.)

Akcam said Turkey’s willingness to recognize the Genocide, in which approximately 1.5 million Christians – mainly Armenians and Assyrians – perished, and to provide compensation, is a litmus test of its fitness to fulfill its aspiration for Great Power status and leadership in shaping the destiny of the Middle East. Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu calls for the “reintegration” of territories in Syria, Greece, Bulgaria, and Georgia with Turkey – a policy often referred to by political commentators as New Ottomanism. (Davutoglu, “Vision 2023: Turkey’s Foreign Policy Objectives,” London, November 22, 2011.)

Launching his new book, The Young Turks’ Crime against Humanity: The Armenian Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing in the Ottoman Empire, (Princeton, 2012), Akcam noted that “under the Islamic law of the Ottoman Empire, Christians were not allowed to become fully equal,” and that “it was, in fact, impossible for equality to be realized under the Islamic law of the Empire.” The Turkish Republic, Akcam maintains, has to break decisively from the tradition of Turkish and Islamic supremacism if it is going to gain the confidence of non-Muslim minorities and non-Turkish communities and become a source of regional democratic stability, rather than repression.

Turkey’s Islamist Prime Minister, Recep Tayyib Erdogan, persists in denying the Genocide process, which has reduced the country’s Christian population from approximately 30% in 1914 to less than 1% today. He has furthermore sought to use religion as a last line of defense with the claim that “it is not possible for a Muslim to commit genocide.”

Taner Akcam is the first scholar of Turkish origin to publicly acknowledge the massacres, forced deportations and assimilation of Turkey’s Christians during World War I as Genocide. His latest book, based on the Ottoman Archives in Istanbul, demonstrates that the Genocide was premeditated, planned and executed on orders from the Turkish Government, and aimed at creating “ethno-religious homogenization.”

Dr. John Eibner, the CEO of CSI-USA, observed that Prof. Akcam’s research was “a chilling reminder of the consequences of ethnic and religious supremacism.” Eibner called on Christians to “join others of good will to stand in solidarity with all endangered religious minorities of the Middle East that face violence from Islamic supremacist governments and movements today.”

CSI has issued a Genocide Warning for endangered religious minorities in the Islamic Middle East, and has called on President Barack Obama to make their survival a priority as the United States responds to the Middle East’s ongoing political turmoil.

Contact:Joel [email protected]

SOURCE Christian Solidarity International (CSI)

via Obama Urged to Encourage Turkey to Acknowledge Armenian Genocide – MarketWatch.

June 13, 2012
Armenia waits for formation of a new coalition

Gulnara İnanch,

Director of Information and Analytical Center Etnoglobus (ethnoglobus.az), editor of Russian section of website www.turkishnews.com , ([email protected])

Declaration of statement by the chairman of “Bargavac Ayastan” (Prospering Armenia)

(PA) party Gagik Tsarukyan not to form a coalition with the ruling Republicans Party has yet proved to be a game. Upon PA party officials statement that they will not agree on coalition with the ruling party and that they will declare their decision regarding minister portfolio in the government until May 31 enables us to think that Tsaraukyan is conducting discussions with ruling party.

Next year’s presidential elections and ruling party’s wining 30% against the 44% increased the pretention of PA party. Party, for the purpose of justifying the confidence of voters, attracting those hesitating for presidential elections to OY and consequently obtaining majority of votes, demonstrates its power in this way.

Head of Armenian government Tigran Sarkisyan in his response to the question who can hold the post of Prime minister confirmed that OY chairman Gagik Tsarukyan can lead the new government answering that he is happy to have people to hold high posts.

Afterwards, Armenian government head Tigran Sarkisyan’s statement “who said PA would go to opposition” indicate how the ruling party is aware of processes and secret negotiations are under way.

G. Tsarukyan’s name is mentioned among the presidential candidates along with L.Ter-Petrosyan, R.Kocharyan and S. Sarkisyan.

The fact that Tsarukyan won the votes of half million of citizens enables him to be more confident in presidential elections along with flirting with the Republicans fearlessly and being pretentious for prime minister in the newly formed government.

To change the situation to his benefit G.Tsarukyan may form a coalition lead by himself creating a new plan for presidential elections.

June 1, 2012
No Progress On Sale Of US Drones To Turkey

(RTTNews) – Talks between Turkish President Abdullah Gul and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Chicago failed to make any progress on the sale of armed drones to Turkey.

Turkey seeks to buy armed drones from the United States, but the request has turned out to be controversial, with some in the U.S. Congress refusing to agree to a sale of the unmanned aircraft in the context of Ankara’s deteriorating relations with Israel, a close U.S. ally. The U.S. administration is reportedly willing to sell the drones to Turkey and is trying to persuade Congress not to block the sale, Turkish media reports said on Tuesday.

Gül reportedly told Obama during the meeting that Turkey expected the U.S. to meet its needs for fighting terrorism. But the two leaders could not make any progress on the sale of American drones to Turkey. Obama reportedly told Gül that he understood Turkey’s needs and the sale of the drones was in his administration’s agenda, but he made it clear that he could not strike a deal on the issue bypassing the Congress, the reports said.

Debate over the planned sale has heated up lately after a U.S. report claimed that American drones provided wrong information on the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), resulting in the killing of 34 civilians in bombings by Turkish warplanes across the Turkish-Iraqi border after mistaking them for PKK rebels.

Gül told a group of journalists ahead of his talks that the proposed sale would come up at the meeting with Obama. He argued that “if the sale of reapers is sensitive,” that same should hold true for F-35 jet fighter, which are even “more dangerous.” The U.S. has agreed to share F-35 technology with Turkey, the reports said.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz, and Turkish Ambassador to Washington Namik Tan were also present during the 30-minute talks.

Gül asked Obama to be on the front lines in the international community to help put an end to the 14 months of violence in Syria, and Obama assured Gül that the U.S. was doing what was necessary on the issue. He also said Foreign Ministers of both countries and relevant bodies were working together on the Syria crisis.

Syria is facing serious challenges because of an influx of refugees from neighboring Syria because of continued crackdowns by the Assad regime on anti-government protesters there. Turkey is now sheltering more than 25,000 Syrian refugees on its territory.

by RTT Staff Writer

via No Progress On Sale Of US Drones To Turkey.

May 23, 2012
Interning at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey

Interning at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey

By Dean Pohlman (Ankara, Turkey ’10)

Dean Pohlman (right)

Instead of staying in America for a prolonged period of time, I decided to return to Turkey for an extended period of time for the third time in a little over a year. In January of 2010, I applied to the U.S. Department of State Student Internship program and listed Turkey as a site where I was interested in working. In March, I was thrilled to hear from the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, and I quickly accepted their offer to intern in the Public Affairs Department during fall 2011.

At the time, my job description was purposefully vague so that I would be able to fit in where I was most needed. Because of this, I went into the job excited but not really knowing what to expect.

From the first day, I knew I would be right on the front lines with the Foreign Service Officers. Within my first couple of hours on the job, I met with the president of Turkey’s most famous law school. After my first week on the job, I had already acquired a stack of business cards from NGO officials, elected representatives, professors, judges and prosecutors. My boss, Stefanie Altman-Winans, was very capable in her work, as were the rest of the Foreign Service Officers in Ankara. It was incredible to be in an office where everyone was so qualified and so dedicated to the mission. I could tell immediately that I was with an elite group of individuals.

Most of what I did in Public Affairs was assist in planning events. I did this by conducting research on the Internet and corresponding with various groups, ministries, and colleges, as well as arranging face-to-face meetings. Here, my Turkish was instrumental in collecting information. Many Internet sources in Turkey are only available in Turkish, so in this aspect I felt I was invaluable to the Embassy as an American who was fluent in Turkish.

I learned the importance of event planning thanks to two major events that the U.S. Embassy hosted while I was in Ankara. The first was when Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor visited Turkey to share her experiences as the first female U.S. Supreme Court Justice at a time when Turkey was attempting to revise their constitution. We visited law schools, the Supreme Court of Turkey, as well as the High Council or Judges and Prosecutors (a sort of parallel court structure of the Supreme Court) throughout the course of the day. With the help of other embassy staff, my main job was to prepare the program packet and ensure that the visits went as smoothly as possible.

The second big event that we hosted was the 2011 Global Entrepreneurship Summit, specifically the Youth Entrepreneurship Summit. More than 80 young entrepreneurs from 15 regional areas in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa participated in a three-day conference. The conference featured speeches from leading entrepreneurs in Turkey, as well as the Special Advisor to the Secretary of State for Global Youth Issues Ronan Farrow, the President of the Turkish Youth and Sports Ministry, and Vice President Joe Biden. The event was perhaps the most hectic two days of my life – it was a non-stop job filled with three people asking me questions at once, a constantly ringing phone, and a high level of stress among the employees and the Foreign Service Officers, but in the end we pulled it off, and the participants of the summit gained friendships and entrepreneurial skills that will last a lifetime.

The experience that I had at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara will stay with me. It opened my eyes to the work that the U.S. Department of State does and the exceptional skills that Foreign Service Officers have. It also revealed the importance of learning a language. Knowing a language not only allows you to access more information, but it allows you to connect with people on a level that would not be possible without knowing their native language.

On a personal level, knowing Turkish also allowed me to develop relationships with Turks that will not only serve me in the future, but hopefully also leaves a positive image of Americans because it shows our neighbors in Turkey that Americans are genuinely interested in their language, culture, and history, and it facilitates better relations.

Posted by Critical Language Scholarship Program at 4:33 PM

via cls: Interning at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey.

May 23, 2012
Students From TTU and Turkey Travel to Exchange Business Ideas, Serve Others

Newswise — Iced Turkish coffee, roasted chickpea snacks, a spiced spread and Turkish olive oil are hard to find in the U.S.

A group of engineering and business students at Tennessee Tech University has studied how to make those products more available as part of a new international service learning project.

In partnership with students from a university in Turkey, the group of 20 TTU students has developed ideas, from packaging to marketing, to launch sales of Turkish products in the U.S. The group will spend two weeks doing research in the Middle Eastern country this summer, visiting the products’ manufacturers and discussing their plans.

“In real life, engineers don’t just do engineering, and business students also have to be able to come out of their silos,” said Meral Anitsal, TTU associate professor of marketing. “Industry requires collaboration and integration, and we are seeing a need to teach that more.”

While at Celal Bayar University, which is near the Aegean Sea, the TTU students will work closely with their counterparts in Turkey, who have spent their semester doing nutritional analysis on the different products. They sent samples of the Turkish products to TTU students, who gave out the samples and gathered customer feedback during the Windows on the World international festival at TTU.

With business plans and marketing analyses behind them, it is now up to the TTU students to decide whether to actually try to launch the products here.

“It’s incubation,” Meral Anitsal said. “I asked my students, ‘Now that you know these products and you know the contacts in Turkey, will you start a business?’ They said, ‘Why not?’”

When the TTU students return home from Turkey, they will bring a group of students from Celal Bayar with them. They will stay on campus and work on a service learning project in Clay County’s Free Hill area, an unincorporated African American community that was established before the Civil War.

“We are trying to expose them to many facets of community life,” said Bonita Barger, associate professor of decision sciences and management at TTU and one of the trip coordinators. “They’re helping us in our community after we’ve helped them in theirs. Grassroots service helps.”

The informal partnership with Celal Bayar developed through a friendship between that university’s president, Mehmet Pakdemirli, and Ismail Fidan, associate professor of manufacturing and industrial technology at TTU. Ismet Anitsal, associate professor of marketing at TTU, also helped organize the trip.

Organizers say they hope to continue the service initiative and to involve more TTU faculty and disciplines in the future.

“We’re developing global classes,” Barger said. “The students have jumped out of the fishbowl, and now they are looking back into the fishbowl of their culture.”

via Students From TTU and Turkey Travel to Exchange Business Ideas, Serve Others.

May 12, 2012