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PRESS RELEASE
From: Mira Yardemian
Public Relations Director
Haigazian University
Mexique Street, Kantari, Beirut
P.O.Box. 11-1748
Riad El Solh 1107 2090
Tel: 01-353010/1/2
Email: [email protected]
Mouradian Lectures on Turkey-Armenia Dialogue
On Thursday, December 11, a lecture on Turkish-Armenian relations,
titled "Soccer Diplomacy and the Road Not Taken," was held at Haigazian
University.
Haigazian's Student Life Director and Haigazian Armenological Review's
executive secretary Antranig Dakessian spoke briefly about the current
developments in Turkish-Armenian relations and introduced the speaker,
Khatchig Mouradian, editor of the Boston-based Armenian Weekly and a
graduate of Haigazian University.
Mouradian first provided the context in which the recent Turkey-Armenia
rapprochement happened. During the Russia-Georgia conflict, he noted,
traffic was disrupted on an important highway connecting the two
countries, stopping vital supplies from reaching Armenia. With the
Russia-Georgia standoff unresolved, urgent attention was given in
Yerevan to the Turkey-Armenia border, closed by Turkey when the Karabagh
conflict erupted. Mouradian also talked about the presidential election
in Armenia and how it affected the rapprochement.
The speaker then detailed the political situation in Turkey and the
reasons behind Ankara's interest in reaching a breakthrough in
Turkey-Armenia relations. After a brief overview of the situation in
Turkey, during which he spoke about the role of the Turkish army and
bureaucracy and the difficult situation the ruling AK party has found
itself in, Mouradian noted that Turkey's interest in a breakthrough
could be summarized by one word: genocide.
"With a democratic majority in Congress, and with the prospects of an
Obama/Biden victory high, Turkey realized that it is only a matter of
time before the U.S. officially recognizes the Armenian genocide,"
Mouradian said.
Mouradian said, "In Turkey, the hardliners argued that Ankara should
avoid normalizing relations with Yerevan before the latter stop pursuing
international recognition of the Genocide and withdraws forces from
Karabagh. The moderates, on the other hand, argued that the best
strategy for Turkey would be to disrupt the harmony between the Armenian
state, which has made genocide recognition a foreign relations priority,
and the Armenian Diaspora, which has been pursuing genocide recognition
worldwide for decades through activism and lobbying." By starting
negotiations with Armenia and receiving concessions from it on the
genocide recognition front, Mouradian argued, Turkey hoped of creating a
schism between the Diaspora and Armenia and undermine the passage of the
Genocide Resolution in the U.S.
Mouradian then talked about the inherent asymmetries in the
Turkey-Armenia dialogue. He said, "True transformation of
Turkish-Armenian relations cannot take place without involving all
sectors and levels of the affected population. 'Soccer Diplomacy' was
not Turkish-Armenian dialogue-as it was portrayed in the media-it was
Turkey-Armenia dialogue and ignored the large and powerful Diaspora that
has been the coronary artery of Armenia since its independence."
He concluded, "A great amount of creativity is necessary to address the
power asymmetries that are so inherent to this conflict-especially since
these asymmetries are the product of the genocide perpetrated by one
side and the denial and hostile attitude that continued to define the
policies of that side towards the other."
From: Mira Yardemian
Public Relations Director
Haigazian University
Mexique Street, Kantari, Beirut
P.O.Box. 11-1748
Riad El Solh 1107 2090
Tel: 01-353010/1/2
Email: [email protected]
Mouradian Lectures on Turkey-Armenia Dialogue
On Thursday, December 11, a lecture on Turkish-Armenian relations,
titled "Soccer Diplomacy and the Road Not Taken," was held at Haigazian
University.
Haigazian's Student Life Director and Haigazian Armenological Review's
executive secretary Antranig Dakessian spoke briefly about the current
developments in Turkish-Armenian relations and introduced the speaker,
Khatchig Mouradian, editor of the Boston-based Armenian Weekly and a
graduate of Haigazian University.
Mouradian first provided the context in which the recent Turkey-Armenia
rapprochement happened. During the Russia-Georgia conflict, he noted,
traffic was disrupted on an important highway connecting the two
countries, stopping vital supplies from reaching Armenia. With the
Russia-Georgia standoff unresolved, urgent attention was given in
Yerevan to the Turkey-Armenia border, closed by Turkey when the Karabagh
conflict erupted. Mouradian also talked about the presidential election
in Armenia and how it affected the rapprochement.
The speaker then detailed the political situation in Turkey and the
reasons behind Ankara's interest in reaching a breakthrough in
Turkey-Armenia relations. After a brief overview of the situation in
Turkey, during which he spoke about the role of the Turkish army and
bureaucracy and the difficult situation the ruling AK party has found
itself in, Mouradian noted that Turkey's interest in a breakthrough
could be summarized by one word: genocide.
"With a democratic majority in Congress, and with the prospects of an
Obama/Biden victory high, Turkey realized that it is only a matter of
time before the U.S. officially recognizes the Armenian genocide,"
Mouradian said.
Mouradian said, "In Turkey, the hardliners argued that Ankara should
avoid normalizing relations with Yerevan before the latter stop pursuing
international recognition of the Genocide and withdraws forces from
Karabagh. The moderates, on the other hand, argued that the best
strategy for Turkey would be to disrupt the harmony between the Armenian
state, which has made genocide recognition a foreign relations priority,
and the Armenian Diaspora, which has been pursuing genocide recognition
worldwide for decades through activism and lobbying." By starting
negotiations with Armenia and receiving concessions from it on the
genocide recognition front, Mouradian argued, Turkey hoped of creating a
schism between the Diaspora and Armenia and undermine the passage of the
Genocide Resolution in the U.S.
Mouradian then talked about the inherent asymmetries in the
Turkey-Armenia dialogue. He said, "True transformation of
Turkish-Armenian relations cannot take place without involving all
sectors and levels of the affected population. 'Soccer Diplomacy' was
not Turkish-Armenian dialogue-as it was portrayed in the media-it was
Turkey-Armenia dialogue and ignored the large and powerful Diaspora that
has been the coronary artery of Armenia since its independence."
He concluded, "A great amount of creativity is necessary to address the
power asymmetries that are so inherent to this conflict-especially since
these asymmetries are the product of the genocide perpetrated by one
side and the denial and hostile attitude that continued to define the
policies of that side towards the other."