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BAKU: Bruce Fein: These Are Kinds Of Competing Interests - It Is Wro

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  • BAKU: Bruce Fein: These Are Kinds Of Competing Interests - It Is Wro

    BRUCE FEIN: THESE ARE KINDS OF COMPETING INTERESTS - IT IS WRONG TO CALL THEM CONFLICTS

    APA
    Dec 1 2009
    Azerbaijan

    Washington. Isabel Levine - APA. APA's interview with Bruce Fein,
    resident scholar of Turkish Coalition of America, in Washington, DC

    - After the normalization process between Armenia and Turkey started
    are there any problems or conflicts between Azeri and Turkish Diasporas
    in US? What are the dangers?

    - I don't think there are any conflicts between our two Diasporas. I
    know that there are in tension, simply because Turkey is not
    Azerbaijan and wise or worse. At least one area that I know, has
    been raised as a possible point of some difference of opinion is
    Nagorno-Karabakh. And some leverages in supporting the peaceful
    resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh and the eviction of the illegal
    occupation by the Armenians because they are pushing the opening of
    borders trying to history about the World War One. These kinds of
    competing interests - it is wrong to call them conflicts, I think
    it's just that countries don't have permanent friends or enemies they
    have permanent interests. I think the Turkish Prime Minister made it
    quite clear that he will not sell out on Nagorno-Karabakh simply to
    capitulate or whatever the Armenians may demand. So I wouldn't they
    that a conflict, I think often times you make coward if you will and
    that means that you need greater focus on making the policies working
    out a harmony for one another. And I think that is what happened. I
    don't think that the fact that Turkey is working on opening the
    borders with Armenia means anyhow that Turkey feels less disturbed
    about the illegal occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh.

    - Despite the normalization between the two countries, Armenian
    Diaspora is continuing its activities against Turkey - they send
    letters to Congress, again raise the "genocide issue". And Senator
    McCain also said that the "genocide" truly happened...

    - Remember that Armenian government is not identical to the Armenian
    Diaspora. To some degree the government in Armenia in Erevan has
    to listen to the Diaspora, because maybe one third of its budget is
    formed on either the remittances or the donations from the Diaspora.

    It would be fair to say from recent years that the Diaspora is far
    more hateful and aggressive about that whole issue than the government
    itself. But I wouldn't say that the Armenian Diaspora has been acting
    with any difference than it had done for a long, long time. And I am
    guardedly optimistic, that it will not be able to hold the government
    in Erevan as a hostage here against the kind of reconciliation and
    approach that makes senses to let the idea of the international
    commission to examine all the archives and evidence relating to the
    World War One events, and make their own characterization of the
    events without the outside non-educated influences. Now, coming
    to Senator McCain, we all know that issues of genocide are up to
    lawyers and historians. Senator McCain isn't a historian and isn't a
    lawyer, and it's unfortunate that politicians including Mr. McCain
    and his instances decided for political reasons to go away beyond
    this paycrade and made this characterization. Remember McCain was
    also the one who misstated in his presidential campaign that this
    is a Judie Christian Nation, when in fact religion is not part of
    politics according to Constitution.

    - What can the Turkish Diaspora do to help Azerbaijani Diaspora lobby
    such issues as Nagorno-Karabakh and others in the US Congress?

    - I think the main advantage of such experience that Turkish Diaspora
    has, giving tips on this is how you try to influence the members of
    Congress, what are the kind of arguments that would appeal to them,
    how would you use the local media - these kinds of customary tools
    that open democracies operate are something that Turkish Diaspora can
    explain, you know, this is how you do politics in the United States.

    Maybe the right thing will be pitching out joint sessions of
    Azerbaijani and Turkish Diasporas; I think that might be the right
    thing.
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