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TURKISH JOURNALISTS' VISIT TO ARMENIA ARRANGED
AzerNews Weekly
May 27 2009
Azerbaijan
A group of Turkish journalists have visited Yerevan in a bid to
advance the solution of problems between Turkey and Armenia through
public diplomacy, the influential Turkish Huriyyet newspaper reported.
Armenia and Turkey have been at odds and the border between the two
countries has been closed since 1993 on Ankara`s insistence due to
Armenia`s policy of occupation of Azerbaijani territory and Armenian
claims about an alleged World War I-era genocide.
The journalists, who headed to the Armenian capital as part of the
Turkey-Armenia Journalist Dialogue Project, have held a number of
meetings with government officials and political leaders.
Emma Mirzabekian, head of the Women`s Resource Center who first
hosted the visitors, revealed sensational facts. According to her,
such disasters as war, earthquakes and unemployment have turned
Armenia into "an Amazon country."
Mirzabekian said that, according to the 2001 census, 2.1 million, out
of Armenia`s overall population of 3.15 million, are women. Economic
pressures that emerged following the collapse of the Soviet Union
in 1991, and a powerful earthquake that killed 30,000 people, have
caused many men to flee the country. Also, men who died during the
Garabagh war in the early 1990s have completely turned the South
Caucasus republic into "a country of women."
"60 percent of men are outside the country and the majority of them
have abandoned their families, while women are having to work to
support themselves and their children. Also, due to the lack of men,
instances of one man living with several women are becoming more
frequent."
The visit was organized by the German Heinrich Boll Foundation, a
non-profit organization striving to promote democracy, equality and
a healthy environment internationally, and the International Hrant
Dink Foundation.
The Turkish media representatives witnessed a strong desire of the
part of the Armenians to achieve recognition of the alleged Ottoman
Empire-era genocide. For instance, Ruben Melkonian, an instructor
with the Turkish studies section of Yerevan State University`s Western
science department, claimed in discussions with them that "they could
demand the homes they left behind and compensations after the genocide
is recognized."
The government in Yerevan has accused Turkey of genocide against
Armenians in the latter years of the Ottoman Empire, which preceded
modern Turkey. The Turkish government says the developments took
place as part of clashes with Armenian groups supporting Russia
against Turkey during World War I. Ankara insists the killings were not
orchestrated by the Ottoman government and has proposed opening Ottoman
archives to international scholars to try to resolve the dispute.
Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian has said the alleged genocide
issue would never be removed from the agenda, and Yerevan`s position
on the issue cannot change. From this standpoint, Turkey`s citing any
pre-conditions on resolving the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict
within Azerbaijan`s territorial integrity or the genocide issue is
unacceptable, he claimed.
As for a possible re-opening of the Turkey-Armenia border, the Armenian
premier said the issue would be clarified by the time the soccer
match is held between the two countries` national teams this fall.
The Turkish and Armenian leaders attended a 2010 World Cup qualifying
soccer match together in Yerevan in September 2008 when Abdullah
Gul became the first Turkish president to visit Armenia. Further,
Gul invited his Armenian counterpart to Istanbul for a return game
due this September.
Meanwhile, Vardan Oskanian, who served as Armenia`s foreign minister
from 1998 until April 2008 said, speaking to the Turkish journalists,
that his country`s relations with Turkey may actually deteriorate. He
noted that Turkey and Armenia will not be able to make progress in
their efforts to normalize relations if Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan brings the Garabagh dispute between Azerbaijan and
Armenia to the table, noting that relations may even get worse if
Turkish officials start to politicize issues such as Armenian workers
in Turkey.
"The moment we leave Garabagh out, we can improve Turkish-Armenian
relations. If we bring Garabagh in, I really don`t see this
happening. Garabagh is a separate issue. My conviction is that if
Turkey normalizes its relations with Armenia first, then the Garabagh
solution will be much easier."
Oskanian said he first heard Erdogan bringing the Garabagh problem
to the forefront three months ago.
"Until that time, I was really hoping that there was a change of
policy on the part of Turkey and we would get results," he said in
response to questions from the journalists.
Following recent talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in
Baku, Erdogan said that Azerbaijan`s sensitivity about Upper Garabagh
increased Turkey`s sensitivity, too. Erdogan said Turkey had closed
its border gates with Armenia because Upper Garabagh was occupied
and that it would be impossible to reopen the gates as long as the
occupation continues. He also said the mediating OSCE Minsk Group,
co-chaired by the U.S., Russia and France, should speed up peace talks,
which have been continuing for 15 years.
On the other hand, Armenian leaders have been criticizing Erdogan
for making the normalization of ties with Armenia conditional on the
Garabagh settlement.
AzerNews Weekly
May 27 2009
Azerbaijan
A group of Turkish journalists have visited Yerevan in a bid to
advance the solution of problems between Turkey and Armenia through
public diplomacy, the influential Turkish Huriyyet newspaper reported.
Armenia and Turkey have been at odds and the border between the two
countries has been closed since 1993 on Ankara`s insistence due to
Armenia`s policy of occupation of Azerbaijani territory and Armenian
claims about an alleged World War I-era genocide.
The journalists, who headed to the Armenian capital as part of the
Turkey-Armenia Journalist Dialogue Project, have held a number of
meetings with government officials and political leaders.
Emma Mirzabekian, head of the Women`s Resource Center who first
hosted the visitors, revealed sensational facts. According to her,
such disasters as war, earthquakes and unemployment have turned
Armenia into "an Amazon country."
Mirzabekian said that, according to the 2001 census, 2.1 million, out
of Armenia`s overall population of 3.15 million, are women. Economic
pressures that emerged following the collapse of the Soviet Union
in 1991, and a powerful earthquake that killed 30,000 people, have
caused many men to flee the country. Also, men who died during the
Garabagh war in the early 1990s have completely turned the South
Caucasus republic into "a country of women."
"60 percent of men are outside the country and the majority of them
have abandoned their families, while women are having to work to
support themselves and their children. Also, due to the lack of men,
instances of one man living with several women are becoming more
frequent."
The visit was organized by the German Heinrich Boll Foundation, a
non-profit organization striving to promote democracy, equality and
a healthy environment internationally, and the International Hrant
Dink Foundation.
The Turkish media representatives witnessed a strong desire of the
part of the Armenians to achieve recognition of the alleged Ottoman
Empire-era genocide. For instance, Ruben Melkonian, an instructor
with the Turkish studies section of Yerevan State University`s Western
science department, claimed in discussions with them that "they could
demand the homes they left behind and compensations after the genocide
is recognized."
The government in Yerevan has accused Turkey of genocide against
Armenians in the latter years of the Ottoman Empire, which preceded
modern Turkey. The Turkish government says the developments took
place as part of clashes with Armenian groups supporting Russia
against Turkey during World War I. Ankara insists the killings were not
orchestrated by the Ottoman government and has proposed opening Ottoman
archives to international scholars to try to resolve the dispute.
Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian has said the alleged genocide
issue would never be removed from the agenda, and Yerevan`s position
on the issue cannot change. From this standpoint, Turkey`s citing any
pre-conditions on resolving the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict
within Azerbaijan`s territorial integrity or the genocide issue is
unacceptable, he claimed.
As for a possible re-opening of the Turkey-Armenia border, the Armenian
premier said the issue would be clarified by the time the soccer
match is held between the two countries` national teams this fall.
The Turkish and Armenian leaders attended a 2010 World Cup qualifying
soccer match together in Yerevan in September 2008 when Abdullah
Gul became the first Turkish president to visit Armenia. Further,
Gul invited his Armenian counterpart to Istanbul for a return game
due this September.
Meanwhile, Vardan Oskanian, who served as Armenia`s foreign minister
from 1998 until April 2008 said, speaking to the Turkish journalists,
that his country`s relations with Turkey may actually deteriorate. He
noted that Turkey and Armenia will not be able to make progress in
their efforts to normalize relations if Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan brings the Garabagh dispute between Azerbaijan and
Armenia to the table, noting that relations may even get worse if
Turkish officials start to politicize issues such as Armenian workers
in Turkey.
"The moment we leave Garabagh out, we can improve Turkish-Armenian
relations. If we bring Garabagh in, I really don`t see this
happening. Garabagh is a separate issue. My conviction is that if
Turkey normalizes its relations with Armenia first, then the Garabagh
solution will be much easier."
Oskanian said he first heard Erdogan bringing the Garabagh problem
to the forefront three months ago.
"Until that time, I was really hoping that there was a change of
policy on the part of Turkey and we would get results," he said in
response to questions from the journalists.
Following recent talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in
Baku, Erdogan said that Azerbaijan`s sensitivity about Upper Garabagh
increased Turkey`s sensitivity, too. Erdogan said Turkey had closed
its border gates with Armenia because Upper Garabagh was occupied
and that it would be impossible to reopen the gates as long as the
occupation continues. He also said the mediating OSCE Minsk Group,
co-chaired by the U.S., Russia and France, should speed up peace talks,
which have been continuing for 15 years.
On the other hand, Armenian leaders have been criticizing Erdogan
for making the normalization of ties with Armenia conditional on the
Garabagh settlement.