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UNSUNG HEROES IN TURKISH-ARMENIAN RECONCILIATION
Hurriyet Daily News
Aug 13 2010
Turkey
In light of our story yesterday on the nongovernmental organizations
carrying the baton of otherwise stalled reconciliation between Turkey
and Armenia, we think a few words are in order for the unsung heroes
in this process.
We have acknowledged, and still do, the diplomatic efforts to normalize
relations between two neighbors that began nearly two years ago with
President Abdullah Gul's visit to a football match in Yerevan. Yes,
when the effort turned to the diplomatic playing field, the ball
was fumbled in late play. Had Turkey put more and earlier effort
into assuaging the concerns of Azerbaijan, for whom the potential
Turkish-Armenian border opening is anathema, the process might still
be alive. For Azerbaijan, the loss of its Nagorno-Karabagh territory,
and the resulting flight of nearly 1 million refugees, remains an
open wound.
We believe that better relations between Turkey and Armenia can aid
resolution of Nagorno-Karabagh. But for Azerbaijan to reach this
conclusion, much more work needs to be done by Turkish diplomats.
Nonetheless, the government and Foreign Ministry has worked tirelessly
toward rapprochement and the foundations for progress that have been
laid remain in place. We salute their work.
The NGO community, of course, established the road that diplomacy
followed. And as we noted yesterday, they are still at it. Over the
weekend, a Turkish NGO in Ankara joined with 20 organizations from
Armenia in what might be called a "brainstorming" session toward
better ties. Preparation of a Turkish-Armenian dictionary, tallying
the cost of a closed border and promoting Turkish exports with the
help of Armenian-American businessmen were among the ideas. We salute
these, too.
But behind the scenes of such high official and unofficial diplomacy,
there is another group deserving of acknowledgement. For if NGO
efforts enable government initiatives to follow, much work of civil
society is enabled by mid-level officials in such ministries as health,
education and culture.
An orphans camp on the island of Kınalı near Istanbul is now seeking
ways to allow use of the facility by needy children from Yerevan,
not just those who are Turkish citizens. Last April, it was doctors
at Istanbul University's CerrahpaÅ~_a Medical Faculty who insisted
a technically "illegal" patient from Armenia be given a residence
permit so treatment unavailable in his homeland could continue.
Later this month, a mass will be held in the newly restored church
on Akdamar Island in Lake Van, an event occurring only because of
Herculean efforts by the Ministry of Culture. Even the local governor
has opened a guest house to visitors as the city's hotel rooms are
all sold out.
The unsung heroes making all these small but important steps possible
deserve the thanks of Turks and Armenians both.
From: A. Papazian
Hurriyet Daily News
Aug 13 2010
Turkey
In light of our story yesterday on the nongovernmental organizations
carrying the baton of otherwise stalled reconciliation between Turkey
and Armenia, we think a few words are in order for the unsung heroes
in this process.
We have acknowledged, and still do, the diplomatic efforts to normalize
relations between two neighbors that began nearly two years ago with
President Abdullah Gul's visit to a football match in Yerevan. Yes,
when the effort turned to the diplomatic playing field, the ball
was fumbled in late play. Had Turkey put more and earlier effort
into assuaging the concerns of Azerbaijan, for whom the potential
Turkish-Armenian border opening is anathema, the process might still
be alive. For Azerbaijan, the loss of its Nagorno-Karabagh territory,
and the resulting flight of nearly 1 million refugees, remains an
open wound.
We believe that better relations between Turkey and Armenia can aid
resolution of Nagorno-Karabagh. But for Azerbaijan to reach this
conclusion, much more work needs to be done by Turkish diplomats.
Nonetheless, the government and Foreign Ministry has worked tirelessly
toward rapprochement and the foundations for progress that have been
laid remain in place. We salute their work.
The NGO community, of course, established the road that diplomacy
followed. And as we noted yesterday, they are still at it. Over the
weekend, a Turkish NGO in Ankara joined with 20 organizations from
Armenia in what might be called a "brainstorming" session toward
better ties. Preparation of a Turkish-Armenian dictionary, tallying
the cost of a closed border and promoting Turkish exports with the
help of Armenian-American businessmen were among the ideas. We salute
these, too.
But behind the scenes of such high official and unofficial diplomacy,
there is another group deserving of acknowledgement. For if NGO
efforts enable government initiatives to follow, much work of civil
society is enabled by mid-level officials in such ministries as health,
education and culture.
An orphans camp on the island of Kınalı near Istanbul is now seeking
ways to allow use of the facility by needy children from Yerevan,
not just those who are Turkish citizens. Last April, it was doctors
at Istanbul University's CerrahpaÅ~_a Medical Faculty who insisted
a technically "illegal" patient from Armenia be given a residence
permit so treatment unavailable in his homeland could continue.
Later this month, a mass will be held in the newly restored church
on Akdamar Island in Lake Van, an event occurring only because of
Herculean efforts by the Ministry of Culture. Even the local governor
has opened a guest house to visitors as the city's hotel rooms are
all sold out.
The unsung heroes making all these small but important steps possible
deserve the thanks of Turks and Armenians both.
From: A. Papazian