Tweet
TURKISH PRIME MINISTER WRITES TO OBAMA ABOUT ARMENIAN RESOLUTION
Anadolu Agency
Dec 20 2010
Turkey
Ankara: Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Monday [20
December] that they will not let resolutions on the so-called Armenian
genocide hang like the sword of Damocles in Turkish-US relations.
Speaking on the 2011 budget of his ministry at the Turkish
Parliamentary Assembly, Davutoglu said that Turkish Prime Minister sent
a letter to US President Barack Obama on Monday on attempts to bring
an Armenian resolution to the floor of the US House of Representatives.
We pay high attention to our relations with the United States. We
want to carry our relations further than merely a geopolitical and
strategic cooperation, Davutoglu stressed.
When President Obama talked about a 'model partnership' with Turkey
in a speech delivered at the Turkish Parliament, we talked about the
need to promote Turkish-US relations not only in the military field
but economic as well, Davutoglu said.
Turkish State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan and
State Minister for foreign trade Zafer Caglayan established a joint
committee with their US counterparts to promote economic relations
between the two countries, Davutoglu underlined.
In the past several days, there have been efforts to bring an
Armenian resolution to the floor of the US House of Representatives
before the House recesses for holidays. As soon as we have heard the
news about the so-called Armenian resolution, we made the necessary
warnings to US officials, including US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton. We can no longer permit such resolutions to hang like the
sword of Damocles in Turkish-US relations. Within this frame, Prime
Minister Erdogan sent a letter to President Obama on Monday. Turkey
is determined to protect its national pride against all slanders and
baseless allegations. I am confident that our Turkish Parliament will
display the necessary sensitivity that it did display in the past
(on the Armenian resolution), Davutoglu also said.
Turkey's position on Armenian allegations
Turkey has long been facing a systematic campaign of defamation
carried out by Armenian lobbying groups. The Armenian diaspora has
lately increased its organized activities throughout the world for
the recognition of their unfounded allegations in regard to the events
of 1915 as "genocide" by national and local parliaments.
Armenian groups living in various countries try to get the publication
of many books on their allegations concerning the events of 1915 and
articles written by authors close to Armenian views in well-known
magazines and newspapers. Armenian organizations also orchestrate
many meetings, conferences and symposia in order to garner support
and to give them as much publicity as possible. Armenian groups make
sure that researchers and authors close to the Armenian views take
part in these meetings so that the issue always remains on the agenda.
Armenian circles, similarly, sponsors the making of documentary films
that advocate Armenian claims. They also encourage the broadcasting
of these films in many television channels. Public opinion especially
in Western countries is affected by these films, books and articles
published every year and their Parliaments are left under constant
pressure to recognize the Armenian allegations as ?undeniable
historical truth?. The activities of diaspora organizations are also
supported by the Armenian state. It is known that Armenian diplomatic
missions abroad carry out certain activities so that their allegations
are recognized in national legislatures.
Until today the parliaments of Argentina, Belgium, France, Netherlands,
Switzerland, Italy, Canada, Lebanon, the Russian Federation, Slovakia,
Uruguay, Greece, the Greek Cypriot Administration, Poland, Germany,
Lithuania, Chile, Venezuela and the European Parliament passed either
resolutions or issued statements. In addition, some local parliaments
in the USA, Canada, Britain, Australia, Argentina and Switzerland
passed similar resolutions.
Turkey is of the view that parliaments and other political institutions
are not the appropriate for a to debate and pass judgments on disputed
periods of history. Past events and controversial periods of history
should be left to the historians for their dispassionate study and
evaluation. In order to shed light on such a disputed historical issue,
the Turkish Government has opened all its archives, including military
records to all researchers.
Furthermore, Turkey encourages historians, scholars and researchers
to freely examine and discuss this historical issue in every
platform. In order to have an objective and complete analysis of
the Turkish-Armenian relations, the Armenian archives should also be
opened and made available to the public and researchers. For reaching
the truth, historians must have access to all related archives.
In this respect, in 2005, Turkey has officially proposed to the
Government of Armenia the establishment of a joint commission of
history composed of historians and other experts from both sides to
study together the events of 1915 not only in the archives of Turkey
and Armenia but also in the archives of all relevant third countries
and to share their findings with the public. Unfortunately, Armenia
has not responded positively to this initiative, yet. Turkey's proposal
is still on the table.
If accepted by Armenia, Turkey's proposal for setting up a Joint
Commission of History would also serve as a confidence-building
measure paving the way for a dialogue towards normalization of
relations between the two countries.
From: A. Papazian
Anadolu Agency
Dec 20 2010
Turkey
Ankara: Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Monday [20
December] that they will not let resolutions on the so-called Armenian
genocide hang like the sword of Damocles in Turkish-US relations.
Speaking on the 2011 budget of his ministry at the Turkish
Parliamentary Assembly, Davutoglu said that Turkish Prime Minister sent
a letter to US President Barack Obama on Monday on attempts to bring
an Armenian resolution to the floor of the US House of Representatives.
We pay high attention to our relations with the United States. We
want to carry our relations further than merely a geopolitical and
strategic cooperation, Davutoglu stressed.
When President Obama talked about a 'model partnership' with Turkey
in a speech delivered at the Turkish Parliament, we talked about the
need to promote Turkish-US relations not only in the military field
but economic as well, Davutoglu said.
Turkish State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan and
State Minister for foreign trade Zafer Caglayan established a joint
committee with their US counterparts to promote economic relations
between the two countries, Davutoglu underlined.
In the past several days, there have been efforts to bring an
Armenian resolution to the floor of the US House of Representatives
before the House recesses for holidays. As soon as we have heard the
news about the so-called Armenian resolution, we made the necessary
warnings to US officials, including US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton. We can no longer permit such resolutions to hang like the
sword of Damocles in Turkish-US relations. Within this frame, Prime
Minister Erdogan sent a letter to President Obama on Monday. Turkey
is determined to protect its national pride against all slanders and
baseless allegations. I am confident that our Turkish Parliament will
display the necessary sensitivity that it did display in the past
(on the Armenian resolution), Davutoglu also said.
Turkey's position on Armenian allegations
Turkey has long been facing a systematic campaign of defamation
carried out by Armenian lobbying groups. The Armenian diaspora has
lately increased its organized activities throughout the world for
the recognition of their unfounded allegations in regard to the events
of 1915 as "genocide" by national and local parliaments.
Armenian groups living in various countries try to get the publication
of many books on their allegations concerning the events of 1915 and
articles written by authors close to Armenian views in well-known
magazines and newspapers. Armenian organizations also orchestrate
many meetings, conferences and symposia in order to garner support
and to give them as much publicity as possible. Armenian groups make
sure that researchers and authors close to the Armenian views take
part in these meetings so that the issue always remains on the agenda.
Armenian circles, similarly, sponsors the making of documentary films
that advocate Armenian claims. They also encourage the broadcasting
of these films in many television channels. Public opinion especially
in Western countries is affected by these films, books and articles
published every year and their Parliaments are left under constant
pressure to recognize the Armenian allegations as ?undeniable
historical truth?. The activities of diaspora organizations are also
supported by the Armenian state. It is known that Armenian diplomatic
missions abroad carry out certain activities so that their allegations
are recognized in national legislatures.
Until today the parliaments of Argentina, Belgium, France, Netherlands,
Switzerland, Italy, Canada, Lebanon, the Russian Federation, Slovakia,
Uruguay, Greece, the Greek Cypriot Administration, Poland, Germany,
Lithuania, Chile, Venezuela and the European Parliament passed either
resolutions or issued statements. In addition, some local parliaments
in the USA, Canada, Britain, Australia, Argentina and Switzerland
passed similar resolutions.
Turkey is of the view that parliaments and other political institutions
are not the appropriate for a to debate and pass judgments on disputed
periods of history. Past events and controversial periods of history
should be left to the historians for their dispassionate study and
evaluation. In order to shed light on such a disputed historical issue,
the Turkish Government has opened all its archives, including military
records to all researchers.
Furthermore, Turkey encourages historians, scholars and researchers
to freely examine and discuss this historical issue in every
platform. In order to have an objective and complete analysis of
the Turkish-Armenian relations, the Armenian archives should also be
opened and made available to the public and researchers. For reaching
the truth, historians must have access to all related archives.
In this respect, in 2005, Turkey has officially proposed to the
Government of Armenia the establishment of a joint commission of
history composed of historians and other experts from both sides to
study together the events of 1915 not only in the archives of Turkey
and Armenia but also in the archives of all relevant third countries
and to share their findings with the public. Unfortunately, Armenia
has not responded positively to this initiative, yet. Turkey's proposal
is still on the table.
If accepted by Armenia, Turkey's proposal for setting up a Joint
Commission of History would also serve as a confidence-building
measure paving the way for a dialogue towards normalization of
relations between the two countries.
From: A. Papazian