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Anadolu Agency, Turkey
March 5 2010
Turkey's foreign minister deplores USA's vote on Armenian "genocide"
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Friday it was bothersome
to see such a picture at the United States (US) House of
Representatives on March 4.
Minister Davutoglu's comments came after the Foreign Relations
Committee of the US House of Representatives adopted a resolution
Thursday on the incidents of 1915 that support Armenian allegations.
We have carefully noticed that the voting process at the Committee
took place in a very flippant manner, Davutoglu underlined.
We have been deeply concerned by the picture seen at the US House of
Representatives, an entity of a global power and one that represents
one of the most crucial strengths of the history of humanity,
Davutoglu stressed.
Yesterday's voting displayed a picture far from being serious
regarding incidents of 1915. With this decision, a verdict has been
given on the (Turkish) people. An historical incident has been judged
by a parliament, Davutoglu said.
The year 1915 may be a year of "relocation" for the Armenians. The
year 1915 was the year of Canakkale for the Turks. 1915 was a period
when a whole (Turkish) nation was defending itself. Painful incidents
were experienced in Anatolia. During that period, two million of our
people had to migrate to Anatolia from the Balkans. Large numbers of
individuals came to Anatolia from the Caucasus at that time. A great
chaos was experienced when the (Ottoman) Empire was in a process of
collapse. We have always known how to share the pain of the Turkish
nation. We have tried to obtain humanitarian lessons but not political
ones from these painful events, Davutoglu said.
Minister Davutoglu said that, following yesterday's voting in
Washington, D.C., Turkish Ambassador Namik Tan has been recalled to
Ankara for consultations.
US Ambassador in Ankara, James Jeffrey, is currently at the Turkish
Ministry of Foreign Affairs holding talks with high level Turkish
diplomats.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Friday Turkey would not
take a decision under pressure under any circumstance.
Minister Davutoglu's comments came after the Foreign Relations
Committee of the US House of Representatives adopted a resolution
Thursday on the incidents of 1915 that support Armenian allegations.
Turks and Armenians have lived together for 10 centuries and we regard
Armenians as friends and neighbours. If we leave aside the last
quarter century, we can strongly say that the 10 centuries passed in
great tolerance and respect, Davutoglu underlined.
Had the Ottomans not been under attack from all sides (in 1915),
certain painful incidents would not have been experienced, Davutoglu
said.
"Yesterday's flippant and funny voting demonstrated that it was a
wrong method and road to resolve the issue. The picture we have seen
showed to the whole globe how wrong it is to judge historical
incidents in parliaments. Had one vote been on the other side, history
would have been shaped otherwise. How could history be made so simple?
How can friendship of 10 centuries be brought to such a simple level?"
Davutoglu said.
Renewing Turkey's call for the establishment of a joint historical
committee, Minister Davutoglu said that the two sides should talk face
to face and share archives.
Let us get together and talk about how we have lived the past 9.5
centuries. Let us get together so that we can be a good role model to
our grand-children and future generations, Davutoglu said.
"Turkey will not make a decision under pressure under any conditions.
It is crucial for all to understand this. We have signed protocols
with Armenia within this perspective. We desired to share our pains
and establish a fair memory. We wanted to leave a nice legacy to the
future generations. However, despite our (positive) efforts and
intentions, we feel suspicions about the real intentions of sides when
parliaments pass resolutions on historical issues," Davutoglu
underlined.
The normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia can be
realized when th e two nations sit down together and talk with each
other. Interruptions by third sides make the normalization process
impossible to achieve, Davutoglu said.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Friday that the adoption
of the Armenian resolution in the U.S House Committee on Foreign
Affairs showed that the Obama Administration did not throw enough of
weight around the issue.
The Committee on Foreign Affairs of the US House of Representatives
adopted a resolution Thursday with 23 votes against 22, calling on US
President Barack Obama to recognise the tragic events of 1915 - which
took place shortly before the fall of the Ottoman Empire - as
Genocide.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton had spoken with the
committee's chairman, Democratic Rep. Howard Berman,shortly before the
voting warning that such a vote would jeopardize reconciliation talks
between Turkey and Armenia.
The adoption of the resolution stirred wide reaction in Turkey which
strongly rejects the genocide allegations and regards the events as
civil strife in wartime which claimed lives of many Turks and
Armenians.
Davutoglu told an exclusive press conference Friday that the Obama
administration's late intervention showed it did not put enough weight
around the issue.
He said adoption of the resolution not only risked slowing down of the
recent rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia but completely
jeopardised the process, urging the US administration to exert more
efforts to stop such attempts.
Davutoglu said Turkey made great contributions to the peaceful vision
of the Obama administration noting that these should not be sacrificed
for domestic political ends.
He said those who argued that the adoption of the resolution would
pressurize Turkish,Parliament to adopt the protocols were dead wrong,
adding that Turkey did not make foreign policy decisions under
pressure.
Davutoglu callled on the the US House of Representatives to review
their position on this issue noting that their reckless resolution
hampered a historic peace between Turkey and Armenia and harmed the
Turkey-US relations.
Davutoglu said Turkey summoned its ambassador to US Namyk Tan to
Ankara to discuss t Turkey's possibble reaction, and steps to be taken
in Turkey's relation's with the US .
He said they would also discuss the issue with the President, the
cabinet and the opposition, adding that the issue was a matter of
national honour for Turkey.
March 5 2010
Turkey's foreign minister deplores USA's vote on Armenian "genocide"
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Friday it was bothersome
to see such a picture at the United States (US) House of
Representatives on March 4.
Minister Davutoglu's comments came after the Foreign Relations
Committee of the US House of Representatives adopted a resolution
Thursday on the incidents of 1915 that support Armenian allegations.
We have carefully noticed that the voting process at the Committee
took place in a very flippant manner, Davutoglu underlined.
We have been deeply concerned by the picture seen at the US House of
Representatives, an entity of a global power and one that represents
one of the most crucial strengths of the history of humanity,
Davutoglu stressed.
Yesterday's voting displayed a picture far from being serious
regarding incidents of 1915. With this decision, a verdict has been
given on the (Turkish) people. An historical incident has been judged
by a parliament, Davutoglu said.
The year 1915 may be a year of "relocation" for the Armenians. The
year 1915 was the year of Canakkale for the Turks. 1915 was a period
when a whole (Turkish) nation was defending itself. Painful incidents
were experienced in Anatolia. During that period, two million of our
people had to migrate to Anatolia from the Balkans. Large numbers of
individuals came to Anatolia from the Caucasus at that time. A great
chaos was experienced when the (Ottoman) Empire was in a process of
collapse. We have always known how to share the pain of the Turkish
nation. We have tried to obtain humanitarian lessons but not political
ones from these painful events, Davutoglu said.
Minister Davutoglu said that, following yesterday's voting in
Washington, D.C., Turkish Ambassador Namik Tan has been recalled to
Ankara for consultations.
US Ambassador in Ankara, James Jeffrey, is currently at the Turkish
Ministry of Foreign Affairs holding talks with high level Turkish
diplomats.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Friday Turkey would not
take a decision under pressure under any circumstance.
Minister Davutoglu's comments came after the Foreign Relations
Committee of the US House of Representatives adopted a resolution
Thursday on the incidents of 1915 that support Armenian allegations.
Turks and Armenians have lived together for 10 centuries and we regard
Armenians as friends and neighbours. If we leave aside the last
quarter century, we can strongly say that the 10 centuries passed in
great tolerance and respect, Davutoglu underlined.
Had the Ottomans not been under attack from all sides (in 1915),
certain painful incidents would not have been experienced, Davutoglu
said.
"Yesterday's flippant and funny voting demonstrated that it was a
wrong method and road to resolve the issue. The picture we have seen
showed to the whole globe how wrong it is to judge historical
incidents in parliaments. Had one vote been on the other side, history
would have been shaped otherwise. How could history be made so simple?
How can friendship of 10 centuries be brought to such a simple level?"
Davutoglu said.
Renewing Turkey's call for the establishment of a joint historical
committee, Minister Davutoglu said that the two sides should talk face
to face and share archives.
Let us get together and talk about how we have lived the past 9.5
centuries. Let us get together so that we can be a good role model to
our grand-children and future generations, Davutoglu said.
"Turkey will not make a decision under pressure under any conditions.
It is crucial for all to understand this. We have signed protocols
with Armenia within this perspective. We desired to share our pains
and establish a fair memory. We wanted to leave a nice legacy to the
future generations. However, despite our (positive) efforts and
intentions, we feel suspicions about the real intentions of sides when
parliaments pass resolutions on historical issues," Davutoglu
underlined.
The normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia can be
realized when th e two nations sit down together and talk with each
other. Interruptions by third sides make the normalization process
impossible to achieve, Davutoglu said.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Friday that the adoption
of the Armenian resolution in the U.S House Committee on Foreign
Affairs showed that the Obama Administration did not throw enough of
weight around the issue.
The Committee on Foreign Affairs of the US House of Representatives
adopted a resolution Thursday with 23 votes against 22, calling on US
President Barack Obama to recognise the tragic events of 1915 - which
took place shortly before the fall of the Ottoman Empire - as
Genocide.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton had spoken with the
committee's chairman, Democratic Rep. Howard Berman,shortly before the
voting warning that such a vote would jeopardize reconciliation talks
between Turkey and Armenia.
The adoption of the resolution stirred wide reaction in Turkey which
strongly rejects the genocide allegations and regards the events as
civil strife in wartime which claimed lives of many Turks and
Armenians.
Davutoglu told an exclusive press conference Friday that the Obama
administration's late intervention showed it did not put enough weight
around the issue.
He said adoption of the resolution not only risked slowing down of the
recent rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia but completely
jeopardised the process, urging the US administration to exert more
efforts to stop such attempts.
Davutoglu said Turkey made great contributions to the peaceful vision
of the Obama administration noting that these should not be sacrificed
for domestic political ends.
He said those who argued that the adoption of the resolution would
pressurize Turkish,Parliament to adopt the protocols were dead wrong,
adding that Turkey did not make foreign policy decisions under
pressure.
Davutoglu callled on the the US House of Representatives to review
their position on this issue noting that their reckless resolution
hampered a historic peace between Turkey and Armenia and harmed the
Turkey-US relations.
Davutoglu said Turkey summoned its ambassador to US Namyk Tan to
Ankara to discuss t Turkey's possibble reaction, and steps to be taken
in Turkey's relation's with the US .
He said they would also discuss the issue with the President, the
cabinet and the opposition, adding that the issue was a matter of
national honour for Turkey.