Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

ANKARA: Turkey Needs To Calm Down On The Armenian Issue

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • ANKARA: Turkey Needs To Calm Down On The Armenian Issue

    TURKEY NEEDS TO CALM DOWN ON THE ARMENIAN ISSUE

    Hurriyet
    March 21 2010
    Turkey

    The Turkish government's attitude and response to recent developments
    in the United States and Sweden regarding Armenian claims are off
    the mark and counter-productive. Without a counter-strategy, Turkey
    is closing down its shutters and painting itself into a corner.

    Moreover, the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, leadership, by
    arguing and exploiting the issue domestically, is making a mistake
    because it could backfire. The current approach, if not altered soon,
    may hurt our national standing and interests.

    The Turkish contestation and protests of American and Swedish decisions
    on Armenian claims are certainly justified because parliamentary bodies
    have no business or competence in legislating history. However, the
    official reaction by Turkey, heavily laden with anger and resentment,
    is self-damaging and dysfunctional.

    Recalling our ambassadors for consultations is a legitimate exercise
    and quite appropriate. Yet not sending them back until and unless
    certain conditions are met is another thing entirely and serves no
    useful purpose.

    Other countries, including Russia and France, took similar decisions in
    the past, a considerable number of them during the time AKP had been
    in power. Indeed, the same House Committee in the U.S. had approved
    similar resolutions twice before in the last five years. The reactions
    then were more measured and calculated.

    Today the government should explain to our people why this time the
    official reaction is so vehement and insular and what and how they
    expect to gain from this self-aggrandizing stance.

    In foreign relations, we need diplomacy most in time of crises. Even
    under the most challenging circumstances, one must keep its channels of
    communication open, try to reverse the damage done, and limit further
    damage to national interests. Even in today's Internet and telephone
    age, ambassadors are still prime agents in diffusing tensions and in
    resolving problems between countries.

    The U.S. is still our ally and partner and Sweden is a strong friend
    of Turkey. With both countries, we have vital interests at stake.

    Their governments have both disavowed the decisions of their
    legislatures. In the U.S., it is a resolution of the full House of
    Representatives that counts, not a vote in one of its committees. The
    right thing to do, therefore, is to seek to work with the U.S. and
    Swedish authorities on how to protect and promote our relations and
    mutual interests under the prevailing circumstances.

    The first step should then be the return of our ambassadors, both
    highly capable diplomats, to their duties without undue delay.

    The more important task is to develop a coherent and sophisticated
    foreign policy. On the Armenian issue, we need a broader strategy.

    Angry reactions to the aberrations of foreign parliaments do not
    constitute a foreign policy and are self-defeating. The first order
    of business is for to press for progress on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.

    Turkey did the right thing in signing the two protocols with
    Armenia, but failed to factor the Azeri-Armenian conflict into the
    Turkish-Armenian opening. Progress there would make room for Turkey
    to restore the process of Turkish-Armenian reconciliation.

    Whatever the provocations and setbacks emanating from Armenia or any
    other source, Turkey must keep the protocols with Armenia "on line."

    And we must keep Azerbaijan on our side.

    Armenia's lukewarm ownership of the protocols and the January ruling
    of its Constitutional Court have stalled the process. However, if
    we want to normalize our relations with Armenia and the Armenians,
    we too must avoid making mistakes.

    Especially saddening is the idea of expelling Armenian citizens
    working illegally in Turkey. The notion, while legally justifiable,
    is morally wrong and unacceptable, politically unwise and socially
    unbecoming for Turkish people who always extend a helping hand to
    those in need. We would be doing incalculable harm to our social
    conscience if we send these people back as our image in the world
    would suffer irreversible damage.

    Our leaders are often fond of resorting to traditional sayings. One
    to remember in this context is "who rises in anger, sits a loser."

    We will not achieve anything useful by turning inward or by posing
    conditions that cannot be fulfilled. There is no way for the U.S.

    administration to give any guarantees involving the Congress or for
    the Swedish government to reverse the decision of their parliament.

    What we can do is to prevent further damage to our relations and to
    check further progress of Armenian claims. We must therefore be calm
    and calibrated in our responses, in the certitude that we are always
    ready and willing to face the facts of our history.
Working...
X