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TURKISH PRESIDENT PLANNED TO RETURN SOME LANDS TO ARMENIANS IN VAN
Armen Hareyan
HULIQ.com
http://www.huliq.com/1/turkish-president-planned-return-some-lands-armenians-van-2012
April 23 2012
In 1984 former Turkish president Turgut Ozal wanted to know the
economic and political price Turkey would have to pay if Turkey
accepted and recognized the Armenian Genocide and had planned to
return some lands to Armenians in Van.
With the approach of April 24, the day when 10 million Armenians and
more than 20 government around the world commemorate the Armenian
Genocide, one of the most prominent topics in Turkish media is how to
solve the Armenian Issue. The country still denies that the killing
and deportations of 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1921 was an
act of Genocide. Yet, based on the archives and available documents
it's becoming even more difficult and costly to continue to deny the
charge. One of the top stories today in Turkish media is that one of
the former presidents of the Turkish Republic Turgut Ozal considered
a real attempt to solve the Armenian genocide to stop the mounting
political and economic cost.
Today's Zaman reports among other Turkish newspapers that behind closed
doors, president Ozal defended the idea of holding negotiations with
Armenians to settle a dispute that has had great potential to deal
a serious blow to Turkish interests in international politics.
Ozal's close friends and former aids spoke to the newspaper about the
politics of the day. In 1980s Armenia was still part of the Soviet
Union and Ozal defended the idea of holding negotiations with the
powerful Armenian diaspora.
His close friends and advisers say, (in the same place) that if Ozal
were alive today, the problem of the Armenian Genocide might have
already been solved.
Turgut Ozal's 2 Plans
Ozal did not only speak, but being a far-sighted politician he made a
move. In 1984 he ordered his government advisers to work on possible
scenarios to identify the the political and economic cost that his
country would have to pay if Turkey recognized the Armenian Genocide
and accepted the term genocide for killing 1.5 million Armenians
during the World War I.
According to the second scenario Ozal's circle sought to gauge the
political cost of a Turkish acceptance of genocide within 20 to 30
years if Turkey is forced to accept it one day. He wanted to solve the
issue between the Armenian and Turkish nations before it got too late.
According to Vehbi Dincerler, 71, a former education minister and a
state minister in Ozal's Cabinet, Ozal aimed at making "few concessions
after reaching a deal with the Armenians."
President Ozal wanted to make the solution as part of the Van project.
"Suleyman Roman, who worked on several projects with Ozal in the 1980s,
said the former president had planned to return some lands to Armenians
in Van." What "returning some lands to Armenains" means is not clear.
Ozal could not make concrete progress in the project because of strong
opposition. The main opposition came from the military establishment.
The military, according to Hasan Celal Guzel, who served in Ozal's
government, thought Ozal is making too many concessions to the
Armenians and Kurds. Turgut Ozal was of partial Kurdish descent,
according to The Washing Institute on Near East Policy.
"They [the military] saw Ozal as someone who makes too many
concessions. They stood against his policies. However, Ozal came up
with the idea that Turkey could reconcile and make peace with the
Armenians, who had earned the title 'millet-i sadıka' [loyal nation]
during the Ottoman era. He wanted to open the door for a return of
Armenians to Turkey. No one has made a move since. Had he not died,
he might have solved this issue," Guzel told Today's Zaman.
Armen Hareyan
HULIQ.com
http://www.huliq.com/1/turkish-president-planned-return-some-lands-armenians-van-2012
April 23 2012
In 1984 former Turkish president Turgut Ozal wanted to know the
economic and political price Turkey would have to pay if Turkey
accepted and recognized the Armenian Genocide and had planned to
return some lands to Armenians in Van.
With the approach of April 24, the day when 10 million Armenians and
more than 20 government around the world commemorate the Armenian
Genocide, one of the most prominent topics in Turkish media is how to
solve the Armenian Issue. The country still denies that the killing
and deportations of 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1921 was an
act of Genocide. Yet, based on the archives and available documents
it's becoming even more difficult and costly to continue to deny the
charge. One of the top stories today in Turkish media is that one of
the former presidents of the Turkish Republic Turgut Ozal considered
a real attempt to solve the Armenian genocide to stop the mounting
political and economic cost.
Today's Zaman reports among other Turkish newspapers that behind closed
doors, president Ozal defended the idea of holding negotiations with
Armenians to settle a dispute that has had great potential to deal
a serious blow to Turkish interests in international politics.
Ozal's close friends and former aids spoke to the newspaper about the
politics of the day. In 1980s Armenia was still part of the Soviet
Union and Ozal defended the idea of holding negotiations with the
powerful Armenian diaspora.
His close friends and advisers say, (in the same place) that if Ozal
were alive today, the problem of the Armenian Genocide might have
already been solved.
Turgut Ozal's 2 Plans
Ozal did not only speak, but being a far-sighted politician he made a
move. In 1984 he ordered his government advisers to work on possible
scenarios to identify the the political and economic cost that his
country would have to pay if Turkey recognized the Armenian Genocide
and accepted the term genocide for killing 1.5 million Armenians
during the World War I.
According to the second scenario Ozal's circle sought to gauge the
political cost of a Turkish acceptance of genocide within 20 to 30
years if Turkey is forced to accept it one day. He wanted to solve the
issue between the Armenian and Turkish nations before it got too late.
According to Vehbi Dincerler, 71, a former education minister and a
state minister in Ozal's Cabinet, Ozal aimed at making "few concessions
after reaching a deal with the Armenians."
President Ozal wanted to make the solution as part of the Van project.
"Suleyman Roman, who worked on several projects with Ozal in the 1980s,
said the former president had planned to return some lands to Armenians
in Van." What "returning some lands to Armenains" means is not clear.
Ozal could not make concrete progress in the project because of strong
opposition. The main opposition came from the military establishment.
The military, according to Hasan Celal Guzel, who served in Ozal's
government, thought Ozal is making too many concessions to the
Armenians and Kurds. Turgut Ozal was of partial Kurdish descent,
according to The Washing Institute on Near East Policy.
"They [the military] saw Ozal as someone who makes too many
concessions. They stood against his policies. However, Ozal came up
with the idea that Turkey could reconcile and make peace with the
Armenians, who had earned the title 'millet-i sadıka' [loyal nation]
during the Ottoman era. He wanted to open the door for a return of
Armenians to Turkey. No one has made a move since. Had he not died,
he might have solved this issue," Guzel told Today's Zaman.