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ANALYSIS: 'UNPRECEDENTED' EVENTS IN AND AROUND TURKEY LIKELY TO INCREASE REGIONAL TURBULENCE
http://www.armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/48554/armenia_analysis_turkey_region
ANALYSIS | 18.09.13 | 11:33
Photo: www.wikipedia.org
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent
Some unprecedented events are taking place in Turkey that potentially
can have significant consequences for the entire region in general
and neighboring Armenia, in particular.
The global analytical community has long called Turkey one of the
main actors of the international operation in Syria. Moreover, in
the light of this conflict, leading experts say that a struggle has
begun in Turkey between the Alawites and the Islamists - parallel
to the movement of the Kurds who recently suspended the process of
withdrawal of militants abroad.
In addition, the Kurds held a strike yesterday in the province of Van,
demanding to be allowed to teach their children at schools in Kurdish.
All Kurdish children yesterday boycotted school classes.
The Armenian issue has become topical as well. Diyarbakir (Tigranakert)
recently saw the inauguration of a monument to the victims of the
Genocide of Armenians and Assyrians. The unprecedented monument was
opened by the Mayor of Diyarbakir, Abdullah Demirtas.
"We, the Kurds, apologize to the Armenians and Assyrians for the
actions by our ancestors in 1915. We will continue to fight for
compensation to the murdered," said Demirtas.
The Turkish media have been publishing more and more materials that
acknowledge that today's Turkey is not only a country of Turks,
but also other native peoples, like Armenians and Greeks.
Suddenly, a retrial resumed in the case of Hrant Dink, a prominent
Turkish Armenian journalist and human rights advocate, who was
assassinated in 2007. An Istanbul court issued a warrant for the
arrest of Erhan Tuncel, a former police informer and a key suspect
in the Dink murder case who may link some government agencies to the
murder plot, according to Hurriyet Daily News.
Another event of no less significance has taken place in Egypt,
which, after the overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi last summer,
may become the first Muslim country in the world to recognize the
genocide of Armenians in Turkey. According to European newspapers,
this event may occur after the unprecedented step of Egyptian lawyer,
director of the Institute of the People's Front in Egypt Muhammad
Saad Khairallah, who presented a legal claim regarding this matter.
The hearing in this case will begin in the Cairo Court on November 5.
The announcement was made during a televised debate that was followed
by millions of Egyptian viewers.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is more and more often
called a loser in the world press. It is noted that Erdogan's policies
have led to the isolation of Turkey and an increased likelihood of
its fragmentation or federalization. Turkey is still actively involved
in all relevant processes taking place in the world, but experts say
that civil disturbances that do not subside in this country may one
day turn Turkey into the next flashpoint.
This seems especially true against the backdrop of relations between
the West and Iran that have become noticeably warmer of late: European
countries have lifted the earlier imposed sanctioned against a number
of Iranian banks, there are reports that a historic meeting between
the presidents of the United States and Iran may take place at the
forthcoming session of the United Nations in New York. Earlier,
the presidents of the two estranged nations exchanged messages.
Against this background, the isolation of Turkey and its regional ally
Azerbaijan is becoming more evident. Both countries have already taken
a defensive position, trying to keep at least what they already have.
This increases the degree of aggressiveness of these two countries.
Azerbaijan, for example, stated yesterday that it will not withdraw
snipers from the line of contact near Nagorno-Karabakh until the
end of the war. But such withdrawal is a demand of the international
community.
http://www.armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/48554/armenia_analysis_turkey_region
ANALYSIS | 18.09.13 | 11:33
Photo: www.wikipedia.org
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent
Some unprecedented events are taking place in Turkey that potentially
can have significant consequences for the entire region in general
and neighboring Armenia, in particular.
The global analytical community has long called Turkey one of the
main actors of the international operation in Syria. Moreover, in
the light of this conflict, leading experts say that a struggle has
begun in Turkey between the Alawites and the Islamists - parallel
to the movement of the Kurds who recently suspended the process of
withdrawal of militants abroad.
In addition, the Kurds held a strike yesterday in the province of Van,
demanding to be allowed to teach their children at schools in Kurdish.
All Kurdish children yesterday boycotted school classes.
The Armenian issue has become topical as well. Diyarbakir (Tigranakert)
recently saw the inauguration of a monument to the victims of the
Genocide of Armenians and Assyrians. The unprecedented monument was
opened by the Mayor of Diyarbakir, Abdullah Demirtas.
"We, the Kurds, apologize to the Armenians and Assyrians for the
actions by our ancestors in 1915. We will continue to fight for
compensation to the murdered," said Demirtas.
The Turkish media have been publishing more and more materials that
acknowledge that today's Turkey is not only a country of Turks,
but also other native peoples, like Armenians and Greeks.
Suddenly, a retrial resumed in the case of Hrant Dink, a prominent
Turkish Armenian journalist and human rights advocate, who was
assassinated in 2007. An Istanbul court issued a warrant for the
arrest of Erhan Tuncel, a former police informer and a key suspect
in the Dink murder case who may link some government agencies to the
murder plot, according to Hurriyet Daily News.
Another event of no less significance has taken place in Egypt,
which, after the overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi last summer,
may become the first Muslim country in the world to recognize the
genocide of Armenians in Turkey. According to European newspapers,
this event may occur after the unprecedented step of Egyptian lawyer,
director of the Institute of the People's Front in Egypt Muhammad
Saad Khairallah, who presented a legal claim regarding this matter.
The hearing in this case will begin in the Cairo Court on November 5.
The announcement was made during a televised debate that was followed
by millions of Egyptian viewers.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is more and more often
called a loser in the world press. It is noted that Erdogan's policies
have led to the isolation of Turkey and an increased likelihood of
its fragmentation or federalization. Turkey is still actively involved
in all relevant processes taking place in the world, but experts say
that civil disturbances that do not subside in this country may one
day turn Turkey into the next flashpoint.
This seems especially true against the backdrop of relations between
the West and Iran that have become noticeably warmer of late: European
countries have lifted the earlier imposed sanctioned against a number
of Iranian banks, there are reports that a historic meeting between
the presidents of the United States and Iran may take place at the
forthcoming session of the United Nations in New York. Earlier,
the presidents of the two estranged nations exchanged messages.
Against this background, the isolation of Turkey and its regional ally
Azerbaijan is becoming more evident. Both countries have already taken
a defensive position, trying to keep at least what they already have.
This increases the degree of aggressiveness of these two countries.
Azerbaijan, for example, stated yesterday that it will not withdraw
snipers from the line of contact near Nagorno-Karabakh until the
end of the war. But such withdrawal is a demand of the international
community.