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`G-word' not expected in Obama's speech to avoid crisis with Turkey
By Sinem Cengiz
April 20, 2014, Sunday
Ankara
During his annual Armenian Remembrance Day speech on April 24, US
President Barack Obama is not likely to use the term `genocide' to
characterize the loss of Armenians in the final days of the Ottoman
Empire, say analysts, who believe Washington will avoid the issue so
as not to harm ties with Turkey at a time when the two NATO allies are
not having the smoothest of relations.
`This year is not likely to be any different. In short, while
expressing sympathy and decrying the killings, President Obama will
not use the term `genocide' in order not to inflame US-Turkish
relations,' Stephen Larrabee, who holds the distinguished chair in
European Security at the RAND Corporation, told Sunday's Zaman.
Although Larrabee believes the US government has its differences with
Ankara over a number of aspects of Turkish policy, in particular the
increasing authoritarian tendencies exhibited by Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan lately, Obama wants to maintain good ties with Turkey.
`To use the word `genocide' in his annual statement would
unnecessarily inflame these relations at a time when both sides need
to work harder to improve them,' he added.
Turkey in past years has repeatedly urged the US president not to use
the word genocide on April 24 during his speech, asking him to not
only refer to Armenian pains but also those of the Ottoman Turks
during World War I, and to mention Turkey's proposal of establishing a
joint commission of historians and experts from both Turkey and
Armenia to study evidence for the events of 1915 in the archives of
Turkey, Armenia and other relevant countries around the world.
The US has not officially recognized Armenians' claim that there was a
genocide in Eastern Turkey between 1915 and 1923. Before Obama's
presidency, US leaders blocked attempts to pass resolutions
recognizing the World War I-era killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks
as genocide.
Meanwhile, as the 100th anniversary of the 1915 tragedy approaches,
mutual preparations and tensions are gaining momentum in Turkey and
Armenia. Both the Turkish government and the Armenian diaspora groups
are revealing their strategies for 2015.
The issue has long been a source of tension between Turkey and several
Western countries, especially the United States and France, both home
to large ethnic Armenian diaspora.
Recently, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed a
resolution commemorating the `Armenian genocide,' clearing the way for
the resolution to be voted on by the Senate as a whole.
Over the resolution, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said it
would not have any negative effects on Ankara-Washington ties at this
stage, but stressed that Turkey will not remain silent if the
resolution is adopted by the Senate.
Turkey also urged Congress not to carry the resolution further on the
legislative agenda, warning that such a move could "harm bilateral
relations" between the two countries.
Regarding the resolution, Sedat Laciner, rector of Canakkale 18 Mart
University, said despite all the pressure in the US, Congress is
unlikely to pass such a resolution at this time.
`Obama will avoid using the term genocide, at least this year.
Turkey-US relations are currently not at their best and I don't think
Obama would like to strain it further with the Armenian issue,'
Laciner told Sunday's Zaman.
Meanwhile, Speaker of the US House of Representatives John Boehner
paid a surprise visit to Ankara last week to hold high-level meetings
with Turkish officials. His visit came at a time when two resolutions
on the `Armenian genocide' are on the agenda of the US House of
Representatives and the US Senate. Boehner said Congress is unlikely
to get involved in the issue, stressing that Turkey has no reason to
worry since it is not up to the US Congress to rewrite history.
Larrabee says the resolution has a `ritualistic character,' adding it
should not be turned into a litmus test of US-Turkish solidarity and
friendship.
`Thus Turkish politicians can relax; Armenians will be disappointed
once again. However, this issue has taken on a symbolic importance in
Turkey way out of proportion to its real significance in US-Turkish
relations,' said Larrabee, adding: `Turkish politicians would be well
advised to stop placing such importance to the presidential statement
made on April 24. Turks should see it for what it is: a statement made
primarily for domestic consumption.'
Davutoglu also said, `Turkey-US relations should not be hampered by
the activities of any lobby.'
However, Larrabee believes the Armenian lobby will undoubtedly use the
upcoming 100th anniversary of the 1915 killings as an opportunity to
harshly condemn Turkey and put it on the bank of the accused.
`Instead of engaging in a heated exchange of polemics over the 1915
incident, both sides should actively seek to improve the resumption of
dialogue broken off several years ago aimed at improving bilateral
relations,' said Larrabee.
Agreeing with Larrabee, Beril Dedeoglu from Galatasaray University
said the best way to get rid of the Armenian pressure is for Turkey to
be able to say `what happened in the past happened' and should avoid
efforts to prevent Armenian resolutions from coming out from the
parliaments of foreign countries.
`Conducting politics over the Armenian issue is really disturbing. Let
whatever resolution they wish be accepted in any place of the world.
If Turkey gives up on struggling over the issue, Armenians' hands will
become weaker,' Dedeoglu told Sunday's Zaman.
Dedeoglu also believes that under these circumstances, the US will not
risk harming ties with Turkey and that the resolution may be discussed
in Congress and in the Senate for domestic consumption but will not be
adopted.
From: A. Papazian
`G-word' not expected in Obama's speech to avoid crisis with Turkey
By Sinem Cengiz
April 20, 2014, Sunday
Ankara
During his annual Armenian Remembrance Day speech on April 24, US
President Barack Obama is not likely to use the term `genocide' to
characterize the loss of Armenians in the final days of the Ottoman
Empire, say analysts, who believe Washington will avoid the issue so
as not to harm ties with Turkey at a time when the two NATO allies are
not having the smoothest of relations.
`This year is not likely to be any different. In short, while
expressing sympathy and decrying the killings, President Obama will
not use the term `genocide' in order not to inflame US-Turkish
relations,' Stephen Larrabee, who holds the distinguished chair in
European Security at the RAND Corporation, told Sunday's Zaman.
Although Larrabee believes the US government has its differences with
Ankara over a number of aspects of Turkish policy, in particular the
increasing authoritarian tendencies exhibited by Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan lately, Obama wants to maintain good ties with Turkey.
`To use the word `genocide' in his annual statement would
unnecessarily inflame these relations at a time when both sides need
to work harder to improve them,' he added.
Turkey in past years has repeatedly urged the US president not to use
the word genocide on April 24 during his speech, asking him to not
only refer to Armenian pains but also those of the Ottoman Turks
during World War I, and to mention Turkey's proposal of establishing a
joint commission of historians and experts from both Turkey and
Armenia to study evidence for the events of 1915 in the archives of
Turkey, Armenia and other relevant countries around the world.
The US has not officially recognized Armenians' claim that there was a
genocide in Eastern Turkey between 1915 and 1923. Before Obama's
presidency, US leaders blocked attempts to pass resolutions
recognizing the World War I-era killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks
as genocide.
Meanwhile, as the 100th anniversary of the 1915 tragedy approaches,
mutual preparations and tensions are gaining momentum in Turkey and
Armenia. Both the Turkish government and the Armenian diaspora groups
are revealing their strategies for 2015.
The issue has long been a source of tension between Turkey and several
Western countries, especially the United States and France, both home
to large ethnic Armenian diaspora.
Recently, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed a
resolution commemorating the `Armenian genocide,' clearing the way for
the resolution to be voted on by the Senate as a whole.
Over the resolution, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said it
would not have any negative effects on Ankara-Washington ties at this
stage, but stressed that Turkey will not remain silent if the
resolution is adopted by the Senate.
Turkey also urged Congress not to carry the resolution further on the
legislative agenda, warning that such a move could "harm bilateral
relations" between the two countries.
Regarding the resolution, Sedat Laciner, rector of Canakkale 18 Mart
University, said despite all the pressure in the US, Congress is
unlikely to pass such a resolution at this time.
`Obama will avoid using the term genocide, at least this year.
Turkey-US relations are currently not at their best and I don't think
Obama would like to strain it further with the Armenian issue,'
Laciner told Sunday's Zaman.
Meanwhile, Speaker of the US House of Representatives John Boehner
paid a surprise visit to Ankara last week to hold high-level meetings
with Turkish officials. His visit came at a time when two resolutions
on the `Armenian genocide' are on the agenda of the US House of
Representatives and the US Senate. Boehner said Congress is unlikely
to get involved in the issue, stressing that Turkey has no reason to
worry since it is not up to the US Congress to rewrite history.
Larrabee says the resolution has a `ritualistic character,' adding it
should not be turned into a litmus test of US-Turkish solidarity and
friendship.
`Thus Turkish politicians can relax; Armenians will be disappointed
once again. However, this issue has taken on a symbolic importance in
Turkey way out of proportion to its real significance in US-Turkish
relations,' said Larrabee, adding: `Turkish politicians would be well
advised to stop placing such importance to the presidential statement
made on April 24. Turks should see it for what it is: a statement made
primarily for domestic consumption.'
Davutoglu also said, `Turkey-US relations should not be hampered by
the activities of any lobby.'
However, Larrabee believes the Armenian lobby will undoubtedly use the
upcoming 100th anniversary of the 1915 killings as an opportunity to
harshly condemn Turkey and put it on the bank of the accused.
`Instead of engaging in a heated exchange of polemics over the 1915
incident, both sides should actively seek to improve the resumption of
dialogue broken off several years ago aimed at improving bilateral
relations,' said Larrabee.
Agreeing with Larrabee, Beril Dedeoglu from Galatasaray University
said the best way to get rid of the Armenian pressure is for Turkey to
be able to say `what happened in the past happened' and should avoid
efforts to prevent Armenian resolutions from coming out from the
parliaments of foreign countries.
`Conducting politics over the Armenian issue is really disturbing. Let
whatever resolution they wish be accepted in any place of the world.
If Turkey gives up on struggling over the issue, Armenians' hands will
become weaker,' Dedeoglu told Sunday's Zaman.
Dedeoglu also believes that under these circumstances, the US will not
risk harming ties with Turkey and that the resolution may be discussed
in Congress and in the Senate for domestic consumption but will not be
adopted.
From: A. Papazian