Tweet
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/politics/2014/04/turkey-citizenship-descendants-displaced-armenians.html
Turkey considers citizenship for heirs of displaced Armenians
April 25, 2014
It has been revealed, after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's
condolence message to the grandchildren of people who lost their lives
during the Armenian genocide that the government was preparing to take
another significant step: Granting citizenship rights to grandchildren
of Armenians killed or deported is on the agenda. Foreign Ministry
officials have confirmed that preparations were in progress. Officials
said, `The government is looking favorably to grant Turkish
citizenship rights to succeeding generations of Armenians who have
lost their citizenship, if they so wish. Preparatory work is in
progress.'
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/04/erdogan-condolence-armenians-shrewd.html
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/04/armenian-genocide-erdogan-message-condolences.html
At the forum, where the Western Armenians Congress was represented by
Armenian parliament member Arakadz Akhoyan and Sevag Arstruni, the
following proposals were put forward for Turkey to undertake as the
100th anniversary approaches: "The decision to cancel the citizenship
of non-Muslims should be annulled and citizenship rights of those so
affected should be restored. Those who want it should be issued a
Turkish national identity card and passport. Those who want to return
to their historic lands should be allowed. Ottoman land registration
records should be opened to all. The house of the Kasapyan family, now
used as a presidential mansion, and Ataturk's mansion at Trabzon
belonging to the Kabayannis family should be returned to their
owners. An end must put to all activities denying the genocide.' These
proposals were then conveyed to the Foreign Ministry.Offering
citizenship to Armenians was first discussed at a meeting in Ankara
last January and was reported by Taraf. At the `Looking at Hrant Dink
Assassination from 2015 Perspective Forum' organized by the Ankara
Freedom of Opinion Initiative and the Western Armenians National
Congress, a proposal was aired to issue Turkish identity cards and
passports to diaspora Armenians who wish to have them.
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/politics/2012/09/caught-in-the-middle-syrias-armenians-unwilling-to-flee-to-turkey.html
Raffi Hovannisian, the first foreign minister of Armenia and an opposition
leader, called for giving the right of return to Armenians who were forced
to leave Anatolia. He said, "This could well be a pilot project to
establish relations.' Hovannisian, the leader of the Heritage Party, who
had come to Turkey to participate in the April 24 observances, added: "If
Turkey really wants to take a determined step, it has to recognize that a
genocide happened.'
It was Volkan Vural who first proposed granting citizenship to
grandchildren of Armenians who lost their lives in the genocide.
Vural, one of most experienced Turkish diplomats who was Turkey's
ambassador in Moscow at the time when Armenia had gained its
independence, in an interview with Taraf on Sept. 8, 2008, said: `What
would I do if I had the authority? I would say that all Armenians and
even other minorities who were within today's borders of Turkey during
the Ottoman Empire and who were subjected to deportation, that they
are automatically entitled to Turkish citizenship if they so want
it. I would say, 'As a republic I am giving you the right to return
and become a citizen of this country. Whoever comes will then be
granted this right.'"
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Turkey considers citizenship for heirs of displaced Armenians
April 25, 2014
It has been revealed, after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's
condolence message to the grandchildren of people who lost their lives
during the Armenian genocide that the government was preparing to take
another significant step: Granting citizenship rights to grandchildren
of Armenians killed or deported is on the agenda. Foreign Ministry
officials have confirmed that preparations were in progress. Officials
said, `The government is looking favorably to grant Turkish
citizenship rights to succeeding generations of Armenians who have
lost their citizenship, if they so wish. Preparatory work is in
progress.'
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/04/erdogan-condolence-armenians-shrewd.html
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/04/armenian-genocide-erdogan-message-condolences.html
At the forum, where the Western Armenians Congress was represented by
Armenian parliament member Arakadz Akhoyan and Sevag Arstruni, the
following proposals were put forward for Turkey to undertake as the
100th anniversary approaches: "The decision to cancel the citizenship
of non-Muslims should be annulled and citizenship rights of those so
affected should be restored. Those who want it should be issued a
Turkish national identity card and passport. Those who want to return
to their historic lands should be allowed. Ottoman land registration
records should be opened to all. The house of the Kasapyan family, now
used as a presidential mansion, and Ataturk's mansion at Trabzon
belonging to the Kabayannis family should be returned to their
owners. An end must put to all activities denying the genocide.' These
proposals were then conveyed to the Foreign Ministry.Offering
citizenship to Armenians was first discussed at a meeting in Ankara
last January and was reported by Taraf. At the `Looking at Hrant Dink
Assassination from 2015 Perspective Forum' organized by the Ankara
Freedom of Opinion Initiative and the Western Armenians National
Congress, a proposal was aired to issue Turkish identity cards and
passports to diaspora Armenians who wish to have them.
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/politics/2012/09/caught-in-the-middle-syrias-armenians-unwilling-to-flee-to-turkey.html
Raffi Hovannisian, the first foreign minister of Armenia and an opposition
leader, called for giving the right of return to Armenians who were forced
to leave Anatolia. He said, "This could well be a pilot project to
establish relations.' Hovannisian, the leader of the Heritage Party, who
had come to Turkey to participate in the April 24 observances, added: "If
Turkey really wants to take a determined step, it has to recognize that a
genocide happened.'
It was Volkan Vural who first proposed granting citizenship to
grandchildren of Armenians who lost their lives in the genocide.
Vural, one of most experienced Turkish diplomats who was Turkey's
ambassador in Moscow at the time when Armenia had gained its
independence, in an interview with Taraf on Sept. 8, 2008, said: `What
would I do if I had the authority? I would say that all Armenians and
even other minorities who were within today's borders of Turkey during
the Ottoman Empire and who were subjected to deportation, that they
are automatically entitled to Turkish citizenship if they so want
it. I would say, 'As a republic I am giving you the right to return
and become a citizen of this country. Whoever comes will then be
granted this right.'"
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress