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Today's Zaman, Turkey
April 24 2014
PM's statement on Armenian issue receives mixed reactions at home
A group of demonstrators gathering at İstanbul's Haydarpaşa train
station commemorated victims of what they call the "Armenian
genocide." (Photo: Cihan)
April 24, 2014, Thursday/ 18:52:43/ TODAY'S ZAMAN/ ANKARA
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's historic statement in which he
extended, on Wednesday, condolences to the grandchildren of Armenians
who lost their lives in 1915 as a result of the Ottoman government's
deportation policy, has received a mixed reaction at home.
"Naturally, we also share the pain of all people who lost their lives
[during the deportations]," Haluk Koç, spokesman of the main
opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), said on Thursday in a
statement that seemed to show at least tacit support for the prime
minister's message.
But at a press conference in Parliament, Koç also expressed misgivings
about Erdoğan's intentions, arguing that the step may have come as
part of an effort to boost Turkey's shrinking prestige in the world.
"Erdoğan has gradually lost, over the past two years, its [Turkey's]
prestige in the world. He might be, through messages of goodwill,
seeking prestige. If you place this process in a political context,
cut off [the issue] from historical facts, you can be sure that [the
move] will be perceived as an effort to regain prestige," Koç said.
One day before April 24, when Armenians commemorate the events they
describe as genocide, the statement -- a historical first -- was
issued on Wednesday on the website of the Prime Minister's Office in
nine languages, including Turkish, Armenian and English.
"It is our hope and belief that the peoples of an ancient and unique
geography, who share similar customs and manners will be able to talk
to each other about the past with maturity and remember together their
losses in a appropriate manner. And it is with this hope and belief
that we wish that the Armenians who lost their lives in the context of
the early 20th century rest in peace, and we convey our condolences to
their grandchildren," the statement said.
Giresun University students held a demonstration in the Black Sea
province to denounce allegations of genocide. (Photo: DHA)
Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay on Thursday described the prime
minister's message on the tragic events of 1915 as "very important."
"A very progressive statement and a step [forward] was taken on the
issue. This is very important. This is a message that says, 'Let us
totally resolve this problem,' while nearing the 100th anniversary [of
the event]," Atalay said during a meeting of the ruling Justice and
Development Party (AK) in İstanbul.
During a visit to Çankırı province on Thursday, Nationalist Movement
Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli criticized the prime minister's
statement, maintaining that Erdoğan shares the same mentality with
those who chanted the slogan "We are all Armenians" during a
demonstration protesting the murder of Hrant Dink -- a Turkish citizen
and Armenian journalist -- in İstanbul in 2007.
"The prime minister has started to express the same thing [as these
protesters]. This is very much unfortunate. He should immediately
[announce that he has dropped out of] the presidential race," Bahçeli
said.
Yusuf Halaçoğlu, the MHP's parliamentary group deputy chairman, also
criticized Erdoğan's statement. He maintained at a press meeting in
Parliament on Thursday that Erdoğan might move to admit, under
pressure from abroad, that Ottoman Turks had committed genocide
against Armenians.
"Probably, you [Erdoğan] will accept [claims of] genocide [expressed
by Armenians], if you were to feel a little stronger. We will see what
concessions will be asked of the prime minister who took this step,"
Halaçoğlu said. He also accused the prime minister of failing to see
that in the days leading to the deportation of Armenians, 128,000
Ottoman Muslims were killed by armed Armenian gangs who sought
independence from the Ottoman Empire.
In a written statement on Thursday, the pro-Kurdish Peace and
Democracy (BDP) called on Turkey to face its history and apologize to
the Armenian people.
Mehmet Metin Hülagü, head of the Turkish Historical Society (TTK),
said that the Armenian issue was an inheritance handed down to Turkey
by imperialism, while attending a symposium held in Van on Thursday
titled "Armenians in Van during World War One."
In a statement to Today's Zaman, Faruk Bal, a former AK Party deputy,
stressed that it will not be possible to resolve the Armenian issue by
one or two statements, such as those Prime Minister Erdoğan has made,
but rather by an organized lobby. Bal noted that the ruling party was
shooting Turkey in the foot by attempting to get Turkish schools
abroad, which form significant elements of the Turkish lobby around
the world, closed down.
Armenian tragedy commemorated
Turkish Armenians, Turkish civil society and humanitarian groups
commemorated the 99th anniversary of the tragic events of 1915 in
İstanbul and Diyarbakır, demanding that the Armenian tragedy of 1915
be recognized as genocide.
In a press meeting on Thursday at the Haydarpaşa train station in
İstanbul, from where Armenian intellectuals living in İstanbul at the
time were sent away to other parts of the Ottoman Empire, a group of
50 people placed carnations in the sea in commemoration of those who
lost their lives during the deportation in 1915. Members of the
Platform for the Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide group held and
banners in Turkish and Armenian that read: "We are commemorating the
victims of the Armenian genocide."
Human rights groups were scheduled to meet on Thursday in İstanbul's
Beyoğlu district at 7:15 p.m to commemorate the victims.
In the event in Diyarbakır, Tahir Elçi, head of the Diyarbakır Bar
Association, maintained that according to international law, the
treatment Armenian people were subjected to at the time amounts to
genocide. "What we demand is [...] the recognition [by Turkey] of this
genocide and that justice be done for Armenian victims," Elçi said.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-346056-pms-statement-on-armenian-issue-receives-mixed-reactions-at-home.html
From: Baghdasarian
April 24 2014
PM's statement on Armenian issue receives mixed reactions at home
A group of demonstrators gathering at İstanbul's Haydarpaşa train
station commemorated victims of what they call the "Armenian
genocide." (Photo: Cihan)
April 24, 2014, Thursday/ 18:52:43/ TODAY'S ZAMAN/ ANKARA
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's historic statement in which he
extended, on Wednesday, condolences to the grandchildren of Armenians
who lost their lives in 1915 as a result of the Ottoman government's
deportation policy, has received a mixed reaction at home.
"Naturally, we also share the pain of all people who lost their lives
[during the deportations]," Haluk Koç, spokesman of the main
opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), said on Thursday in a
statement that seemed to show at least tacit support for the prime
minister's message.
But at a press conference in Parliament, Koç also expressed misgivings
about Erdoğan's intentions, arguing that the step may have come as
part of an effort to boost Turkey's shrinking prestige in the world.
"Erdoğan has gradually lost, over the past two years, its [Turkey's]
prestige in the world. He might be, through messages of goodwill,
seeking prestige. If you place this process in a political context,
cut off [the issue] from historical facts, you can be sure that [the
move] will be perceived as an effort to regain prestige," Koç said.
One day before April 24, when Armenians commemorate the events they
describe as genocide, the statement -- a historical first -- was
issued on Wednesday on the website of the Prime Minister's Office in
nine languages, including Turkish, Armenian and English.
"It is our hope and belief that the peoples of an ancient and unique
geography, who share similar customs and manners will be able to talk
to each other about the past with maturity and remember together their
losses in a appropriate manner. And it is with this hope and belief
that we wish that the Armenians who lost their lives in the context of
the early 20th century rest in peace, and we convey our condolences to
their grandchildren," the statement said.
Giresun University students held a demonstration in the Black Sea
province to denounce allegations of genocide. (Photo: DHA)
Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay on Thursday described the prime
minister's message on the tragic events of 1915 as "very important."
"A very progressive statement and a step [forward] was taken on the
issue. This is very important. This is a message that says, 'Let us
totally resolve this problem,' while nearing the 100th anniversary [of
the event]," Atalay said during a meeting of the ruling Justice and
Development Party (AK) in İstanbul.
During a visit to Çankırı province on Thursday, Nationalist Movement
Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli criticized the prime minister's
statement, maintaining that Erdoğan shares the same mentality with
those who chanted the slogan "We are all Armenians" during a
demonstration protesting the murder of Hrant Dink -- a Turkish citizen
and Armenian journalist -- in İstanbul in 2007.
"The prime minister has started to express the same thing [as these
protesters]. This is very much unfortunate. He should immediately
[announce that he has dropped out of] the presidential race," Bahçeli
said.
Yusuf Halaçoğlu, the MHP's parliamentary group deputy chairman, also
criticized Erdoğan's statement. He maintained at a press meeting in
Parliament on Thursday that Erdoğan might move to admit, under
pressure from abroad, that Ottoman Turks had committed genocide
against Armenians.
"Probably, you [Erdoğan] will accept [claims of] genocide [expressed
by Armenians], if you were to feel a little stronger. We will see what
concessions will be asked of the prime minister who took this step,"
Halaçoğlu said. He also accused the prime minister of failing to see
that in the days leading to the deportation of Armenians, 128,000
Ottoman Muslims were killed by armed Armenian gangs who sought
independence from the Ottoman Empire.
In a written statement on Thursday, the pro-Kurdish Peace and
Democracy (BDP) called on Turkey to face its history and apologize to
the Armenian people.
Mehmet Metin Hülagü, head of the Turkish Historical Society (TTK),
said that the Armenian issue was an inheritance handed down to Turkey
by imperialism, while attending a symposium held in Van on Thursday
titled "Armenians in Van during World War One."
In a statement to Today's Zaman, Faruk Bal, a former AK Party deputy,
stressed that it will not be possible to resolve the Armenian issue by
one or two statements, such as those Prime Minister Erdoğan has made,
but rather by an organized lobby. Bal noted that the ruling party was
shooting Turkey in the foot by attempting to get Turkish schools
abroad, which form significant elements of the Turkish lobby around
the world, closed down.
Armenian tragedy commemorated
Turkish Armenians, Turkish civil society and humanitarian groups
commemorated the 99th anniversary of the tragic events of 1915 in
İstanbul and Diyarbakır, demanding that the Armenian tragedy of 1915
be recognized as genocide.
In a press meeting on Thursday at the Haydarpaşa train station in
İstanbul, from where Armenian intellectuals living in İstanbul at the
time were sent away to other parts of the Ottoman Empire, a group of
50 people placed carnations in the sea in commemoration of those who
lost their lives during the deportation in 1915. Members of the
Platform for the Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide group held and
banners in Turkish and Armenian that read: "We are commemorating the
victims of the Armenian genocide."
Human rights groups were scheduled to meet on Thursday in İstanbul's
Beyoğlu district at 7:15 p.m to commemorate the victims.
In the event in Diyarbakır, Tahir Elçi, head of the Diyarbakır Bar
Association, maintained that according to international law, the
treatment Armenian people were subjected to at the time amounts to
genocide. "What we demand is [...] the recognition [by Turkey] of this
genocide and that justice be done for Armenian victims," Elçi said.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-346056-pms-statement-on-armenian-issue-receives-mixed-reactions-at-home.html
From: Baghdasarian