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PM'S CHIEF ADVISOR CLARIFIES ERDOGAN'S REMARKS ON ARMENIANS
Daily Sabah, Turkey
Aug 7 2014
Daily Sabah
ISTANBUL - Prime Minister and presidential candidate Recep Tayyip
Erdoðan's chief advisor Ýbrahim Kalýn in a televised interview made
notable statements about Erdoðan's remarks regarding Turkey's Armenian
minority, claiming that Erdoðan's statements have been taken out of
context by many.
"Erdoðan's remarks have wrongly been taken out of context" said Kalýn,
who explained that Erdoðan meant to refer to the degrading expression
of "Armenian seed" which is used to insult and humiliate someone but
he could only say 'Armenian' as the proceeding word is considered to
be obscene and racist. According to Kalýn, Erdoðan tried to emphasize
the prejudicial and intolerant atmosphere in Turkey where minorities
were not only being discriminated against but also ridiculed and
insulted for being from a different background.
"A huge misconception and manipulation is evident" said Kalýn, who
stated that certain groups in the U.S. are trying to exploit his
statements for a smear campaign against Turkey. On the other hand,
Kalýn added that the Turkish government has taken unprecedented
steps to improve democratic standards for its Armenian citizens. For
instance, Erdoðan has recently expressed his condolences over the World
War I massacre of Armenians, which he called "our shared pain," a move
which that was greatly appreciated by the Armenian minority in Turkey.
On the other hand, the AK Party is in the process of returning the
properties of Armenian foundations in Turkey, a move also welcomed by
the Armenians in Turkey, with some representatives claiming them to be
"positive developments." Likewise, others have expressed that they
finally "got to breathe thanks to the AK Party" and acknowledge the
fact that change cannot occur overnight and that changing people's
perceptions is a continuous process.
Erdoðan has complained about the opposition's efforts to discredit
him by saying Erdoðan was from a different ethnicity in a recent
televised interview, which sparked outrage as his statements were
taken out of context.
http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2014/08/07/pms-chief-advisor-clarifies-erdogans-remarks-on-armenians
Daily Sabah, Turkey
Aug 7 2014
Daily Sabah
ISTANBUL - Prime Minister and presidential candidate Recep Tayyip
Erdoðan's chief advisor Ýbrahim Kalýn in a televised interview made
notable statements about Erdoðan's remarks regarding Turkey's Armenian
minority, claiming that Erdoðan's statements have been taken out of
context by many.
"Erdoðan's remarks have wrongly been taken out of context" said Kalýn,
who explained that Erdoðan meant to refer to the degrading expression
of "Armenian seed" which is used to insult and humiliate someone but
he could only say 'Armenian' as the proceeding word is considered to
be obscene and racist. According to Kalýn, Erdoðan tried to emphasize
the prejudicial and intolerant atmosphere in Turkey where minorities
were not only being discriminated against but also ridiculed and
insulted for being from a different background.
"A huge misconception and manipulation is evident" said Kalýn, who
stated that certain groups in the U.S. are trying to exploit his
statements for a smear campaign against Turkey. On the other hand,
Kalýn added that the Turkish government has taken unprecedented
steps to improve democratic standards for its Armenian citizens. For
instance, Erdoðan has recently expressed his condolences over the World
War I massacre of Armenians, which he called "our shared pain," a move
which that was greatly appreciated by the Armenian minority in Turkey.
On the other hand, the AK Party is in the process of returning the
properties of Armenian foundations in Turkey, a move also welcomed by
the Armenians in Turkey, with some representatives claiming them to be
"positive developments." Likewise, others have expressed that they
finally "got to breathe thanks to the AK Party" and acknowledge the
fact that change cannot occur overnight and that changing people's
perceptions is a continuous process.
Erdoðan has complained about the opposition's efforts to discredit
him by saying Erdoðan was from a different ethnicity in a recent
televised interview, which sparked outrage as his statements were
taken out of context.
http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2014/08/07/pms-chief-advisor-clarifies-erdogans-remarks-on-armenians