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TURKEY MULLS "BOLD STEPS" OF ARMENIA TO BEGIN "NEW ERA"
Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
June 25 2014
ISTANBUL
Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglu says that the relations between
Ankara and Yerevan might enter into a 'new era' if Armenian diaspora
decides to take 'bold steps' similar to one Ankara has taken
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has stated that Turkey believes
Armenia and the Armenian diaspora will choose to take "bold steps"
like the one Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan took in April, adding
that if this happens Turkish-Armenian relations will enter a "new era."
Erdogan issued Turkey's first-ever statement offering condolences to
the descendants of slain Ottoman Armenians in April, just a day before
the traditional 99th anniversary of the mass killings at the hands of
the Ottoman Empire during World War I. The statement highlighted the
"shared pain" endured during the 1915 events and expressed condolences
on behalf of the Turkish state to the grandchildren of Armenians who
lost their lives "in the context of the early 20th century."
In an article published in the spring edition of the Turkish Policy
Quarterly journal, Davutoglu wrote that Erdogan's statement should be
the foundation for further steps. "Erdogan's message of condolence
should not be seen as a conjunctural step. It should be seen as a
prelude for transformation of minds and memories because this is
not only an offer of condolence but also a sincere invitation to all
parties to ensure a common future based on lasting peace," he wrote.
"A new and more grounded era of peace will reign between Turkey and
Armenia if intellectuals and politicians do their part to overcome
the psychological barriers on both sides and to build a 'just memory.
Otherwise, both sides will inevitably be exploited by those who benefit
from a sector that feeds off the status quo," he wrote. Turkey and
Armenia signed a protocol in 2009 to restore diplomatic relations,"
Davutoglu added.
"The greatest injustice that has been visited on both history and
the peoples in question is setting aside the shared history of the
two peoples and the previous rich centuries, and beginning instead
only with traumatic events like war and conflict, or reconstructing
the previous centuries by making these traumatic events the center
of everything," he also wrote.
"The 'unjust memory' created around the events of 1915 constitutes
the most important example of this phenomenon as it mortgages the
shared past and future of the Turks and Armenians," he added, urging
open and continuous dialogue between the two sides.
"The 'just memory' concept that we have frequently employed during
this process is critically important. In order for Turks and Armenians
to understand what each of them has experienced, it is essential that
they respect one another's memory. For the Armenians, 1915 was a year
of relocation during which exceedingly great tragedies took place. The
years prior to and after 1915 were also a time of tremendous tragedy
for the Turks in Anatolia. It was at this time that Turks fought for
their very survival in the Balkan Wars, at Canakkale, and in the
War of Independence. Actually, this was a time of 'shared pain,'"
Davutoglu wrote.
June/25/2014
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-mulls-bold-steps-of-armenia-to-begin-new-era.aspx?PageID=238&NID=68279&NewsCatID=510
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
June 25 2014
ISTANBUL
Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglu says that the relations between
Ankara and Yerevan might enter into a 'new era' if Armenian diaspora
decides to take 'bold steps' similar to one Ankara has taken
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has stated that Turkey believes
Armenia and the Armenian diaspora will choose to take "bold steps"
like the one Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan took in April, adding
that if this happens Turkish-Armenian relations will enter a "new era."
Erdogan issued Turkey's first-ever statement offering condolences to
the descendants of slain Ottoman Armenians in April, just a day before
the traditional 99th anniversary of the mass killings at the hands of
the Ottoman Empire during World War I. The statement highlighted the
"shared pain" endured during the 1915 events and expressed condolences
on behalf of the Turkish state to the grandchildren of Armenians who
lost their lives "in the context of the early 20th century."
In an article published in the spring edition of the Turkish Policy
Quarterly journal, Davutoglu wrote that Erdogan's statement should be
the foundation for further steps. "Erdogan's message of condolence
should not be seen as a conjunctural step. It should be seen as a
prelude for transformation of minds and memories because this is
not only an offer of condolence but also a sincere invitation to all
parties to ensure a common future based on lasting peace," he wrote.
"A new and more grounded era of peace will reign between Turkey and
Armenia if intellectuals and politicians do their part to overcome
the psychological barriers on both sides and to build a 'just memory.
Otherwise, both sides will inevitably be exploited by those who benefit
from a sector that feeds off the status quo," he wrote. Turkey and
Armenia signed a protocol in 2009 to restore diplomatic relations,"
Davutoglu added.
"The greatest injustice that has been visited on both history and
the peoples in question is setting aside the shared history of the
two peoples and the previous rich centuries, and beginning instead
only with traumatic events like war and conflict, or reconstructing
the previous centuries by making these traumatic events the center
of everything," he also wrote.
"The 'unjust memory' created around the events of 1915 constitutes
the most important example of this phenomenon as it mortgages the
shared past and future of the Turks and Armenians," he added, urging
open and continuous dialogue between the two sides.
"The 'just memory' concept that we have frequently employed during
this process is critically important. In order for Turks and Armenians
to understand what each of them has experienced, it is essential that
they respect one another's memory. For the Armenians, 1915 was a year
of relocation during which exceedingly great tragedies took place. The
years prior to and after 1915 were also a time of tremendous tragedy
for the Turks in Anatolia. It was at this time that Turks fought for
their very survival in the Balkan Wars, at Canakkale, and in the
War of Independence. Actually, this was a time of 'shared pain,'"
Davutoglu wrote.
June/25/2014
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-mulls-bold-steps-of-armenia-to-begin-new-era.aspx?PageID=238&NID=68279&NewsCatID=510
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress