Tweet
Anadolu Agency, Turkey
April 29 2014
US and West insensitive towards Syria
Turkish Deputy PM says if the urgency shown in Ukraine was shown in
Syria the Syrian situation was not going to be like it is right now.
WASHINGTON (AA) - If more urgency had been shown by the international
community in dealing with Syria as it has been done in case of Ukraine
then the Syrian situation might have been different and inaction in
Syria is also to be blamed for Russian power permutation, said Turkish
Deputy PM on a visit to Washington on Monday.
Besir Atalay on a visit to Anadolu Agency's recently opened Washington
Bureau said he had met the new US Homeland Security Secretary, Jeh
Johnson to discuss the situation in Syria.
Atalay said they discussed the fight against terrorism and that some
terrorist organizations are on the US agenda. However he stressed
again that dealing with the terrorist threat from groups in Syria has
become more difficult due to delayed intervention in Syria.
Atalay said, "It's easy to have a table talk on Syria in Washington
however we have a thousand km long border, relatives live on both
sides. It's impossible for them to hear, understand and live the
difficulties we are going through."
He again stressed that the Syria opposition was not supported by the
international community. He added, "The United States and the West
continue their sensitivity regarding organizations like Al-Qaeda while
we are telling them that you are the reason for their emergence."
Atalay said Johnson accepted his invitation to visit Turkey and the
Syrian refugee camps on Turkey's border. He added that Turkey has
opened its doors to more than one million Syrian refugees -230
thousand of these are in camps on the border. Turkey has spent more
than $3 billion on these refugees so far, but "has not seen any
assistance from the international community in this regard" said
Atalay.
Atalay said that he discussed bilateral cooperation in security and
fight against terrorism in his meeting with Assistant National
Security Adviser Tony Blinken and drew attention to Armenian
resolutions discussed at Foreign Relations Committee of the US Senate
and 5-6 resolutions regarding Turkey brought to US Congress.
Replying a question whether Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's
latest statement regarding the 1915 incidents was discussed during his
contacts Atalay said, "The statement of the Prime Minister regarding
the Armenian issue was the most advanced step. We always intended to
solve this problem. We have always said that this kind of advanced
steps must be taken, historians should work, let's open all archives
and solve the problems. Neither US President nor the White House has
referred to Prime Minister Erdogan's statement. They pretended that
they did but actually they didn't because it was mere a comment made
by the US State Department Spokesperson. Now they say that they will
make a statement."
Criticizing supply of Apache helicopters to Egypt Atalay said, "God
willing the Egyptian government steps back on death penalties while
many people have already been killed in peaceful demonstrations in
Egypt however the United States and West have displayed contradiction
in this regard and failed to put forward a clear stance against the
coup."
Atalay said Turkey has done its part as a NATO member however Turkey
has different relations with Russia because of Crimea and the
situation of Crimean Tatars is very important for Turkey.
"Erdogan has expressed his condolences over the Armenian people who
lost their lives. But again Armenia did not reply positively."
The details behind the incidents in 1915 continue to be a contentious
issue between Turkey and Armenia which has kept relations sour between
the two neighbours.
The 1915 incidents took place during World War I when a portion of the
Armenian population living in the Ottoman Empire sided with the
invading Russians and uprose against the Ottoman authority. The
uprisings were followed by a relocation decision of the Ottoman Empire
concerning Armenians living in eastern Anatolia.
Turkey says that both Turks and Armenians died during clashes between
Ottoman forces and armed Armenian groups backed by Russia.
Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan's message has been well
received by Armenians living in Turkey's southeastern region.
From: A. Papazian
April 29 2014
US and West insensitive towards Syria
Turkish Deputy PM says if the urgency shown in Ukraine was shown in
Syria the Syrian situation was not going to be like it is right now.
WASHINGTON (AA) - If more urgency had been shown by the international
community in dealing with Syria as it has been done in case of Ukraine
then the Syrian situation might have been different and inaction in
Syria is also to be blamed for Russian power permutation, said Turkish
Deputy PM on a visit to Washington on Monday.
Besir Atalay on a visit to Anadolu Agency's recently opened Washington
Bureau said he had met the new US Homeland Security Secretary, Jeh
Johnson to discuss the situation in Syria.
Atalay said they discussed the fight against terrorism and that some
terrorist organizations are on the US agenda. However he stressed
again that dealing with the terrorist threat from groups in Syria has
become more difficult due to delayed intervention in Syria.
Atalay said, "It's easy to have a table talk on Syria in Washington
however we have a thousand km long border, relatives live on both
sides. It's impossible for them to hear, understand and live the
difficulties we are going through."
He again stressed that the Syria opposition was not supported by the
international community. He added, "The United States and the West
continue their sensitivity regarding organizations like Al-Qaeda while
we are telling them that you are the reason for their emergence."
Atalay said Johnson accepted his invitation to visit Turkey and the
Syrian refugee camps on Turkey's border. He added that Turkey has
opened its doors to more than one million Syrian refugees -230
thousand of these are in camps on the border. Turkey has spent more
than $3 billion on these refugees so far, but "has not seen any
assistance from the international community in this regard" said
Atalay.
Atalay said that he discussed bilateral cooperation in security and
fight against terrorism in his meeting with Assistant National
Security Adviser Tony Blinken and drew attention to Armenian
resolutions discussed at Foreign Relations Committee of the US Senate
and 5-6 resolutions regarding Turkey brought to US Congress.
Replying a question whether Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's
latest statement regarding the 1915 incidents was discussed during his
contacts Atalay said, "The statement of the Prime Minister regarding
the Armenian issue was the most advanced step. We always intended to
solve this problem. We have always said that this kind of advanced
steps must be taken, historians should work, let's open all archives
and solve the problems. Neither US President nor the White House has
referred to Prime Minister Erdogan's statement. They pretended that
they did but actually they didn't because it was mere a comment made
by the US State Department Spokesperson. Now they say that they will
make a statement."
Criticizing supply of Apache helicopters to Egypt Atalay said, "God
willing the Egyptian government steps back on death penalties while
many people have already been killed in peaceful demonstrations in
Egypt however the United States and West have displayed contradiction
in this regard and failed to put forward a clear stance against the
coup."
Atalay said Turkey has done its part as a NATO member however Turkey
has different relations with Russia because of Crimea and the
situation of Crimean Tatars is very important for Turkey.
"Erdogan has expressed his condolences over the Armenian people who
lost their lives. But again Armenia did not reply positively."
The details behind the incidents in 1915 continue to be a contentious
issue between Turkey and Armenia which has kept relations sour between
the two neighbours.
The 1915 incidents took place during World War I when a portion of the
Armenian population living in the Ottoman Empire sided with the
invading Russians and uprose against the Ottoman authority. The
uprisings were followed by a relocation decision of the Ottoman Empire
concerning Armenians living in eastern Anatolia.
Turkey says that both Turks and Armenians died during clashes between
Ottoman forces and armed Armenian groups backed by Russia.
Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan's message has been well
received by Armenians living in Turkey's southeastern region.
From: A. Papazian