Tweet
Al-Akhbar English, Lebanon
January 30, 2015 Friday
Accused of Acting like a Sultan, Erdogan Says He Prefers to Be like
Queen Elizabeth
by: Chloe Benoist
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greets participants as he
speaks during a meeting at the presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey,
on January 27, 2015. Anadolu/Murat Kaynak
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan brushed off criticism that he
is trying to amass sultan-like powers in an interview on Thursday,
saying he really just wants to be more like Britain's Queen Elizabeth
II.
In an interview with state-run Turkish Radio and Television
Corporation (TRT) channel in which he also discussed the Armenian
genocide, Erdogan said that his desire for an expanded presidential
role would not undermine democracy, pointing to the UK as an example.
"In my opinion, even the UK is a semi-presidency. And the dominant
element is the Queen," Erdogan said.
The UK is a constitutional monarchy, governed by a parliamentary
system, its hereditary monarch wields only symbolic power.
Erdogan's comments came after fresh criticism from the opposition that
he would act like an "Ottoman sultan" once his presidential role has
been boosted.
He protested that leaders of presidential systems in the US, Brazil,
South Korea, Mexico are not accused of acting like monarchs.
"I mean, why is it only a monarchy when an idea like this is floated
in Turkey?" Erdogan asked.
"We need to speed up to close the gap in this race," he added. "The
biggest advantage... would be in abolishing policy-making through
multiple channels."
Erdogan became president in August after more than a decade as prime
minister, but the opposition accuses him of transforming the state by
imposing a gradual Islamization and undermining democracy.
The August elections were the first time a Turkish president,
traditionally a ceremonial role, has been directly elected by the
people. In the wake of his victory, Erdogan insisted that he now has a
popular mandate to be an active and powerful leader.
Turkey is set to hold parliamentary elections in June, with the
pro-Erdogan ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) aiming for a
thumping majority to change the constitution and boost Erdogan's
presidential powers.
"A new constitution is a must for a new Turkey," Erdogan said.
Regarding the matter of the Armenian genocide, Erdogan told TRT that
Turkey was ready to "pay the price" if found guilty of the mass
killings of Armenians a century ago.
He said that his country would take the necessary steps if historians
conclude that it was at fault for the World War I-era massacres that
Armenians say amounted to genocide.
"If the results actually reveal that we have committed a crime, if we
have a price to pay, then as Turkey we would assess it and take the
required steps," he added.
Using both diplomatic levers and its influential diaspora abroad,
Armenia has long sought to win the massacre's international
recognition as a genocide.
On April 24, which marked the 99th anniversary of the genocide,
Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian accused Turkey of an "utter denial"
in failing to recognize World War I mass killings of Armenians in the
Ottoman Empire as a genocide.
"The Armenian Genocide is alive as far as the successor of the Ottoman
Turkey continues its policy of utter denial," Sarkisian said in a
statement at the time.
Turkey has vehemently rejected the genocide claim and says up to
500,000 Armenians died in fighting and of starvation after Armenians
sided with invading Russian troops. It claims a comparable number of
Turks were also killed.
Last year, Erdogan offered an unprecedented expression of condolence
for the massacres but this did little to satisfy Armenians, who want
the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million people recognized as genocide.
But Erdogan said in the interview: "It is impossible to accept such a
thing. We are not obliged to recognize the so-called Armenian genocide
on someone's orders."
He also reiterated that the mass killings should be studied by
historians on the basis of documents and archives, and not
politicians.
"If you are really sincere in this matter, let us give it to the
historians. Let the historians deal with the matter. We have opened
our archive and presented more than a million documents," he said.
"If Armenia also has an archive, then they should open it too. Then we
can sit and talk as politicians."
Earlier this month Erdogan said Ankara would "actively" challenge a
campaign pressuring Turkey to recognize the mass killings as genocide,
on the 100th anniversary of the tragedy this year.
A survey published earlier this month showed that less than 10 percent
of Turks believe that their government should acknowledge the Armenian
genocide.
It also found that twelve percent said the government should express
its regret for the Armenians who lost their lives in 1915 but not
apologize. Twenty-one percent preferred Turkey take no action on the
Armenian genocide claims, the survey found.
More than 20 countries have so far officially recognized the massacres
as genocide.
(AFP, Al-Akhbar)
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
January 30, 2015 Friday
Accused of Acting like a Sultan, Erdogan Says He Prefers to Be like
Queen Elizabeth
by: Chloe Benoist
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greets participants as he
speaks during a meeting at the presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey,
on January 27, 2015. Anadolu/Murat Kaynak
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan brushed off criticism that he
is trying to amass sultan-like powers in an interview on Thursday,
saying he really just wants to be more like Britain's Queen Elizabeth
II.
In an interview with state-run Turkish Radio and Television
Corporation (TRT) channel in which he also discussed the Armenian
genocide, Erdogan said that his desire for an expanded presidential
role would not undermine democracy, pointing to the UK as an example.
"In my opinion, even the UK is a semi-presidency. And the dominant
element is the Queen," Erdogan said.
The UK is a constitutional monarchy, governed by a parliamentary
system, its hereditary monarch wields only symbolic power.
Erdogan's comments came after fresh criticism from the opposition that
he would act like an "Ottoman sultan" once his presidential role has
been boosted.
He protested that leaders of presidential systems in the US, Brazil,
South Korea, Mexico are not accused of acting like monarchs.
"I mean, why is it only a monarchy when an idea like this is floated
in Turkey?" Erdogan asked.
"We need to speed up to close the gap in this race," he added. "The
biggest advantage... would be in abolishing policy-making through
multiple channels."
Erdogan became president in August after more than a decade as prime
minister, but the opposition accuses him of transforming the state by
imposing a gradual Islamization and undermining democracy.
The August elections were the first time a Turkish president,
traditionally a ceremonial role, has been directly elected by the
people. In the wake of his victory, Erdogan insisted that he now has a
popular mandate to be an active and powerful leader.
Turkey is set to hold parliamentary elections in June, with the
pro-Erdogan ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) aiming for a
thumping majority to change the constitution and boost Erdogan's
presidential powers.
"A new constitution is a must for a new Turkey," Erdogan said.
Regarding the matter of the Armenian genocide, Erdogan told TRT that
Turkey was ready to "pay the price" if found guilty of the mass
killings of Armenians a century ago.
He said that his country would take the necessary steps if historians
conclude that it was at fault for the World War I-era massacres that
Armenians say amounted to genocide.
"If the results actually reveal that we have committed a crime, if we
have a price to pay, then as Turkey we would assess it and take the
required steps," he added.
Using both diplomatic levers and its influential diaspora abroad,
Armenia has long sought to win the massacre's international
recognition as a genocide.
On April 24, which marked the 99th anniversary of the genocide,
Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian accused Turkey of an "utter denial"
in failing to recognize World War I mass killings of Armenians in the
Ottoman Empire as a genocide.
"The Armenian Genocide is alive as far as the successor of the Ottoman
Turkey continues its policy of utter denial," Sarkisian said in a
statement at the time.
Turkey has vehemently rejected the genocide claim and says up to
500,000 Armenians died in fighting and of starvation after Armenians
sided with invading Russian troops. It claims a comparable number of
Turks were also killed.
Last year, Erdogan offered an unprecedented expression of condolence
for the massacres but this did little to satisfy Armenians, who want
the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million people recognized as genocide.
But Erdogan said in the interview: "It is impossible to accept such a
thing. We are not obliged to recognize the so-called Armenian genocide
on someone's orders."
He also reiterated that the mass killings should be studied by
historians on the basis of documents and archives, and not
politicians.
"If you are really sincere in this matter, let us give it to the
historians. Let the historians deal with the matter. We have opened
our archive and presented more than a million documents," he said.
"If Armenia also has an archive, then they should open it too. Then we
can sit and talk as politicians."
Earlier this month Erdogan said Ankara would "actively" challenge a
campaign pressuring Turkey to recognize the mass killings as genocide,
on the 100th anniversary of the tragedy this year.
A survey published earlier this month showed that less than 10 percent
of Turks believe that their government should acknowledge the Armenian
genocide.
It also found that twelve percent said the government should express
its regret for the Armenians who lost their lives in 1915 but not
apologize. Twenty-one percent preferred Turkey take no action on the
Armenian genocide claims, the survey found.
More than 20 countries have so far officially recognized the massacres
as genocide.
(AFP, Al-Akhbar)
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress