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Today's Zaman, Turkey
Jan 18 2015
Armenian president slams ErdoÄ?an on Çanakkale invitation
January 18, 2015, Sunday/ 13:48:31/ TODAY'S ZAMAN / ANKARA
In response to President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an's invitation to the
events commemorating the centenary of the battle of the Çanakkale
Campaign of World War I to be held on April 24 this year, Armenian
President Serzh Sarksyan has said that before organizing such a
commemorative event, Turkey has a much more important obligation
toward the whole of humanity to recognize and condemn the Armenian
`genocide' at the end of World War I.
In an open letter to ErdoÄ?an, which has also been published by the
Armenian news agency Armenpress, Sarksyan stressed on Friday that he
first invited ErdoÄ?an a few months ago to join Armenians in
commemoration of the victims of the Armenian `genocide' in Yerevan on
April 24. `It is not common practice for us to be hosted at the
invitee's without receiving a response to our invitation,' Sarksyan
noted.
Ankara denies claims that the events of 1915 amounted to genocide,
arguing that both Turks and Armenians were killed when Armenians
revolted against the Ottoman Empire during World War I in
collaboration with the Russian army, which was then invading Eastern
Anatolia. Every year on April 24, Armenians around the world
commemorate the Armenian victims who died at the end of World War I in
Ottoman Turkey. Armenians are preparing for the centennial
commemoration events this year in April.
ErdoÄ?an invited Sarksyan to the 100th anniversary celebration of the
Çanakkale Campaign of World War I to commemorate the Armenian and
Turkish soldiers who fought and died together side-by-side during the
war, the Milliyet daily reported on Friday.
Turkey sent invitations to the leaders of 102 states whose soldiers
fought in World War I, inviting them to attend an event commemorating
the anniversary that is scheduled to take place on April 23-24. A
government official, cited by Milliyet, said a large number of
soldiers of Armenian origin fought and died together with Turkish
soldiers during the war.
`Turkey continues its traditional policy of denialism. Year by year,
improving its tools of history distortion, this time Turkey marks the
anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli (Çanakkale) on April 24 for the
first time, while it began on March 18, 1915, and lasted till late
January 1916. Furthermore, the Allies' land campaign -- Gallipoli land
battle -- took place on April 25, 1915,' said Sarksyan in his letter.
`What purpose does it serve if not a simple-minded goal to distract
the attention of the international community from the events dedicated
to the centennial of the Armenian Genocide? Whereas, before organizing
a commemorative event, Turkey has a much more important obligation
towards its own people and the entire humanity, namely the recognition
and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide,' he added.
Sarksyan advised ErdoÄ?an that when calling for international peace, he
should not forget to send a message to the world to recognize the
Armenian `genocide' and `pay tribute to the memory of 1.5 million
victims.'
In his letter addressed to ErdoÄ?an, Sarksyan also gave the example of
an artilleryman of Armenian descent, Cpt. Sargis Torosyan, who served
in the Ottoman Empire in the Çanakkale battle. Sarksyan said Torosyan
served as an officer, dedicated to defend the Ottoman Empire and who
was decorated with Ottoman military awards for his loyalty and
heroism.
`Nevertheless, in that same year, marking the culmination of mass
killing and forced deportation, preliminary planned and perpetrated by
the Ottoman Empire, the wave of massacres did not bypass even Sargis
Torosyan. His parents, brutally killed, and sister, who perished in
the Syrian desert, were among 1.5 million Armenian victims of
genocide,' he said.
Sarksyan also claimed in his letter that `impunity' thereof paved a
path to the Holocaust and genocide in Rwanda, Cambodia and Darfur.
The Armenian president also said that peace and friendship first and
foremost should be based on the courage to confront the past, as well
as on the recognition of a universal memory but never on a `selective
approach.'
Speaking to the Agos daily on Friday, Turkish citizens of Armenian
descent reacted strongly to ErdoÄ?an's invitation, calling it a `joke'
and an `ill-mannered' action, and further criticizing it as a
`political maneuver.'
The Çanakkale battle, also known as the Gallipoli Campaign, was an
Allied military campaign against the Ottoman Empire that began on
April 25, 1915. The Allied forces were repelled in 1916 and the
campaign went down in history as one of the greatest Ottoman victories
during World War I.
While ErdoÄ?an sent invitations to many of his counterparts, Prime
Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu also invited the heads of numerous states.
In a historic first for the Turkish Republic last year, ErdoÄ?an, who
was prime minister at the time, extended Turkey's condolences to the
grandchildren of Armenians who had lost their lives in 1915. Although
the statement was widely welcomed by the West and Armenians living in
Turkey, Yerevan remained unsatisfied.
An invitation was also sent to US President Barack Obama, whose
statements on the anniversary of the 1915 events are of importance to
both Ankara and Yerevan. Armenia is lobbying the US to recognize the
1915 events as `genocide,' a charge Turkey categorically denies.
Armenia is also preparing a wide-scale anniversary ceremony for the
1915 events. Last year, the Armenian president invited his Turkish
counterpart to visit Armenia on April 24 of this year to commemorate
the 100th anniversary of the events.
http://www.todayszaman.com/diplomacy_armenian-president-slams-erdogan-on-canakkale-invitation_370155.html
Jan 18 2015
Armenian president slams ErdoÄ?an on Çanakkale invitation
January 18, 2015, Sunday/ 13:48:31/ TODAY'S ZAMAN / ANKARA
In response to President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an's invitation to the
events commemorating the centenary of the battle of the Çanakkale
Campaign of World War I to be held on April 24 this year, Armenian
President Serzh Sarksyan has said that before organizing such a
commemorative event, Turkey has a much more important obligation
toward the whole of humanity to recognize and condemn the Armenian
`genocide' at the end of World War I.
In an open letter to ErdoÄ?an, which has also been published by the
Armenian news agency Armenpress, Sarksyan stressed on Friday that he
first invited ErdoÄ?an a few months ago to join Armenians in
commemoration of the victims of the Armenian `genocide' in Yerevan on
April 24. `It is not common practice for us to be hosted at the
invitee's without receiving a response to our invitation,' Sarksyan
noted.
Ankara denies claims that the events of 1915 amounted to genocide,
arguing that both Turks and Armenians were killed when Armenians
revolted against the Ottoman Empire during World War I in
collaboration with the Russian army, which was then invading Eastern
Anatolia. Every year on April 24, Armenians around the world
commemorate the Armenian victims who died at the end of World War I in
Ottoman Turkey. Armenians are preparing for the centennial
commemoration events this year in April.
ErdoÄ?an invited Sarksyan to the 100th anniversary celebration of the
Çanakkale Campaign of World War I to commemorate the Armenian and
Turkish soldiers who fought and died together side-by-side during the
war, the Milliyet daily reported on Friday.
Turkey sent invitations to the leaders of 102 states whose soldiers
fought in World War I, inviting them to attend an event commemorating
the anniversary that is scheduled to take place on April 23-24. A
government official, cited by Milliyet, said a large number of
soldiers of Armenian origin fought and died together with Turkish
soldiers during the war.
`Turkey continues its traditional policy of denialism. Year by year,
improving its tools of history distortion, this time Turkey marks the
anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli (Çanakkale) on April 24 for the
first time, while it began on March 18, 1915, and lasted till late
January 1916. Furthermore, the Allies' land campaign -- Gallipoli land
battle -- took place on April 25, 1915,' said Sarksyan in his letter.
`What purpose does it serve if not a simple-minded goal to distract
the attention of the international community from the events dedicated
to the centennial of the Armenian Genocide? Whereas, before organizing
a commemorative event, Turkey has a much more important obligation
towards its own people and the entire humanity, namely the recognition
and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide,' he added.
Sarksyan advised ErdoÄ?an that when calling for international peace, he
should not forget to send a message to the world to recognize the
Armenian `genocide' and `pay tribute to the memory of 1.5 million
victims.'
In his letter addressed to ErdoÄ?an, Sarksyan also gave the example of
an artilleryman of Armenian descent, Cpt. Sargis Torosyan, who served
in the Ottoman Empire in the Çanakkale battle. Sarksyan said Torosyan
served as an officer, dedicated to defend the Ottoman Empire and who
was decorated with Ottoman military awards for his loyalty and
heroism.
`Nevertheless, in that same year, marking the culmination of mass
killing and forced deportation, preliminary planned and perpetrated by
the Ottoman Empire, the wave of massacres did not bypass even Sargis
Torosyan. His parents, brutally killed, and sister, who perished in
the Syrian desert, were among 1.5 million Armenian victims of
genocide,' he said.
Sarksyan also claimed in his letter that `impunity' thereof paved a
path to the Holocaust and genocide in Rwanda, Cambodia and Darfur.
The Armenian president also said that peace and friendship first and
foremost should be based on the courage to confront the past, as well
as on the recognition of a universal memory but never on a `selective
approach.'
Speaking to the Agos daily on Friday, Turkish citizens of Armenian
descent reacted strongly to ErdoÄ?an's invitation, calling it a `joke'
and an `ill-mannered' action, and further criticizing it as a
`political maneuver.'
The Çanakkale battle, also known as the Gallipoli Campaign, was an
Allied military campaign against the Ottoman Empire that began on
April 25, 1915. The Allied forces were repelled in 1916 and the
campaign went down in history as one of the greatest Ottoman victories
during World War I.
While ErdoÄ?an sent invitations to many of his counterparts, Prime
Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu also invited the heads of numerous states.
In a historic first for the Turkish Republic last year, ErdoÄ?an, who
was prime minister at the time, extended Turkey's condolences to the
grandchildren of Armenians who had lost their lives in 1915. Although
the statement was widely welcomed by the West and Armenians living in
Turkey, Yerevan remained unsatisfied.
An invitation was also sent to US President Barack Obama, whose
statements on the anniversary of the 1915 events are of importance to
both Ankara and Yerevan. Armenia is lobbying the US to recognize the
1915 events as `genocide,' a charge Turkey categorically denies.
Armenia is also preparing a wide-scale anniversary ceremony for the
1915 events. Last year, the Armenian president invited his Turkish
counterpart to visit Armenia on April 24 of this year to commemorate
the 100th anniversary of the events.
http://www.todayszaman.com/diplomacy_armenian-president-slams-erdogan-on-canakkale-invitation_370155.html