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Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Jan 28 2015
Turkey should engage with Armenia, not Armenian diaspora: PM's adviser
ARBIL ` Anadolu Agency
Turkey should turn the centenary of the 1915 incidents into an
opportunity to engage with the Armenian state and society rather than
the Armenian diaspora, as the former is more open to dialogue, Turkish
prime ministerial adviser Etyen Mahçupyan has said.
Mahçupyan said reciprocal steps by Turkey and Armenia on the centenary
of the 1915 events would change relations between the two states in a
`healing' way, adding that the initial phase should be between Turkey
and Armenia, rather than the Armenian diaspora.
`Armenia and its society are more ready to engage in with Turkey than
the diaspora. But because we hear the state's voice and as the state
speaks as a state, it seems bold,' said Mahçupyan.
Stating that when one spoke to the people on the streets of Armenia,
one could understand that they are seeking closure, Mahçupyan said the
same was true for Turkey.
He added that although the two nations were the `children of the same
culture' and there was a `longing' between them, the world's current
state system had drawn borders between nations, making inter-state
relations more formal and cold.
Commenting on President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an's invitation to Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan to the ceremonies marking the centenary of
the Battle of Gallipoli in Çanakkale in late April, which coincides
with the Remembrance Day of the 1915 events, Mahçupyan said the
invitation was made to the entire world, including Armenia.
The adviser also said that many Armenians soldiers had died for the
Ottoman Empire in Çanakkale, so the ceremony would naturally be of
interest to the Armenian state.
`But states might not act with moral responsibilities. They hold a
more self-selving and bargaining perspective,' said Mahçupyan,
referring to Sargsyan's decision to decline the invitation.
According to Armenia, up to 1.5 million Ottoman Armenians were killed
starting from 1915. Turkey denies that the deaths constituted
genocide, saying the toll during the mass deportation of Ottoman
Armenians has been inflated and that those killed in 1915 and 1916
were victims of general unrest during the World War I. Many states
around the world, however, recognize the events as genocide.
Mahçupyan said relations should be built starting from the informal
and societal level, rather than the state-to-state level, suggesting
women's movements in the two countries coming together as an example.
January/28/2015
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-should-engage-with-armenia-not-armenian-diaspora-pms-adviser.aspx?pageID=238&nID=77567&NewsCatID=338
Jan 28 2015
Turkey should engage with Armenia, not Armenian diaspora: PM's adviser
ARBIL ` Anadolu Agency
Turkey should turn the centenary of the 1915 incidents into an
opportunity to engage with the Armenian state and society rather than
the Armenian diaspora, as the former is more open to dialogue, Turkish
prime ministerial adviser Etyen Mahçupyan has said.
Mahçupyan said reciprocal steps by Turkey and Armenia on the centenary
of the 1915 events would change relations between the two states in a
`healing' way, adding that the initial phase should be between Turkey
and Armenia, rather than the Armenian diaspora.
`Armenia and its society are more ready to engage in with Turkey than
the diaspora. But because we hear the state's voice and as the state
speaks as a state, it seems bold,' said Mahçupyan.
Stating that when one spoke to the people on the streets of Armenia,
one could understand that they are seeking closure, Mahçupyan said the
same was true for Turkey.
He added that although the two nations were the `children of the same
culture' and there was a `longing' between them, the world's current
state system had drawn borders between nations, making inter-state
relations more formal and cold.
Commenting on President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an's invitation to Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan to the ceremonies marking the centenary of
the Battle of Gallipoli in Çanakkale in late April, which coincides
with the Remembrance Day of the 1915 events, Mahçupyan said the
invitation was made to the entire world, including Armenia.
The adviser also said that many Armenians soldiers had died for the
Ottoman Empire in Çanakkale, so the ceremony would naturally be of
interest to the Armenian state.
`But states might not act with moral responsibilities. They hold a
more self-selving and bargaining perspective,' said Mahçupyan,
referring to Sargsyan's decision to decline the invitation.
According to Armenia, up to 1.5 million Ottoman Armenians were killed
starting from 1915. Turkey denies that the deaths constituted
genocide, saying the toll during the mass deportation of Ottoman
Armenians has been inflated and that those killed in 1915 and 1916
were victims of general unrest during the World War I. Many states
around the world, however, recognize the events as genocide.
Mahçupyan said relations should be built starting from the informal
and societal level, rather than the state-to-state level, suggesting
women's movements in the two countries coming together as an example.
January/28/2015
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-should-engage-with-armenia-not-armenian-diaspora-pms-adviser.aspx?pageID=238&nID=77567&NewsCatID=338