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ERDOGAN JUST 'SAVING THE DAY' BY 'GESTURE' OF ARMENIAN STATEMENT
Cihan News Agency (CNA), Turkey
April 26, 2014 Saturday
ISTANBUL (CIHAN)- Turks and Armenians together marked April 24,
the 99th anniversary of their shared tragedy of the 1915 massacre of
Anatolian Armenians by Ottoman Turks. Including some descendants of
survivors, hundreds gathered near Istanbul's famed Taksim Square to
commemorate the deceased.
A day earlier, the state of Turkey for the first time acknowledged
the century-old incident, with stunning remarks coming from Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The killings in 1915 are regarded by
many historians as the first genocide of the 20th century. Though
Turkey rejects the term "genocide," Erdogan on Wednesday called the
events "our shared pain" and acknowledged that the deportation of
Armenians had "inhumane consequences," as well as offering condolences
to the descendants of the victims. Erdogan's statement, which came as
a surprise, was hailed by US and EU officials, including US Secretary
of State John Kerry and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fule,
as a positive step from Turkey. However, Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan, who issued a statement on the occasion of the anniversary
of the 1915 incidents, did not even mention Erdogan's message and
accusing Turkey of being in denial about the "genocide." Sargsyan
added that he does not regard the Turkish nation as an enemy.
In his Friday piece titled "Step by step to nowhere," Kerem Altan, a
columnist who writes for the online news portal T24, said that he did
not feel the same excitement as the pro-government columnists about
Erdogan's statement addressing Armenians. Altan explained that the
image of Prime Minister Erdogan shouting "Armenian lobby!" during a
parliamentary session last week is still fresh in his mind. Altan
stated that off the top of his head, he can offer a list of
countless such examples of hate speech by Erdogan directed at various
minorities. Despite this, Altan considers Erdogan's unexpected message,
that was issued in nine languages, a remarkable step as it marks the
first official acknowledgment of the persecution suffered by Armenians
in 1915. "However, such 'single steps' do not get me excited anymore
because we have seen these sorts of 'steps' and 'initiatives' plenty of
times. I long for a determined walk, instead of 'steps.' I want to see
acts, not words and gestures. ... The government developed a habit of
'saving the day' and covering up basic problems through making such
'gestures.' We shouldn't forget that not only a deportation but the
disgraceful memory of a genocide requires a long-delayed apology,"
Altan said. The columnist also said that next year, on the 100th
anniversary of the Armenian tragedy when the international community
will take a stronger stand on the issue, Turkey might be isolated in
spite of Wednesday's "gesture."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Cihan News Agency (CNA), Turkey
April 26, 2014 Saturday
ISTANBUL (CIHAN)- Turks and Armenians together marked April 24,
the 99th anniversary of their shared tragedy of the 1915 massacre of
Anatolian Armenians by Ottoman Turks. Including some descendants of
survivors, hundreds gathered near Istanbul's famed Taksim Square to
commemorate the deceased.
A day earlier, the state of Turkey for the first time acknowledged
the century-old incident, with stunning remarks coming from Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The killings in 1915 are regarded by
many historians as the first genocide of the 20th century. Though
Turkey rejects the term "genocide," Erdogan on Wednesday called the
events "our shared pain" and acknowledged that the deportation of
Armenians had "inhumane consequences," as well as offering condolences
to the descendants of the victims. Erdogan's statement, which came as
a surprise, was hailed by US and EU officials, including US Secretary
of State John Kerry and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fule,
as a positive step from Turkey. However, Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan, who issued a statement on the occasion of the anniversary
of the 1915 incidents, did not even mention Erdogan's message and
accusing Turkey of being in denial about the "genocide." Sargsyan
added that he does not regard the Turkish nation as an enemy.
In his Friday piece titled "Step by step to nowhere," Kerem Altan, a
columnist who writes for the online news portal T24, said that he did
not feel the same excitement as the pro-government columnists about
Erdogan's statement addressing Armenians. Altan explained that the
image of Prime Minister Erdogan shouting "Armenian lobby!" during a
parliamentary session last week is still fresh in his mind. Altan
stated that off the top of his head, he can offer a list of
countless such examples of hate speech by Erdogan directed at various
minorities. Despite this, Altan considers Erdogan's unexpected message,
that was issued in nine languages, a remarkable step as it marks the
first official acknowledgment of the persecution suffered by Armenians
in 1915. "However, such 'single steps' do not get me excited anymore
because we have seen these sorts of 'steps' and 'initiatives' plenty of
times. I long for a determined walk, instead of 'steps.' I want to see
acts, not words and gestures. ... The government developed a habit of
'saving the day' and covering up basic problems through making such
'gestures.' We shouldn't forget that not only a deportation but the
disgraceful memory of a genocide requires a long-delayed apology,"
Altan said. The columnist also said that next year, on the 100th
anniversary of the Armenian tragedy when the international community
will take a stronger stand on the issue, Turkey might be isolated in
spite of Wednesday's "gesture."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress