Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

ANKARA: Erdogan's Condolences

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • ANKARA: Erdogan's Condolences

    ERDOGAN'S CONDOLENCES

    Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
    May 1 2014

    MUSTAFA AYDIN

    The prime minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdošan, released a
    surprising statement on April 23 about the deaths surrounding the
    mass deportation of Armenians during World War I. The responses so
    far range from warm welcomes to outright rejections of the message. It
    clearly achieved its intended purpose: It received attention.

    Discussion has focused on whether it constitutes a serious shift in
    Turkish policy or an attempt at hedging towards the expected reactions
    in 2015.

    There could be no doubt about the short term intention of the
    government, as the carefully constructed message was translated into
    nine languages and circulated into international press on the eve of
    yet another "genocide resolution" at the U.S. Congress. It has been a
    routine for Turkish diplomacy for years to stop draft resolutions at
    the U.S. Congress and prevent the U.S. president from using the G-word
    in his remembrance of the 1915 events. The same has happened exactly
    this year: A group of Congressmen presented a draft resolution to the
    Senate on April 3. The administration did not like it and the President
    used his now routine wording, "Meds Yeghern," meaning great calamity,
    in referring to what happened to Anatolian Armenians in the last
    years of the Ottoman Empire. Both Armenians and Turks were not happy,
    but content, about his choice of words. "Nothing new," one might say.

    Moreover, the long-term expectations from and the consequences of the
    statement are still vague. Thus one might easily question the sincerity
    of the change in Erdošan's discourse, especially when the memory of
    the failure of the latest attempt at Turkish-Armenian reconciliation
    and Erdošan's role in it are still fresh.

    Yet, I believe Prime Minister Erdošan's latest statement should
    be taken more seriously. Especially when taken into consideration
    together with an analysis that includes where Turkey is coming from and
    how much has changed both in Turkish society and its official policy
    line. Besides the public remembrance of the "shared pains" in Turkey
    in recent years, as well as other initiatives to show more compassion
    toward Armenian suffering, the Turkish government's previous attempts
    at secret, but direct talks with Armenian diplomats, the restoration
    of several ancient Armenian churches in Anatolia and finally, football
    diplomacy, leading to the preparation of two protocols to normalize
    the relationship between Armenia and Turkey are important indications.

    What is more, whatever his intentions were, it should be acknowledged
    that Prime Minister Erdošan became the first Turkish leader to offer
    "condolences to the grandchildren of the Armenians who lost their
    lives a century ago." It is an important step, especially when read
    together with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutošlu's description of
    the 1915 events as a "mistake" during his visit to Armenia. Thus,
    recognizing the value of the statement, the U.S. has welcomed it and
    encouraged further efforts from the Turkish side.

    Obviously, the latest gesture needs to be supported by concrete
    policies, such as building diplomatic ties and opening the borders.

    Otherwise it could remain an empty shell and would cause further
    disappointment among Armenians. Yet, whether Erdošan, and thus Turkey,
    has an ulterior motive in expressing condolences is immaterial. The
    statement can easily be perceived as a tactical move to forestall
    the 2015 reactions. But, even if we assume that this is true, it is
    not that important; since in international relations, there are very
    few countries without ulterior motives. What is more important is
    the result. That is what everybody, including the Armenians, should
    focus on.

    If we can all do that, and look into the last years of the
    Ottoman Empire from the perspective of "shared pains," instead of
    a zero-sum-game approach, then it means that we are already on the
    right track.

    May/01/2014

    http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/erdogans-condolences-.aspx?pageID=449&nID=65799&NewsCatID=468

Working...
X