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DIFFERENT ROLE FOR ARMENIAN COMMUNITY AND ARMENIA
Lragir, Armenia
Aug 28 2007
The command of the Turkish army and the emerging political elite
who are conventionally referred to as Islamists reached agreement
on the presidency of Abdullah Gyul, stated Ruben Safrastyan, expert
on Turkey, on August 28, the day of the third round of voting to
the Turkish parliament, at the Pastark press club. The new Turkish
parliament has already tried twice to elect a president, and the main
candidate is Abdullah Gyul who was named by the majority Justice and
Development Party led by the Turkish Prime Minister Erdoghan.
However, in the first two attempts Gyul did not get two thirds of
votes to become president because his party holds 241 of 550 seats.
However, the order of holding the third round is different, and the
simple majority of votes elects president which Gyul's and Erdoghan's
party is able to provide.
As to the stance of the Turkish military command on Gyul's candidacy,
Ruben Safrastyan thinks it became clear in Turkey that it is
impossible to prevent Gyul's presidency through tough methods, and
the impressive victory of the Justice and Development party in the
parliamentary election led by Prime Minister Erdoghan is evidence to
this. No military coup threatens Turkey any more because the military
command, which has done at least 5 military coups in Turkey to prevent
Islamists from government and to maintain secular order, realizes
that Turkey has moved towards progress and is not what it was in the
1970s, 1980s. Ruben Safrastyan says NGOs in Turkey are strong now,
and a military coup would cause innumerable victims. The military
command acknowledged this and did not resort to this move though it
could have done during the political crisis in April.
On the other hand, however, the victory of the Islamist party does not
mean Turkey deviates from the secular state. Moreover, Ruben Safrastyan
says the Justice and Development Party is committed to European
integration. "That party, the leader of the party Prime Minister
Erdoghan and the future president Abdullah Gyul are committed to the
policy of the EU membership and have made considerable efforts towards
this goal over the past years, certain reforms were carried out, and
the ethnic and religious minorities of Turkey hope that this process
will last," Ruben Safrastyan says. He says therefore the Armenian
patriarch of Constantinople Mesrop Mutafyan called on the Armenian
community to vote for the Justice and Development Party. "The ethnic
and religious minorities of Turkey expect improvement of the legal
grounds of their existence in that country," Ruben Safrastyan says.
As to the change in Ankara's stance on the relation with Armenia after
the Turkish parliamentary and presidential elections, Ruben Safrastyan
is not optimistic and thinks there is not a political force in Turkey
which is ready to make significant moves towards the improvement of
relations with Armenia. Although the expert expects certain change
regarding the border. Meanwhile, Ruben Safrastyan has no expectations
regarding the recognition of the Genocide.
Lragir, Armenia
Aug 28 2007
The command of the Turkish army and the emerging political elite
who are conventionally referred to as Islamists reached agreement
on the presidency of Abdullah Gyul, stated Ruben Safrastyan, expert
on Turkey, on August 28, the day of the third round of voting to
the Turkish parliament, at the Pastark press club. The new Turkish
parliament has already tried twice to elect a president, and the main
candidate is Abdullah Gyul who was named by the majority Justice and
Development Party led by the Turkish Prime Minister Erdoghan.
However, in the first two attempts Gyul did not get two thirds of
votes to become president because his party holds 241 of 550 seats.
However, the order of holding the third round is different, and the
simple majority of votes elects president which Gyul's and Erdoghan's
party is able to provide.
As to the stance of the Turkish military command on Gyul's candidacy,
Ruben Safrastyan thinks it became clear in Turkey that it is
impossible to prevent Gyul's presidency through tough methods, and
the impressive victory of the Justice and Development party in the
parliamentary election led by Prime Minister Erdoghan is evidence to
this. No military coup threatens Turkey any more because the military
command, which has done at least 5 military coups in Turkey to prevent
Islamists from government and to maintain secular order, realizes
that Turkey has moved towards progress and is not what it was in the
1970s, 1980s. Ruben Safrastyan says NGOs in Turkey are strong now,
and a military coup would cause innumerable victims. The military
command acknowledged this and did not resort to this move though it
could have done during the political crisis in April.
On the other hand, however, the victory of the Islamist party does not
mean Turkey deviates from the secular state. Moreover, Ruben Safrastyan
says the Justice and Development Party is committed to European
integration. "That party, the leader of the party Prime Minister
Erdoghan and the future president Abdullah Gyul are committed to the
policy of the EU membership and have made considerable efforts towards
this goal over the past years, certain reforms were carried out, and
the ethnic and religious minorities of Turkey hope that this process
will last," Ruben Safrastyan says. He says therefore the Armenian
patriarch of Constantinople Mesrop Mutafyan called on the Armenian
community to vote for the Justice and Development Party. "The ethnic
and religious minorities of Turkey expect improvement of the legal
grounds of their existence in that country," Ruben Safrastyan says.
As to the change in Ankara's stance on the relation with Armenia after
the Turkish parliamentary and presidential elections, Ruben Safrastyan
is not optimistic and thinks there is not a political force in Turkey
which is ready to make significant moves towards the improvement of
relations with Armenia. Although the expert expects certain change
regarding the border. Meanwhile, Ruben Safrastyan has no expectations
regarding the recognition of the Genocide.