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Today's Zaman , Turkey
July 24 2011
DavutoÄ?lu's gesture raises hopes for track-two diplomacy with Armenia
24 July 2011, Sunday / EMINE KART, Ä°STANBUL
`Armenians are our diaspora.' This was probably the most impressive
remark that remained in the hearts and minds of representatives of
Armenian civil society organizations (CSO) who met with Turkish
Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu earlier this week.
The Foreign Ministry was the venue for a remarkable meeting on Monday,
where DavutoÄ?lu and his undersecretary, Ambassador Feridun
SinirlioÄ?lu, hosted the Armenian group quietly and unobtrusively.
The representatives of the five CSOs were in Ankara on the occasion of
a workshop held by the Ankara-based Economic Policy Research
Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV). The idea to request a briefing from
Turkish diplomats occurred spontaneously. The request was conveyed to
the ministry. According to Burcu Gültekin Punsmann, a senior foreign
policy analyst from TEPAV who coordinated the workshop and was
involved in conveying the request to the ministry, within half a day,
they were told they would meet with diplomats from the related
department and the undersecretary.
Punsmann told Sunday's Zaman that they neither expected a positive
answer in a short time like this nor being received at this level.
In total, the group spent three-and-a-half hours at the ministry, of
which one-and-a-half hours was with DavutoÄ?lu, who first asked the
group about the length of their stay in Ankara. When he learned that
the group was in Ankara for only two days, he turned to the TEPAV
staff and asked, `Is this the way you show Turkish hospitality?'
Explaining this note from the meeting, Punsmann said, `We want to take
this as a green light that shows that such contacts will continue.'
`The societies are already close to each other although the border is
closed. The more interaction is increased, the less the physical
obstacles will be remembered. Thanks to this interaction, we will find
a remedy to this historical burden on our shoulders. The meeting was a
nice gesture, and it boosted our morale,' Punsmann said.
The analyst explained she felt that the group was visibly impressed
when DavutoÄ?lu said, `Armenians are our diaspora.'
`With Greece, for example, none of the major bilateral problems have
yet been resolved but we have made a huge progress in relations. It
shows that these kinds of obstacles can be overcome when there is
mutual will. We share the same geography with Armenia, and Turkey is
an embracing country. They were hesitant when they first entered the
ministry, but they were relaxed while leaving,' Punsmann said.
The meetings at the Foreign Ministry come after a senior Armenian
official last month called on Ankara to revive currently stalled
efforts to normalize bilateral relations between the two estranged
neighbors, while arguing that the improvement of relations between
Armenia and Turkey would also serve as an impetus for improving
relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and also for peace in the
region.
`As neighbors, we should know each other through frequent visits,'
Artak Davtyan, a member of the National Assembly of the Republic of
Armenia, told a group of journalists visiting the country in late
June, while underlining the importance of the activities by CSOs to
gradually normalize relations between the two countries since the
official process was stalled.
More hopes mean more expectations
The group that met with DavutoÄ?lu comprised Tevan Poghosyan of the
International Center for Human Development, Aghavni Karakhanian of the
Institute for Civil Society and Regional Development, Richard A.
Giragosian of the Regional Studies Center, Mikayel Hovhannisyan of the
Eurasia Partnership Foundation and Arthur Ghazaryan of the Union of
Manufacturers' and Businessmen of Armenia.
`What impressed me the most in the meeting with the Turkish foreign
minister was the atmosphere of the meeting; he is both a professional
and an intellectual, which for us meant that the meeting was a frank
and open exchange of views; and I was impressed by the time he
afforded us as a group of civil society representatives from Armenia,'
Giragosian told Sunday's Zaman when asked about his impression
regarding DavutoÄ?lu's meeting with the group.
`And even on the issues where we disagreed, the Turkish foreign
minister and his staff were always respectful and willing to listen to
our views, even regarding our criticism of the current situating of
closed borders and concerning the Turkish state campaign of genocide
denial. This is important, although it would be much easier to move
forward now with concrete action by the Turkish side, as all
expectations are now squarely on Turkey, and we are waiting for Ankara
to return to this process of engaging Armenia and addressing the need
to establish diplomatic relations, open the border and take other
steps toward normalizing relations. I was, of course, personally
impressed by the foreign minister's knowledge and vision for the
region, which also gives hope that there is only one way forward for
both countries. But the meeting tended to also demonstrate the
asymmetry of the current relationship between Turkey and Armenia,'
Giragosian added.
When asked whether he left Ankara more hopeful than he had been, he
replied: `In general, I always try to remain optimistic and,
especially in terms of this process of engagement, it is important to
note how far both sides have come, and how much has been achieved to
date. Thus, I can say that I left Ankara `more hopeful,' but this also
means that I now have expectations for more.'
Pain and `political hatred'
For DavutoÄ?lu, this meeting apparently offered a unique opportunity to
explain his concept of `just memory' personally to opinion leaders of
the estranged neighboring country.
On many occasions in the past DavutoÄ?lu has said that procedures
envisioned by protocols signed in October 2009 between Armenia and
Turkey to establish diplomatic ties and reopen their border will
eventually help achieve `a just memory' concerning the tragedy in
Anatolia during World War I.
`1915 is the year of the so-called genocide for them,' DavutoÄ?lu said
at the time. `For us, we say `pain.' We are ready to discuss. The same
year, we had Gallipoli,' he said.
The 1915 Battle of Gallipoli was won by the defending Ottoman army
against a joint British and French campaign and laid the groundwork
for the Turkish War of Independence and the foundation of the Turkish
Republic eight years later under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
During the meeting with the Armenian group, DavutoÄ?lu said one of his
grandfathers died at Gallipoli, underscoring the emotion that many
Turks feel about that campaign. He recalled that he and Australian
Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd together visited Gallipoli earlier this
year to attend ceremonies marking the 96th anniversary of the
Gallipoli Campaign and that one of Rudd's ancestors had died in
Gallipoli, too.
`In the town of Konya where I was born, no Armenians have ever lived,
but the door of our house was made by an Armenian master, and we grew
up with my late father's constant expressions of admiration and
respect for that master. And while in Gallipoli, we didn't yell at
each other with Mr. Rudd. We just greeted each other with respect.
This is how societies make peace with each other,' DavutoÄ?lu was
quoted as telling the group by a Turkish official who attended the
meeting.
Turkey wants a reconciliation process that also involves the Armenian
diaspora living in Europe and the United States, DavutoÄ?lu said,
adding, `We consider them as Turkey's diaspora, too.'
Last but not least quotes come from Giragosian.
`The Armenian diaspora, as descendants of the Armenian Genocide, need
to have more of a voice and a role within the broader process of
normalization, as stakeholders in the future of Turkish-Armenian
relations,' Giragosian told Sunday's Zaman.
`And yes, such meetings also help to pave the way for track-two
diplomacy, but there needs to be more of a commitment to track-one,
state-level engagement as well. For example, there is an important
need for the political will to make such engagement sustainable, and
at the same time, all parties need to be sincere and remain committed
to this process; normalization should not be used for political
`cover' or a justification to avoid tackling and talking about the
core issues, most notably in honestly dealing with the genocide, for
example,' he cautioned.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-251454-davutoglus-gesture-raises-hopes-for-track-two-diplomacy-with-armenia.html
July 24 2011
DavutoÄ?lu's gesture raises hopes for track-two diplomacy with Armenia
24 July 2011, Sunday / EMINE KART, Ä°STANBUL
`Armenians are our diaspora.' This was probably the most impressive
remark that remained in the hearts and minds of representatives of
Armenian civil society organizations (CSO) who met with Turkish
Foreign Minister Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu earlier this week.
The Foreign Ministry was the venue for a remarkable meeting on Monday,
where DavutoÄ?lu and his undersecretary, Ambassador Feridun
SinirlioÄ?lu, hosted the Armenian group quietly and unobtrusively.
The representatives of the five CSOs were in Ankara on the occasion of
a workshop held by the Ankara-based Economic Policy Research
Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV). The idea to request a briefing from
Turkish diplomats occurred spontaneously. The request was conveyed to
the ministry. According to Burcu Gültekin Punsmann, a senior foreign
policy analyst from TEPAV who coordinated the workshop and was
involved in conveying the request to the ministry, within half a day,
they were told they would meet with diplomats from the related
department and the undersecretary.
Punsmann told Sunday's Zaman that they neither expected a positive
answer in a short time like this nor being received at this level.
In total, the group spent three-and-a-half hours at the ministry, of
which one-and-a-half hours was with DavutoÄ?lu, who first asked the
group about the length of their stay in Ankara. When he learned that
the group was in Ankara for only two days, he turned to the TEPAV
staff and asked, `Is this the way you show Turkish hospitality?'
Explaining this note from the meeting, Punsmann said, `We want to take
this as a green light that shows that such contacts will continue.'
`The societies are already close to each other although the border is
closed. The more interaction is increased, the less the physical
obstacles will be remembered. Thanks to this interaction, we will find
a remedy to this historical burden on our shoulders. The meeting was a
nice gesture, and it boosted our morale,' Punsmann said.
The analyst explained she felt that the group was visibly impressed
when DavutoÄ?lu said, `Armenians are our diaspora.'
`With Greece, for example, none of the major bilateral problems have
yet been resolved but we have made a huge progress in relations. It
shows that these kinds of obstacles can be overcome when there is
mutual will. We share the same geography with Armenia, and Turkey is
an embracing country. They were hesitant when they first entered the
ministry, but they were relaxed while leaving,' Punsmann said.
The meetings at the Foreign Ministry come after a senior Armenian
official last month called on Ankara to revive currently stalled
efforts to normalize bilateral relations between the two estranged
neighbors, while arguing that the improvement of relations between
Armenia and Turkey would also serve as an impetus for improving
relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and also for peace in the
region.
`As neighbors, we should know each other through frequent visits,'
Artak Davtyan, a member of the National Assembly of the Republic of
Armenia, told a group of journalists visiting the country in late
June, while underlining the importance of the activities by CSOs to
gradually normalize relations between the two countries since the
official process was stalled.
More hopes mean more expectations
The group that met with DavutoÄ?lu comprised Tevan Poghosyan of the
International Center for Human Development, Aghavni Karakhanian of the
Institute for Civil Society and Regional Development, Richard A.
Giragosian of the Regional Studies Center, Mikayel Hovhannisyan of the
Eurasia Partnership Foundation and Arthur Ghazaryan of the Union of
Manufacturers' and Businessmen of Armenia.
`What impressed me the most in the meeting with the Turkish foreign
minister was the atmosphere of the meeting; he is both a professional
and an intellectual, which for us meant that the meeting was a frank
and open exchange of views; and I was impressed by the time he
afforded us as a group of civil society representatives from Armenia,'
Giragosian told Sunday's Zaman when asked about his impression
regarding DavutoÄ?lu's meeting with the group.
`And even on the issues where we disagreed, the Turkish foreign
minister and his staff were always respectful and willing to listen to
our views, even regarding our criticism of the current situating of
closed borders and concerning the Turkish state campaign of genocide
denial. This is important, although it would be much easier to move
forward now with concrete action by the Turkish side, as all
expectations are now squarely on Turkey, and we are waiting for Ankara
to return to this process of engaging Armenia and addressing the need
to establish diplomatic relations, open the border and take other
steps toward normalizing relations. I was, of course, personally
impressed by the foreign minister's knowledge and vision for the
region, which also gives hope that there is only one way forward for
both countries. But the meeting tended to also demonstrate the
asymmetry of the current relationship between Turkey and Armenia,'
Giragosian added.
When asked whether he left Ankara more hopeful than he had been, he
replied: `In general, I always try to remain optimistic and,
especially in terms of this process of engagement, it is important to
note how far both sides have come, and how much has been achieved to
date. Thus, I can say that I left Ankara `more hopeful,' but this also
means that I now have expectations for more.'
Pain and `political hatred'
For DavutoÄ?lu, this meeting apparently offered a unique opportunity to
explain his concept of `just memory' personally to opinion leaders of
the estranged neighboring country.
On many occasions in the past DavutoÄ?lu has said that procedures
envisioned by protocols signed in October 2009 between Armenia and
Turkey to establish diplomatic ties and reopen their border will
eventually help achieve `a just memory' concerning the tragedy in
Anatolia during World War I.
`1915 is the year of the so-called genocide for them,' DavutoÄ?lu said
at the time. `For us, we say `pain.' We are ready to discuss. The same
year, we had Gallipoli,' he said.
The 1915 Battle of Gallipoli was won by the defending Ottoman army
against a joint British and French campaign and laid the groundwork
for the Turkish War of Independence and the foundation of the Turkish
Republic eight years later under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
During the meeting with the Armenian group, DavutoÄ?lu said one of his
grandfathers died at Gallipoli, underscoring the emotion that many
Turks feel about that campaign. He recalled that he and Australian
Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd together visited Gallipoli earlier this
year to attend ceremonies marking the 96th anniversary of the
Gallipoli Campaign and that one of Rudd's ancestors had died in
Gallipoli, too.
`In the town of Konya where I was born, no Armenians have ever lived,
but the door of our house was made by an Armenian master, and we grew
up with my late father's constant expressions of admiration and
respect for that master. And while in Gallipoli, we didn't yell at
each other with Mr. Rudd. We just greeted each other with respect.
This is how societies make peace with each other,' DavutoÄ?lu was
quoted as telling the group by a Turkish official who attended the
meeting.
Turkey wants a reconciliation process that also involves the Armenian
diaspora living in Europe and the United States, DavutoÄ?lu said,
adding, `We consider them as Turkey's diaspora, too.'
Last but not least quotes come from Giragosian.
`The Armenian diaspora, as descendants of the Armenian Genocide, need
to have more of a voice and a role within the broader process of
normalization, as stakeholders in the future of Turkish-Armenian
relations,' Giragosian told Sunday's Zaman.
`And yes, such meetings also help to pave the way for track-two
diplomacy, but there needs to be more of a commitment to track-one,
state-level engagement as well. For example, there is an important
need for the political will to make such engagement sustainable, and
at the same time, all parties need to be sincere and remain committed
to this process; normalization should not be used for political
`cover' or a justification to avoid tackling and talking about the
core issues, most notably in honestly dealing with the genocide, for
example,' he cautioned.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-251454-davutoglus-gesture-raises-hopes-for-track-two-diplomacy-with-armenia.html