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US BEING PETITIONED TO PUSH TURKEY TO OPEN BORDER WITH ARMENIA FOR ETHNIC ARMENIANS TRAPPED IN SYRIA
Tags: Syrian-Turkish border, US, Opinion & Analysis, Politics, World
Jan 14, 2013 15:55 Moscow Time
Voice of Russia
The American White House internet site, or rather its section
"We are citizens", which collects signatures under various kinds
of petitions, once again has become an arena for discussion of an
absolutely non-American problem. One Armenian political scientist
has announced that signatures were being collected under an appeal
urging Washington to force Turkey to open the border with Armenia for
the sake of the fleeing refugees from Syria. The Voice of Russia's
correspondent in the United States, Roman Mamonov, has tried to find
out if there is any connection with America.
Six hundred twenty-five signatures in nine days is a modest result (as
of Monday morning) of the petition, posted on the White House site by
Daniel Ioannisyan, member of the Heritage opposition party. In this
short document (only 10 lines) he calls upon the US government to
put pressure on Turkey so that it opens the border with Armenia for
the free migration of refugees from Syria. According to Ioannisyan,
more than 60 thousand people were killed since the beginning of the
conflict in Syria, and half a million people were forced to flee the
country. According to the politician, 200 thousand ethnic Armenians
live in Syria, most of whom supposedly want to leave the war-stricken
Republic and return to their homeland. But the Turkish-Armenian border,
which has been closed since 1993, prevents them from doing so.
And now Daniel Ioannisyan means to exert pressure on Ankara with
the help of Washington. The petition ends with a dramatic phrase,
"There should be no closed borders in the 21st century".
Even in Armenia, many responded with skepticism to this initiative.
Firstly, the very idea of appealing to Washington from Yerevan in
order to put pressure on Ankara because of the situation in Syria
looks strange.
Secondly, political analysts doubt that there are so many Armenians
in Syria who are ready to abandon everything and fly away to their
homeland. And the question remains whether Armenia is ready to welcome
this number of migrants.
Users (from any country of the world) have until February 4 to obtain
25 thousand signatures in order to make the US Administration respond
to this appeal. But judging by the current trend, approximately 70
signatures a day, the document will not be sent to the White House,
unless a miracle happens.
It is noteworthy that foreign politicians have long used the "We are
citizens" section of the White House website as a means of addressing
Washington. At present, signatures are being collected under the
appeal to stop trafficking of human organs in China, the appeal to
stop the persecution of Shia Muslims in Pakistan, and the appeal to
monitor the situation with political rights in Venezuela. There is
also a petition with the request to recognize the genocide of the
Sikhs in India in 1984.
Roman Mamonov, Voice of Russia, New York, USA
http://english.ruvr.ru/2013_01_14/US-being-petitioned-to-push-Turkey-to-open-border-with-Armenia-for-ethnic-Armenians-trapped-in-Syria/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Tags: Syrian-Turkish border, US, Opinion & Analysis, Politics, World
Jan 14, 2013 15:55 Moscow Time
Voice of Russia
The American White House internet site, or rather its section
"We are citizens", which collects signatures under various kinds
of petitions, once again has become an arena for discussion of an
absolutely non-American problem. One Armenian political scientist
has announced that signatures were being collected under an appeal
urging Washington to force Turkey to open the border with Armenia for
the sake of the fleeing refugees from Syria. The Voice of Russia's
correspondent in the United States, Roman Mamonov, has tried to find
out if there is any connection with America.
Six hundred twenty-five signatures in nine days is a modest result (as
of Monday morning) of the petition, posted on the White House site by
Daniel Ioannisyan, member of the Heritage opposition party. In this
short document (only 10 lines) he calls upon the US government to
put pressure on Turkey so that it opens the border with Armenia for
the free migration of refugees from Syria. According to Ioannisyan,
more than 60 thousand people were killed since the beginning of the
conflict in Syria, and half a million people were forced to flee the
country. According to the politician, 200 thousand ethnic Armenians
live in Syria, most of whom supposedly want to leave the war-stricken
Republic and return to their homeland. But the Turkish-Armenian border,
which has been closed since 1993, prevents them from doing so.
And now Daniel Ioannisyan means to exert pressure on Ankara with
the help of Washington. The petition ends with a dramatic phrase,
"There should be no closed borders in the 21st century".
Even in Armenia, many responded with skepticism to this initiative.
Firstly, the very idea of appealing to Washington from Yerevan in
order to put pressure on Ankara because of the situation in Syria
looks strange.
Secondly, political analysts doubt that there are so many Armenians
in Syria who are ready to abandon everything and fly away to their
homeland. And the question remains whether Armenia is ready to welcome
this number of migrants.
Users (from any country of the world) have until February 4 to obtain
25 thousand signatures in order to make the US Administration respond
to this appeal. But judging by the current trend, approximately 70
signatures a day, the document will not be sent to the White House,
unless a miracle happens.
It is noteworthy that foreign politicians have long used the "We are
citizens" section of the White House website as a means of addressing
Washington. At present, signatures are being collected under the
appeal to stop trafficking of human organs in China, the appeal to
stop the persecution of Shia Muslims in Pakistan, and the appeal to
monitor the situation with political rights in Venezuela. There is
also a petition with the request to recognize the genocide of the
Sikhs in India in 1984.
Roman Mamonov, Voice of Russia, New York, USA
http://english.ruvr.ru/2013_01_14/US-being-petitioned-to-push-Turkey-to-open-border-with-Armenia-for-ethnic-Armenians-trapped-in-Syria/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress