AZG Armenian Daily #086, 13/05/2005
Armenia-Turkey
‘ERDOGAN WAS STRAINED IN MOSCOW AND AVOIDED LOOKING INTO KOCHARIAN’S EYES’
After the exchange of correspondence between Turkish Prime Minister and
Armenian President, the meeting of Recep Tayyip Erdogan with Robert
Kocharian replaced the issue of the Armenian Genocide on Ankara’s agenda.
Though Erdogan’s letter removes the Genocide issue from agenda, Turkey is
more concerned to see it out of the international agenda.
In this respect it is not strange perhaps that simultaneously with talks
over Turkish PM’s meeting with Armenian President, Turkey lashes out against
those countries whose parliaments have recognized the Armenian Genocide.
Particularly, against the Polish Sejm and Russian State Duma.
As it is known, on April 20 the Sejm has unanimously recognized the
“Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey” and on April 22 the State Duma
expressed its condolences to the “fraternal Armenian people” and called on
the world community to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide. The Turkish National Assembly quickly responded and condemned the
Polish Sejm for the recognition. The chairman of the Assembly, Byulent
Arenc, who had previously refused to visit Poland, annulled the planned
visit of members of Intergovernmental Group of Russian-Turkish Friendship to
Turkey. Moreover, he officially refused to make the supposed visit to
Russia.
Turkey never misses the chance to express its opposition to the growing
tendency of Armenian Genocide acknowledgement by more and more states. The
celebration of 60th anniversary of the victory over the Nazi Germany on 9
May that hosted over 50 state leaders in Moscow, including the Armenian
President and Turkish PM, was such an opportunity for Turkey to embrace.
According to May 10 issue of Turkish Sabah newspaper, during the Moscow stay
Erdogan had talks with US President Bush, French President Chirac, German
Chancellor Schroder and a number of other state leaders. Talking to Russian
President Vladimir Putin and Polish President Alexander Kwasnewski, Erdogan
said, “Your decisions [recognition of the Genocide by the State Duma and
Sejm] upsets us and the Turkish people. These are claims that have no legal
ground”.
Interestingly, while Erdogan was complaining to Putin and Kwasnewski of the
Genocide recognition, Chancellor Schroder was begging forgiveness of Russian
and all the Soviet people for fascists’ crimes. The Turkish Public TV
broadcasting live Erdogan-Putin meeting May 9, informed that Putin gave no
response to Erdogan.
In other words, Putin disregarded Turkish MP’s complaint. Apparently, Polish
President’s attitude was very much like that of Putin as the Terjuman
newspaper wrote on May 10 that Erdogan was strained. According to the paper,
anxiety was noticeable while Erdogan was talking with President Bush even
more so while shaking President Kocharian’s hand. Though exchanging
handshakes, Erdogan and Kocharian didn’t talk with each other. While
greeting, Terjuman notes, “Erdogan failed to conceal his inner tension and
avoided looking into Kocharian’s eyes”. Armenian President, in his turn,
carefully watched PM Erdogan waiting the latter to reach out his hand.
Receiving the ambassadors of EU member states in Turkey, Turkish foreign
minister Abdullah Gul informed them about the supposed Kocharian-Erdogan
meeting during the Warsaw Summit of the European Council on May 15-17.
According to Hyurriet, Gul said hinting at the Genocide recognition by the
Polish Sejm, “We stand for friendly relations. We are waiting for a signal
from Armenia to open the border. How can we open it without any positive
step? It is the Diaspora that is unwilling to see relations between the two
states developed. They are implementing an enormously tough and wrong
policy. Despite all these, we try to have positive approach to Kocharian’s
reply letter. Erdogan and Kocharian shook hands today in Moscow. We are
looking to their meeting in Warsaw”.
By Hakob Chakrian