TURK POLITICIAN AND JOURNALIST HOLD A HEATED DEBATE

A1+
[07:13 pm] 20 May, 2008

"Even God cannot change the past", declared Cem Toker, Turkish
politician and Leader of the Liberal-Democratic Party of Turkey
at the international conference organized by the Eurasia Foundation
Representative Office in Armenia and Analytical Center on Globalization
and Regional Cooperation.

Quite surprisingly frank ideas were heard at the conference. The Turk
politician, whose party is not included in the Turkish Parliament,
presented the process of his country’s integration into the EU. He
stated that Turkish national parties were not even willing to converse
with the representatives of European Institutions.

Toker also noted that he had been in close relations with the
assassinated Armenian journalist Hrant Dink who, having spent
his childhood with Armenians, had devoted all his life to the
democratization of Turkey.

"Turkey proudly states that 99.9% of its population are Muslims. And
where are the Armenians, Jews, Greeks? Why are they gone? Doesn’t it
mean that something is definitely wrong? You can see the investments of
the Armenian people while walking in Istambul. I am greatly displeased
with Turkey’s attitude towards Armenians", declares Toker.

Amber Zaman, a Turkish journalist, contradicted him in the description
of the current situation in Turkey.

Zaman, who introduced herself as a free journalist, is the
wife of Joseph Penington, the US temporary Charge d’Affaires in
Armenia. Mrs. Zaman stated that Turkey’s steps towards Democracy are
quite evident.

"Turkey still has much to do but it has made a great progress towards
democracy lately. Ten years ago the Kurds were imprisoned simply for
calling themselves Kurds. Whereas, today they are even allowed to have
broadcasts in their mother tongue. Besides, the capital punishment
has been abolished in my country.

You give a tough assessment of the situation, Mr. Toker", noticed
Amber Zaman.

In reply to the journalist’s views Cem Toker noted: "The abolition
of the capital punishment has nothing to do with Democracy. Does
it mean the USA is not a democratic country? As for the Kurds they
are only 30 minutes on the air." Meanwhile politician and diplomat
Davit Hovhannissian was making a report on the current state of
Armenian-Turkish relations. The politician noted that the First
President of RA Levon Ter-Petrossian carried out a very reserved and
cautious policy, taking into consideration Turkey’s attitude towards
the Genocide of 1915, whereas Robert Kocharian put the recognition
of the Armenian Genocide on the agenda of foreign relations. However,
in neither of cases did Turkey change its attitude towards Armenia.

Davit Hovhannissian also declared in his speech that the tense
relations between Armenia and Turkey were profitable for the
latter. "Firstly because it keeps Armenia out of the regional projects
and consequently Armenia’s influence in the Region is weakened.

Secondly, Turkey can use the absence of diplomatic relations and the
tension in threatening actions of diplomatic level."