ACCORDING TO NEW APPROACH OF TURKISH MPs, ARMENIA SHOULD APOLOGIZE TO TURKEY REGARDING GENOCIDE PROBLEM

Noyan Tapan

Se p 18, 2008

BRATISLAVA, SEPTEMBER 18, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. A European
Economic Forum was held in the Polish city of Krynica on September
10-13. Among participants were the delegations of Turkey and the South
Caucasian republics. The Chairman of the Forum of Armenian Unions of
Europe Ashot Grigorian (Slovak Republic) also took part in the work
of the forum. During an interview with Noyan Tapan, he presented the
problems related to Armenian-Turkish relations which were discussed
at the forum.

Noyan Tapan: What new nuances appeared in Armenian-Turkish relations
after the visit of Turkish president to Armenia?

Ashot Grigorian: The assessments of the results are not simple:
on the one hand, the reaction of Azerbajiani political figures to
"betrayal of Azerbajani interests by Turkish brothers – statesmen"
is interesting, on the other hand, the Turkish diplomats’ euphoria
about anticipated developments on the final solution of the genocide
denial problem is noteworthy. In their very first speeches at the
forum the Turkish diplomats spoke about the agreement reached by
Armenian and Turkish presidents about the study of the genocide,
and they spoke about this issue in indisputable tones.

NT: What opinions were voiced about the genocide problem specifically?

AG: At the first panel of the forum, during discussions on Turkey’s
joining the European Union, Turkish MPs Egemen Bagis (the deputy
chairman of the ruling party), Suat Kiniklioglu (member of Turkish
parliament) and other famous Turkish political figures presented the
directions of Turkey’s political strategy, including its joining EU
and cooperating with Russian-Chinese bloc, as well as the versions
of being included in the Muslim defensive and other blocs. By
threatening the EU in a not very obvious, hidden and cautious way,
the Turkish figures gave to understand that in the light of the new
strategy the EU should be more interested in Turkey’s membership than
Turkey itself. At these discussions, the Turks obviously ignored the
Armenian problems, not mentioning the genocide and other Armenian
problems even by a word. Really, it was for the first time that
we witnessed an exceptional situation when Turks spoke without any
complex about EU membership in the presence of the delegations of EU
member states, completely ingnoring the Armenian problems. The reason,
as it became known later, was the statement of Armenian president,
and what was said in that statement, namely, the proposal to create
a commission on the genocide’s study, is accepted by the Turks as an
already undeniable fact.

In response to my question: "Under conditions of the blokade of Armenia
all along its border, when Turkey puts forward absurd preconditions
for its lifting: the demand that Armenia should revise the genocide
problem and give Artsakh to Azerbaijan (in case of annexation of
Northern Cyprus and recognition of Kosovo’s independence), how can you
think about joining the EU?", the deputy chairman of the ruling party
and Turkish MP Egemen Bagis replied: "Everything is clear about the
Armenian genocide problem: there is no such notion. Yes, there were
clashes between Armenians and Turks during World War I, both sides had
victims, and it is questionable who suffered more. There is much work
to be done in this issue, and there is a necessity to open Armenian
archives and to study the materials hidden in the archives of other
countries, and the truth must eventually be presented to the world." I
resented these words and exclaimed: "For shame, what a disgrace!" and
uttering "Shame!" in Russian and English, I left the hall.

After my step, speeches on this subject continued, and the prominent
Italian scientist, a genocide expert, Prof. Giovanni Guayta expressed
sharply on this problem. Later he and me had a long talk with
another Turkish MP Suat Kinklioglu who tried to explain to us that
is impossible to speak about the genocide after the visit of Turkish
President Abdullah Gul if we respect the agreements reached by our
presidents. In his words, contacts between the heads of our states were
launched at last and these contacts should be promoted. This idea was
also discussed during the panel "The Eastern European Peculiarities of
the European Neighborhood Policy". The prominent member of the Great
National Assembly of Turkey Yakar Yanis said during the debate, for
everyone to hear that as a result of Gul-Sargsyan "soccer diplomacy"
a commission to study of the genocide will be formed, thanks to which
the Armenian archives will be opened at last and it will become clear
that the Turkish people could not and did not commit genocide". In
response to my words that the relations between our two countries can
be improved only by perceiving the historical tragedy, admitting the
fact of genocide and forming new relations, the Turkish MP declared
that "after setting up a joint commission and publishing the results,
Turkey will undoubtedly witness an act apology by the Armenians."

NT: So all the efforts made so that in future more and more states and
international organizations will address the Armenian Genocide problem
and make Turkey recognize it are becoming needless and impossible?

AG: For the present time – absolutely impossible as Turkey has a
definite action plan which is being carried out under conditions of
an incorrect strategy of the Armenian foreign ministry, or to be
more exact, in the absence of a strategy in this issue. Armenia
acts by taking not its own calculated steps but by steps
dictated by Turkey. Turkey’s enviable activity at the start of the
Georgian-Ossetian conflict gave considerale results: Turkey squeezed
in between the South Caucasian states, surprisingly getting Russia’s
consent to take active steps and have its venerable judgement.

However understandable Russia’s position is, that is, Turkey which was
a close comrade-in-arms in its relations with the U.S. for decades,
suddenly showed it teeth to the friend (the act of banning the
entry of U.S. battleships into Bosporus did not go unnoticed for
the West, and in this way Turkey also won the sympathy of Russia),
nevertheless, Armenia should calculate the fact of Turkey’s being an
unreliable partner. Turkey is a partner that does not see anything
beyond its own interests both for Russia and Azerbaijan, all the more
for Armenia. It has a special attitude to us, which was expressed in
the gravest crime known to humanity – genocide.

Besides, today Turkey perceives the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide as the greatest defeat, and Turkey will do everything to
deceive the world in this issue.

In case of such development of its relations with Turkey, Armenia will
be defeated not only in the genocide problem. This will be followed
by defeats in other problems of vital importance to Armenia, and
Armenia will suffer inglorious fate of playing a minor role.