CAMPAIGN WE APOLOGIZE TO ARMENIANS CAN PROVOKE POLITICAL CRISIS IN TURKEY: TREND NEWS COMMENTATOR
Rufiz Hafizoglu

Trend News Agency
Dec 19 2008
Azerbaijan

Since Turkish President Abdullagh Gul’s visit to Yerevan to ‘watch’
football match between Turkish and Armenian teams, the events have
been developing at a faster pace and they will keep on developing in
this way further. Armenia not only prepared for Gul’s visit, but also
determined which political steps to take after this visit. Different
position of the current Islamist government of Turkey towards the
European Union unlike that of previous nationalist government and
insistence on the EU admission encouraged Armenians to make more
efforts to restore ties between the two countries.

Strive of the governing Justice and Development Party (AK Party)
is due to not only numerous economic problems, but also unsolved
problem of head-dresses at universities. AK Party intends to solve
this problem under Human Rights Convention by securing full-right
EU membership. All these problems can be solved only through EU
membership. It is already known that EU with its "Christian club",
so called by the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan once,
will serve interests of Armenia, rather than Turkey.

It is noticeable that at the moment the EU membership is held by
France, which is considered second homeland of Armenians. Greece will
assume EU chairmanship in the second half of 2009 who will display
its hard stance towards Turkey. Armenian diplomats understand it very
well and given all these realities they are willing to establish ties
with Turkey ‘in accordance with friendly and good-neighbor’ principles.

Soon the ‘dialogue’ and policy of ‘good-neighborhood’ will yield
results. As a more active side in this regard, Turkey made a gesture
towards Armenia and planned to open Istanbul-Yerevan flight and
departments of Armenian language and culture in Trakiye and Nevshehir
universities. On its part, Armenia, as a ‘fraternal’ move, removed
"Armenian genocide" from the agenda to let relations develop and
announced that Armenia does not have territorial claims to this
country.

These events are likely to lead to partial implementation of a plan
to open borders.

As to the campaign We Apologize to Armenians for the "genocide"
committed during Ottoman empire launched by the Turkish
‘intellectuals", it caused more sensation in the country than it
was expected.

Officials and political parties of the country expressed their sharp
attitude against this company and even criticized AKP and President
Abdullah Gul. However, statements of Prime Minister Erdogan and
that of President Gul differed to a great extent. President Gul
said: "Turkey is a country where everyone has a right to express
views freely." However, Prime Minister said bad many intensions
stand behind this campaign. Erdogan said those calling themselves
‘intellectuals’ seek to instigate trouble and compel people to
conflict. ‘Intellectuals’ who launched this campaign have links with
Ergenekon terrorist organization, he said.

Different opinions of two officials on the same issue demonstrate that
there are differences between the two Turkish top-rank officials
regarding Armenian issue. Gul’s bad attitude to We Apologize
campaign made mainstream opposition more active. Doubtless, the
forces dissatisfied with the governing party will take advantage of
it which can deteriorate situation in the country. Willingness to
adopt an appeal on behalf of parties included in the parliament
to express parliament’s opinion to this issue provoked sharp
criticism by pro-kurdish Democratic Community Party which proves all
above-mentioned. Development of events in this way and increased
efforts of the Armenian lobby can cause a new internal crisis in
Turkey.