PRESIDENT OBAMA – "IT’S REALLY ABOUT HOW THE TURKISH AND ARMENIAN PEOPLE DEAL WITH THE PAST"
hetq.am/en/politics/7172/
2009/04/06 | 22:12
Region politics
Excerpts of President Barack Obama’s speech to the Turkish Parliament
on Monday, April 6, as provided by the White House.
Mister speaker, madam deputy speaker, distinguished members, I am
honored to speak in this chamber, and I am committed to renewing the
alliance between our nations and the friendship between our people.
This is my first trip overseas as president of the United States. I’ve
been to the G-20 summit in London, and the NATO summit in Strasbourg,
and the European Union summit in Prague. Some people have asked me
if I chose to continue my travels to Ankara and Istanbul to send a
message to the world. And my answer is simple: Evet – yes.
Turkey is a critical ally. Turkey is an important part of Europe. And
Turkey and the United States must stand together – and work together –
to overcome the challenges of our time.
This morning I had the great privilege of visiting the tomb of your
extraordinary founder of your republic. And I was deeply impressed
by this beautiful memorial to a man who did so much to shape the
course of history. But it is also clear that the greatest monument
to Ataturk’s life is not something that can be cast in stone and
marble. His greatest legacy is Turkey’s strong, vibrant, secular
democracy, and that is the work that this assembly carries on today.
1915 Genocide Remarks
Another issue that confronts all democracies as they move to the future
is how we deal with the past. The United States is still working
through some of our own darker periods in our history. Facing the
Washington Monument that I spoke of is a memorial of Abraham Lincoln,
the man who freed those who were enslaved even after Washington led
our revolution. Our country still struggles with the legacies of
slavery and segregation, the past treatment of Native Americans.
Human endeavor is by its nature imperfect. History is often tragic,
but unresolved, it can be a heavy weight. Each country must work
through its past. And reckoning with the past can help us seize a
better future. I know there’s strong views in this chamber about
the terrible events of 1915. And while there’s been a good deal of
commentary about my views, it’s really about how the Turkish and
Armenian people deal with the past. And the best way forward for the
Turkish and Armenian people is a process that works through the past
in a way that is honest, open and constructive.
We’ve already seen historic and courageous steps taken by Turkish and
Armenian leaders. These contacts hold out the promise of a new day. An
open border would return the Turkish and Armenian people to a peaceful
and prosperous coexistence that would serve both of your nations. So
I want you to know that the United States strongly supports the full
normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia. It is a cause
worth working towards.
It speaks to Turkey’s leadership that you are poised to be the only
country in the region to have normal and peaceful relations with all
the South Caucasus nations. And to advance that peace, you can play a
constructive role in helping to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
which has continued for far too long.