TURKEY’S CULTURE MINISTER CALLS FOR COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA

Hurriyet
April 13 2009
Turkey

ISTANBUL – Turkey’s culture minister calls on Armenia to cooperate
in restoring the Ani ruins on the Turkish side of the border, but
says that the Nagorno-Karabakh issue must be resolved first.

Turkey and Armenia should cooperate to restore the ancient town of Ani,
said Culture Minister Ertugrul Gunay, adding that any such effort would
require a resolution of the problems between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The ministry’s plans for cooperation between the two countries are
not limited to restoration work, Gunay told the Hurriyet Daily News &
Economic Review. He said he hoped to undertake many joint cultural
projects with both Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The ancient town of Ani was the capital of the Kingdom of Armenia
between 961 and 1045. Its ruins are situated in the Arpacay region of
the northeastern province of Kars, on the Turkish side of the border
between the two countries.

According to Gunay, cultural efforts to establish peace in the
Caucasus region cannot be maintained if they ignore Azerbaijan. "We
cannot treat the people of Azerbaijan as if they don’t exist while
trying to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia," he said. "We
should never forget that the province of Nagorno-Karabakh is still
under Armenian occupation."

Gunay said world-renowned Turkish piano virtuoso Idil Biret would
hold a concert in Armenia in the next few months as part of her
Caucasus tour. "We have certain sensitivities, but we also are aware
that cultural activities can play a key role in resolving political
issues," he said. "This [the concert] is a first step."

A stone quarry on the Armenian side of the border across from Ani has
caused conflict in recent years, with Turkey blaming the explosions
at the quarry for accelerating the destruction of the ancient
town. Turkey’s complaint at the International Council on Monuments and
Sites, or ICOMOC, a sub-department of the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, resulted in Armenia
halting blasting activities.

The Turkish government’s practice of calling the town "Anı," rather
than Ani, in order to give it a more Turkish character has also been
a source of controversy. When asked about the matter, Gunay implied
that it would soon be resolved. "I find changing the original names
of historical sites meaningless," he said. "Such names harm no one."

The culture minister said the current restoration efforts in Ani
would soon turn their focus to the town’s cathedral and that Armenian
experts had recently attended a meeting on the project. The World
Monuments Fund would support the restoration of the cathedral, he said.

‘Ready to help’ with Diyarbakir church Gunay added that the ministry
was also ready to contribute to the Turkish-Armenian community in
Istanbul’s efforts to find the funds to restore the 500-year-old Surp
Giragos Church in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir.

But the community fears any application for help would result in the
church being restored as a museum rather than a place of worship that
would serve the community, as happened with the Surp Church on the
island of Akdamar in the eastern province of Van.

Gunay said if the community filed a request, his ministry would be
glad to be of assistance, adding, "We have the utmost respect for
all beliefs."