WHAT TURKISH FM DAVUTOGLU WAS READY TO SAY AFTER PROTOCOL SIGNING
Hrant Katarikyan

2009 /10/13 | 15:48

Important Politics

"Today we are here as Turkey and Armenia to take an important step in
embarking on a journey towards a new horizon of hope. This journey
is long. This journey is fraught with difficulties. However, it is
worth taking. This journey can only be made hand in hand with our
partners present here, as well as all the peoples of the Caucasus."

This is the opening paragraph of the statement that was purportedly
to be read by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu after the
protocol signing ceremony in Zurich this past Saturday.

As we are all aware, however, things didn’t progress that smoothly
inside the Zurich Central University. A last minute disagreement,
regarding the wording of the closing remarks to be read by the foreign
minister of the two signatory nations, held up the signing by over
three hours.

It took the personal intervention of U.S. secretary of State Hillary
Clinton, and a fair degree of arm-twisting, to get both sides to
sit down, sign the protocols and then leave without comments from
either side.

"The documents that we have just signed create important ground
for the Turkish and Armenian peoples to rekindle their friendship,
to offer next generations the spirit of living and working together
towards a common and prosperous future."

The copy of the closing remarks of the Turkish foreign minister, which
we have obtained, continues in this positive light. Further down, FM
Davutoglu makes an apparent reference to the 1915 Genocide that reads:
"Turkish and Armenian peoples have a different perception of the
events of a very tragic period of our common history. We should not
leave to the future generations a legacy of prejudice and vengeance."

"We are confident that the Sub-Commission foreseen in this Protocol
will scientifically examine the painful episode of our common history
and shed light on the truth."

Could this be the point of contention that the Armenian delegation
objected to when they asked to see a copy of the Turkish address
before the signing ceremony ever started?

It would seem that Turkey is ready, despite the assurances of RoA
President Serzh Sargsyan, to imply that the sub-commission is being
created specifically because no one is really sure what happened in
1915 and that the "truth" must be ascertained. Such a start does would
thus add more fuel to the fire of those who object to the protocols
and raise this very point in their arguments against it.

In closing, Turkish FM Davutoglu, had he been given the opportunity,
would have made the following assessment before the world:

"This is the only way for these two great and dignified nations to
leave behind the conflict of their collective memories and reach
together a just memory."

Oh, what a tangled web we weave…

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress