IRELAND AWARE IT SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM ‘GENOCIDE’ DEBATES
Today’s Zaman
March 24 2010
Turkey
Underlining the historical aspect of friendly relations between the
Irish and Turkish nations, Visiting Irish President Mary McAleese
stated on Tuesday that her country is very well aware that third
parties should not interfere in discussions related to historical
grievances of nations, such as the killings of Anatolian Armenians
during World War I.
McAleese arrived in Turkey late on Monday for a five-day official
visit, the first presidential visit between the two countries. At a
joint press conference with her Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gul,
following talks at the Cankaya presidential palace, the visiting
president was asked about her stance regarding the Armenian allegations
that the early 20th century atrocities against Anatolian Armenians
amounted to genocide.
"Beyond everything, the Irish know — more than all other people who
live on this planet — what it means to have our memories of history
shattered. People may voice different views regarding incidents which
took place in history. Therefore, as a country which knows this,
Ireland is one of the main countries which know to stay out of these
kinds of debates," McAleese was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news
agency in response.
McAleese noted that the Irish understand the grief over those lost,
as well as the importance of the healing process and the preservation
of memories, adding that Ireland supports all efforts to this end
and encourages friendship, in an apparent reference to the ongoing
normalization efforts between estranged neighbors Armenia and Turkey.
Turkey rejects Armenian claims of genocide at the hands of the Ottoman
Empire and says Turks and Armenians were both killed as Armenians
revolted against the Ottoman Empire in collaboration with the Russian
army for an Armenian state in eastern Anatolia.
The issue is hot on the agenda nowadays as Turkey recalled its
ambassador to Washington and canceled senior-level contacts with
the US following a March 4 vote by the US House Committee on Foreign
Affairs vote recognizing the situation as genocide.
Only a week after the US vote, the Swedish Parliament endorsed a
similar resolution, prompting Turkey to withdraw its ambassador to
Sweden and cancel a scheduled visit by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan.
The Turkish government resents the US administration for not doing
enough to block the vote out of a belief that this could pressure
Ankara to ratify two protocols pending in Parliament to normalize
ties with Armenia. Turkey wants a clear and solid message that the
administration is opposed to such congressional moves.
McAleese, meanwhile, reaffirmed her country’s firm support of
Turkey’s bid to become a full European Union member. "Ireland has
always supported Turkey’s full membership in the EU right from the
beginning," she said.
The EU suspended accession talks on eight out of 35 chapters in 2006
due to Turkey’s refusal to open its ports and airports to traffic
from Greek Cyprus. France, which opposes Turkish accession to the EU,
is unilaterally blocking talks on five chapters which it says are
directly related to accession. Greek Cyprus, for its part, announced
in December that it would veto the opening of talks on five other
chapters due to the continued failure of Turkey to open its ports
and airports to its ships and planes.
Turkey says it will not open its ports and airports unless the EU
keeps its 2004 promise to allow trade with Turkish Cypriots.
"We know from our own experiences that becoming an EU member is a very
tough process. We know that it will not be easy but we wish the best
for you," McAleese said, noting that this process offered a vision
worth fighting for.
For his part, Gul thanked the Irish president for her country’s
strong support of Turkey’s EU bid, while expressing confidence in
the continuation of this support.
Both presidents noted in their remarks that bilateral relations between
the two nations date back to the Ottoman era. Historic documents reveal
that in 1847, Ottoman Sultan Abdulmecit I sent aid of 1,000 pounds
to Ireland, which was under British administration and suffering from
a famine at that time.
Later in the day, McAleese met with Erdogan and attended a meeting
between Irish and Turkish delegations hosted at Parliament by its
speaker, Mehmet Ali Å~^ahin.
Today, McAleese is expected to travel to the Gallipoli peninsula,
where she will lay a wreath at the main Turkish memorial before
travelling to the Helles Memorial, the V-Beach Cemetery and Anzac Cove,
The Irish Times reported.
"The president will then attend a commemoration at Green Hill
cemetery. She will also unveil a memorial plaque to the Irish soldiers
who fought and died in the 1915 Gallipoli campaign," the daily said,
noting that nearly 4,000 Irishmen were killed, including those serving
in the 10th (Irish) Division as well as in the ANZAC forces from
Australia and New Zealand.