Agence France Presse — English
April 24, 2009 Friday 12:51 PM GMT
Gul says Obama ‘better informed’ on Armenian massacres
ANKARA, April 24 2009
Turkish President Abdullah Gul hinted Friday that he did not expect
his US counterpart Barack Obama to brand the mass killings of
Armenians under the Ottoman Empire a genocide.
He told reporters that they had discussed the question "very broadly"
during Obama’s visit to Turkey earlier this month, adding that the US
president "is now better informed."
During his 2008 White House run, Obama pledged to recognise the World
War I massacres as genocide, and had an opportunity to do so in the
annual April 24 statement from the White House commemorating the
events.
But analysts said it was unlikely after Wednesday’s announcement by
Armenia and Turkey that they had agreed "a comprehensive framework"
for normalising bilateral ties.
Gul predicted that Obama’s message "will encourage … all our
well-intentioned work," referring to the negotiations between Ankara
and Yerevan.
He said that Washington had "intensified very productive efforts to
produce a climate favouring a resolution of regional problems."
Armenians say 1.5 million of their people were victims of genocide in
eastern Turkey from 1915 and many countries, including France and
Canada, have officially recognised the killings as such.
Turkey rejects the genocide label and says 300,000-500,000 Armenians
and at least as many Turks died in civil strife when Armenians took up
arms in eastern Anatolia and sided with invading Russian troops.
Gul also said that Wednesday’s accord would help Azerbaijan, a close
ally with Turkey at odds with Armenia over Nagorny Karabakh, an ethnic
Armenian enclave of Azerbaijan that fought to break free of Baku’s
control.
"I have spoken often with (Azerbaijan’s President) Ilham Aliyev in
recent days," he said. "We are in agreement that everything that is
being done is of advantage to both our countries, Azerbaijan and
Turkey."
Azerbaijan on Thursday urged Turkey to link reconciliation efforts
with Armenia to the withdrawal of Armenian forces from Nagorny
Karabakh.
Earlier this month, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan ruled
out a deal with Armenia unless Yerevan resolved its conflict with
Baku.
Baku has long insisted that any agreement should depend on Armenian
concessions in the dispute over Nagorny Karabakh.
Azerbaijan Defence Minister Safar Abiev was in Ankara Friday for talks
with Turkish armed forces chief General Yasar Buyukanit which were
expected to cover the accord with Armenia.