CPOD – Global Scan, Canada
March 30 2005
Armenians, Turks Evaluate Diplomacy Outlook
(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Adults in Armenia and Turkey hold
seemingly inconsistent views on bilateral relations, according to a
poll by the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation and the
Armenian Sociological Association. 88 per cent of Armenian
respondents – and 65 per cent of Turk respondents – support establishing
diplomatic ties between both nations.
Relations between Armenians and Turks are tense due to historical
factors. In 1915, the government of the Ottoman Empire – formed by
members of the Turkish nationalist Committee of Union and Progress
(ITC) – ordered hundreds of thousands of Armenians to relocate from the
Caucasus to Mesopotamia.
The state-sponsored deportation campaign led to a high number of
Armenian fatalities, estimated at anywhere from 200,000 to 1.8
million. While some scholars believe the campaign was a deliberate
attempt to exterminate Armenians, Turkey has never formally accepted
the use of the term “genocide” to describe the event.
On Mar. 9, Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for an
impartial investigation of Armenian claims, saying, “We do not want
future generations to live under the shadow of continued hatred and
resentment.” 63 per cent of Armenian respondents – and 51 per cent of
Turk respondents – support re-opening border crossings to link the two
countries.
Polling Data
Views on Diplomacy
(Support answers only)
Support for establishing diplomatic ties
Armenia 88%
Turkey 65%
Support for re-opening border crossings
Armenia 63%
Turkey 51%
Source: Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) /
Armenian Sociological Association (HASA)
Methodology: Interviews to 1,219 Turk adults and 1,000 Armenian
adults, conducted in 2004 and 2005. No margin of error was provided.