Armenian resolution strains ties with Germany
Saturday, June 18, 2005
DIPLOMACY
A German official says it has every interest in maintaining its good
ties with Turkey but terms Erdogan’s criticism targeting Schroeder as
‘unfortunate’
FATMA DEMÄ°RELLÄ°
ANKARA – Turkish Daily News
A German parliamentary resolution calling on Turkey to re-examine the
killing of Armenians in the last century risked souring ties yesterday
between Ankara and Berlin ahead of the Oct. 3 start date of Turkish
accession talks with the European Union and amid mounting European
hesitation to press ahead with enlargement after the failure of the
bloc’s constitution in French and Dutch referenda.
The German parliament voted unanimously on Thursday for a resolution
pressing Turkey to investigate the “organized expulsion and destruction
of Armenians.” In a strongly worded statement, the Foreign Ministry
warned of damage to ties with Berlin and said the move stemmed from
“petty domestic political calculations.”
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan later termed passage of the
resolution as “ugly and wrong” and criticized German Chancellor
Gerhard Schroeder for not trying to stop the motion.
“Chancellor Schroeder should at least have stated his own position
and should have prevented members of his own party (from backing the
resolution),” he told reporters late on Thursday. “This is not right
in politics. I like politics to have backbone,” he added.
‘Unfortunate’ statement:
Germany is a key supporter of Turkish aspirations to join the EU,
and tension may sour the atmosphere between the two countries in the
countdown to opening accession talks and undermine Berlin’s backing
for Turkey.
“The German government has every interest in continuing our excellent
relationship in all fields. We have no interest in damaging this
relationship,” said a German official, emphasizing that it was up to
Turkey to decide whether to take the issue any further.
However, the official said Erdogan’s criticism targeting Schroeder was
“unfortunate.”
“If the prime minister really said what has been reported, it would
be an unfortunate statement because of the personal nature of the
criticism,” said the official.
The resolution was drafted by the conservative opposition, which
opposes Turkey’s membership and promotes privileged partnership
instead.
Mounting protest:
The German resolution avoids using the word “genocide” but still
touches a raw nerve here. Turkey categorically rejects Armenian charges
that 1.5 million Armenians were killed as part of a genocide campaign
at the hands of the late Ottoman Empire during World War I and says
it is ready for a scholarly investigation of the allegations.
Around 150 members of a Turkish trade union held a protest outside
the German Embassy in Ankara yesterday denouncing the German move.
The protesters from the Turkish Public Workers’ Labor Union (Kamu-Sen)
shouted, “Fascist Germany,” “Racist Germany” and “Germany, don’t
test our patience” as some 100 police officers stood guard. They also
scuffled with police for about 10 minutes after a plainclothes police
officer removed and broke a black wreath they had left at the embassy
gate in protest.
In another act of protest, Parliament Speaker Bulent Arınc is planning
to send a letter to his German counterpart Wolfgang Thierse to condemn
the parliamentary resolution, said the Anatolia news agency. Opposition
True Path Party (DYP) leader Mehmet Agar criticized the German move
and said German lawmakers seem to have forgotten the Ottoman-German
alliance during World War I. Turks living in Berlin are also expected
to stage a protest today after a Turkish NGO, Turkish Community Berlin,
called for a demonstration earlier this week. There was no information
on how many would attend. Berlin is home to a 200,000-strong Turkish
community.
–Boundary_(ID_B3CdFbj5EqMk6DxQUfq6Dw)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress