Month: April 2021

In a speech on April 24, U.S. President Joe Biden classified the 1915 events as "genocide." Biden declared: "We remember the lives of all those who died in the Ottoman-era Armenian genocide and recommit ourselves to preventing such an atrocity from ever again occurring," using the term "genocide" twice.

Simply put, Biden's "genocide" proclamation is obviously political and does not have any legal or historical standing. As we know, former U.S. presidents have always preferred the Armenian term "Meds Yeghern," meaning "great calamity."

Here, the question is why now must be the definition of an incident that took place some 106 years ago be changed?

While the 1915 case is nothing more than electoral campaign fodder for Biden and lobbies in the U.S., for Turks and Armenians, it is not that simple.

Turkey is home to citizens of Armenian descent as well as tens of thousands of Armenians who moved to the country for work.

As societies attempt to heal the wounds inflicted during World War I, gambles made by certain circles in international politics seek to cause tension. Such plays prompt radical bilateral discourse and, by attempting to reshape history, raise problems for politicians attempting to take constructive steps to normalize bilateral ties.

I think Armenian Orthodox Patriarch Sahak Maşalyan's recent words clearly sum up the issue, that "it is desired that third party countries provide encouraging contributions to these aims."

"Governments for decades have used the 1915 events in their agendas, which only causes further tension and serves no solid positive contribution. Contrarily, it impedes peace by provoking enmity. First, fellowship and sincerity bridges must be built," he said.

My beloved friend, Daily Sabah columnist, Istanbul deputy Armenian Turkish citizen Markar Esayan, whom we lost last year, defined the atmosphere that would descend every April 24: "Without a doubt, April 24s are always traumatic times for us. Because we do not want our country to be stigmatized but demand the historically catastrophic incident be respected. Since April 24, 2014, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan extends his condolences to us, the grandsons of the Ottoman citizens who lost their lives amid the conditions of World War I. It is a great revolution. This willpower and courage are the map for the road we'll follow for peace."

Moreover, instrumentalizing the crime of genocide, for which a legal and political definition was set in 1945, to be used as blackmail in domestic and foreign politics is disgusting exploitation.

Such dirty political discourses belittle the extent of the ongoing crime against humanity.

Our Armenian brothers and sisters, who perceive Biden's "genocide" decision as a win for their side, must stop and think again. Do they need a state far far away from their homeland to define their history and its relations with its two neighbors that were harmonious for thousands of years?

Besides that, this definition comes from the U.S. – a country that has played a role in almost every "fresh crime" perpetrated that meets "genocide" standards in both the region and the world.

Do you think this development is to the benefit Turks or Armenians, who once fell into the trap of imperialism?

The cold winds blowing on Ankara-Washington relations for the last decade have now been replaced by a severe storm. In the era of former U.S. President Donald Trump, the deep wounds that began to open in bilateral relations under Barack Obama were somehow repaired. However, with the arrival of President Joe Biden and his administration, new wounds were added to the hostility against Turkey almost every day. Washington's negative actions against Ankara have now reached their peak with the latest taking place on April 23.

On the evening of the day marking the 101st anniversary of the opening of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, celebrated as a national holiday as the National Sovereignty and Children's Day, U.S. President Joe Biden informed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in his first call in months that he would describe the events of 1915 as a "genocide." Turkey as a whole saw Biden’s statement as political, although Washington insisted that it was just a moment of condolence and not an accusation. For this reason, all of Turkey saw this statement as null and void and strongly rejected the claims. Biden made this statement not only against the president of Turkey but also against the people of Turkey, who have lived peacefully in this land for centuries with the Armenian and Kurdish populations.

Meanwhile, Biden made this decision by ignoring all the archives, historical facts, words of world-famous historians such as Bernard Lewis and Norman Stone, the U.N. resolutions (1948) and the decisions of international law. In fact, he did not even pay attention to American constitutional law professors, such as Bruce Fein, the top Justice Department lawyer in the Ronald Reagan era, who argued what happened during the Ottoman Empire in 1915 could certainly not qualify as a “genocide,” but it was a relocation issue that took place during World War I.

Biden also turned a blind eye to Fein's findings that Armenians had committed crimes against humanity and war crimes had taken place against the Ottoman Turkish and Kurdish populations of eastern and southern Anatolia during World War I. As Fein stated in a Washington Times piece back in 2007, these realities have been forgotten amid congressional preoccupation with placating the vocal and richly financed Armenian lobby in Washington.

Biden did this despite the fact that the Armenian Orthodox Patriarch Sahak Maşalyan, on April 23, declared, “No one should use the events of 1915 that both nations experienced as political material.”

On the other hand, Turkey has so far been on the lookout for ways to mend relations, despite the U.S.' support for the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) and the YPG, the Syrian branch of the PKK terrorist group, along with all kinds of military, diplomatic and economic pressure against Turkey over the advanced Russian S-400 missile system. Biden made the April 24 statement despite the constructive and restorative attitude of Ankara and knowing the attitude of the majority of Turkish people who view Washington as a threat.

Biden also ignored the lack of a judicial decision on the events of 1915. By making the statement, he assumed the place of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC), the only authorities that can decide whether an incident can be considered a “genocide.”

Therefore, given the U.N. Genocide Convention, to which Turkey is a signatory party, and the case law of the ICJ, interpreting this convention, a U.S. president's statements recognizing events as genocide hold no legal value. According to the ICJ, states, as well as individuals, may be subjected to defamation in this sense. Given these facts, Biden's attempt has officially violated legal, historical and humanitarian facts.

Now, as a response, Turkey began to speak even more about the massacres committed by Armenian gangs against Kurds and Turks in border provinces such as Erzurum, Kars and Iğdır in 1915.

Everyone is aware of the internal and external factors that propelled Biden to make this statement. The Armenian lobby in the U.S. holds sway on Biden and his vice president, Kamala Harris, as well as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In particular, this was very visible during the campaigns of Harris and Pelosi, and the positive scores given to them by the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), which is the Armenian lobby's chartered organization in the U.S. It is also known that this issue gained greater traction due to the lobbying of Armenians, especially after the Nagorno-Karabakh defeat.

Overall, it is already known that this issue has been used as a tool of political blackmail against Turkey since the Reagan era of 1981. The Turkish public knows that every April 24 anniversary will bring something about this issue that the administrations in Washington have turned into a bargaining tool.

When we list all these in a row, it is clear that Washington only wants to create another piece of blackmail in an all-out attack on Turkey.

As the other side of the medallion, Washington, which turned the S-400s issue into a blackmail strategy against Turkey, now intends to turn the 1915 events into another tool to build political pressure on Ankara. Biden, who has been among the most experienced politicians in the field of foreign policy in the U.S. for nearly 40 years as a senator and eight years as a vice president, is far from analyzing his performance in Turkey. His administration, which placed the Asia-Pacific at number one on the threat and focal point, is struggling to bring back the U.S., which has long lost its dominance in the Middle East, the Near East, the Caucasus and North Africa.

Also, the cost and sustainability of the proxy wars waged by Washington with terrorist organizations such as the YPG in the Middle East, whose power is limited in the Ukraine and Karabakh crises, is also very well known.

Washington's foreign policy, which has experienced a crisis of confidence not only with Turkey but also with all its allies within the NATO framework, has also been tested in the latest Ukraine crisis.

Biden will now go down in history as the first U.S. president to recognize the events of 1915 as "genocide" and slander Turkey. Turkey now knows that it won't be easy to repair ties with the U.S. anymore.

Along with Biden's inability to handle foreign policy affairs effectively, it is also apparent that he is unable to manage relations with Turkey. Once he has played all his trump cards, he may have no choice but to break off relations completely.

Now all eyes will be on Erdoğan and Biden's face-to-face meeting at the NATO leaders summit in June. At this summit, it can be assumed that Erdoğan will continue with his stance cautiously and will act on the basis of reciprocity, national interests and sovereign rights of Turkey.

If the U.S. continues its aggressive stance against Turkey's sovereign rights and if its negative campaigns do not stop, Turkey will not respond in kind but will adopt a more decisive and uncompromising tone. Turkey's patience seems to be increasingly exhausted.

The Brussels summit may be the last exit before the bridge to Turkey for the U.S., which has long forgotten the merits of the alliance.

As Turkey prepares to enter a strict nationwide lockdown in the middle of the month of Ramadan, many citizens and foreigners living in the country have been left confused over the finer details of the curfew that will last 17 days.

Here is a one-stop explainer for all your questions regarding the upcoming lockdown.

The lockdown will be one of the strictest Ankara has imposed since the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country in March 2020. In essence, the country is doing a full circle of its practices last year, when it was praised for being proactive with its measures amid a sea of uncertainties surrounding the then-new coronavirus.

The lockdown will come into effect across all 81 provinces, and except for select people working in key sectors or critical jobs and visiting tourists, everyone will be ordered to stay indoors unless absolutely essential.

As with previous lockdowns, people will only be allowed to go outside of their homes to buy their necessities from the nearest shops on foot. That means any trips to markets or shops that are not within walking distance or that require a car or other vehicles will not be allowed.

The lockdown will start at 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 29 and will end at 5 a.m. on Monday, May 17 – three weeks later.

That means the lockdown will be in force during May 1 Labor Day and the four-day Ramadan Bayram, or Eid al-Fitr, holiday. It will continue for 17 days without any interruptions or exceptions.

Although it has not been officially acknowledged, it is highly likely for the government to extend the lockdown to Wednesday, May 19 since it is also a national holiday, the Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day.

According to the Turkish Interior Ministry, certain people, namely those deemed key workers for the continuation of essential services, will be exempt from this lockdown as was with past lockdowns.

The exemption will only apply for the duration needed to perform their duties, which means these groups still won't be able to roam the streets freely and will be subject to police checks.

Another notable exemption is tourists visiting Turkey. Foreign tourists will be allowed to go outside during the lockdown. Museums and other cultural exhibits will remain open during the lockdown for visits by tourists but the government advises to call ahead before visiting to confirm their operating hours since they might be reduced.

A word of caution for foreigners living in Turkey is that those who have short or long-term residence permits or work visas are not considered tourists, hence expats are not exempt from lockdown regulations.

For those who fail to comply with the new rules, hefty fines await if they are caught outside during the lockdown.

Police officers will hand a TL 3,150 ($385) fine for anyone caught violating lockdown rules. If you are caught without a mask, which is currently mandatory indoors and outdoors, you may be issued an extra TL 900 ($110) fine.

Many non-essential businesses and services will be shuttered during the lockdown, but critical ones will continue to operate. Although cargo businesses will remain open and delivery personnel will be exempt from the lockdown rules during their working hours, you will not be able to go to a branch to return your items. Many e-commerce sites have extended their return policies to cover the duration of the lockdown.

• Healthcare

Public and private hospitals will continue to operate at full capacity during the lockdown. Anyone with a doctor's appointment, including one for a COVID-19 vaccine, or a medical emergency will be exempt from the lockdown. You will, however, be asked to present your appointment details to a police officer if you are stopped at a checkpoint.

In addition to hospitals, pharmacies will continue to operate in their regular schedule. People will be allowed to visit their nearest pharmacy on foot without violating the lockdown.

• Groceries and necessities

Grocery stores, butcheries, bakeries, greengrocers, dessert shops and specialty shops selling dried fruits and nuts (kuruyemişçi) will remain open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the 17-day period.

The catch here is that you will be allowed to shop only from your nearest store, therefore eliminating all shops that require drives.

Another exception is chain supermarkets. While smaller local shops will operate every day, chain supermarkets will be closed on Sundays.

Deliveries of online grocery orders will be subject to the above rules as well.

Liquor stores (known as Tekel shops in Turkey) and the alcoholic beverages sections in supermarkets will also be closed during the lockdown.

• Restaurants and food services

As expected, all restaurants, cafes and eateries serving food and drinks will be closed for service, including takeaway orders. But they will still be allowed to make deliveries, and during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, they will be allowed to operate 24/7. If you want some inspiration for the best lockdown pizza in Istanbul, head here.

After Ramadan, which ends on May 14, deliveries will be required to stop after 1 a.m.

• Intercity

All intercity travel will be banned during the lockdown and exceptions will only be made with prior permissions, which will be strict and few.

As mentioned before, if you are a local or a resident foreigner, no reservations or travel tickets will allow you to circumvent the lockdown. You will be eligible for a full refund, however, if you have made any payments for travel or accommodation.

For exceptions, the Interior Ministry lists the following cases where permission will be granted for intercity travel:

1. To receive medical treatment in a different city, evidenced by a request made by a doctor.
2. Attending the funeral of a first-degree relative.
3. Those who have arrived in their current location less than five days ago but are seeking to return to their hometown. Proof of arrival date will need to be submitted.
4. Students taking a prescheduled exam at an exam facility designated by the Measurement, Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) of Turkey.
5. Soldiers who have completed their conscriptions and are looking to return home after being discharged.
6. Anyone who is invited to sign a contract with the private or public sector.
7. People being released from jail.

To reiterate, if you are not one of the above or a tourist visiting the country, you won’t able to travel between cities.

If you are, you will need to apply for a permit here or call 199 before hitting the road. You will also be asked to present your HES code from the government's "Life Fits into Home" track and trace app.

• International

International flights will continue as normal, according to Turkey's national flag carrier Turkish Airlines.

Anyone, citizen or not, arriving in the country will be able to continue to their final destination by presenting their international flight ticket. Outbound travelers, including citizens again, will also be allowed to reach their destination airport where they will board their outbound flight.

• Mass transit

The government has already announced that the capacity of mass transit vehicles would be reduced to 50%. But with the majority of the people confined to their homes, operations will be scaled back further.

Expect fewer and less frequent metro, ferry and bus services. As each city will have varying capacities when it comes to public transport, it is best to check with your local authorities, especially if you will be working as usual during the lockdown and would like to obtain information about possible adjustments to your daily commute.

For Istanbul, metros will operate until 9 p.m. every day until May 17, while the following lines will not be working during the lockdown:

• M6 Levent-Hisarüstü/Boğaziçi University metro line,
• F1 Taksim-Kabataş funicular line,
• T3 Kadıköy-Moda tramway line,
• TF1 Maçka-Taşkışla gondola/ aerial cable car line,
• TF2 Eyüp-Pierre Loti aerial cable car line.

Anyone who has a dog will be allowed to walk their dogs in the immediate vicinity of their home. (The rules don't specifically state it has to be a dog, so you could try your luck with a cat.)

Veterinarians will continue to operate as usual during the lockdown and people will be allowed to drive their pets to the nearest veterinary clinic in case of an emergency.

If you lead an active lifestyle, bad news for you. Unlike the U.K., where the public was allowed 1 hour a day of outdoor activity and exercise time, the Turkish government has made no exemptions for any type of sports or activities. Gyms have been closed since the beginning of Ramadan and won't open until after May 17.

Jogging around the block or going to the parks for walks, hence, will not be permitted, and neither will be swimming at sea. If you think you won't make it 17 days without a proper outlet for your pent-up energy, check out our circuit workout you can do at home.

As per Armenian Orthodox Patriarch Sahak Maşalyan's latest announcement, all churches will be open for worship to members of the congregation living nearby and want to pray individually and light candles. Most will be open between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. but to make sure, call ahead. The Roman Catholic Church of Santa Maria Draperis has said it will also be open during the lockdown.

Meanwhile, Ali Erbaş, the head of the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) said that mosques would also remain open during the 17-day period, allowing the faithful to visit their nearest mosque for their daily prayers. For the time being, Muslims will also be able to frequent mosques for Friday prayers, however, Tarawih – a collective Islamic prayer exclusive to Ramadan – remains canceled at mosques.