Author: Jane Topchian

The Azerbaijan troop mandate that is expected to be submitted to Parliament must be held out of political polemics, Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Group Deputy Chairman Bülent Turan said on Sunday.

“Some issues must be beyond political polemics. The Azerbaijan troop mandate is one of these issues,” Turan told Anadolu Agency (AA), speaking on the mandate on the extension of Turkish troops’ duty in Azerbaijan.

“The Azerbaijan mandate had been accepted by all parties in the Parliament except for the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP). I hope the Republican People’s Party (CHP) does not repeat the mistake in the recent mandate and we have the chance to underline with our state, our security forces, our armies that we are on the side of our Azerbaijani brothers with all our parties’ support,” he said.

He said that this support is vital to give a message of unity.

The mandate on sending troops to Azerbaijan had been accepted on Nov. 17, 2020.

The Assembly granted permission for a period of one year to send the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) to foreign countries to fulfill the commitments arising from the provisions of the Strategic Partnership and Mutual Assistance Agreement between Turkey and Azerbaijan, to establish a ceasefire, to prevent violations, to ensure peace and stability in the region, and to carry out the duties of the Joint Center.

In this context, it is expected that the term of duty of Turkish soldiers in Azerbaijan will be extended for one more year as of Nov. 17, 2021.

Turan’s words come after the CHP voted against a motion to extend troop deployment for anti-terrorism operations last month.

The AK Party, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the opposition Good Party (IP) backed the Iraq and Syria motion. The CHP and HDP, however, voted against the motion.

The motion allows the Turkish military to carry out cross-border operations in northern Iraq and Syria for two more years, from Oct. 30, 2021, until Oct. 30, 2023. It stated that the risks and threats posed by ongoing conflicts near Turkey’s southern land borders “continue to rise.”

This move by the CHP and HDP has drawn significant criticism from both people and officials while questions now remain whether the Azerbaijan mandate will be accepted by these parties or not. Turkey threw its support behind Azerbaijan, whose Nagorno-Karabakh region had remained under illegal Armenian occupation for nearly three decades before finally being liberated last November.

During a 44-day conflict last year, which ended in a truce on Nov. 10, 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages in Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenia’s illegal occupation.

On Nov. 10, the two countries signed a Russia-brokered deal to end fighting and work toward a comprehensive solution.

Turkey on Friday reiterated its commitment to supporting Azerbaijan further.

The main objectives for Turkey and Azerbaijan are the continuity of a cease-fire and bringing stability to the region, Turkish defense chief Hulusi Akar said at a reception at the Azerbaijan Embassy in Ankara for Victory Day.

“The stability is not only necessary for Azerbaijan and Turkey,” said Akar, adding that Armenia will also gain security and welfare if Armenia cooperates with Azerbaijan and Turkey.

“In this regard, we have a broad vision. We all know that very important steps can be taken for the security and welfare of the entire Caucasus by even holding six-party talks if necessary,” he said.

Akar said Turkish and Azerbaijani armed forces continue to clear mines in liberated regions from the Armenian occupation.

“We will continue to stand by our Azerbaijani brothers in their just cause, as we have done so far,” he said.

ATurkish history professor of Tatar descent who has dedicated his academic life to Ottoman-Russian history is working on a new project that will shed light on Ottoman maps in Russian archives.

Professor Ilyas Kemaloğlu from Istanbul’s Marmara University was born in 1978 in the Russian city of Ulyanovsk, which was also the hometown of Russian Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin and of Yusuf Akçura, a prominent Turkish intellectual of the early Republican era. Kemaloğlu came to Turkey to complete his university education 25 years ago but has since moved to the country permanently to continue his academic life.

“I came to Turkey in 1996 to study at university. I did not study in Russia because at that time the Soviet Union had collapsed, and it was a very difficult period for Russia. After my bachelor’s degree in the history department of Marmara University, I completed my master’s and doctorate degrees in Turkey as well. When I came to Turkey from Russia, I had not thought about staying here. But I loved Turkey so much and felt so happy that I could not return to Russia again,” he said.

The historian added that Turkey has been a home for Turks abroad, Muslims and everyone else, and it has always opened its door to immigrants and people in need.

“At the beginning of the 20th century, a revolution took place in Russia, and White Russians fleeing from the Bolsheviks also sought refuge in Turkey. I see this place as my homeland. Now I am also a Turkish citizen, and I am very happy about that,” he said.

Kemaloğlu researched the Golden Horde and the Turks in Russia during his master’s and doctorate degrees and made significant contributions to the subjects. He has written books and translated many Russian sources on Turkish history into the Turkish language.

“It was a subject that had not been sufficiently studied in Turkey. There was an academic gap. While I was studying at the university, my professors told me to stay here and contribute to Turkish history. Even though the Golden Horde is a popular subject in the Russian academy, it has been understudied in Turkey. Russians examine this issue from their own perspective, so I decided to work on the Golden Horde and the Khanates from a new viewpoint, by benefiting from as many resources as possible in the world,” he said.

The Mongols conquered the region north of the Black Sea in the 1230s. Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, was captured by Batu Khan in 1240. For a long time, Slavs in the region lived under the rule of the Golden Horde Khanate, which was founded in the region in 1241. During this period in history, Russians were divided into small grand principalities.

Noting that the award he received from Ilim Yayma Cemiyeti (The Association for the Expansion of Knowledge) in 2019 increased his motivation, Kemaloğlu said that people in Tatarstan offered him their congratulations after he was awarded at a meeting in which President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was present.

Kemaloğlu is currently working on a project, which is supported by Turkey’s Presidency of Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB). Along with a Russian colleague, Prof. Mihail Bahanov, he prepared a document that includes about 200 maps, pictures and text.

He has also translated and published many documents regarding Armenian genocide claims.

“Russia supported Armenians and provoked them against the Ottoman Empire. However, even Russians tell the truth in their historical documents, which say Ottomans took measures but Armenians themselves started a rebellion, killed their own clergy and statesmen, and then blamed Ottomans to attract Western support. I dedicated myself to revealing such unfair situations Turks have been exposed to. I want to reach as many sources as I can about Turkish history and bring them to Turkey,” he said.

Turkey objects to presenting the 1915 incidents as “genocide,” rather calling them a tragedy in which both Turks and Armenians suffered casualties in the heat of World War I.

Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission of historians from Turkey and Armenia under the supervision of international experts to examine the issue.