OBAMA’S MESSAGE SPARKS FURY
AzerNews Weekly
April 29 2009
Azerbaijan
US President Barack Obama did not use the term "genocide of Armenians",
a claim regarding alleged World War I-era mass killings, in his message
to the Armenian community on Friday, but made moving comments lamenting
the 1915 developments in Ottoman Turkey.
"Ninety-four years ago, one of the worst atrocities of the 20th
century began. Every year we commemorate the millions of Armenians
killed during the last days of the Ottoman Empire. Meds Yeghem must
live on in our memories the same way it lives in the hearts of the
Armenian people," Obama said in the statement by using Armenian words.
"Meds Yeghem" is literally translated from Armenian as "great
disaster."
Further, the US president said he backs efforts by the Turkish and
Armenian people as they seek to normalize relations, which have been
historically strained.
He also touched on the "road map" recently agreed by the two countries
with Switzerland`s mediation. "I support this shift and call on the
governments of both countries to keep their promises."
The government in Yerevan has accused Turkey of genocide against
Armenians in the latter years of the Ottoman Empire, which preceded
modern Turkey. The Turkish government says massacres took place,
but as part of clashes that related to Armenian groups supporting
Russia against Turkey during World War I. Ankara insists the killings
were not orchestrated by the Ottoman government and Turkish President
Abdullah Gul has proposed opening Ottoman archives to international
scholars to try to resolve the dispute.
The Armenian community is striving to secure recognition of the 1915
events as genocide, both in the U.S. and around the world. One of the
Armenian diaspora`s key goals is to achieve the use of this term in
addresses by White House leaders, and this issue comes to the fore
every year on April 24, the day considered by Armenians as the date
marking the alleged genocide. Despite Armenian hopes, however, US
presidents consistently sidestep the term, trying to avoid protests
from Turkey, an important ally and a key power in the region.
Obama`s predecessors – George Bush and Bill Clinton – also had to abide
by balanced statements on the "genocide" issue, keeping the balance
between the Armenian community and Ankara. On different occasions
they regarded the Ottoman Empire events as "a great tragedy of the
20th century", "a great catastrophe", "mass killings", but never used
the term "genocide."
During his pre-election campaign, Obama`s website used the term
"Armenian genocide." Also, in his reply to a question during his visit
to Turkey in early April, he said that "I have not changed my view."
Thus, both Turks and Armenians, who were expecting the US president`s
April 24 speech with a great deal of anxiety, this time witnessed a
new diplomatic move by the White House.
Commenting on Obama`s written statement, President Gul said it
contained some content that he disagrees with.
"There are hundreds of thousands of Turks and Muslims who lost their
lives in 1915. Everyone`s pain must be shared," Gul said in televised
remarks to reporters on the sidelines of a gas summit in Sofia.
The Turkish leader emphasized that politicians and statesmen should
not give assessments of historical developments.
"Now is the time to look forward. Although today`s events are
interpreted differently, we should give diplomacy a chance that aims
for the future. These steps are important for the whole region. I am
satisfied with the support of all countries which are interested in
this region and can relate to this issue.
"For the first time, considerable advances are taking place in the
efforts of each of the parties interested in the normalization of
Turkish-Armenian and Armenian-Azerbaijani relations and the solution
of all outstanding issues in the entire region. Everyone who could
contribute to their solution has tackled the issue on the highest
level," Gul said.
However, Turkey`s Foreign Ministry has issued a statement saying some
of the expressions used by Obama were unacceptable.
"Common history of the Turkish and Armenian nations has to be assessed
solely through impartial and scientific data, and historians must
base their evaluations only on such material," the ministry said in
a statement.
Meanwhile, Armenian Diaspora organizations have issued a statement
accusing President Obama of failing to keep the promise he made
while on the campaign trail. Obama "had the opportunity to set a
new course aimed at normalizing Armenia-Turkey ties" in his Friday`s
address by recognizing the alleged genocide but had failed to do so,
PanArmenian.net quoted the Armenian Assembly of America as saying.
Brian Ardouny, the group`s executive director, said "empty promises
will not change anything."
"His inability to assert a glorious chapter in US history by
recognizing the first genocide of the 20th century undermines
confidence in the United States with regard to preventing genocides,"
Ardouny said.
Ken Hachikian, the head of the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA), echoed the statement, saying US Armenians were deeply troubled
by what he called Obama`s failure to keep his promise.
"By sidestepping the word `genocide`, Barack Obama let the U.S. succumb
to Turkey`s policy of blackmail," he alleged.
Further, Hachikian said the Armenian community calls on Obama to
urgently revisit his administration`s position on the "genocide"
recognition and make an effort toward the adoption of a genocide
resolution in the US Congress.
Gist of "road map" The gist of the "road map" to normalize relations
reached by the governments of Turkey and Armenia has been revealed
by an influential Turkish newspaper.
The Sabah (Tomorrow) newspaper, which is close to the Turkish
government, said the document, which outlines future relations between
Ankara and Yerevan, consists of five key provisions.
The first one says that Armenia, a former Soviet republic, accepts
the 1921 Gars agreement signed by Turkey and the USSR, which defined
the current border between the two countries.
Second, a joint commission of historians is to be set up to research
Armenian genocide claims. A third country could be represented in
the commission as well.
The third provision envisions signing of documents on opening the
Turkey-Armenia border and forging bilateral trade ties.
The fourth provision says that Turkey and Armenia, having mutually
accredited their ambassadors to neighboring Georgia in Ankara and
Yerevan, will establish diplomatic ties.
The last provision stipulates that any issues reflected in the
"road map" that require legislative approval will be discussed in
the parliaments of the two countries.
Although the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict is
not reflected in the document, Turkish-Armenian rapprochement will
be carried out along with seeking ways to resolve the long-standing
dispute, Sabah said.
The "road map" is the first move by Ankara and Yerevan to mend
ties since Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 due to
its occupation of the territories of Azerbaijan, Turkey`s ally,
and genocide claims.
Following the conclusion of the verbal "road map" agreement, the
Turkish Foreign Ministry said, in a statement posted on its website,
that Turkey and Armenia "have agreed on a comprehensive framework
for the normalization of their bilateral relations in a mutually
satisfactory manner." The statement did not specify, however, how
the "genocide" issue would be resolved and whether or not Turkey and
Armenia had agreed on opening their shared border.
"We are not inclined to provide any additional comments on what the
statement says," a source from the Turkish ministry said. "We will
continue pursuing a policy of quiet diplomacy. It is not time yet to
issue statements about the work to be done."
The US government was quick to positively assess progress in
Turkish-Armenian talks. Less than an hour after Ankara`s announcement,
Robert Wood, the acting US State Department spokesman, said Washington
welcomes the movement by Ankara and Yerevan to normalize relations.
"It has long been, and remains the position of the United States,
that normalization should take place without preconditions and within a
reasonable time frame. We urge Armenia and Turkey to proceed according
to the agreed framework and roadmap. We look forward to working with
both governments in support of normalization, and thus promote peace,
security and stability in the whole region."
Efforts at reconciliation between the two nations have gathered
momentum since President Abdullah Gul traveled to Armenia`s capital,
Yerevan, in September, the first visit to the country by a Turkish
head of state.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said earlier that she was "very
encouraged by the bold steps" being taken by Turkey and Armenia to
reconcile with each other and with their "painful past."
Steps toward "normalizing relations and opening their borders will
foster a better environment for confronting that shared, tragic
history," Clinton said in comments to the House Foreign Affairs
Committee in Washington.
Nonetheless, the U.S. realizes all too well that Turkey has concrete
obligations to Azerbaijan. It is for this reason that Secretary Clinton
immediately made it clear that the United States intends to intensify
its efforts to settle the Garabagh conflict peacefully.
"We assured the Azerbaijani government that we will strengthen
our efforts to resolve the Upper Garabagh conflict and other key
outstanding issues between Azerbaijan and Armenia," she said. "The
Minsk process [the OSCE`s Minsk Group brokering the peace process]
is in place, and the U.S. is part of it. The State Department has
delegated its representative to Azerbaijan twice over the past
three weeks, and we hope to achieve progress in this area in the
near future."
It appears that Washington, while directly linking these two conflicts,
is trying to display, at least in its public statements, that their
settlement is to be carried out simultaneously, analysts say.
The Azerbaijani government has responded to the Turkey-Armenia
rapprochement. Elkhan Polukhov, the acting spokesman for the Foreign
Ministry, said forging ties with other states is a country`s sovereign
right, however, Baku believes that normalization of Turkey-Armenia
relations and the opening of the border between the two countries
must be carried out only and strictly in parallel with the process
of the pullout of the Armenian military units from the occupied
Azerbaijani territories.
Zakir Hashimov, the Azerbaijani ambassador to Turkey, said that Baku
could agree with the border opening only after Armenia has withdrawn
from five out of the seven Azerbaijani districts around Upper Garabagh
that it currently occupies and Azerbaijanis ousted from their land
during the military conflict in the early 1990s have settled there. The
remaining occupied regions – Upper Garabagh and the other two districts
adjacent to it – are to be vacated in the later stages.
It was previously reported that first the Turkish-Armenian border
will open once a week symbolically, to be followed by a full gradual
opening, but diplomatic sources have now refuted those reports. They
say Armenia`s steps regarding the Garabagh conflict will play a
crucial role in the border opening issue.
Following the "road map" announcement, Turkish President Gul telephoned
his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev. Gul told Aliyev about
progress in the Turkish-Armenian talks, while the Azerbaijani president
communicated his country`s position on the issue, the presidential
press-service reports.
In an interview afterwards, Gul said the telephone conversation went
well. "There is no strain in Azerbaijani-Turkish relations as it may
appear. In fact, diplomatic relations at present are as active as
ever," he said.
Gul also voiced his assurances that every step taken thus far was
serving the interests of Turkey and Azerbaijan. "If our plans are
put in place, this will benefit Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia and the
entire region," he added.