President Obama did not pronounce the word “genocide” in his statement delivered for the Armenian Remembrance Day, instead, just as last year, he used the Armenian words Metz Yegern. This way, even if indirectly, he recognized the 1915 events as genocide. This play on words pleased the Turkish public opinion. On the other hand, objections within the Diaspora towards the President for not keeping his promise made while he was candidate to qualify the 1915 events as genocide still continues. Presumably, to make up for this, half of the President’s statement was reserved to praise the American Armenians by mentioning the Armenians’ contributions to the US economy, their strengthening of American democracy etc. It is difficult to believe that a small Armenian community would significantly contribute to the US. The 24 April statements of the American Presidents are documents of domestic politics and do not discretely address Turkey, but American citizens of Armenian origin. Looking at it from this point of view, these statements lose importance for Turkey; however, regardless of what it is, since a biased approach is taken towards a specific historical event, this statement is in no way acceptable for Turkey. Examining the statement from a foreign affairs view, it could be said that it does not create any new problems for Turkey-US relations during a period where some difference of views already exist between them. In the speech delivered by Armenian President Serge Sarkisan on April 24, the point which has drawn the most attention is the statement that the Ottoman Empire has fulfilled its program of annihilation of Armenians. These words have been used in order to determine that in conformity with international law, genocide has taken place. The positive side of this statement is that is has drawn no linkages between the 1915 events and today’s Turkey in contrast to the previous years. Meanwhile, expressing gratitude to all those, including Turkey, who have supported the Armenians in their struggle means that as the Turkish Governments and public opinion will not accept the “genocide” allegations, the only hope left to the Armenians is Turkish liberal intellectuals. As can be seen from the number of those participating in the demonstrations held in Istanbul on April 24, this group is very small. Not only do they fail to convince the Turkish public opinion, but they also cannot go beyond creating negative reactions for themselves and for the Armenian allegations. Both President Obama and President Sarkisian did not touch upon the protocols and their future, which in fact constitutes the most important issue of Turkey-Armenia relations. This shows that at least in a short term, no progress can be achieved towards the protocols and since Turkey has linked the ratification of the protocols to the Karabakh conflict, it can also signify that no progress is expected for this conflict either.
© 2009-2024 Center for Eurasian Studies (AVİM) All Rights Reserved
No comments yet.
-
DRAFT RESOLUTION ON “GENOCIDE” IN THE US SENATE (II)
Ömer Engin LÜTEM 14.04.2014 -
SEASON OF RESOLUTIONS STARTED IN THE US
Ömer Engin LÜTEM 23.03.2012 -
TURKEY-ARMENIA PROTOCOLS: THE FIRST YEAR
Ömer Engin LÜTEM 11.10.2010 -
THE ARMENIAN QUESTION AFTER THE HOLIDAYS IV
Ömer Engin LÜTEM 07.09.2011 -
FRANCE-TURKEY: PERPETUAL CRISIS
Ömer Engin LÜTEM 19.12.2011
-
THE ARMENIAN LAW AND THE FRENCH CONSTITUTIONAL COURT
Ömer Engin LÜTEM 01.02.2012 -
TANER AKÇAM AS A PROPAGANDA PROJECT
Aslan Yavuz ŞİR 28.11.2016 -
11TH PLENARY SESSION OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF TURKIC COUNTRIES
Gülperi GÜNGÖR 25.07.2022 -
CAN SREBRENICA GENOCIDE BE COMPARED TO THE EVENTS OF 1915 WITHIN THE SCOPE OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION?
AVİM 16.12.2019 -
BLACK STAIN ON COUNTER TERRORISM: HAMPIG SASUNYAN CASE
AVİM 28.01.2020
-
Türk-Ermeni İlişkileri Üzerine Ömer Engin Lütem Konferansları 2022 -
RADİKAL ERMENİ UNSURLARCA GERÇEKLEŞTİRİLEN MEZALİMLER VE VANDALİZM -
PATRIOTISM PERVERTED -
MEN ARE LIKE THAT -
BAKÜ-TİFLİS-CEYHAN BORU HATTININ YAŞANAN TARİHİ -
INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS ON THE EVENTS OF 1915 -
FAKE PHOTOS AND THE ARMENIAN PROPAGANDA -
ERMENİ PROPAGANDASI VE SAHTE RESİMLER -
Türk-Ermeni İlişkileri Üzerine Ömer Engin Lütem Konferansları 2021 -
A Letter From Japan - Strategically Mum: The Silence of the Armenians -
Japonya'dan Bir Mektup - Stratejik Suskunluk: Ermenilerin Sessizliği -
Türk-Ermeni Uyuşmazlığı Üzerine Ömer Engin Lütem Konferansları 2020 -
Anastas Mikoyan: Confessions of an Armenian Bolshevik -
Sovyet Sonrası Ukrayna’da Devlet, Toplum ve Siyaset - Değişen Dinamikler, Dönüşen Kimlikler -
Türk-Ermeni Uyuşmazlığı Üzerine Ömer Engin Lütem Konferansları 2019 -
Türk-Ermeni Uyuşmazlığı Üzerine Ömer Engin Lütem Konferansları 2018 -
Ermeni Sorunuyla İlgili İngiliz Belgeleri (1912-1923) - British Documents on Armenian Question (1912-1923) -
Turkish-Russian Academics: A Historical Study on the Caucasus -
Gürcistan'daki Müslüman Topluluklar: Azınlık Hakları, Kimlik, Siyaset -
Armenian Diaspora: Diaspora, State and the Imagination of the Republic of Armenia -
Ermeni Sorunu Temel Bilgi ve Belgeler (2. Baskı)
-
CONFERENCE TITLED “HUNGARY’S PERSPECTIVES ON THE TURKIC WORLD"