Armenian FM Oskanyan: “There is no need to discuss with the Turkish historians”
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Opposition Party CHP’s Ledar Deniz Baykal called Armenia and Armenians to open their archives and to make negotiations on Armenian issue. Turkish PM said " We have already opened our archives to those who claim there was a genocide. If they are sincere, they should also open theirs. This would allow historians to work on documents on both sides… Teams of historians from both sides should conduct studies in these archives… We do not want future generations to have a difficult life because of hatred and resentment.” However Armenian side says there is no need to discuss the Armenian allegations, because they are already proven. Armenian Foreign Minister Oskanyan said the problem is political and Armenia does not need to discuss the ‘genocide’ argument with the Turkish side. Oskanyan claimed the historians had made their all studies and they do not need make any more study. However the Turkish historians and many American and British researchers do not agree with the pro-Armenian historians. Many historians from the US and Europe including Prof. Dr. Justin McCarthy and Prof. Dr. Stanford Shaw says the 1915 events cannot be considered as ‘genocide’.
Vartan Oskanyan said they have made clear their stance on the issue. Saying that they had already stated the findings of their historians, Oskanyan added:
"Turkey should put forward their case. There is nothing left for historians to do."
Turkish PM Erdogan called on Tuesday for an impartial study by historians of Armenian claims that their people suffered genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turkish troops during and after World War One. Erdogan said that Turkey was ready to face this issue and Turkish Government is sincere. The Armenian response has disappointed Ankara. The AK party Government has made efforts to normalize the relations with Armenia. The AK party politicians say if Armenia take small steps, Turkey will response with great steps.
Armenians claim that at least 1.5 million of their kinfolk were murdered during the last years of the Ottoman Empire. However the number of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire was less than 1.3 million. Turkey has never accepted the Armenian allegations and argued that Armenian armed groups during the First World War killed about 500,000 Turkish and Kurdish people. Turkish officials and historians accept that thousands of Armenians were also killed during the war and uprisings due to the ethnic conflicts between Kurdish and Armenian groups, epidemic diseases and bad weather and war circumstances. More than 200.000 Armenians died due to the bad weather, epidemic diseases and famine under the Tashnak Armenian rule in Armenia in 1919.
More than 100,000 Armenian live in Turkey and more than 50,000 citizens of Armenia work in Istanbul and other Turkish cities.
Turkey has no diplomatic relations with Armenia and its territorial borders have been closed since 1993 in protest against the former Soviet republic's occupation of part of the territory of Azerbaijan. More than 20 percent of Azerbaijan has been under Armenian occupation. About 1 million Azerbaijani became refugees after the Armenian attacks.
Armenia does not recognize Turkey’s national borders. the Armenia’s declaration of Independence and Constitution imply that eastern provinces of Turkey are Armenian. Armenia has no good relations with other neighbors except Iran. Georgia, Turkey and Azerbaijan are close allies of United States and the EU while the Armenia has relied on Russia.
Some EU politicians have even suggested that Turkey should not be allowed to start entry talks to join the bloc on Oct. 3 unless it accepts the Armenian allegations. Turkish political scientist Dr. Sedat Laciner told the JTW that anti-Turkish and anti-Islamic groups have abused Armenian issue in order to prevent Turkey’s EU entry. According to Laciner the role of the Armenian diaspora in Europe cannot be ignored, however the real reason is not the Armenian lobbying groups but the racist and discriminative European parties:
“The EU clearly declared that Turkey is a true European state and there is no serious and structural reason to prevent to Turkey’s membership. At the Summit of 17 December 2004, the EU confirmed that Turkey has fulfilled all criteria the EU asked. Turkish economy, human rights record, even its relations with Greece and Greek Cypriots were not considered as an obstacle for Turkey’s membership. Greece was one of the most enthusiastic supporter for Turkey’s EU membership. Under these circumstances, Turkey-skeptics lost all tools against Turkey. CDU in Germany and rightist parties in France strongly oppose Turkey’s EU bid. Many racist and anti-Muslim groups in Austria, Germany, France and other countries argue that Turkey is a Muslim country and there is no place in Europe to the Muslims. According to the anti-Turkish groups Turkey’s acceptance to the EU will spoil the European civilization. There are many Muslim states in Europe; however none of them is EU member. I think the anti-Turkish groups curtail their sincere thoughts by using the Armenian issue.”
JTW, 11 March 2005
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Opposition Party CHP’s Ledar Deniz Baykal called Armenia and Armenians to open their archives and to make negotiations on Armenian issue. Turkish PM said " We have already opened our archives to those who claim there was a genocide. If they are sincere, they should also open theirs. This would allow historians to work on documents on both sides… Teams of historians from both sides should conduct studies in these archives… We do not want future generations to have a difficult life because of hatred and resentment.” However Armenian side says there is no need to discuss the Armenian allegations, because they are already proven. Armenian Foreign Minister Oskanyan said the problem is political and Armenia does not need to discuss the ‘genocide’ argument with the Turkish side. Oskanyan claimed the historians had made their all studies and they do not need make any more study. However the Turkish historians and many American and British researchers do not agree with the pro-Armenian historians. Many historians from the US and Europe including Prof. Dr. Justin McCarthy and Prof. Dr. Stanford Shaw says the 1915 events cannot be considered as ‘genocide’.
Vartan Oskanyan said they have made clear their stance on the issue. Saying that they had already stated the findings of their historians, Oskanyan added:
"Turkey should put forward their case. There is nothing left for historians to do."
Turkish PM Erdogan called on Tuesday for an impartial study by historians of Armenian claims that their people suffered genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turkish troops during and after World War One. Erdogan said that Turkey was ready to face this issue and Turkish Government is sincere. The Armenian response has disappointed Ankara. The AK party Government has made efforts to normalize the relations with Armenia. The AK party politicians say if Armenia take small steps, Turkey will response with great steps.
Armenians claim that at least 1.5 million of their kinfolk were murdered during the last years of the Ottoman Empire. However the number of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire was less than 1.3 million. Turkey has never accepted the Armenian allegations and argued that Armenian armed groups during the First World War killed about 500,000 Turkish and Kurdish people. Turkish officials and historians accept that thousands of Armenians were also killed during the war and uprisings due to the ethnic conflicts between Kurdish and Armenian groups, epidemic diseases and bad weather and war circumstances. More than 200.000 Armenians died due to the bad weather, epidemic diseases and famine under the Tashnak Armenian rule in Armenia in 1919.
More than 100,000 Armenian live in Turkey and more than 50,000 citizens of Armenia work in Istanbul and other Turkish cities.
Turkey has no diplomatic relations with Armenia and its territorial borders have been closed since 1993 in protest against the former Soviet republic's occupation of part of the territory of Azerbaijan. More than 20 percent of Azerbaijan has been under Armenian occupation. About 1 million Azerbaijani became refugees after the Armenian attacks.
Armenia does not recognize Turkey’s national borders. the Armenia’s declaration of Independence and Constitution imply that eastern provinces of Turkey are Armenian. Armenia has no good relations with other neighbors except Iran. Georgia, Turkey and Azerbaijan are close allies of United States and the EU while the Armenia has relied on Russia.
Some EU politicians have even suggested that Turkey should not be allowed to start entry talks to join the bloc on Oct. 3 unless it accepts the Armenian allegations. Turkish political scientist Dr. Sedat Laciner told the JTW that anti-Turkish and anti-Islamic groups have abused Armenian issue in order to prevent Turkey’s EU entry. According to Laciner the role of the Armenian diaspora in Europe cannot be ignored, however the real reason is not the Armenian lobbying groups but the racist and discriminative European parties:
“The EU clearly declared that Turkey is a true European state and there is no serious and structural reason to prevent to Turkey’s membership. At the Summit of 17 December 2004, the EU confirmed that Turkey has fulfilled all criteria the EU asked. Turkish economy, human rights record, even its relations with Greece and Greek Cypriots were not considered as an obstacle for Turkey’s membership. Greece was one of the most enthusiastic supporter for Turkey’s EU membership. Under these circumstances, Turkey-skeptics lost all tools against Turkey. CDU in Germany and rightist parties in France strongly oppose Turkey’s EU bid. Many racist and anti-Muslim groups in Austria, Germany, France and other countries argue that Turkey is a Muslim country and there is no place in Europe to the Muslims. According to the anti-Turkish groups Turkey’s acceptance to the EU will spoil the European civilization. There are many Muslim states in Europe; however none of them is EU member. I think the anti-Turkish groups curtail their sincere thoughts by using the Armenian issue.”
JTW, 11 March 2005
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