Turkey Warns U.S.
To any Turks out there who like to claim that Armenia doesn't want to discuss the genocide issue with Turkey, here is the reason, the very reason many Armenians have been warning for years. Turkey will try to use the talks as a pretext for derailing any genocide recognition in the world, claiming recognition would somehow affect the ability for Turkey to hold a rational conversation. Meanwhile, Turkey will drag it's feet until the last survivor of the genocide is finally dead, and will never hear an apology out of them.
Sickening, disgusting, uncivilized behavior.
A quote from AFP:
Never been closer? How "close" can you be to normalizing relations that you've sabotaged for the past 100 years? Either you normalize them or you don't. Armenians have not once done a single thing to harm you, or prevent relations. They've always said they were ready.
Sickening, disgusting, uncivilized behavior.
A quote from AFP:
Turkey's foreign minister has warned Barack Obama's incoming administration that
any U.S. recognition of Armenian massacres by Ottoman Turks as genocide could
derail reconciliation efforts between the two neighbors. "It would not be very
rational for a third country to take a position on this issue... A wrong step by
the United States will harm the process," the Anatolia news agency quoted Ali
Babacan as saying late Friday. Turkey has "never been closer" to normalizing
ties with Armenia, its eastern neighbor, and a breakthrough could be secured in
2009, the minister said.
Never been closer? How "close" can you be to normalizing relations that you've sabotaged for the past 100 years? Either you normalize them or you don't. Armenians have not once done a single thing to harm you, or prevent relations. They've always said they were ready.
posted by Sevana at 5:16 AM
2 Comments:
Hey Sevana,
I'm always pleased to see all the posts you put up whenever I manage to check the blog. You definitely have well-formed perspectives, and I envy your dedication and efforts to cover so many developments in Armenian foreign relations.
I do want to point out that painting Armenia in a wholesomely angelic light ("Armenians have not once done a single thing to harm you, or prevent relations. They've always said they were ready") is not very just or objective. Spending a childhood in Armenia showed me many instances of general hatred and scorn toward our western neighbor--both to the government and, more distastefully, the general populace--that, though likely arising irrationally and through ignorance, did not help solve matters. (To be fair, identical sentiments are very frequently expressed by Turkish nationals also).
Heedless speech and actions are not going to procure justice OR peace. If anything, they strengthen the repellent arguments which build the core of many denial theories.
Just my unsolicited two cents, I suppose. You have my agreement on the Foreign Minister's statement, however. His rhetoric does not even exhibit enough finesse to veil the weak justification.
Hi Ellie, I totally agree that hatred is neither healthy nor something I myself practice, and while you're right, I've heard Armenians express hatred, I will admit I find it a little more understandable, since they are the victims of a genocide, rather than the purpetrators.
I will however stick to my guns on painting Armenia's governmental actions toward Turkey since independence as angelic. The Armenian government has not once done anything except say they are ready for full relations and open borders. The Turkish government has presented only excuses and unfair/hypocritical preconditions for 18 years now as to why it does not have relations or open borders with Armenia.
Post a Comment
<< Home