Armenian-Turkish Relations

[Christina]

Re: Armenian-Turkish Relations

Let's remember one thing: the turks is a name. They are muslims first.
(Oh if they would only repent and accept the Lord)...I know that is another
ball game.

If they were anything else, as i said in another thread, everyone would be
labeling them, ie. TOG() IAD(). fill in the label.

Muslims regardless of what nation are building mosques as fast as making pancakes.

They would love to build one in Yerevan.

Greek meaning with ultimate oath of passion: "freedom or death."

[UrMistake]

Re: Armenian-Turkish Relations

Ahmet Davutoglu requests world-leading economist of Armenian decent to return to Turkey
September 10, 2010 - 16:43 AMT 11:43 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu requested a world-leading economist of Armenian decent, Daron Acemoglu to return to Turkey, offering him a responsible position in economy sector. Acemoglu did not deny the possibility of returning, Ermenihaber stated.

Daron Acemolu (born September 3, 1967 in Istanbul, Turkey) is a Turkish economist of Armenian descent. He is currently the Charles P. Kindleberger Professor of Applied Economics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and winner of the 2005 John Bates Clark Medal. Acemoglu has authored the famous Economic Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy book.

Daron Acemolu is among the 20 most cited economists in the world according to IDEAS/RePEc.


Why Armenian Government dont employ him just for the fun of it to take turkish eye off...

[ninetoyadome]

Re: Armenian-Turkish Relations

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/study-abroad/100802/turkey-armenians-genocide-armenia-ottoman-empire-world-war-i

By Matt Porter (Syracuse Univ.) Student Correspondent Corps
Published: August 3, 2010 20:49 ET in Study Abroad

KAYSERI, Turkey — Rows of homes that used to be part of Kayseri’s Armenian quarter and housed up to 400 families are now dilapidated and lay empty or are filled with squatters. The district is a symbol of the tragic history between Armenians and Turks during the last century, a history plagued by animosity and violence.

But in the center of that district stands a 900-year-old Armenian church, defiantly active and restored as a reminder of the better days of Armenian history in Turkey.

Earlier this year, U.S. President Barack Obama issued a statement in remembrance of the Armenian “Great Catastrophe,” calling it “one of the worst atrocities in the 20th century.” According to various estimates, 300,000 to 1.5 million Armenians died during World War I after being forced from their homes by the Ottoman Empire, now modern Turkey. The Armenian National Committee of America said the president made the “wrong choice” in not using the word “genocide.” Armenians have strongly pushed the United States to officially recognize the events in Ottoman Turkey as a genocide.

However, one group of Anatolian Armenians (from Turkey’s Asian side) prefers to look beyond the polarizing rhetoric in an attempt to preserve what remains of their history in Kayseri: their 900-year-old church.

“We try to remember the importance of religion. It’s our most important cause. Our foundation doesn’t think about politics,” said Garbis Bagdat, director of the St. Gregory Church Foundation.

Hidden behind a ten-foot stone barricade, the St. Gregory the Illuminator Church is one of only seven Armenian churches still functioning in Anatolia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAysxLT344c&feature=player_embedded

“When we visit, our old Kayseri neighbors are always asking us why we left and why we don’t come back,” Bagdat says. “Most of them say they would like us to come back.”


Bagdat prefers to remain with the majority of his community now in Istanbul, but his foundation is determined to preserve the pieces of history remaining in his former home.

The Kayseri Church has added importance because the community believes St. Gregory passed through the city and established an earlier church constructed of wood in the same location. St. Gregory was the first leader of the Armenian Church and is credited for converting the pagan Armenians to Christianity during the fourth century. Kayseri served as a major Armenian center for centuries before losing prominence in the late Ottoman period.

Bagdat’s group recently completed interior restorations. They revitalized old frescoes, furnishings, and statues. The community capped off the efforts with an inaugural service last November with the Armenian Patriarchate presiding. Since then, the church has seen regular Armenian visitors from Istanbul, Armenia, Europe, and the United States, including a group of Istanbul Armenians now living in Los Angeles.

“Having this church here, the only church, is very symbolic for us,” said Sylvia Minassian whose grandfather came from Kayseri, “We would like to preserve it as much as we can, as long as we can because it shows there was a Christian life here.”

Minassian grew up in Istanbul. For her, Turkey is home. She watches Turkish television, speaks to her mother in Turkish, and feels less animosity towards Turkish people.

“Our feelings are not as strong as some of the other Armenians whose families went through certain disasters and tragedies and they ended up in other countries,” Minassian said, “We never knew about [the other] history because our parents never taught us those things.”

Bagdat believes the Kayseri Church can serve as a reminder the city’s Armenian past for future generations. Bagdat says the Turkish government has been extremely helpful and has never stood in the way of his group’s mission to restore the church to its former glory.

“We are on a good path,” says Bagdat, “Twenty years ago, the situation was much worse. Nobody would speak about Armenians, and we wouldn’t speak because of Armenian terrorism outside of Turkey. We were afraid.”

But now, he says discussion are more open and he has had visitors from the Turkish government who want to learn more about the church.

For the last few years, Turkey has worked to normalize relations with its Armenian neighbors. Some feel that one of the key provisions for normalization would be an independent examination of the historic tragedy.

Turkish Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, spoke to reporters with hope about the future.

“As Turkey, we are ready to share the pain of our Armenian neighbors,” said Davutoglu.
However, he preferred to use the word pain versus genocide in his remarks.

Turkey continues to see the deportations, what some Armenians view as death marches, as tragedies during wartime. Turkish historians often refer to Turkish losses in Gallipoli and in its eastern provinces as equivalents.

It’s an issue that continues to agitate, and even Minassian believes this remains the biggest obstacle to more normal relations between non-Turkish Armenians and Turkey.

“What hurts them [Turkey] the most is the non-accepting of what happened,” said the visiting Minassian. “I think that if they accepted it a long time ago, nobody would have blamed the new generation because it happened in the old empire.”

Bagdat says he prefers to “close his ears” to the issue because he lives in Turkey.

For him, Turkey is his home. He chooses to stay, and lives among many Turkish friends. Politics isn’t his issue. He chooses to keep his heritage by protecting the Kayseri church.

“The church is the life of the Armenians,” Bagdat says. “Every Armenian is attached to their church.”

With one year left as foundation director, Bagdat will continue his restoration campaign. The next step is to revitalize the church’s large courtyard.

The church will continue to hold four services each year when approximately three to four hundred Armenians are anticipated to worship behind those cobblestone walls like their ancestors did for over a thousand years.

For the Kayseri foundation, the church remains a chance to keep history alive.

[Haykakan]

Re: Armenian-Turkish Relations

Here is a pick of the meeting between Elmar and Davutoglu

http://top-10-list.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Elmer-Fudd.jpg

[ninetoyadome]

Re: Armenian-Turkish Relations

Turkish troops crossing Armenian border? Never mind.
July 20, 2010 - 3:39pm, by Joshua Kucera

Remember when we thought that the prospect of Turkish troops going to Armenia, through a temporarily opened border, for a NATO exercise was a further step toward rapprochement between the two countries? Well, never mind. For all the enthusiasm Turkey apparently held for the idea, it was less popular among Armenian officials, who quickly rejected the notion:

The Armenian Foreign Ministry refrained from officially commenting on the possibility of a temporary border opening. But a diplomatic source in Yerevan shrugged off the Turkish statement as "a public-relations stunt aimed at burnishing Turkey's image."

"Armenia has no desire to contribute to that effort," the source, who asked not to be identified, told RFE/RL. The Armenian government might refuse to let any personnel or vehicles enter the country from Turkey during the exercise, he added.

Other Armenian officials went on the record rejecting the Turkish reports:

The talks on a temporary opening of the Armenian-Turkish border during the NATO military drills to be held on September 11-17 in Armenia are groundless, assure correspondents of the RA Ministry of Emergency Situations with which NATO is organizing this year's military drills.

During the initial and final planning conferences organized within the framework of the NATO military drills, there was no mention of the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border. The Armenian, North-Atlantic and Turkish delegations didn't even make a proposal," Deputy Director of Armenia's Rescue Service of the RA Ministry of Emergency Situations Sergey Azaryan told "A1+".

And soon after, Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu said there would be no border opening, and suggested that not just Armenia was unhappy about the idea, but Azerbaijan, too:

“There is no such thing as the opening of the border. It is not on the government’s agenda and reports to that effect are wrong,” Davutoğlu told reporters on the sidelines of an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) meeting....

Davutoğlu had talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Elmar Mammadyarov, while in Almaty, during which the border issue came up. “I have told Elmar as well that there is no such thing as a border opening pending. No one should have any such expectations,” he said.

So, as seems often is the case with Turkey-Armenia reconciliation, it's two steps forward, one step back. But it appears that Turkish troops will still participate in Armenia (traveling through Georgia, presumably), which is still something...

[Haykakan]

Re: Armenian-Turkish Relations

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
July 16 2010


Hot July with Armenia

Friday, July 16, 2010
GÄ°LA BENMAYOR

Sixty-five young musicians between the ages of 16 and 23 have been
selected among hundreds of conservatory graduates in Turkey and
Armenia to set up an orchestra that no one could even imagine years
ago.

It is the Turkey-Armenia Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Before lending an ear to these young people, who gave their third
concert at Cemal ReÅ?it Rey Concert Hall Thursday night following a
concert at BoÄ?aziçi University and another one in Büyükada, let's read
together what two conductors of this awesome project have said:

One of them was born in Istanbul, 40-year-old Armenian Nvart Andreassian.

And the other is working hard to make youngsters love classical music.
He is Cem Mansur, conductor of the Akbank Chamber Orchestra. Mansur
is, at the same time, founder of the National Youth Symphony
Orchestra.

`I had a crazy idea to unite the musicians of the two countries,' says
Andreassian.

Just like the famous Israeli pianist and conductor Danial Barenbroim
and his close friend Palestinian philosopher and author late Edward
Said brought Palestinian and Israeli musicians together.

Listening to each other like musicians do

Andreassian shares his project with Osman Kavala, CEO of Anadolu
Kültür A.Å?. (Anatolian Culture Inc.).

Kavala, as a strong voice of a civil initiative, which plays a
critical role in solving Turkey's problems with its neighbors Greece
and Armenia, someday asked, `Why should we not set up an orchestra?'

And the orchestra came to life.

`For a good orchestra, musicians should listen to each other.
Listening to each other and understanding each other¦ The orchestra
will do what the two peoples have to do because music is a common
language of all,' adds Andreassian.

Mansur rather speaks politically.

`I don't understand musicians who act indifferent. We all are living
on this planet, and we all function individually. We, musicians, can
do what others cannot or are afraid to do.'

Istanbul Art and Culture Foundation, or Ä°KSV, organized the concert
together with Anadolu Kültür and BoÄ?aziçi University. Unfortunately, I
will go to the concert after I am done with this article.

I will not be able to share my expressions with you about Armenian and
Turkish young musicians who will play the pieces of Bizet, Beethoven,
Smetana, Hacadurian and Ulvi Cemal Erkin.

Hot days of September at the door

The Turkey-Armenia Youth Symphony Orchestra is the last ring of events
taking place in the hot days of July between Turkey and Armenia.

Another art activity, which was not introduced well enough in the
media, in Istanbul is a sign that the `days of no dialogue' between
Turkey and Armenia are left behind.

The Armenian ballet artist Avetik Karapetian won the 2nd
`International Ballet Competition' in Istanbul.

The artist coming to Istanbul with no visa application had a problem,
but it was solved in two hours at the Interior Ministry.

Who would think years ago that this could be possible?

In fact, we received the first sign of `hot days of July' between
Turkey and Armenia following the visit of U.S. Secretary State Hillary
Clinton to Baku and Yerevan in early July.

Ten days later, we learned that Turkey will participate in NATO's
humanitarian assistance exercise in Armenia, which will be a first for
Armenia.

It's been said that Turkey might open the border for logistics
delivery to the military exercise to be held on Sept. 11 and 12.

Following the NATO drill, thousands of Armenians will participate in a
critical rite to be held at the Akhtamar Church in Van on Sept. 19.

After hot days of July, `hot days of September' will be at the door.

[Haykakan]

Re: Armenian-Turkish Relations

news.am, Armenia
July 17 2010


Turkey not to open border with Armenia, Turkish FM says

July 17, 2010 | 17:37

Turkey will not open border with Armenia for the "Armenia-2010" joint
exercise within the framework of NATO "Partnership for Peace", Turkish
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu stated at the OSCE Informal
Ministerial in Almaty.

Davutoglu said he spoke of the matter with his Azerbaijani counterpart
Elmar Mammadyarov, stressing the border opening is impossible now,
Turkish Hurriyet daily reports. "Let no one expect it," he added.

As NEWS.am reported previously, Turkey does not rule out a temporary
border opening with Armenia to provide access of the country's
military equipment to the "Armenia 2010" joint exercise.

[garod]

Re: Armenian-Turkish Relations

Six Armenian-Turkish films to be released till 2011

“Armenia-Turkey film platform” opened today in the framework of Golden Apricot 7th film festival in Yerevan.

Coordinator of the platform Artsvi Bakhchinyan said in a press conference today that the orgainzers of the project are Golden Apricot and Turkish Anadolu Cultur NGO.

The platform aimes at initiating a dialogue between Armenian and Turkish film makers through films. There is also a practical part of the program: joint film production.

Chosen as s result of competitions held in Armenia and Turkey this year 6 film projects are participating in this film platform.

“Our aim is to have three short and documentary films till the end of the year,” said he, adding that this year the films will be financed by the US embassy in Armenia.

Further Bakhchyan presented the participants of the film platform: Gagik Harutyunyan and Harut Kbeyan from Armenia, and Rusla Saracoglu, Sayat Daghlian, Janai Ozden from Turkey.

In his words the films yet to be shot will be presented to the Istanbul 2011 Film Festival.

http://www.tert.am/en/news/2010/07/12/film/

By the Way

Winners of the 7th GOLDEN APRICOT Yerevan International Film Festival

GOLDEN APRICOT for the Best Feature Film to the Turkish director Reha Erdem for the film Kosmos.

Trailer : http://www.kosmos.com.tr/

Source:http://www.gaiff.am/en/news/2010/07/18/awards2010/

[Haykakan]

Re: Armenian-Turkish Relations

NATO TO OPEN ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER?

news.am
July 14 2010
Armenia

The speculations about the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border
in the Turkish press appeared after Hillary Clintonâ~@~Ys visit to
the region.

Journalist of the Turkish Radikal newspaper Murat Yetkin wrote that
Turkey prepares to temporarily open the Armenian-Turkish border
to provide access of the countryâ~@~Ys military equipment in the
â~@~\Armenia 2010â~@~] joint exercise to be conducted this September.

According to the diplomatic sources, the border opening will not
be offical.

As NEWS.am reported earlier, â~@~\Armenia-2010â~@~] joint exercise on
eliminating consequences of emergency situations within the framework
of NATO â~@~\Partnership for Peaceâ~@~] will be conducted in Armenia
on September 11-17.

[KanadaHye]

Re: Armenian-Turkish Relations

According to Melkonyan the Armenians who migrate for Turkey from Armenia are changing their religion by force. “We can frequently come across with articles in Turkish media titled “the Armenian bride adopted Islam”, “Armine became Nenjmie,” R. Melkonyan said and added, “The Armenians that live in Turkey, want to make a business, integrate into Turkish environment and to become a part of it, so they accept Islam.”

That's kind of deceptive since the bride wasn't forced to be married and she chose to marry and adopt Islam. There are Armenians and Greeks in Canada and USA that marry into Islam by choice. Except in Turkey, it's more of an incentive since Turks already have an upper hand on having a good job, stable life, etc. When in Rome, do as the Romans.