Politics 11:53 01/09/2011

Armenian Assembly statement on Turkish Government’s announcement

 The Turkish government's announcement of its decision to abide by the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights to return long-ago confiscated properties of minorities comes as a step in the right direction. While it remains to be seen how the government will implement this new measure, the policy holds the promise of restoring the rule of law for minorities long discriminated against in Turkey.

The announcement comes in the wake of a series of developments in Turkey resulting in increasing civilian oversight of several branches of the Turkish government previously controlled by the military. Some of these reforms stem from Turkey's aspirations for membership in the European Union.

However, with the increasingly Islamist policies of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Justice and Development Party and a recent turnabout for the worse in its relations with the Kurdish population in Turkey, we hope the timing is not just another effort to burnish the government's image as a reform-minded administration.

The timing of Erdogan's new policy on minority properties also coincides with the fact that the Turkish Parliament failed to act on the Armenia-Turkey protocols to establish diplomatic relations and open the border, despite its international commitments to do so. Turkey's failure to enact the protocols reflects a continued pattern of nonperformance, including its existing obligations under the Treaties of Kars and Moscow guaranteeing Armenia access to the Black Sea. Instead, Turkey, in solidarity with Azerbaijan, maintains its illegal blockade of Armenia and seeks to isolate Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

As far as the Armenian minority in Turkey is concerned - after a century of violent persecution, official discrimination, and public racism - the decree to return some of the confiscated properties is a welcomed development, but cannot begin to redress the magnitude of the damage inflicted. This indirect admission that Turkey discriminated against minorities for over three quarters of a century does nothing to reverse the lasting consequences of the Armenian Genocide. Turkey has shown no evidence that it is prepared to deal with the legacy of the Armenian Genocide.

Designed to undermine the remaining minority institutions in Turkey, the confiscation of properties mostly deeded to minority endowment dates to the 1930s when Turkey ramped up its discriminatory practices under the influence of Nazi racial policies. These practices of the Kemalist regime followed upon the earlier policies of the Young Turk Committee responsible for the Armenian Genocide and continued with punishing taxation policies specifically targeting the Armenian, Jewish, and Greek minorities remaining in Turkey.

Turkey never redressed the result of its official policies dating from that era. Instead, it sustained pressure on minority communities by continuously denying or depriving community-based institutions and endowments that support schools and churches from legally registering the donation of properties. The policy, as a result, succeeded in reducing the presence of minority groups to a mere fraction of their former numbers. In a country with a population of 78 million, the total minority presence of Christians and Jews in Turkey numbers less than 100,000.

The decree also does nothing to protect the Armenian architectural heritage in Turkey represented in countless monuments, many of a religious nature, that have been subjected to vandalism, deliberate neglect, if not outright destruction. The sorry state of the antiquities in the historic city of Ani that sits astride the border with the Republic of Armenia remains a constant testament to offenses committed in denying the Armenian Genocide as Turkish officials continue to drag their feet about salvaging what little remains of the medieval capital city.

After 75 years, the announcement demonstrates the need for Congress to adopt the Royce-Berman legislation calling for the safeguarding of the Christian heritage in Turkey. It was precisely these issues that noted Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink raised publicly for the first time in Turkey, and as it turned out tragically, at the cost of his life. Much more can and should be done to address the concerns of minorities in Turkey.



Source Panorama.am
Share |
Տեքստում սխալ կամ վրիպակ նկատելու դեպքում, ուղարկեք խմբագրին հաղորդագրություն` նշելով տվյալ սխալը, այնուհետև սեղմելով Ctrl-Enter:

Newsfeed

17:00
Armenia unveils final squad for friendly with Cyprus
The Armenian national team’s final lineup for a friendly clash with Cyprus has been announced. The match will take place at...
16:45
MP Sophie Scamps raises Artsakh blockade in Australian Federal Parliament
Federal Member for Mackellar, Dr Sophie Scamps , has risen in the Australian Federation Chamber to deliver a Constituency Statement on Monday,...
16:30
Converse Bank's bonds listed on Armenian Stock Exchange
Converse Bank completed the allocation of bonds ahead of schedule and has already listed its AMD and USD denominated bonds with the volume of 3...
16:16
Former Armenian police chief pleads not guilty to corruption charges
Vladimir Gasparyan, a former chief of the Armenian police, on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to corruption charges brought against him. “I...
15:28
Armenian parliament speaker off to Germany with wife
Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly Alen Simonyan has travelled to Germany with his spouse. She posted a photo of their dinner with...
15:05
Armenian fans hoist 'End the Blockade of Artsakh' banner at Sweden vs. Azerbaijan match
Armenian fans of the Swedish national team hoisted an “End the Blockade of Artsakh” banner as Sweden defeated Azerbaijan 5-0 in a...
14:36
Armenian expert: Aliyev being forced to 'play with fire'
The Azerbaijani authorities continue crackdown on Shia figures in the country, Iran specialist Artyom Tonoyan says. The detainees have...
13:55
Milan reportedly offer €8 million for transfer of Eduard Spertsyan
The Italian A.C. Milan are interested in Armenian midfielder Eduard Spertsyan, ARMENPRESS reports, citing local media. La Gazzetta...
13:30
Azerbaijani authorities seek to disrupt possible dialogue with Artsakh – Foreign Ministry
The Artsakh Foreign Ministry has responded to Azerbaijan’s proposal for a new meeting between Artsakh and Azeri officials in Baku in early...
13:00
Russian-Armenian Anastasia Demurchian grabs gold at Women's World Boxing Championships
Russian-Armenian boxer Anastasia Demurchian has earned a gold medal at the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships 2023 in New Delhi,...
12:45
At least 35 dead after fire at Mexican immigration center
At least 35 migrants were killed and about 100 were injured in a fire that broke out at a Mexican immigration center on the US border, Sputnik...
12:30
U.S. concerned over Azerbaijani military movements
The United States is concerned over the recent Azerbaijani military movements, Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State...
12:03
Armenian opposition names candidate for ombudsperson
The two opposition factions in the Armenian parliament have nominated public and political activist Edgar Ghazaryan to become a new...
11:35
Canada again urges Azerbaijan to reopen Lachin Corridor
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly has reiterated the call on Azerbaijan to reopen the Lachin Corridor, the sole road connecting Artsakh...
11:15
U.S. House unanimously passes bill to strip China of its 'developing country' label
The House unanimously passed a bill on Monday that would direct the Secretary of State to work toward stripping the People’s Republic of...
11:00
European Chess Championship: Susanna Gaboyan wins in 9th round
The ninth round of the 23rd European Women Chess Championship was played on Monday. Susanna Gaboyan celebrated a victory in...
17:00
And who is Armenia taking energy from?
Panorama.am has talked to Tigran Abrahamyan, the secretary of the opposition Pativ Unem bloc and founder of the Henaket analytical center, over...
16:00
Snow, rain, fog in the forecast
Rain and fog are expected in Armenia throughout this week, except for Tuesday, with snow forecast for the country’s mountainous regions....
15:30
Azerbaijani forces again open fire at civilians in Artsakh
The Azerbaijani military has again opened fire at civilians carrying out agricultural work in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). In a statement on...
15:05
Customs officers thwart illegal caviar exports from Armenia
Customs officers and the National Security Service of Armenia have foiled the illegal exports of a large batch of whitefish caviar, which...
14:35
Opposition MP warns of bigger escalation in Artsakh
MP Tigran Abrahamyan of Armenia’s opposition Pativ Unem bloc has warned of a major escalation in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) following...
13:55
ARF Supreme Body members, Hayastan MPs visit Armenian regions
The ARF Armenia Supreme Body members and MPs from the opposition Hayastan faction, which also includes the ARF, paid visits to Yerevan’s...
13:30
Spanish violinist María Dueñas to share a stage with Armenian Symphony Orchestra
Young Spanish violinist María Dueñas will perform with the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra in Yerevan. The concert will be...
13:09
Armenian court upholds ex-defense minister's arrest warrant
The Armenian Court of Criminal Appeals on Monday upheld an arrest warrant for former Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan, rejecting a defense...
12:31
Artsakh army thwarts renewed Azeri advance
The Artsakh army thwarted a fresh attempt by Azerbaijani forces to advance towards the Stepanakert-Lisagor dirt road on Monday morning, the...
12:04
Armenian ruling party wins snap elections in two communities, preliminary results show
Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party has won the snap municipal elections held in the communities of Sisian (Syunik Province) and Ani...
11:34
European Chess Championship: Anna Sargsyan beats Irina Bulmaga
The eight th round of the 23rd European Women Chess Championship was played on Sunday. Armenian IM Anna Sargsyan defeated her Romanian...
11:15
Russian peacekeepers report ceasefire violation in Artsakh
Russian peacekeepers are investigating a ceasefire violation in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), the Russian Defense Ministry said in a bulletin on...
11:00
Israeli president urges immediate halt to judicial reforms amid protests
Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday called for an immediate halt to the government's controversial judicial reforms, a day after Prime...
17:00
Chinese artist recreates Monet's water lilies using 650,000 Lego pieces
When the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei opens his new show in April, visitors will encounter a familiar scene at London's Design Museum: Claude...

Follow us and get updates!

Most popular articles

{"core.blocks.header.spell_message1":"Selected mistake: ","core.blocks.header.spell_message2":"Send a message about the mistake?"}