YEREVAN—Armenia’s presidential press office announced on Sunday that the government of Armenia has received an invitation from Ankara to attend the Turkish president-elect Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s inauguration ceremony.
There are no diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey: the border has been closed by Turkey since 1993. The complications in the countries’ relations are caused particularly by Ankara’s support to Azerbaijan in the Karabakh conflict and its denial of the 1915 genocide of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.
Armenia will probable accept the invitation and attend the ceremony at a foreign minister level, Sarkisian said on Sunday at a pro-government youth camp in Tsaghkadzor. Ergodan’s inauguration is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 28.
The president also said Armenia’s foreign minister Edward Nalbandian will seek to ask Erdogan whether he will visit the Dzidzernagapert Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan on the centennial anniversary of the Genocide in 2015.
Sarkisian said he found it difficult to say when the Armenia-Turkey border will be opened. “Armenia’s wish is to have it opened as soon as possible,” the Armenian president said.
This administration takes the cake for the most scatterbrained foreign policy I’ve ever seen by any nation. I don’t think any of the things they do is rooted in any sort of coherent logic or reason.
Morratsek ed rusahaiastane haier!menk piti kam Artsakhum kam el Turkiaium steghtsenk mer hairenike yev morranank ed gogherin u martakererin.Rusahaiastane togh mna hents irents minchev sksen irar utel.
It is amazing to see how some Armenian politicians behave sometime. I can understand, as leaders of a country and for the sake of political correctness, occasionally having to deal with some of these Turkish wolves in sheep’s clothing but to attend the inauguration of this megalomaniac Turkish hog and vehement genocide denier Erdogan is beyond contempt.
This man, a very close friend of our enemy next door, either directly or indirectly, but with his full support, is responsible for the following anti-Armenian actions taken by the Turks:
1. The enactment of the article 301 of Turkish criminal code, better known as “insulting Turkishness” which led to the assassination of Hrant Dink in cold-blood in front of his office and with prior and full knowledge of the Turkish government, while the real Turkish fascist and ultra-nationalist racist organizers and perpetrators of his death are roaming freely.
2. Involved relentlessly in actions against the Armenian Genocide resolutions across the globe, in the US and Europe in particular, through lies, manipulation, bribes and blackmail.
3.Border closing with Armenia over the liberated ancient Armenian territory of Artsakh with no involvement in the conflict between Armenia and the artificial state of Azerbaijan and without any Armenian threat to Turkey. To put this in context, imagine how Turkey would react if Russia, as an ally of Armenia, blockaded the Black Sea ports bordering the illegal Turkish republic in support of Armenia. The primary reason for this illegal Turkish act was, of course, to punish the Armenians for their worldwide relentless and successful pursuit of justice for the Armenian Genocide victims.
4. Deeply concerned about the implications on Turkey of an Armenian victory over the artificial Azerbaijani state to liberate occupied territories and using this victory to falsely portray the Armenians as aggressors in attempts (futile attempts, needless to say) to turn the Armenian victims of Turkish oppression and genocide into anything but victims.
5. Carefully-crafting and coining anti-Armenian hollow terms such as calling the illegal republic of Turkey and the artificial state of Azerbaijan, both established on historic Armenian homeland, as “two states, one nation” which is clearly a euphemism for the good old Turkish pan-Turkic and Pan-Turanist ideology that led to the murder of 1,500,000 Armenians and the confiscation of their homeland.
6. Brainwashing his illiterate, racist and rural peasant population into believing that Muslims don’t commit genocide, thus condoning and sanctioning the genocidal actions taken against the non-Muslim, non-Turkish and indigenous Armenians by their blood-thirsty ancestors.
7. Making empty statements on the day before the 99th annual commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, after nearly a century of denial and history fabrications, with full intention of watering it down to a mere and “shared pain” event in the Turkish past in order to avoid responsibilities and consequences associated with genocide.
8. Arming, financing and giving safe passage to the fascist Muslim ISIS terrorists into Syria, now in Iraq, through the Turkish-Syrian border with full knowledge of the Turkish government and, as a result of which, thousands of Armenians along with and their properties and houses of worship were targeted and had to abandon and flee for their lives.
9. The list goes on…
Given all these facts and criminal acts by this megalomaniac and genocide denier Erdogan, it makes absolutely no sense to me to attend his inauguration as president, the position he acquired through suppressing his oppositions (of journalists in particular to stifle free expression) by imprisonments, bought and handed down by fraudulent judges, AND not to mention his new position giving him even more power to implement anti-Armenian policies.
Ask yourselves, would you attend the wedding ceremony of someone you hardly know but you are fully aware he not only secretly condones the brutal murder of your family members but that he also openly and publicly denies it too? Will the Turkish foreign minister agree to attend the inauguration of the next Artsakh president?
…using slurs as if the worst thing you could be called is Armenian JUST last week? Come on, Nalbandian. Don’t you remember all of the stories of our kings and other officials going to visit the leaders of our enemies on their turf and how those turned out? Have we learned nothing?
It’s simple, Armenian politicians are trying to please The US and Europe, too much pressure from these countries.
Can you please stop enough! We need to look at the future and bring our countries into present. The Ottoman Empire is not Turkey. You should get rid of the Russians they are unreliable and join NATO. Azerbaycan won’t bother you anymore and best of all you’ll have the ear of the White house. NATO doesn’t sell out it’s allies. Russians sold arms to your enemy, gave away your lands. Once in NATO you can demand tech and money transfer. You can create a million jobs via manufacturing parts for anything and everything. Grow the economy become a player in the region.
Sincerely a Turkish friend.
1. The artificial state of Azerbaijan does not have, has not had for the last two decades, and will never have the liver to “bother” Armenians. For a gas station disguised as a country whose autocratic racist and draft-dodging leader, armed with kid’s toys bought by petrodollars, keeps making threats but all he can do is try to get attention by scratching a lion like a puppy once in a while and get his fur ripped off and eyes poked out, we don’t lose any sleep over it.
2. In principal, there is not much difference between NATO and Russia. Their primary concerns are their selfish goals in the region. Turkey has been under NATO’s thumbs for decades and despite NATO being perceived as number one perceived enemy of the Muslim World and Turkey claiming to be the leader of the “oppressed” Muslims, I wonder why Turkey is still a NATO member. Turkey a sitting duck, exposed and vulnerable without NATO protection, perhaps?
3. Turkey is NO different from the Ottoman Empire and it is its accomplice in crime as long as it continues to falsify history and deny the Armenian Genocide in fear of losing occupied Armenian provinces.
4. Russia did not give away Armenian lands in 1921, the Soviets did. The Russians did act irresponsibly in centuries past exchanging Armenian territories with the Turks. Right their wrong and give them back if you want friendly relations and, as you claim, they are the bad guys and you are the good guys.
5. Armenian border closings by Turkey has nothing to do with Turkish and Azerbaijani FAKE kinship as claimed by Turkey. Instead, it has everything to do with punishing the Armenians, through conducting proxy war with Armenia through Azerbaijan, for the relentless pursuit of their demands from Turkey and in return for cheap Azerbaijani oil flow into Turkey.
6. Armenians will be more than willing to drop Russia when they are armed with nuclear weapons pointing to Baku and Ankara or when these two genocidal states cease to exist.
Not so fast– the same amounts of xenophobia and hatred towards Armenians are as present in modern Turkey as they were in 1915. Personally, I don’t feel comfortable with a supposed “ally” who blatantly revises history and is completely unapologetic for the sins of its past. There is absolutely NO way Azerbaijan will leave us alone because their “history” and identity is just as facilitated and fabricated as yours, and is based on countless lies and inconsistencies. The problems in the region stem from rapid Turkic nationalism; one that yields nothing to its victims, and continues its inhumane approach to international affairs.
NATO doesn’t sell out its allies? Turkey and Greece have been having tensions with one another for decades now, over Cyprus and over the islands on the Aegean Sea. It’s very obvious who NATO will chose in the event of a conflict, and that is certin
I would prefer them to turn this down. Can you really achieve anything at such an event? This trip is more likely to work to their detriment, IMO.
WHAT FOR…
Wonderful news! Hope we can be friends and leave our troubles behind by growing together economically. With the border closed we both lose. I would love to see Armenia and Azeri’s join NATO and hopefully make peace.
Greece and Turkey both are in NATO. Turkey invaded Cypress in 1974 occupying 40% of the island. Where is the peace?
Closed borders will make Armenians more creative in this Technology age. border oppening will hurt more than help.
Azerbaijan does not want peace. To have peace in Azerbaijan, a state whose rhetoric and xenophobia is remarkably similar to Nazi Germany, you would have to force regime change, and re-educate an entire generation of young people. Aliyev and his criminal regime is responsible for a lot of the hurdles in peace.
Armenia should boycott this idiot ” genocide denier” & one who uses the word ” Armenian” as an insult word.. closes borders for 21 yrs … No soccer diplomacy..he should be banned from Dzidzernagapert . until he acknowledges the Armenian Genocides ,agrees for full reparations .. & to crawl on his knees like the ” Ocz” that he is …he can take his borders & place it where the sun does not shine …..
some of Armenians politicians are gutless cowards ….shame on them ….. Ayskan charik te moranan mer vortig…ampoghch ashkhar Hayun garta nakhadik….
…. Armenia’s foreign minister Edward Nalbandian will seek to ask Erdogan whether he will visit the Dzidzernagapert Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan on the centennial anniversary of the Genocide in 2015. ….. ”WILL SEEK to”.? .. FULL OF B SHT., Get rid of the PROTOCOL before it comes back and haunts Armenians.
we must stay close to the enemy-commuinicate
Why would Armenia attend Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s inauguration ceremony? The man hates armenia, armenians and has just recently humuliated armenians. Beside, i do not believe for a second that the corrupt Foreingminister of Armenia is going to ask Erdogan wheter he is going to visit Dzidzernagapert!
Greetings.
Behind this invitation what is real act is.?.
If is not to late , government should decline this invitation without reason. It is very harmful invitation . Turkish government first recognize The Armenian Genocide 1915 ,
Sincerely Yours.
Have a wonderful day.
What is wrong with Armenia’s leaders? OK.It is understandable that Sarkissian might go to Erdogan’s inauguration BUT invite this denier for the 100th Anniversary of 1915?. This is similar to English shadow play Punch and Judy.
If they attend (which I doubt) the 100th Anniversary of 1915, it is a indirect recognition of the Armenian Genocide,
It’s only diplomatic protocol not to refuse. If we refuse, it will have much more negative coverage than by simply going. What will make the headlines is the fact that the foreign minister will try to invite Erdogan to Dzidzernagapert. Regardless of his response, it will make huge headlines around the world. This is one of the shrewdest move I’ve seen coming from this administration in a long time.
What diplomatic protocol when there are no diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia and, due to illegal border closings by Turkey since 1993 and in support of an autocratic and anti-Armenian artificial state next door, Turkey and Armenia are in a state of undeclared war.