Ankara begins to backpedal on normalization talks during Davutoglu’s visit.
ANKARA/YEREVAN (Combined Sources)—Ankara officially announced that Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had not plans to visit the Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex while visiting Yerevan on Thursday, reported Hurriyet Daily News.
On Saturday, Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan told Armenpress news agency that instead of making “provocative statements” regarding regional issues, Davutoglu should visit Dzidzernagapert Memorial Monument and pay respect to the victims of the Armenian Genocide.
“The minister is going to Yerevan within the framework of a BSEC meeting. Visiting the monument is not on his agenda,” a senior Turkish diplomat told Hurriyet Daily News.
Turkish press reported that Davutoglu was going to Armenia with a message to normalize ties with its neighbor, however preconditioning that Armenia “cede” at least two of the so-called “occupied territories” in reference to liberated regions around Artsakh.
On Tuesday however, the Turkish government and media were singing a difference tune.
Hurriyet Daily News reported that officials in Ankara have cautioned against high expectations for Davutoğlu’s visit to Armenia, but indicated that there was a chance for “normalization” to follow in the future.
The Dec. 12 visit will take place on the occasion of a meeting of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation.
Turkish officials, speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News, said it was still not clear whether Davutoğlu and his Armenian counterpart, Edward Nalbandian, would hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the BSEC gathering.
“We are not going there with a specific proposal,” a senior Turkish diplomat told the Daily News, in an apparent reference to several news reports in the Turkish media suggesting that Turkey would offer a proposal to the Armenian side in exchange for reopening the border. “Furthermore, such a proposal would also be premature and wrong,” added the diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“However, if such a bilateral meeting takes place, we will explain our vision with regard to regional peace, including normalization of our bilateral relations. Then, the steps that could be taken may come on the scene,” he said.
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Political Affairs Director Giro Manoyan told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on Tuesday that Davutoglu’s visit to Armenia is merely a ploy by Turkey to create the illusion that there are advances in Turkey-Armenia normalization before 2015—the centennial of the Armenian Genocide.
The only way to normalize relations, Manoyan said, “is to ratify the Protocols, although as a party we are opposed to the documents.”
Manoyan was referencing the US-led effort in 2009, which yielded in signing of the dangerous Protocols by Armenia and Turkey. The latter, however, opted to pre-condition a solution to the Karabakh conflict—in favor of Azerbaijan—to normalizing relations with Armenia.
Manoyan added that Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has decided to not attend the BSEC summit because “he has not intention of showing good intentions and as such he has no need to come [to Armenia]. However, Davutoglu feels the need to create the false impression that there is some sort of [normalization] movement.”
“On the occasion of [Davutoglu’s] visit, we should remind Turkey that it has obligations—lift the blockade of Armenia and recognize the Armenian Genocide,” Manoyan told RFE/RL.
He also added that a protest was being planned against Davutoglu’s visit to Armenia by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Nigol Aghbalian Student Organization. The protest is scheduled to take place in front of the Armenia Marriott Hotel, where the BSEC meeting will be held.
Who wants his dirty feet on our sacred soil?. Let him not visit the Genocide memorial. The genocidal maniaks are not sincere anyway. Your stinky body off our beloved victims, Davoud
THERE WILLBE NO NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ARMENIA AND TURKEY., UNTIL THEY RECOGNIZED THEIR FOREFATHERS ATTRICITIES AND ANIHILATION OF ARMENIANS AND THEIR HOMELAND . I AM NAMING LOCATIONS VAN . MUSH DIYARBEKIR ( DIKRANIKERT CITY WHICH CREATED BY TIGRAN THE GREAT), KARS TRABUZAN HOPA. AND SO…..ON TURKEY MUST LEAVE ARMENIAN HOMELAND .AND THEN WE CAN SPEAK OF NORMALIZING RELATION . TURKS KILLED AND DISPLACED MORE THAN TWO MILLION ARMENIANS .ARMENIANS NEVER HAVE DONE ANYTHING LIKE THIS TO TURKS . SO…….. THE WOUNDS ARE STIILL THERE . EYE FOR EYE . PERSON TO PERSON….. JUSTICE HAS NOT BEEN SERVED……YET……..
It should be a law in Armenia to have foreign diplomats who want to come to Armenia visit the Genocide Memorial before they conduct any diplomatic activity in Armenia. The diplomat has to sign an affidavit before obtaining entry visa to Armenia, that he will visit the Memorial and pay their respects.
If they choose not to sign the affidavit then they can postpone their visit until they decide to sign the document.
You may be right, but Armenia is not a super power, how can he say to Obama not to visit Armenia unless he accepts to visit the Memorial and pay his respects?
PRESIDENT OBAMA BEFORE BEING ELECTED DID TELL THE AMERICAN PUBLIC AND THE WORLD THAT TURKEY COMMITTED THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE . SINCE HE BELIEVES THAT GENOCIDE HAPPENED THERE IS NO REASON HE SHOULD NOT ACCEPT TO VISIT THE GENOCIDE MEMORIAL AND PAY HIS RESPECTS
Just look at the faces of the standing western politicians. Just disgusting pieces of crap.
In a civilized world, to admit wrong doing needs bravery, though not all Turks are eaqual the majority are more savage than civilzed. how will EU accept almost 100 million Turks into EU is an enigma.
“Normalize” relations with an arch-enemy? What kind of a mentality is this? Why is the stupid Armenian government inviting Davutoglu to Armenia at the first place? Where is this government’s pride? Where is dignity?
Why a criminal (yes, Mr. Davutoglu, as a genocide denier, is a criminal) is invited to the Genocide Memorial?
What “normalization” with a mortal enemy who has one final goal: to strike a fatal blow to Armenia whenever such an opportunity becomes available.
Make no mistake: it’s either Armenia or Turkey; Bolivar cannot carry two. There is no other way, no matter who says what.
Turkey is just playing with Armenians, it’s a propaganda NO more, NO less.
No open borders, no EU membership until kingdom come, very simple, no problems. So why does Turkey pretend that they want to join the EU is they do not intend to open the borders?
If “everyone wants reconciliation,” why the replies under this article?
Davutoglu should visit Sardarabad in Armenia to see where his barbarians got their rear-ends handed to them in 1918.
The last foreign dignitary that did visit the memorial got thanked by hundreds of rabid animals shouting for him to leave Armenia. Maybe the Turk thought that by not going our, street animals would have accepted him better. From the looks of it, I think he was right…