PM seeks Armenian apology after Israel

Recent remarks by the Armenian leader about “Western Armenia,” an area now in Turkey, were not suitable for a statesman and president, the Turkish prime minister said Wednesday, demanding an apology.

“The statements of the Armenian president are not an expression or an approach that suits a president. Equipping the next generations with hatred and enmity does not suit statesmanship,” Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said while visiting Azerbaijan.

In remarks over the weekend, Armenian President Serge Sarkisian called on Armenian youth to enable the return of “historic territories in Western Armenia” that are currently found in eastern Turkey, as his generation had done with the contested territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, sparking outrage from the Turkish side.

Erdoğan’s visit to Azerbaijani took place upon an invitation from President Ilham Aliyev. During his trip to Baku, the Turkish prime minister was accompanied by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yıldız and Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan.

Following their meetings, Erdoğan and Aliyev held a joint press conference. Asked to comment on Sarkisian’s remarks, Erdoğan said: “The statements of the Armenian president are not an expression or an approach that suits a president. Equipping the next generations with hatred and enmity does not suit statesmanship. What Sarkisian does here is provocation. It is efforts to equip his own [country’s] youth with hatred and enmity.”

“How will the future of Armenian youth be? Possibly dark in this course. They will look at the incidents with these dark glasses,” Erdoğan said. “They should definitely know that there is an occupation in [Nagorno-Karabakh] and the occupiers are evident. Not only we say this, the United Nations also says this. This needs to be resolved.”

A flashpoint of the Caucasus, the region known as Nagorno-Karabakh is a constituent part of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia since the end of 1994. While internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory, the enclave has declared itself an independent republic but is administered as a de facto part of Armenia.

“It is the Armenian side whose approach has been unfavorable up till this moment. Azerbaijan has consistently put forth a constructive approach. [Saying] ‘Now that you have taken over Karabakh from us, you will handle [Western Armenia] yourselves when we die.’ What kind of reasoning is this?” Erdoğan said. “How could one transmit such a mentality, such a direction, such horizons to the youth? What does this mean? ‘Behold, our youngsters! From now on, Armenia can enter war with Turkey as it sees fit.’ We reject all this. There is no such statesmanship, no such diplomacy.”

“Sarkisian has committed a very serious mistake here. He has highlighted and affirmed a historic mistake. He must apologize and backtrack from his mistake,” Erdoğan added.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Tuesday also condemned Sarkisian’s remarks, which the Armenian president made during a contest on Armenian literature and language. Erdoğan held a two-hour one-on-one meeting with Aliyev in Zagulba Palace. The two discussed bilateral relations, particularly military, commercial, economic, social and cultural issues, as well as regional problems. “We had the opportunity to discuss what kind of steps we can take in the future,” Erdoğan said after the meetings, underlining the importance of the Turkey-Azerbaijan High-Level Strategic Council, which he said would hold its first meeting in Turkey. Referring to an agreement related to the shipping of natural gas between the two countries, Erdoğan said relevant officials would convene Thursday and work on some articles.


/Hurriyet Daily News/