NEW YORK (A.W.)–In his speech at the UN on Sept. 24, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that in order to overcome the world’s multiple problems, a trust-oriented, diverse, fair and inclusive global order was necessary. “The global problems of our age necessitate global scale solutions.” He called for new leadership so countries could stop perceiving the world as a threat, to seeing it as a place of trust and solidarity. Everybody, regardless of their creed and color, was responsible for constructing a world of peace, trust, justice, tranquility and prosperity.
Talks with Armenia
He said that over the past seven years, Turkey had made efforts to resolve its differences with neighboring countries and to improve bilateral relations. It had also aimed to move from a relationship of “passive-good neighborliness to one of active friendship and cooperation.” He noted that “a concrete example of this situation is our ongoing dialogue with Greece. Another case in point is our quest to normalize our relations with Armenia, which has gained fresh momentum lately, and begun to bear fruit.”
Territorial Integrity
After his comment about Armenia, Erdogan added, “It is high time that lasting solutions based on the territorial integrity of regional countries are found to other disputes in the Caucasus as well.” He was indirectly referring to the Karabakh issue.
Iraq, Afghanistan and Cyprus
Having initiated the “neighboring countries process,” his country was still committed to political dialogue and creating national unity in Iraq. In that regard, Turkey was committed to maintaining the Strategic Dialogue Mechanism with Iraq in the fight against terrorism and to ensure bilateral relations. Turning to Palestine, he said Turkey was very sensitive to this issue and had always stood by the Palestinian people. Resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict towards two peaceful coexisting States was invaluable to global peace. Treating everyone fairly and equally would allow for regional and global stability.
Turning to the fight against terrorism and ensuring stability and prosperity in Pakistan and Afghanistan, he expressed his country’s support in this regard. Turkey had convened a ministerial meeting on a democratic Pakistan in August. On Cyprus, he supported a comprehensive solution to the question of the island, citing the United Nations as the foundation upon which a solution could be built and the world body’s Secretary-General as a bridge between the two sides’ differences.
A mutual solution would have to be reached by early 2010, he said, emphasizing that if Greek-Cypriot intransigence obstructed such a conclusion, “the normalization of the status of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus will become a necessity which can no longer be delayed.” A fair and lasting solution in Cyprus would help transform the Mediterranean zone into a peaceful, cooperative and stable place. He added that the Turkish-Cypriot side was still subjected to unfair levels of isolation. Lifting that unfair practice would speed up the peace process.
Regarding cultural diversity, he cautioned against seeing different cultures as “other,” stressing that they had to be seen as individual elements of humankind. The Alliance of Civilizations, a United Nations initiative that was co-sponsored by his country, would shape a global civilization based on universal values in democracy, human rights, youth and media.
Erdogan is a shrewd politician and a hypocrit. When it comes to karabakh; Territorial Integrity should apply; when it comes to Cyprus, right to self determination should apply. He talks about Global civilization based on universal values , Human rights, and democracy, while he keeps Penile code 301 alive and applies it on his intelligentsia.
ERDOGAN SPEECH AT UN.
What a lyer and hipocret person this guy is it is unbelevebal I just can not
stand this big fat(f) lyer he speeks bouth side of his mouth you can see that he is lying,
Speking about Teritorial Integrity if that is the case why he is not giving up
all the Armenianland and all the Teritores thar belong to Armenian,
Garbis
What exactly is his sin? That Turkey wants good relations with all neighbors and real peace in the region? He should not be promoting terriotiral integrity of all the states in the area and demand respect for borders? These are not just words but also deeds of his government – I am not an AKP supporter by any means.
What is the relevance of Cyprus? Republic of Turkey is/was a guarantor, had signature on a treaty, making it (and UK and Greece) responsible for the constitutional order of Cyprus. How is this relevant to Karabag?
It seems the painful lessons of last century are lost to a majority of Armenians.
Turkey is illegally occupying Cyprus and they have continued to do so from the first moment of their military presence in Cyprus. Turkey is violating International Law by doing so and always has been. I can self-appoint myself guarantor too and take over any place in the world I feel like? The international community does not recognize this “guarantor” status – only the violation of its international law.
Turkey is illegally blockading Armenia – not vice versa. It is Turkey that has failed to honor “peaceful relations” and trade laws by doing so. Again, this is another long stnading violation of international law.
Turkey every year violates the air space of Greece via military incursion. Last year such an incursion resulted in the death of a Greek pilot from Crete – the clumsy behavior of a Turkish air force pilot downed a Greek plane in its own airspace. And this is happening MORE frequently over the past few years than in the past.
When do these people start to realize truth instead of making up false stories ?
“It seems the painful lessons of last century are lost to a majority of Armenians.”
Typical bullying statement. An endorsement of genocide? Again the same old song?
Let me give my answer to Mr. Erdoghan with Rabindranath Tagore’s words
First remove the darkness of sin from your heart
Then go to the Mosque
Go not to the Mosque to bow down your head in prayer,
But learn to bow in humility before YOUR fellowmen…
Go not to the Mosque to pray on bended knees,
First bend down to lift someone who is down-trodden…
jeshmarid@yahoo.com
Janine,
Why such bluster? Especially with such misinformation. Turkey did not delcare itesf a guarantor of Cyprus constitution and order, it was a joint treaty co-signed by UK, Cyprus and Greece. All signed it. What exactly is illegal about Turkish troops on Cyprus? Whose law? There are Greek and British and UN soldieres there too. I am not sure if you understand what all this means though. Aegean is not Greek waters. A simple look at the map will suffice. They claim “control” over the “airspace”. It is a self-appointed and declared right. If Turkish flights were illegal they would have gone to court. Greek pilots routinely harass the training Turkish pilots there, and on one ocasion one of the ace-wannabes actually hit a Turkish jet and killed himself in the process. Small people, what can I say… get your facts straight, it helps.
Turkish government as well as Turks do not care about your false accusations anymore. We know we are right, and we will stay together united.
We are in no more in defense; it is time to act to rebuild the Ottoman spirit. Harmony and peace as it was there in the region before the troubles of 19th century onwards. Do not forget; we lived in peace for centuries before the Brits, etc came and do not neglect it was not just the Turks who were Ottomans; but all like Albanian, Slavic, Armenian, Arabic, and Jewish peoples.
This is what Erdogan is trying to do, and we people of the Balkans are looking forward to someone saying; – let’s live together. All these armenian diaspora people who earn their lives out of the hatre, please stop for the sake of us all.
To Mr. Murat and Mr Fatih
You both sound like you want a peaceful coexistense in the caucasus under a new Ottoman empire. Mr Murat also expresses his racist and shovinistic Ideas against the minorities of the last century ottoman empire, by bullying us.
2 recommendations for you gentlemen:
1- we the armenians want to live independently on our historical lands, and don’t want to be any part of your aspired Neo ottoman empire. MR Erdogan simply is continuing what Enver and Talaat started a century ago.
Denial of Genocide is the final stage of of the Genocide. I recommend you two read the book by Taner Akcam ” A Shameful Act”.
2- You want to have a peaceful coexistence in the balkans; so do we the Armenians. All you have to do is Acknowledge the genocide and make reparations, ratify the Territories as arbitrated by President Wilson in the Sevre Treaty, give karabakh its right for Self determination as Erdogan proposes for Northern Cyprus, and we all will march on our way to peaceful prosperity.
The entire world community refuses to recognize the occupation of Cyprus as legal and does not recognize the occupied territory as a separate entity from the state of Cyprus. So, to answer your question: the world says it’s illegal. It’s violation of international law. No treaty gave Turkey the right to occupy Cyprus and nobody recognizes this as legitimate but as illegitimate.
Greek airspace is once again recognized by the entire world – except people who live in their fantasies of empire. Sorry you have never heard of international law. Maybe the world would be better off if you were at least educated in the issues you choose to speak out on. On the other hand, we see how little has changed. Dreams of empire traduce historical fact.
Dear Janin, Hope this passes the moderator!
Cyprus is not occupied by Turkey. Troops are there as long as TRNC wants them and needs them. Plus Turkey is allowed troops on Cyprus, so is Greece and UK and UN.
Aegean airspace is NOT Greek airspace, and they have no such claims. The dispute is about CONTROL of airspace (FAR), which Greeks claim is given to them by the international organization responsible. This is NOT an issue of sovereignity. I am sure you have no idea what this even means.
There is nothing illegal about Turkish troop presence in Cyprus. Turkey is not in violation of any law or treaty ratified by its parliament. Do you even know what international law means? Probably not. Non-recognition of TRNC by many says nothing about legality or illegality of TRNC or Turkish troops there. Again, I am sure you do not grasp what all this even means, but feel free to throw accusations and claims.
Ah, the usual rhetorical “trick” (fallacy) of name-calling.
At least those of us educated in the facts of international reality understand what the world body of law has agreed upon. Every country has territorial integrity, except of course Greece because Turkey would like to pretend the Aegean belongs to Turkey. Downing an air force plan in sovereign air space becomes okay under this fantasy.
Turkish Cypriots have left their own homes in droves, while Turkey has moved its own settlers from the mainland into occupied Cyprus. Repeat of fact: no nation on earth recognizes this occupied territory as independent. It is still considered to be a part of Cyprus and still considered to be illegally occupied. Perhaps you should consult UN votes on this subject so that reality intervenes.