WASHINGTON (AFP)—On Sept. 12, President Barack Obama hailed the “vibrancy of Turkish democracy” after almost 80 percent of voters turned out for a constitutional referendum, with some 58 percent of them backing measures to reshape the judiciary and curb the military’s powers. (For a “decoding” of the results, click here.)
The White House said Obama had called Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and congratulated him on Turkey’s hosting of the World Basketball Championship, the final of which will be competed between the two countries.
“The president [Obama] said he is rooting for the American team but that whoever wins both teams have played great basketball,” a statement said.
“The president also acknowledged the vibrancy of Turkey’s democracy as reflected in the turnout for the referendum that took place across Turkey today.”
The outcome came as a huge boost for Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) ahead of general elections next year, in which the party, the moderate offshoot of a banned Islamist movement, will seek a third straight term in power.
The secularist opposition had campaigned against the amendments, charging that they masked an AKP quest to take control of the judiciary and assert an authoritarian grip on power.
Our lousy, lying president can’t acknowledge the Armenian genocide but can suck up to Turkey.
Whatever is Obama smoking i don’t want none of it.What he is said is equivalent of pure unadulterated ,male bovine solid excrement.
Oh……….now the genocide promoting Erdogan is calling the repression of minorities,
a blockade against Armenia, the disrespect of violating the embago against Iran, the illegal occupation and landgrabbing of Cyprus, the sponsoring of terrorists, the violant repression and murders of Armenian and Kurdish and islamic criminals…a DEMOCRACY??? well, only an ignorant would congratulate erdogan… I hope the Armenian community in
America do not fall for his empty deceiptful promises, come next election – because by doing so they would be signing the death warrant of the future and freedom of Armenia
boloris shnorhavor,
hurraaaaaa
nayinq hima inch khoramankuthyunner piti ogtagrotzen ooranalu mer iravunqner@ irnets americatsi khartakh meghsakitsnerun het miyategh
dardzyal shnorhavor boloris…
Does this mean we get our cross on Akhtamar before Sept 19?
Obama’s just fake smiling, it’s politics people.
Why am I not surprise of Obama’s actions? Such a criminal!!!!!
Darwin- that was a great post…thank you…
Why would any armenian support a sanction against iran?
since the AKP party was elected, there has been more openness with christian minorities, reopenings of churches,etc. I still am skeptical, I still object because they are denying the Genocide. However religious Turks are much better than secular ultra nationalists.
we should be at least positive that there is somewhat a moving away from kemalism and ultra-nationalism
Turkey really is a democracy…
…and pigs really do fly! :)
“Eve takes a bite of the delicious fruit, Adam can’t refuse the offer to try it as well, God sees the lack of self-control and the failure to abide by the rules of the Garden, they are told to leave the place of perfection and sent out into the world where the rules aren’t fair and where might makes right, and the rest is the history of God trying to bring us back into the fold, folks…”
My Der Hayr, always optimistic, always fighting for our cause and promoting our culture, hates the political games as much as the rest of us, but sometimes reminds us that “The justice we Armenians seek may not be found on this earth…but don’t stop fighting! Fighting for what is right is what this life is all about. It is what we were created for. To be a light in a dark world.”
Obama is playing games. He is neither friend nor foe. We have to support each other and other victims on this slow uphill climb.
This is what everyone should ask : Is Turkey a little bit better (open) today than 10 years ago?
YES!
Then there is hope for all of us no matter how bad things are now. The rest is just politics.
Rita Hosepian said, “Religious Turks are much better than secular ultra nationalists.”
Rita, are you aware that during Ottoman days the religious schools would empty at the sound of a trumpet and the softas (religious students) would pour out into the streets and massacre Armenians? This is well-known.
Mark could you please cite a source to what you say
site a a source!?! have you checked your grand parents about how religious these “religious” have been treated them and their communities during their genocide? all you have to is READ the accounts of those “religious” turk.