Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan made an embarrassing appearance before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) last month.
Erdogan was invited to the podium after lavish praise by Mevlut Cavusoglu, who was acting more like a Turkish lobbyist than president of PACE. Cavusoglu is a founding member of the ruling AKP and member of the Turkish Parliament.
In his lengthy speech, the prime minister shamelessly lectured European parliamentarians about democracy and freedom. Given his country’s dismal human rights record, Erdogan should not have raised such issues! Claiming that Turkey’s accession was “vital to the European Union,” he described as “foolish” those who opposed Turkey’s EU membership “for populist or artificial reasons.”
Making a series of dubious and inflated claims about his government’s accomplishments, Erdogan asserted: “Turkey has achieved historic reforms, especially in the area of democratization… The government has also worked to lift restrictions on freedom. Freedoms have been strengthened in the last decade, and many issues are now discussed freely that could not have been discussed a decade ago. There is zero tolerance of torture, and barriers to freedom of expression have been removed. Some have alleged that there are restrictions on freedom of expression, but this is wrong… The press is free, and freely criticizes anyone and everyone… In Turkey, 26 journalists have been detained or arrested because they are criminals, not because they are journalists.”
These incredible words are uttered by a prime minister who does not hesitate to sue newspapers simply for publishing a cartoon likeness of him.
When Erdogan finished his speech, Cavusoglu shielded him from further embarrassment by allowing only a handful of parliamentarians to ask 30-second questions.
Erdogan was displeased when Swiss Parliamentarian Andreas Gross reminded him about “the dark side of Turkish history,” asking him why Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk was being persecuted for exercising his right to free speech.
In response to Parliamentarian Anne Brasseur’s (Luxembourg) question about censorship in Turkey, Erdogan claimed that the Turkish “judiciary is independent and is entitled to conduct its investigations as it saw fit.”
Armen Rustamyan, the chairman of the Armenian Parliament’s Foreign Relations Committee, asked Erdogan what the point was of signing the Armenia-Turkey protocols if Turkey is not going to open its border with Armenia until the Karabagh (Artsakh) conflict is resolved. The prime minister responded that Turkey could not let Armenia “usurp the rights of Azerbaijan” and would indeed keep the border closed until the Karabagh issue is resolved.
Erdogan then made a series of outlandish statements. He inadvertently reminded his European audience of the Turkish deportations of Armenians during the 1915 genocide by stating that even though Turkey could, it would not deport the 40,000 undocumented Armenian workers currently in the country. He also complained that Armenia is not sufficiently pressuring its diaspora. The prime minister seems to have forgotten that millions of Turks living illegally in Europe can also be deported.
Erdogan also carefully avoided responding to Rustamyan’s question about his personal order to dismantle the “Armenian-Turkish Friendship Statue” in Kars.
The most embarrassing part of the PACE meeting was Erdogan’s rude answer to French Parliamentarian Muriel Marland-Militello, who asked about the protection of religious minorities in Turkey. Erdogan insulted her by pointing out that in the Turkish language, an ignorant person is described as someone from France, which she clearly happens to be. He invited her to Turkey, so she could learn about his country. To Erdogan’s chagrin, Marland-Militello turned out to know much more about Turkey’s minorities than the prime minister himself. As she disclosed during a subsequent press conference, Marland-Militello is a descendant of an Armenian family that escaped from Turkey during the genocide!
Erdogan also falsely claimed that the Armenian Holy Cross Church on Akhtamar Island is “now open for worship.” The fact is that the Turkish government converted the church into a state museum, allowing Divine Liturgy to be performed there only once.
Another member of PACE, Naira Zohrabyan, having been blocked by Cavusoglu from asking a question, chased Erdogan down the corridor after the session and pushed her way past his bodyguards to hand him a photo album of murdered Armenian children during the genocide.
While the prime minister may easily impress his devout followers at home, he completely embarrassed himself during his appearance at PACE in Strasbourg. In view of his blatantly deceptive statements, one would hope that Erdogan appears more frequently in front of European audiences, to help convince them that Turkey does not belong in Europe.
Harut Sassounian
RE. In view of his blatantly deceptive statements, one would hope that Erdogan appears more frequently in front of European audiences, to help convince them that Turkey does not belong in Europe.
Well, then maybe we should partially and conditionally thank him for what he is up to and help him to get re-elected again, as long as he is commited to his agenda and as long as he does not switch sides.
It could be that Erdogan thinks everyone is as stupid as the US State Department, but I rather think that he is setting the stage to blame others as it is evident that Turkey will not be joining the EU.
Hye, the Turkish Genocide of the Armenian nation has been recognized by many nations/states/organizations, archives and more… but yet, a Turkey’s stance is
that the Turks never committed any Genocides…. of the Armenians, Greeks, Assyrians
and more… The hordes from the Asian mountains had not any history, now, evidently,
the Turks have created their own version of how Turkeys came to to be in the Caucasus…
in the homeland of the Armenians – a ready-made advanced and ancient society – perfect
for Turkish barbarians to claim for themselves… Not by wars, but what is today known as
Genocides (as Jewish Rafael Lempkin, basing upon the Armenian loss of their homeland,
created the word to address all such crimes as “GENOCIDE”. Many Genocides have been
forced upon so many nations. PERPETRATORS were the WINNERS and the
VICTIMS, obviously, the LOSERS. Ir occurs to me that the use of the word GENOCIDE has been
misused… and for civilized nations of the world – (Ho Hum) just another nation suffering a Genocide; latest Darfur! Actually, then… who is next to suffer Genocide?
Instead, what if the word/language had been not been ‘Genocide’ ? If the word to describe the violence and the horrors, instead, were explicit… describing the actual means the perpetrators had applied to all the men, women and children they had actually tortured/eliminated and accomplished – without facing any justice for their crimes – what if, instead their crimes had been described as THE RAPE OF THE ARMENIAN NATION, THE RAPE OF GREECE, THE RAPE OF RWANDA, THE RAPE OF THE
DARFURIANS… truths of all the crimes suffered which the word ‘GENOCIDE’ cannot describe – but which all the victims had known – rapes, and worse, still continues today… who is next?
there are just too few of us. There is a need for Armenian repatriation programs. The churches in the diaspora should identify Armenian families or individuals receptive to resettlement. Incentives should be provided to settlers. Agrarian type people would be best. Only with numbers, can a country better assert its rights. Recognize Artsack and surrounding liberated territories. Actively promote education in Armenia for children of Armenian descent from the diaspora. Establish reeducation camps for sufferrers from addiction and alcohol, with a heavy dose of culture and religion. Last time I looked, there were over 14,000 inmates with Armenian last names in the California penal system. They need not remain lost souls. We have so much work to do.
Hey Harut,
Would you please check the latest from Amnesty International and tell us just what they say about Armenia?!!! Yeah, I thought so!!
Yes indeed Edward jan.. yes indeed…
Also… when was Erdogan an intelligent and decent individual to act like one during this meeting? he was, is and will always remain a hysterical choatic and empty in the attic type of person…
Gayane
Hey Robert:
Didn’t you promise not to come back to ArmenianWeekly ?
What are you still doing here ?
Couldn’t stay away – could you ?
Robert
By your request (although not to me) I just checked the latest about Armenia from Amnesty INternational. And you know what I found out??? You don’t want to know.
It is dated May 26, 2011 and it is about an azeri journalist being freed from the jail after serving some jail time. And you know why he was imprisoned??? Because he wrote an article about khojaly that contradicted aliev’s version and he was sentenced to serve for two years. I would assume this poor bastard was also badly beaten before being sentenced. Go read it yourself. We finaly found a source that one seljuk trusts!
Of course Robert can’t stay away… and why do we even bothered listening him when he said his farewell? what Anti-Armenian Turk says something and kept his promise nowdays.. come on now …Robert is no different… he is like the small pimple on a BIG pimple filled with dirt and nastiness aka Turkish Govt…
G
I am shocked. Did Erdogan not add to the “great achievements” of Turkey – the 26 year blockade of Armenia, the illegal occupation of Armenian and Cyprus land and property, his weapon smuggling operations for Iran’s Ahmadinejad, Syria’s Assad, Hizbullah & Hamas………..did he forget to take credit for ‘opening business offices” in Turkey for the Taliban, so he can make more money from the Opium trade in Afghanistan? Did he forget to mention that the IHH terrorists are his “errand boys”
when he wants to violate Israels legal sea blockade with his Flotillas …….did he forget the shameful, barbaric incident of the SS STRUMA, the ethnic cleansing of the Greeks from Thrace, Smyrna and Pontus? Or how his sons never did a day of military service, but are both multi millionaires from ‘special contracts’ he ‘arranged’ for them in no-bid government deals?
Ahhhhhhhhhh the lying, two faced Erdogan, who ordered three murder attempts on Ibrahim Tatlises, an honorable Kurd, – to the BLAME it on the PKK??? Lol. We have all seen that cheap
Turkish arrogance and duplicity – for money, Erdogan will do ANYTHING, while he prepares to
dishonor the Turkish military, with money he gets from the gangster Fethullah Gulen, to create
his new Islamic Republic of Turkey. Of course, he quickly jailed an honorable Turkish journalist, for daring to raise the questions about Hrant Dink, and managed to “smear and blackmail” six of his opponents JUST BEFORE the elections………indeed, Mr Erdogan – you can talk all you want, but nothing that comes out of your twisted brain has the resemblance of truth. He is a lemonade salesman from the slums of Istanbul who has billions in offshore accounts, from robbing his countrymen – and still has the blood of thousands of victims on his hands. Just what Europe needs.
Hey, “Robert”, would you please check the latest from Amnesty International and tell us just what they say about a Turkey? Hmm??
Erdogan’s inconsistencies are at worst frustrating for Armenians and at best entertaining, but eventually will consume his credibility. Erdogan must choose just as Turkey must choose as to whether the stalled EU bid or flirting with Islamists and regional Arab powers is their political identity. Since they are a fractured society and can not choose, they pursue duplicity which creates the subtle mistrust and lack of depth in these policies
Erdogan gets away with what we view as outrageous, because they are big and regionally powerful…. and because there is void of stable “friends” of the west.
He campaigns for the Kurdish vote , but this issue will not go away. Every time a “reform” is offered, the Turks generate less tolerance because they view such acts as benevolence to the Kurds. Every act of “reform” only increases the yearn of the Kurds for real freedom and settling for these token acts.
We need to be strong, smart and build Armenia. The self serving policies of Turkey will eventually provide us our opening. Hyprocracy eventually loses to the truth.