EX-AMBASSADOR LUTEM RESPONDS TO HEARINGS IN RA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

December 19-20 the Parliamentary Commission for Foreign Relations held hearings on the challenges and perspectives of relations. The speeches of the head of the Commission Armen Rustamian, RA National Assembly Speaker Tigran Torosian, Vice-Speaker Vahan Hovhannisian and EU Special Representative Peter Semneby confirmed the importance of such discussion.
The Armenian Studies Institute of the Eurasian Strategic Research Center, Ankara, did not remain indifferent towards the discussion at the Armenian Parliament. The relevant article of Ex-Ambassador Omer Engin Lutem, head of the Armenian Studies Institute, was published in the daily bulleting of the institute on December 24. Lutem's article is rather remarkable not only in sense of explanation of Tukey's approach to the matter, but also explanations of Turkey's refusal to take part in the hearings at the Armenian Parliament.
Below is represented the translation of Lutem's article.
"The Chairman of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, Armen Rustamian, sent me an invitation via e-mail to attend the parliamentary hearings organized under the heading "Armenian-Turkish Relations: Problems and Perspectives" held on 19-20 December. Although they do not engender immediate results, such hearings are essentially useful as they are conducive to aiding the parties involved gauge each other's viewpoints. For this reason, I would have liked to have been able to take part in the said discussions. Unfortunately, I had to inform Rustamian that I would not be able to attend due to prior engagements.
As gathered from the press, 20 or so Turks were invited to attend the hearings. Among them were personalities such as Taner Akcam, Fatma Muge Gokcek and Halil Berktay who fully espouse and have taken it upon themselves to win others over to Armenian views; people such as Orhan Pamuk and Baskin Oran who adhere to views that fall fairly in line with the Armenian stance; and individuals such as Can Paker who approach the subject matter from the perspective of the European Union. Apart from myself, in order to voice the "Turkish standpoint", Turkish Historical Society President Yusuf Halacoglu, and International Strategic Research Institute Director Sedat Laciner were invited to attend. Most likely Patriarch Mutafian was called upon to participate in order to represent Turkey's Armenian community. As these hearings were organized by the National Assembly of Armenia, it would only have been appropriate if members of the Turkish Grand National Assembly were invited to attend as well. However, on this point, nothing surfaced in the press.
All Turks invited notified how they would not be able to attend the hearings. No doubt this is a result of the hearings corresponding with a religious holiday and a result of the invitations having been made so late, and hence due to those in question having prior engagements. Without touching upon this organizational flaw, Armen Rustamian alleged that those invited did not participate because the Turkish government was opposed to the hearings. No doubt, the person in question does not know Turkey very well. In present day Turkey, there is no official authority, which can or would make such a demand, let alone a suggestion to this end. No official spoke to me about these parliamentary hearings and I am sure this follows suit for those others who were invited from Turkey. If this were the case, this surely would be covered by the press.
Consequently, in the absence of the invited Turks, save for Peter Semneby, special representative of the EU for South Caucasus, it appears that only Armenians (including Foregin Minister Oskanian) spoke during the hearings. Apart from a few strong criticisms, it seems that nothing new was voiced.
As cited above, the importance of such hearings rests in generating greater understanding concerning the views and standpoints of the parties concerned. Looked at from this perspective, it would be worthwhile if the Turkish Grand National Assembly's concerned commissions were to organize a similar meeting in the coming months."

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RSS © Azg