Alot of things had written down about the visit of Obama to Turkey. This is why I don’t want to go on to details in this article. The main concern of this article is the ideas of Barack Obama, which he evaluated in the press conference with President Abdullah Gül in the presidential palace, about the 1915 events. The real purpose behind the speech of Grand National Assembly was to say to Turkey and Armenia that they are alone in this path.
After the meeting with Abdullah Gül in April 6, 2009, both leaders arranged a press conference and there was this question which expected to be asked. One of the American reporters asked Obama that, in the time of his senatorship, he was evaluating the 1915 events as a genocide, but after becoming a president, any of these ideas have changed or not?
Obama answered this question by saying “
My ides are recorded. I didn’t change them. The thing which encourages me is the ongoing negotiations under the leadership of Gül and the issues which we have discussed in the framework of these negotiations. I’m watching these negotiations and I believe that we will get what we want in the result of these negotiations. What I want to do is not focus on my ideas but focus on Turkey’s ideas. While the world is trying to solve this question, we also should encourage Turkey and we should find constructive solutions. About this dispute the solution must come faster, as it is in the othertype of related questions. The most important part of this dispute is Turkey and Armenia should meet in a constructive point. I don’t want US to deviate the negotiations about this subject.”
The President of US as it was expected, had not changed his ideas about this subject and he also highligted the importance of not intervening in the process which had began between Turkey and Armenia. Obama declared the 1915 events as a genocide when he was a Senator and in his electoral campaign, he declared that if he becomes the president, he will make people to accept these events as a genocide. Now when he is saying that my ideas have not changed, in a diplomatic manner he is trying to state that my ideas about the 1915 events are the same. From this point we can understand that Obama will never use the word of genocide but at the same time Obama wants Turkey to take steps towards Armenia to give message to his public opinion (especially to the Armenian diaspora). The “steps” which Obama mentioned about are almost predictable. Although according to the declaration of Prime Minister Erdoğan “Azerbaijan has a priority in the eyes of Turkey”, the possibility of opening borders with Armenia is very high. But the real argument here is when this will happen? Probably this will happen after 24 April because any time before that could be understood as pressure has a role.
In this press conference, President Abdullah Gul also gave some explanations about this subject. Abdullah Gül declared that “we are sharing the pain of whom we had lost”. Also Gul declared that Turkey wants to build a commission which will search history to find out a solution to this dispute and Turkey will accept the result what ever decision comes from the commission. Besides all these Abdullah Gul declared that Turkey wants all the disputes to be solved in the Caucasus and the disputes between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Armenia Foreígn Minister Eduard Nalbantyan also gave some information about this subject, especially these given information can be accepted as answers to the explanations of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. So Nalbantyan stated that if any pre-conditions occur for normalization of the relations with Turkey, the dialogue process between Ankara and Erivan will be effected badly by this. According to Eduard Nalbantyan “The normalization of the relations with Ankara has nothing to do with Nagorno-Karabakh issue and Nagorno-Karabakh is also not an issue inside the negotiations with Turkey. As Erivan always stated, the normalization process of the relations with Ankara doesn’t mean we have doubts about the genocide happened in the Ottoman Period. Many countries and many international organizations have recognized our genocide claims and we are in the favor of that”
As it is seen, the pressure of US about the genocide claims stil continuing and nothing positive is coming from the side of Armenia about this subject. Armenia is at the same place as it was 10 years ago. All the Armenian governments declared the same issues as not accepting any pre-conditions and Nagorno-Karabakh has nothing to do with Turkey-Armenia relations. Obama in his speech in the Grand National Assembly declared that “We have seen that Turkish and Armenian leaders acted bravely several times”. But it has never seen that Armenia acted bravely while Turkey is in the eve of opening its borders and in the past Turkey went to Erivan for a football diplomacy which was a very brave attitude.
Besides all these processes going on, we have to say that Azerbaijan is totally dissapointed. Ilham Aliyev expressed his attitude very obviously by not coming to the Alliance of Civilizations Conference. The relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey could fall of easily because the relations are emotional more than reasonable. On the other side we shouldn’t forget that there is a counter point of view in Azerbaijan which for a long time is making propoganda agains Turkey by using media. That’s why Turkey must be more careful in this time of precision. It shouldn’t be forgetted that Azerbaijan has a primary importance for Turkey. Nothing should be compared with Azerbaijan.
Overall, the opening of Border and seminaries had been requested from Turkey. Another important thing which Obama has declared was “you have to face up with your past”. He said that Turkey and Armenia should meet in a median but he also declared that Turkey should face with its past. So from here we can understand that Obama will never use the word of “genocide” but he will do everything to make Turkey to accept it. The declaration by Obama in his speech in Grand National Assembly “The opening of borders will make the two communities to live in peace and this would bring many advantages to both of the countries” means obviously that Turkey should open its borders. Obama made a very good public diplomacy by not making direct criticisims but comparing Turkey with United States, which means the most scathing criticisms can be served in a very good package.