The clownishness continues at the PACE

After losing the trails of the Armenian delegation’s letter, now they guaranteed the Turkish Prime Minister against hearing unpleasant questions too.

 Yesterday, after making a statement at the PACE the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan answered the delegates’ questions. The last but one was the member of the Armenian delegation Armen Rostomyan, who asked a question, what had benn the point in putting the signature under the Turkish-Armenian protocols, if Turkey was still making opening of the Turkish-Armenian border conditional on the settlement of the Karabakh issue. He also mentioned the demand of the Turkish Prime Minister for dismantlement of the Turkish-Armenian friendship statue and expressed interest whether that step contributed to the settlement of the relationship with the neighboring country. Without referring to the last part of the question at all Erdogan answered, “Though Turkey took the obligation to settle the relationship with Armenia; however, it does not intend to neglect the interests of Azerbaijan, the friendly, brotherly people. I am very fair with you, some steps should be taken to overcome the existing barriers, after which we are ready to open the border. For that reason, we have always invited the Minsk Group to discuss this question. Russia, France and the USA have to take part in overcoming these barriers. When they fulfill their obligations, we will be able to find a resolution. However, if they do not get results, everything will become very complicated. There are 70 thousand Armenians in my country, citizens of Turkey. In addition, another 40 thousand Armenians live without citizenship. We do not send them back to Armenia, though we can, if we like. They continue living, because they have troubles in their own country.” We should remind, by the way, that during the interview given to BBC in 2009 Mr. Erdogan mentioned another number for the Armenian illegal immigrants, i.e. 100 thousand. And at the PACE he announced, “When we signed the protocols we went for that to resolve the existing problems. However, I saw that the Armenian side did not take any steps, when it came to its own diaspora. If the Armenian government can advance in a more purposeful way, then, I am sure, we will be able to advance very quickly and open the border.”

Naira Zohrabyan and Zaruhi Postanjyan were also registered to ask questions. The latter told “Aravot” that she would particularly have asked the Turkish Prime Minister when they would be able to face their own history, take the responsibility of organizing the Armenian Genocide. “We were registered to ask questions on the same day and second we got the schedule”, said Mrs. Postanjyan. However, as Naira Zohrabyan told us, at first they did not found their names in the list of the registered at all, then the mistake was fixed. She found out from the PACE Secretariat that she would be third to ask a question, and Zaruhi Postanjyan would be fourth. However, after the start of Erdogan’s speech the list of the registered was distributed, according to which Mrs. Zohrabyan appeared on 21^st place, and Mrs. Postanjyan appeared on 26^th place.

Naira Zohrabyan, however, was able to ask Erdogan her question while he was leaving the hall accompanied by the PACE Chairman Mevlut Cavusoglu, the head of the Azerbaijani delegation Samed Seidov and a large group of people. “Notwithstanding particularly the rude treatment of the female bodyguard who just pushed the delegation secretary, who should have translated my words and did not allow us to approach Erdogan in any way, I cried out – Mr. Prime Minister, look back. He looked back and approached us. I said that the PACE Secretariat had done everything possible in order that I could not ask my question.” The question in brief was the following that on March 27 once again the Turkish justice found guilty Orhan Pamuk for “Turks killed 1,5 million Armenians and 30 thousand Kurds” expression, “Till when will Turkey continue being guided by the methods of the Middle Ages inquisition?” Expressing this question Naira Zohrabyan presented him an album that she had also given to the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs. The inscription for Erdogan was the following, “Looking these children in the eye who were among 1,5 million victims of the genocide conducted by the Ottoman Turkey, Mr. Prime Minister you are looking in the eyes of the truth. And you cannot run away from that truth.” Erdogan leafed through the album and according to Naira Zohrabyan said, “The Turkish side can provide much more pictures and facts, than you can.”