A TV Debate On Armenian-Turkish Relations (2)

A TV Debate On Armenian-Turkish Relations (2)[1]

As it was expected, Armenia TV channel misrepresented the TV debate on Armenian-Turkish relations between Armenia’s ex-prime minister and political leader Khosrov Harutunyan and political scientist Dr. Armen Ayvazyan for Harutunyan’s views. The debate was aired on January 15, 2008. Censors of the TV deleted parts of Dr. Ayvazyan’s speech and presented the debate in such a way that would incite the viewer to accept Harutunyan’s views on this issue. This means to accept normalizing relations between Armenia and Turkey and open the borders without preconditions and to boost economic relations between the two countries without considering basic facts. Here, I mention examples of what the TV channel deleted from Dr. Ayvazyan’s speech that would prove what I have said above:

• When Dr. Ayvazyan said he would read some excerpts from Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev's Dec. 31 New Year’s address in which he threatens the Armenians of Artsakh Republic, the moderator, Gevorg Altunyan, sarcastically asked Ayvazyan: "Does it mean that you have listened to Aliyev's speech instead of listening to Kocharian's speech," at which Ayvazyan replied that he followed both speeches. This as well as the excerpts from Aliyev's address (see below) were left out.

• Although the Armenians of the Ottoman Empire in 1915 were integrated into empire’s economy, the scheme of the Armenian Genocide was carried out.

• Although Soviet Armenia’s economy was integrated with Soviet Azerbaijan’s economy, neither the Armenian Genocide and pogroms in Sumgait, Baku and other places inhabited by the Armenians, nor the war between Azerbaijan and Artsakh republics was prevented.

• The preconditions put by Turkey to set up “normal” relations with Armenia, among which the delivery of Artsakh to Azerbaijan and giving up the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide by Armenia and Diaspora. Recently, they even called for removing the Armenian Genocide memorial in Armenia and recognizing the “genocide” of Turks by Armenians!! Also, they put the condition of taking Meghri region out of Armenia’s control and stopping Armenia’s “support” for PKK, besides other preconditions.

Excerpts from Ilham Aliyev’s New Year’s address on Dec. 31, 2007[2]

• “We will never allow the creation of a second Armenian state on Azerbaijani soil,”.

• “If the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh want to self-determine, they should do that within the framework of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. If they don’t want that, they should leave Nagorno-Karabakh and create their second state elsewhere,” .

• “Nagorno-Karabakh will never be granted independence, the leadership and the people of Azerbaijan will never agree to that,”

• “We are reinforcing our army because we must be ready to free our lands of occupiers at any moment and by any means,” .

• “The strengthening of the army will remain a top priority,”.

It is obvious, that misrepresenting the debate and turning a blind eye to basic facts and Turkey-Azerbaijan’s threats to Armenia and Artsakh republics would benefit foreign agendas, for sure not in the sake of the Armenian people.

http://www.karabakh-open.com/src/index.php?lang=en&nid=7333&id=2

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[1] Read my previous article in:

http://www.karabakh-open.com/src/index.php?lang=en&id=2&nid=7237

[2] Karabakh Armenians Told To Accept Azeri Rule Or Emigrate,

http://www.armenialiberty.org

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