Lawmaker stuns Armenian researcher in TV debate
For the first time, representatives of Azerbaijan
and Armenia - the two countries embroiled in a long-standing
conflict - have jointly participated in a television program.
During the debate on Turkish Show TV channel`s Politics Realm program, MP Ganira Pashayeva, representing Azerbaijan, apparently stunned the Armenian representative by citing undisputed facts.
The program discussed US President Barack Obama`s recent statement branding the 1915 developments in Ottoman Turkey as a "great disaster", referring to the World War I-era events that Armenians claim to be genocide.
The Armenian researcher, Harutyun Filyan, said his country was not satisfied with Obama`s statement, claiming the expressions used did not fully reflect the alleged sufferings of Armenians.
"Armenia was expecting more attention from President Obama," Filyan said speaking in Turkish.
In her response, Pashayeva said the US president had actually paid more attention to Armenians than was necessary.
"America is one of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group brokering resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict. This being said, the pro-Armenian slant in the US president`s address questioned Washington`s unbiased efforts in the prospect of conflict settlement," the lawmaker said.
In his message on the occasion of April 24, the day considered by Armenians as the date marking the alleged genocide, President Obama did not use the term "genocide of Armenians" but made moving comments lamenting the 1915 developments. The Turkish government expressed discontent with some of the expressions used by Obama, while Armenian Diaspora organizations accused the White House leader of allegedly failing to keep his pre-election promise to recognize the so-called genocide.
Pashayeva emphasized that repeated statements have been made asserting that the issue of the alleged genocide should be left to historians, though Armenians have opposed this position.
Filyan was dumbfounded in the face of the questions raised by the Azerbaijani MP. "I am neither a historian nor a politician, so I won`t be able to answer your questions," he said, dodging Pashayeva`s queries.
The government in Yerevan has accused Turkey of genocide against Armenians in the latter years of the Ottoman Empire, which preceded modern Turkey. The Turkish government says the events were part of clashes involving Armenian groups supporting Russia against Turkey during World War I. Ankara insists the killings were not orchestrated by the Ottoman government and Turkish President Abdullah Gul has proposed opening Ottoman archives to international scholars to try to resolve the dispute.
Pashayeva also asked a stunning question about the Garabagh conflict. "Look at the state borders of Armenia, which you established in 1918. Was Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh [an Azerbaijani region currently under Armenian occupation] inside those borders?" Filyan answered confusingly, "I don`t remember."
Upper Garabagh is one of the Azerbaijani regions where mass settlements of Armenians has occurred since 1820. In 1813, the Garabagh Khanate had been transferred to the Russian Empire. Following this, in 1822, the khanate was invalidated and the Russian government settled tens of thousands of Armenians there from Turkey and Iran. In 1923, the USSR leadership forcefully established the Upper Garabagh Autonomous Region. In 1989, however, that autonomy was invalidated by a decision of the Azerbaijani parliament.
In the 1990s, the parliament of Armenia, which was pursuing a policy of occupation and ethnic cleansing, passed an illegal and unilateral decision seeking to annex the region, triggering the outbreak of war with Azerbaijan. Further, Armenian armed forces occupied Upper Garabagh and seven adjacent Azerbaijani districts, defying international law. The hostilities ended with the signing of a cease-fire in 1994, but peace talks have not yet resulted in resolving the conflict.
During the debate on Turkish Show TV channel`s Politics Realm program, MP Ganira Pashayeva, representing Azerbaijan, apparently stunned the Armenian representative by citing undisputed facts.
The program discussed US President Barack Obama`s recent statement branding the 1915 developments in Ottoman Turkey as a "great disaster", referring to the World War I-era events that Armenians claim to be genocide.
The Armenian researcher, Harutyun Filyan, said his country was not satisfied with Obama`s statement, claiming the expressions used did not fully reflect the alleged sufferings of Armenians.
"Armenia was expecting more attention from President Obama," Filyan said speaking in Turkish.
In her response, Pashayeva said the US president had actually paid more attention to Armenians than was necessary.
"America is one of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group brokering resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict. This being said, the pro-Armenian slant in the US president`s address questioned Washington`s unbiased efforts in the prospect of conflict settlement," the lawmaker said.
In his message on the occasion of April 24, the day considered by Armenians as the date marking the alleged genocide, President Obama did not use the term "genocide of Armenians" but made moving comments lamenting the 1915 developments. The Turkish government expressed discontent with some of the expressions used by Obama, while Armenian Diaspora organizations accused the White House leader of allegedly failing to keep his pre-election promise to recognize the so-called genocide.
Pashayeva emphasized that repeated statements have been made asserting that the issue of the alleged genocide should be left to historians, though Armenians have opposed this position.
Filyan was dumbfounded in the face of the questions raised by the Azerbaijani MP. "I am neither a historian nor a politician, so I won`t be able to answer your questions," he said, dodging Pashayeva`s queries.
The government in Yerevan has accused Turkey of genocide against Armenians in the latter years of the Ottoman Empire, which preceded modern Turkey. The Turkish government says the events were part of clashes involving Armenian groups supporting Russia against Turkey during World War I. Ankara insists the killings were not orchestrated by the Ottoman government and Turkish President Abdullah Gul has proposed opening Ottoman archives to international scholars to try to resolve the dispute.
Pashayeva also asked a stunning question about the Garabagh conflict. "Look at the state borders of Armenia, which you established in 1918. Was Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh [an Azerbaijani region currently under Armenian occupation] inside those borders?" Filyan answered confusingly, "I don`t remember."
Upper Garabagh is one of the Azerbaijani regions where mass settlements of Armenians has occurred since 1820. In 1813, the Garabagh Khanate had been transferred to the Russian Empire. Following this, in 1822, the khanate was invalidated and the Russian government settled tens of thousands of Armenians there from Turkey and Iran. In 1923, the USSR leadership forcefully established the Upper Garabagh Autonomous Region. In 1989, however, that autonomy was invalidated by a decision of the Azerbaijani parliament.
In the 1990s, the parliament of Armenia, which was pursuing a policy of occupation and ethnic cleansing, passed an illegal and unilateral decision seeking to annex the region, triggering the outbreak of war with Azerbaijan. Further, Armenian armed forces occupied Upper Garabagh and seven adjacent Azerbaijani districts, defying international law. The hostilities ended with the signing of a cease-fire in 1994, but peace talks have not yet resulted in resolving the conflict.
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