Underlining the historical aspect of friendly relations between the Irish and Turkish nations, Visiting Irish President Mary McAleese stated on Tuesday that her country is very well aware that third parties should not interfere in discussions related to historical grievances of nations, such as the killings of Anatolian Armenians during World War I.
McAleese arrived in Turkey late on Monday for a five-day official visit, the first presidential visit between the two countries. At a joint press conference with her Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gül, following talks at the Çankaya presidential palace, the visiting president was asked about her stance regarding the Armenian allegations that the early 20th century atrocities against Anatolian Armenians amounted to genocide.
“Beyond everything, the Irish know -- more than all other people who live on this planet -- what it means to have our memories of history shattered. People may voice different views regarding incidents which took place in history. Therefore, as a country which knows this, Ireland is one of the main countries which know to stay out of these kinds of debates,” McAleese was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency in response.
McAleese noted that the Irish understand the grief over those lost, as well as the importance of the healing process and the preservation of memories, adding that Ireland supports all efforts to this end and encourages friendship, in an apparent reference to the ongoing normalization efforts between estranged neighbors Armenia and Turkey.
Turkey rejects Armenian claims of genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire and says Turks and Armenians were both killed as Armenians revolted against the Ottoman Empire in collaboration with the Russian army for an Armenian state in eastern Anatolia.
The issue is hot on the agenda nowadays as Turkey recalled its ambassador to Washington and canceled senior-level contacts with the US following a March 4 vote by the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs vote recognizing the situation as genocide.
Only a week after the US vote, the Swedish Parliament endorsed a similar resolution, prompting Turkey to withdraw its ambassador to Sweden and cancel a scheduled visit by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The Turkish government resents the US administration for not doing enough to block the vote out of a belief that this could pressure Ankara to ratify two protocols pending in Parliament to normalize ties with Armenia. Turkey wants a clear and solid message that the administration is opposed to such congressional moves.
McAleese, meanwhile, reaffirmed her country’s firm support of Turkey’s bid to become a full European Union member. “Ireland has always supported Turkey’s full membership in the EU right from the beginning,” she said.
The EU suspended accession talks on eight out of 35 chapters in 2006 due to Turkey’s refusal to open its ports and airports to traffic from Greek Cyprus. France, which opposes Turkish accession to the EU, is unilaterally blocking talks on five chapters which it says are directly related to accession. Greek Cyprus, for its part, announced in December that it would veto the opening of talks on five other chapters due to the continued failure of Turkey to open its ports and airports to its ships and planes.
Turkey says it will not open its ports and airports unless the EU keeps its 2004 promise to allow trade with Turkish Cypriots.
“We know from our own experiences that becoming an EU member is a very tough process. We know that it will not be easy but we wish the best for you,” McAleese said, noting that this process offered a vision worth fighting for.
For his part, Gül thanked the Irish president for her country’s strong support of Turkey’s EU bid, while expressing confidence in the continuation of this support.
Both presidents noted in their remarks that bilateral relations between the two nations date back to the Ottoman era. Historic documents reveal that in 1847, Ottoman Sultan Abdülmecit I sent aid of 1,000 pounds to Ireland, which was under British administration and suffering from a famine at that time.
Later in the day, McAleese met with Erdoğan and attended a meeting between Irish and Turkish delegations hosted at Parliament by its speaker, Mehmet Ali Şahin.
Today, McAleese is expected to travel to the Gallipoli peninsula, where she will lay a wreath at the main Turkish memorial before travelling to the Helles Memorial, the V-Beach Cemetery and Anzac Cove, The Irish Times reported.
“The president will then attend a commemoration at Green Hill cemetery. She will also unveil a memorial plaque to the Irish soldiers who fought and died in the 1915 Gallipoli campaign,” the daily said, noting that nearly 4,000 Irishmen were killed, including those serving in the 10th (Irish) Division as well as in the ANZAC forces from Australia and New Zealand.
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