CHP deputy sticks to stance despite criticism
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hurriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Aralık 22, 2008 00:00
ANKARA - President Gül hails the apology initiative as proof of Turkey’s democratic health, while Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the military and the CHP oppose the campaign, saying the consequences will be harmful
Despite a written warning from her party, the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, deputy Canan Arıtman has decided to move ahead with controversial claims over the weekend concerning alleged Armenian roots of the president.
"If I had seen the president, I would have hurled a shoe at him," Arıtman was quoted as saying, referring to the recent protest of the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoe at outgoing U.S. President George W. Bush.
In protest of President Abdullah Gül’s approach to an apology campaign launched by Turkish intellectuals about World War I-era killings of Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire, Arıtman argued Gül was a secret Armenian. "Look at his ethnic origins from his mother side," she said in controversial remarks last week, which also drew reaction from her party.
In her latest statements, Arıtman said she would open a counter-suit if Gül opened a case against her. "I was not engaged in racism. If a price is to be paid, I’ll pay it," she said while commenting on the CHP warning.
In response to Arıtman’s allegations, Gül said yesterday his family comes from Satoğlu on his mother’s side and from Gül (Gülükimam) on his father’s side and noted that the registered history of his family tracing back to centuries ago was "Muslim" and "Turk."
Gül said he felt the need to inform the public about the recent claims, according to a written statement released by the presidency press office.
Respecting all citizens
"I respect ethnic origins, different faiths and family bonds of all my citizens and consider all these diversities as a reality and also richness of our country which has a history of empire," said the president. "I also want to stress that all citizens are equal with no discrimination. Nobody has superiority over the others. Everyone’s rights are safeguarded in the Constitution."
At the CHP party congress, Arıtman, in an attempt to clarify her statements about Gül's ethnic origins, said persons occupying state posts has no right to care for an ethnic identity. "I did not ask the president to reveal his ethnic identity. I want the president to fulfill his duty of protecting the Turkish Republic and the nation on the basis of the oath he took," she said.
The apology campaign, which was countered by a declaration from a group of retired ambassadors, avoids the word "genocide" and uses instead the term "great catastrophe." Gül has distanced himself from the criticism, hailing the initiative as proof of Turkey’s democratic health. On the contrary, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the military opposed the campaign, saying that it would yield harmful consequences.
Toptan said making biased judgments about Turkey was "unfair," in remarks before a visit to Macedonia.
"I have difficulty in understanding what those friends who issued the declaration want to do. Will this initiative make relations with Armenia gain impetus? Will it put an end to Armenian diaspora activities against Turkey? Will it help clear the events of [1915] and offer evidence? I cannot understand," he said.
Toptan slammed Arıtman’s controversial remarks as "unbecoming" as per the oath she took to serve as a parliamentarian.
"We cannot display such a behavior of researching the ethnic origins of one another and reach conclusions," he said, adding that he did not approve of the statement made by the CHP deputy.
International plot
At his party’s congress, CHP leader Deniz Baykal also criticized the apology campaign and considered it as part of systematic international efforts aimed at making Turkey feel guilty. He referred to the government’s proposal, in cooperation with the CHP, to set up a joint committee of independent historians to study genocide allegations.
He said while Turkey was defending that history should be left to historians, not politicians, a group of intellectuals’ campaign was no different from a series of genocide resolutions passed in several countries’ parliaments.
"Some might be launching this campaign deliberately. Turkey should not take it seriously," Baykal said.
"If I had seen the president, I would have hurled a shoe at him," Arıtman was quoted as saying, referring to the recent protest of the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoe at outgoing U.S. President George W. Bush.
In protest of President Abdullah Gül’s approach to an apology campaign launched by Turkish intellectuals about World War I-era killings of Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire, Arıtman argued Gül was a secret Armenian. "Look at his ethnic origins from his mother side," she said in controversial remarks last week, which also drew reaction from her party.
In her latest statements, Arıtman said she would open a counter-suit if Gül opened a case against her. "I was not engaged in racism. If a price is to be paid, I’ll pay it," she said while commenting on the CHP warning.
In response to Arıtman’s allegations, Gül said yesterday his family comes from Satoğlu on his mother’s side and from Gül (Gülükimam) on his father’s side and noted that the registered history of his family tracing back to centuries ago was "Muslim" and "Turk."
Gül said he felt the need to inform the public about the recent claims, according to a written statement released by the presidency press office.
Respecting all citizens
"I respect ethnic origins, different faiths and family bonds of all my citizens and consider all these diversities as a reality and also richness of our country which has a history of empire," said the president. "I also want to stress that all citizens are equal with no discrimination. Nobody has superiority over the others. Everyone’s rights are safeguarded in the Constitution."
At the CHP party congress, Arıtman, in an attempt to clarify her statements about Gül's ethnic origins, said persons occupying state posts has no right to care for an ethnic identity. "I did not ask the president to reveal his ethnic identity. I want the president to fulfill his duty of protecting the Turkish Republic and the nation on the basis of the oath he took," she said.
The apology campaign, which was countered by a declaration from a group of retired ambassadors, avoids the word "genocide" and uses instead the term "great catastrophe." Gül has distanced himself from the criticism, hailing the initiative as proof of Turkey’s democratic health. On the contrary, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the military opposed the campaign, saying that it would yield harmful consequences.
Toptan said making biased judgments about Turkey was "unfair," in remarks before a visit to Macedonia.
"I have difficulty in understanding what those friends who issued the declaration want to do. Will this initiative make relations with Armenia gain impetus? Will it put an end to Armenian diaspora activities against Turkey? Will it help clear the events of [1915] and offer evidence? I cannot understand," he said.
Toptan slammed Arıtman’s controversial remarks as "unbecoming" as per the oath she took to serve as a parliamentarian.
"We cannot display such a behavior of researching the ethnic origins of one another and reach conclusions," he said, adding that he did not approve of the statement made by the CHP deputy.
International plot
At his party’s congress, CHP leader Deniz Baykal also criticized the apology campaign and considered it as part of systematic international efforts aimed at making Turkey feel guilty. He referred to the government’s proposal, in cooperation with the CHP, to set up a joint committee of independent historians to study genocide allegations.
He said while Turkey was defending that history should be left to historians, not politicians, a group of intellectuals’ campaign was no different from a series of genocide resolutions passed in several countries’ parliaments.
"Some might be launching this campaign deliberately. Turkey should not take it seriously," Baykal said.