Araz News: After the initial shock of Pope Francis’ remarks declaring that the mass killings ofArmenians under Ottoman rule in 1915 constitute genocide and the subsequent declarations by the European Parliament (EP) and leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) seems to have moved on, albeit with no sign of reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia.

Turkish government officials heavily criticized the pope for calling the 1915 events “the first genocide of the 20th century” during a recent Mass. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu even suggested that the pope is part of an international conspiracy, part of an “evil front” along with the EU and Turkish opposition parties aiming to topple the AK Party government.

Earlier this month, in a move to show Turkey’s disapproval of the EP’s recent resolution that the mass killings in 1915 of Armenians constitute genocide, Turkey’s Permanent Delegation to the EU in Brussels returned an official copy of the resolution it was sent by the EP.

The recognition of the 1915 events as genocide on the centennial of the events by the pope, the EP and a number of governments and parliaments around the world has caused anger in Turkey, including among opposition parties. Turkey denies that the events constitute genocide and also opposes attempts to single out the deaths of one population during World War I, arguing that all the Ottoman peoples suffered at that time, including instances of Muslim Turks being killed by Armenians, many of whom supported the invading Russian army.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has even threatened to deport the estimated 100,000 citizens of the Republic of Armenia living and working in Turkey if the Armenian diaspora continues its efforts to seek official acceptance of the Armenian claims around the world.

In a move to deflect attention from Armenia’s centennial commemoration of the mass killings on April 24 of this year, the Turkish government invited about 100 heads of state, including Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan, to the Gallipoli commemorations of the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Çanakkale. The Turkish government shifted the date this year for the first time in order to push foreign dignitaries to pick only one of the events, thinking that due to its political weight, many would chose Turkey over Armenia. Only about 21 heads of state attended Turkey’s centenary commemorations. Çanakkale has traditionally been commemorated on March 18.

Despite the Turkish government’s efforts to persuade him not to attend the commemorations in Yerevan, Russian President Vladimir Putin went to Armenia on April 24 and read a statement in which he described the 1915 events as genocide.

US President Barack Obama also issued a statement on the occasion, but stopped short of using the word “genocide.” Because the wording of his statement was extremely uncompromising, the Turkish Foreign Ministry released a statement to express Turkey’s disappointment. During his election campaign for the White House, Obama pledged to recognize the 1915 events as genocide before finishing his term. However, he has so far refrained from using the word “genocide,” only stressing that his personal views are very well known. Next year will be the last of his second and final term in office.

It is important for the US at this time not to derail its critical relationship with Turkey due to the latter’s geopolitical importance and its contribution to the efforts of the US-led coalition to defeat the terrorist Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Obama’s recognition of the events as genocide — if ever happens — could be a critical turning point because it would open the way for Armenians to sue the Turkish government in US courts for compensation for the 1915 events.

US Ambassador to Turkey John Bass recently said İncirlik Air Base in Turkey’s Adana province has been “central” both in the bilateral relationship between Turkey and the US and for the NATO alliance. Speaking to the members of the Diplomacy Correspondents Association (DMD) last week, Bass confirmed that Turkey is an important ally for the US in an unstable region where there are many threats, including ISIL. İncirlik Air Base is in close proximity to ISIL targets in both Iraq and Syria, but Turkey has so far not allowed the US to use it to launch strikes against ISIL. The coalition would also like to use the base for drones to gather intelligence in the region.

Bass also expressed his surprise that he was not asked a question about the Armenian issue during his meeting with DMD members. He pointed out that Turkish-Armenian relations should not be heavily focused on one single day — April 24, when Armenians commemorate what they call genocide. Bass said that whatever interested parties do every other day to bring about Turkish-Armenian reconciliation, such as a full, frank and just acknowledgment of the 1915 events — which would contribute to improving the relationship between Turkey and Armenia — would be equally important.

In the meantime, Turkey has reached out to the pope to mend its ties with the Vatican. After the pope’s genocide remarks Turkey recalled its ambassador to the Vatican for consultations. Deputy Economy Minister Adnan Yıldırım has invited Pope Francis to visit Turkey’s stand at the upcoming EXPO 2015 in Milan, which began on May 1, in what many see as Ankara holding out an olive branch to the Vatican after the pope’s genocide remarks. Discussing the situation between Ankara and the Vatican, a foreign diplomat in Ankara told Sunday’s Zaman that “things seem to be going back to normal.”

An expert on Turkish-Armenian relations who asked to remain anonymous told Sunday’s Zaman that no one really is expecting any positive change on the road to Turkish-Armenian reconciliation this year. The expert said that only after the centenary of the 1915 events has passed will there be a chance for reconciliation, adding that both the Turkish and Armenian governments are eager to overcome the problems.

Speaking at a rally in Kars province this week, Prime Minister Davutoğlu called for reconciliation. “Let’s resolve our differences and discuss [our shared] history,” Davutoğlu said. The prime minister this year offered Turkey’s condolences to the Armenians who lost their relatives in 1915. President Erdoğan was the first government figure in the history of the Turkish Republic to offer condolences to Armenians over the 1915 events when he issued a statement as prime minister last year.

todayszaman