For Armenia it is more preferable to deal with the secular Turkey rather than with the Islamic one

The Trabzon's example, which has become the center of attention of almost all radical Islamic groupings, may attract other provinces as well.

On July 22 special parliamentary elections are planned to be held in Turkey. The elections may be crucial in the modern history of the country; the 70 year-old secular life of the country may come to an end and the country may revert to its Islamic origins. This may noticeably limit the power the General Staff possesses, which according to the Constitution may bring the government down, in case "it puts the country's national security under risk".

May 19, 2007

PanARMENIAN.Net - In his time Mustafa Kemal Atatürk introduced this article in the Constitution for he, being a military man and "Union and Progress" party member before that, knew well how uncontrollable the civil government may be. The Armenian, Greek, and Assyrian Genocides may serve as vivid examples of the above mentioned. It is not that the founder of the Turkish Republic treated badly those not being of Turkish origin; just he thought that Turkey was the Turks' country, all the others had only a right to survive.

However, for Armenia it is more preferable to deal with the secular Turkey rather than with the Islamic one. The Islamists, who at present act only time after time, may indeed begin some serious actions against the Christian population of the country. The Trabzon's example, which has become the center of attention of almost all radical Islamic groupings, may attract other provinces as well. The whole world already knows what outcome it may have for the Armenians, Greeks and for the few Catholic missioners.

The election campaign in Turkey has already launched and there have already been some surprises. Verkin Arioba who has Armenian origins is going to struggle for Turkish parliamentarian mandate in the. She has turned to the ruling "Justice and Development" party with the corresponding announcement and at the moment is expecting a final decision about including her name in the electoral list. As the Turkish Daily News announces in case Verkin Arioba is included in the electoral list she will become the first candidate for a deputy sit in the Turkish Parliament having Armenian origins since 1980. As Arioba announced, in case she is elected she will continue working on the resolution of the conflict between Armenia and Turkey, as well as county's integration into EU. Answering the questions about the Armenian Genocide, Verkin Arioba announced, "It is a historical issue. Discussing this issue every day will have a rather harmful effect on its development. Let's look ahead, and not back. Verkin Arioba's father is descendent from the Kasabian family, and was one of the first businessmen in Turkey. Verkin Arioba announced that her family hasn't lost anyone during "the resettlement of 1915-1919". "I lost relatives during the war for independence, but not during the resettlement," she said. "Being an Armenian I will be able to protect Turkey's right in EU more efficiently. The fact that I have Armenian origins is a great advantage for me in elections," stated Arioba. She has rather realistic chances if we take into account that after Hrant Dink's murder Turkey has announced more then once that Armenians are well treated in Turkey. Perhaps the 12 points that Turkey gave to Armenia at the "Eurovision Song Contest" is just one more "evidence" that speaks for the above mentioned. Meanwhile it is also considered a political step. "We are neighbors and must be friends too. This must show what important role music, friendship and art play," announced Turkish music critic Sezen Cumhur Onal. He assures that the Turkish votes given to the Armenian singer at the "Eurovision Song Contest" pursued political interests.

Keeping close to our main point, it should be mentioned that Verkin Arioba is famous for her criticism about Nobel Prize laureate Orhan Pamuk and the editor-in-chief of "Agos" Hrant Dink, killed on January 19, 2007 in Istanbul. If the way to the Parliament demands rejection of one's own origins, then everything is all right. If there is any pressure displayed, then Hrant Dink was right saying, "In Istanbul we live like Armenians for 364 days, and only one day a year, that is on April 24, we must forget that we are Armenian." According to the editor-in-chief of "Zhamanak" Ara Kochunyan, being Armenian in Istanbul is not easy. "This is connected with self-consciousness. Each of us is a citizen of the Turkish Republic with the Armenian origins and many of us belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church. And we like jugglers must not let any of these three balls down; one of which will always be in the air, and the other two, in our hands. An Armenian in Istanbul is trying to stay as calm as possible, not to get any extra attention and be discriminated, yet there are many different ways of oppressing national minorities in Turkey. The Turkish Republic is founded on the bases of multinational empire and often speaks of itself as of an assignee of the Empire. What I want to mention is, that today the country is secular, but there is the conception of "non-Islamic citizens of the country", Kochunyan says.

It is very difficult to work one's way up to the Parliament in such conditions, but it is not impossible. Simply Turkey will have one more trump card to display in front of EU, and as usual that trump card will be provided by Armenia