June 26, 2014 | 13:45
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said relations between Armenia and Turkey may enter “a new era” if Armenia and the Armenian diaspora take “bold steps” similar to condolences offered by PM Erdogan.
In an article published in the spring edition of the Turkish Policy Quarterly journal, Davutoğlu said Erdogan’s step must not be perceived as as a conjunctural step, but “as a prelude for transformation of minds and memories”.
“A new and more grounded era of peace will reign between Turkey and Armenia if intellectuals and politicians do their part to overcome the psychological barriers on both sides and to build a ‘just memory,” Hurriyet Daily News quotes the article.
Davutoglu believes ‘unjust memory’ was created around the events of 1915
“The ‘just memory’ concept that we have frequently employed during this process is critically important. In order for Turks and Armenians to understand what each of them has experienced, it is essential that they respect one another’s memory. For the Armenians, 1915 was a year of relocation during which exceedingly great tragedies took place. The years prior to and after 1915 were also a time of tremendous tragedy for the Turks in Anatolia. It was at this time that Turks fought for their very survival in the Balkan Wars, at Canakkale, and in the War of Independence. Actually, this was a time of ‘shared pain,’” Davutoğlu wrote.