Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling party AKP represent the interests of an emerging middle class, which finds its moral righteousness in Islam and builds its legitimacy on erstwhile impressive economic achievements. The last factor forced Mr. Erdogan to keep the focus on the economic agenda during his India visit.
Being a regional player in West Asia, Turkey is undoubtedly on the geopolitical radar of India. However, since losing the role of a bulwark against the former Soviet Union, Turkey has won some influence in the Muslim world by asserting Ankara`s independence from the West. And as a result, Turkish aspirations to be a major regional power have caused serious difficulties of balancing Mr. Erdogan’s role within NATO.
Armenia’s accusation of massacre of Armenians during World War I is not unilateral. Despite Turkey’s aggressive policy of denial, the fact of the Armenian genocide by the Ottoman government has been documented, recognised, and affirmed in the form of laws, resolutions, and statements by many states and international organisations. As of 2017, governments and parliaments of 29 countries, including Brazil, Canada, France, Germany and Russia, as well as 45 states out of 50 of the United States, have recognised the tragedy as a genocide.
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The arrival of the Vice President of India in Yerevan on April 24, Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, and his visit to Armenian Genocide Memorial as a first order of business on the very next day, was by no means a coincidence. Vice President Ansari reiterated the position of his predecessor Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, who also attended the Memorial in 2005. Armenians around the world are grateful to Mr. Ansari for honouring the memory of 1.5 million victims of the Genocide.
Armen Martirosyan,
Ambassador,
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Republic of Armenia,
New Delhi