TURKS FALSELY CLAIM ARMENIANS WOULD WELCOME TURKISH TROOPS
IN LEBANON
22-08-2006 19:07:00 | USA | Articles and Analyses
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
Turkish officials fabricated a news story last week in
order to create the false impression that their soldiers would
be warmly welcome in Lebanon, even by the local Armenian
community!
The widely circulated Turkish newspaper Hurriyet published
a front-page story on August 18 claiming that the only Armenian
Minister in the Lebanese Cabinet had agreed to the stationing of
Turkish troops in Lebanon. The story, written by Hurriyet's
Chief Editor Ertugrul Ozkok, carried the following sensational
title: "Even the Armenian Minister wants us in Lebanon."
Ozkok published the dramatic details of the dinner that was
given in Beirut last week by Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad
Siniora in honor of the Foreign Ministers of France, Pakistan,
Malaysia and Turkey. In attendance were also 9 Lebanese
Ministers, including Jean Oghassapian, the Minister of
Administrative Reforms.
According Ozkok's article, when Turkey's Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul asked Prime Minister Siniora how the Lebanese
people would react to the presence of Turkish soldiers in their
country, Siniora responded to the great surprise of everyone at
the dinner table: "Even the Armenian Minister in our Cabinet
wants the Turkish soldiers to come." Ozkok wrote that Siniora
then called over Minister Oghassapian from an adjacent table and
"holding his arm," asked him: "You also want the Turkish
soldiers to come, don't you?" The Armenian Minister reportedly
replied: "Yes, we want them." Ozkok reported that Turkish
officials present at the dinner were utterly surprised
"especially since only that same morning, the Lebanon-based
Tashnak Party had issued a declaration," announcing its
opposition to stationing Turkish troops in Lebanon. Ozkok
gleefully concluded: "Clearly the Armenian Minister and the
Tashnak declaration were at odds." Gul reportedly told the
Turkish journalists at the dinner that Ankara was "not taking
seriously" the efforts of the Armenian lobby in the U.S. to
prevent Turkish soldiers from entering Lebanon.
Stretching the truth even further, Ozkok reported that the
Shiite Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nebih Berri, told
Gul at the dinner: "I speak in the name of the Shiites in
Lebanon. We want from our hearts that the Turkish soldiers
participate in the peacekeeping force."
The Turkish press is notorious for publishing untrue and
distorted reports. However, in this case, it appears that Mr.
Ozkok, a distinguished journalist and a prominent media
executive, may have been used by Turkish officials to
disseminate a fabricated story. Ozkok, who was in Istanbul
during last week's dinner in Beirut, was fed this fictitious
news by Turkish Foreign Ministry officials.
In order to verify what really took place at that dinner, I
contacted Minister Oghassapian and spoke with him last Sunday.
He was absolutely shocked to hear what Hurriyet had reported. He
said that just about every item in that article was false! He
said he did not walk over to the table where the Lebanese Prime
Minister and the Turkish Foreign Minister were sitting and did
not exchange any words with either one of them that night. He
did not discuss with anyone the possible participation of
Turkish troops in the peacekeeping force. He also said that the
Speaker of the Parliament Nebih Berri was not present at the
dinner at all. Furthermore, Minister Oghassapian said to this
writer that in separate meetings with Prime Minister Siniora, he
had told him of the strong opposition of the Armenian community
to the stationing of Turkish troops in Lebanon.
It is clear that the Turkish Foreign Ministry, by
fabricating this news report, is trying to create the false
public perception that Turkish soldiers would be warmly welcome
in Lebanon. This point was made more obvious in another Hurriyet
story which reported that Gul was told during his visit to
Lebanon: "All sides are waiting for the friendly Turkish
soldiers" to take part in the peacekeeping force. The second
Turkish intent in falsifying this report seems to be to split
the Armenian community into two camps: for and against having
Turkish troops in Lebanon.
Fortunately, this Turkish lie did not last very long. After
I spoke with Minister Oghassapian, he issued a formal statement
that was published in the Aug. 22 issue of Zartonk, the organ of
the Ramgavar Party in Lebanon. He described the words attributed
to him by Hurriyet as "imaginary and not corresponding to
reality." He said that in private conversations with Prime
Minister Siniora, he had indicated his reservations regarding
the presence of Turkish troops in Lebanon. He concluded his
published statement by drawing everyone's attention to the
standard practice of the Turkish media to distort the news.
Here is an update about the flurry of developments that
have taken place since this writer first suggested earlier this
month that Turkish troops should not be stationed in Lebanon:
-- All three Armenian political parties issued statements
rejecting the participation of Turkish troops in the
international peacekeeping force in Lebanon. The spiritual
leaders of the three Armenian denominations in Lebanon
(Orthodox, Catholic and Evangelical) issued a similar joint
statement.
-- An ARF delegation met with various Lebanese leaders as
well as the Ambassadors of Russia, Japan, Great Britain, China,
Italy, Iran and Egypt to impress upon them the unacceptability
of Turkish troops in Lebanon. The Armenian delegation told the
Lebanese Prime Minister that it would not accept even a single
Turkish soldier on Lebanese soil!
-- The Armenian National Committee of America sent a letter
to Pres. Bush objecting to the participation of Turkish troops
in Lebanon. A similar statement was issued by the ANC office in
Europe.
-- The American Hellenic Institute wrote a letter to Pres.
Bush opposing the inclusion of Turkish soldiers in the
peacekeeping force.
-- The Foreign Minister of Armenia, Vartan Oskanian,
announced on August 21 that the Lebanese government should have
the right to choose which country's troops it wants on its soil.
Regrettably, he did not offer a small contingent of troops to
Lebanon, while Armenians are taking part in the international
force in Iraq and Kosovo!
-- The President of Lebanon Emile Lahoud announced that
countries that have a strategic alliance with Israel, a clear
reference to Turkey, should not send troops to Lebanon, because
they would not be non-partisan. It is to be noted that Israel
rejected the participation of Malaysia, Indonesia and
Bangladesh, on the ground that they have no diplomatic relations
with Tel Aviv, even though their troops would not be stationed
in Israel. Lebanon then has even more of a right to reject the
Turkish troops which would be stationed on its territory.
-- According to the Lebanese Al Nahar newspaper, Hezbollah
would not accept the presence of Turkish troops in South Lebanon
and considers them to be proxies for the United States and
Israel. An early sign of a possible clash between the Sunni
Turks and the Shia Hezbollah forces came last week when four
Turkish reporters were detained by Hezbollah. After confiscating
their films, the reporters were released.
-- The Prime Minister and the Defense Minister of Israel
both warmly welcomed the stationing of Turkish troops in
Lebanon!
-- Various American neo-con analysts supported the
participation of the Turkish troops in Lebanon stating that this
would enhance Turkey's prestige in the Middle East and increase
its chances of joining the European Union.
-- Turkish leaders are dragging their feet in making a
final commitment of troops for Lebanon. Analysts believe that
the Turks are trying to maximize the concessions they could milk
from the West for their eventual participation. They also
announced that the Turkish Parliament must first approve such a
commitment. This is the same scenario that the Turks
orchestrated on the eve of deciding whether or not to allow
American troops to invade Iraq via Turkey. The Turkish leaders
also stated that their troops would only engage in humanitarian
and reconstruction efforts, not combat activities, thus
contradicting UN's announced intention of dispatching a robust
military force. Maybe the Red Cross should replace the Turkish
troops. It is better equipped to do relief work!
-- Onur Oymen, one of the leaders of CHP, the main
opposition party in Turkey, said his group is against sending
Turkish troops to "an uncertain adventure in Lebanon." In
addition, a group of Turkish peace activists held a protest in
Adana last Saturday. They said that Ankara had allowed the U.S.
to use the Incirlik Airbase to supply bombs and ammunition to
Israel. Meanwhile, a group of Turkish intellectuals started a
petition against sending Turkish troops to Lebanon.
-- Robert Fisk, the prominent correspondent of the British
newspaper, The Independent, warned that if the Turkish army is
sent to Lebanon, "count the days - or hours - to the first
attack upon it."
Turkey would save itself a lot of embarrassment if it would
simply announce its own decision not to send troops to Lebanon,
before being rejected by the Lebanese, particularly the
Hezbollah!