| On March 29, daily Azg informed readers about the reconciliation conference of Days of Caucasian Friendship organized by regional clubs of Rotary International in Ankara in late March. Availing myself the opportunity, I interviewed governor of Rotary International’s regional clubs, Erhan Ciftcioglu, who had a very impressive speech at the conference.
– The reconciliation conference of Days of Caucasian Friendship held in March 18-20 was organized by your direct supervision. How did you get this idea?
– The wish to settle all existing issues in the Caucasus was the ground for organizing the conference. Besides, the aim of Rotary International is establishing peace worldwide. The Rotary, with its 1 million 250 thousand members, 250 thousand interacts and hundred of thousands adherents, is the greatest organization of the world’s civil society. The Turkish department of such an organization having the Kyrgyz, Kazakh and Azeri clubs under its subordination, could not remain indifferent to the problems in the Caucasus, me, even more so, as I am one of the 500 elected Rotary governors.
Secondly, I am coming from Mersin and I know what a tragedy you suffered in Anatolia before and after the year of 1915 and especially in 1915. For that reason we thought of putting all our means at hand to the service of peoples who coexisted for 600 years. That tuned in with the desire of Turks, Armenians as well as Azeris and Georgians.
I took the first step in organizing the conference year and a half ago when I contacted the president of the Rotary club in Yerevan, Hovsep Seferian, via Internet. I offered to sit around a table, draw forward new views and inform the public about them. Feeling that them matter is in standstill on the Internet, I called Hovsep with a special offer to meet him first and then the Azeri side. Meanwhile, I demand that they invited me to Yerevan to discuss the matter in details. In July of 2004 I set off for Yerevan with my wife for 5 days. I told them at the meeting: “Let’s pass over the political side of the issue and take the first step for reconciliation – introducing our children to each other”. I expressed readiness to host them. 22 young Armenians visited Mersin, taking time for rest and meeting their Turkish peers.
– What’s the main result of the conference?
– I think it is the speeches of Hovsep Seferian and Ali Musayev, Yerevan and Baku club presidents, tuned so well in the atmosphere of the conference and Ali’s initiative to foster friendship.
– What impact will the conference have on the Armenian-Turkish relations?
– The impact will be surely be positive because the key signal of the conference was: “Dear state authorities, we miss each other much, so find ways for reconciliation. It’s not our business as to how you will do that”. But more than the signal we need reconciliation steps. I personally took my firs step in this conference. It must be an impulse for other organizations of civil society to be more courageous.
– What was the stance of state authorities towards the conference?
– Rotarian clubs could not take part in the conference without state’s consent. I demanded that the Azeri and Armenian clubs informed previously their state authorities. If the leaders of the 3 Caucasian states did not want the national clubs to participate, the conference would not take place. This means that our state figures expect that we will draw forward new ideas. That’s the truth. And we did what depended on us. 100 Rotary members from Ankara and 300 from other regions of Turkey participated in the conference. The overall number of participants was 500. Diplomats from many countries that have no connection with the Caucasus expressed willingness take part. But we did not want the conference gain political features.
– Why didn’t the Turkish press properly cover the event?
– I did not want certain people to misuse the conference, that’s why I am glad that it was not properly covered. We wish, in the end, that the society put pressure on the state authorities. We tell the latter to settle the unsolved issues as they can.
– How do you imagine this settlement?
– I think if the traditions of Anatolia reflect in the politics, then issues will be settled. We do not need other methods. My starting-point is the traditions of Anatolia.
– You closed your speech with the following expression: “Peace in Caucasus is so important that it cannot be left only to politicians’ discretion”. Couldn’t you open the brackets?
– I said that because reconciliation in the Caucasus is vital for peoples of the region. Reconciliation is important for the world, too. Meanwhile, it is obvious that the politicians are the ones who brought issues to deadlock because they did things alone.
By Hakob Chakrian in Ankara |
Akgün Medya