Canada is looking to eliminate the shadows left by a 2004 parliamentary resolution regarding Armenian allegations of genocide in order to improve bilateral relations with Turkey. Turkish initiatives to normalize relations with Armenia are a good reason to develop common trade interests between Canada and Turkey, a Canadian politician says
 'Turkey and Canada should now look forward,' says Noel Kinsella. Turkey-Canada ties were strained in 2004 after Canada recognized the so-called Armenian genocide DAILY NEWS photo, Selahattin SÖNMEZ |
Canada wants to improve bilateral relations with Turkey after they were strained following a 2004Canadian Senate resolution that referred to the 1915 events in eastern Turkey as the “Armenian genocide,” a senior Canadian political figure has said.
Admitting that Canada’s Armenian decision was a hot potato as far as bilateral relations between Turkey and Canada were concerned, both countries should now look forward to joint interests, Noel Kinsella, speaker of the Canadian Senate, told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review in an interview Thursday, adding that Turkey should be applauded for its efforts to normalize its relations with Armenia.
“Eyes, when god made us, he put them in front of us. Eyes are not on the back. So if we spent too much time thinking that we have eyes in the back and we look backwards, we’re going to fall and hurt ourselves,” he said.
Bilateral relations between Canada and Turkey were strained when Canada's House of Commons made a decision in 2004 to recognize as genocide the mass killing of Armenians during World War I. As Ankara condemned the decision, political contacts and economic relations suffered from the tension.
However, Turkish Parliament Speaker Mehmet Ali Şahin visited Canada to attend a G-20 summit in 2010 and a couple of Canadian ministers paid visits to Turkey in attempts to calm the political atmosphere between the two countries. Kinsella visited Ankara on Thursday and met high-ranking figures, including President Abdullah Gül.
Asked what had changed since 2004 to open the possibility of further dialogue, Kinsella said: “The government of Turkey has been undertaking a number of measures in dealing with Armenia. We’re very impressed what the government of Turkey has been doing on that [Armenian] question.
“We must learn from the things of the past, but we cannot govern domestic or international relations by looking backwards,” he said.
“Some of us regret this particular historical event which occurred long before [modern Turkish founder Mustafa Kemal] Atatürk, that was an event of the past. We have many events in the past of Canada under the rule of the French or Britain. In northern America, both the U.S. and Canada have been through terrible slavery.”
Asked if Canadian politicians would make allegations regarding the events of 1915 an issue in the future, Kinsella said Turkey’s initiative to normalization relations with Armenia were a positive sign.
Supporting Turkey's proposal that a historical commission research the incidents of 1915, he said the technical aspects of such an investigation should be left to historical experts to deal with. “We know its complications because [Turkey is] a great nation like Canada. It’s multicultural in many ways and any country that is multicultural is also multi-confessional.”
Kinsella said the best way the people of Canada and Turkey could come to understand each other was through education.
“Currently, there are approximately 1,500 students from Turkey studying in Canada. We’d like to double that number immediately. I’d like to see Canadian students come and have a semester or two, join a four-year university [course] in [a] Turkish university.”
The Turkish language is not only important for what it reflects as the heritage of the Turkish people but is an increasingly important trade language in the world, he said. “Turkey is a member of G-20. Turkey connects so many civilizations. Some Canadian students come to Ankara University to study literature and linguistics, not just engineering, architecture or medicine,” he said.
Kinsella said a way to improve relations on practical business level was through increased sea traffic between the two countries. “For the boats going to North America it takes one less day to sail if they come to Canada. Atlantic Canada is an opportunity to be a new gateway to the entire North American continent. With less sailing time Canada is closer to Turkey than New York.”
“The sea traffic from Asia Pacific, China, India and other countries is going to increase dramatically. Obviously, Turkey is a maritime nation, a part of this tremendous growth that will occur, strategic relationship between us is necessary,” he said.
Kinsella also said Turkish-Canadian partnership in NATO was important. “Another factor relates to NATO and [the] partnership of Canada and Turkey in NATO. Today we are seeing obstacles in Somalia, [in] maritime piracy. The Turkish navy has been very active there protecting the sea vehicles. That will continue to be more [and more] important,” Kinsella said.
Admitting that Canada’s Armenian decision was a hot potato as far as bilateral relations between Turkey and Canada were concerned, both countries should now look forward to joint interests, Noel Kinsella, speaker of the Canadian Senate, told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review in an interview Thursday, adding that Turkey should be applauded for its efforts to normalize its relations with Armenia.
“Eyes, when god made us, he put them in front of us. Eyes are not on the back. So if we spent too much time thinking that we have eyes in the back and we look backwards, we’re going to fall and hurt ourselves,” he said.
Bilateral relations between Canada and Turkey were strained when Canada's House of Commons made a decision in 2004 to recognize as genocide the mass killing of Armenians during World War I. As Ankara condemned the decision, political contacts and economic relations suffered from the tension.
However, Turkish Parliament Speaker Mehmet Ali Şahin visited Canada to attend a G-20 summit in 2010 and a couple of Canadian ministers paid visits to Turkey in attempts to calm the political atmosphere between the two countries. Kinsella visited Ankara on Thursday and met high-ranking figures, including President Abdullah Gül.
Asked what had changed since 2004 to open the possibility of further dialogue, Kinsella said: “The government of Turkey has been undertaking a number of measures in dealing with Armenia. We’re very impressed what the government of Turkey has been doing on that [Armenian] question.
“We must learn from the things of the past, but we cannot govern domestic or international relations by looking backwards,” he said.
“Some of us regret this particular historical event which occurred long before [modern Turkish founder Mustafa Kemal] Atatürk, that was an event of the past. We have many events in the past of Canada under the rule of the French or Britain. In northern America, both the U.S. and Canada have been through terrible slavery.”
Asked if Canadian politicians would make allegations regarding the events of 1915 an issue in the future, Kinsella said Turkey’s initiative to normalization relations with Armenia were a positive sign.
Supporting Turkey's proposal that a historical commission research the incidents of 1915, he said the technical aspects of such an investigation should be left to historical experts to deal with. “We know its complications because [Turkey is] a great nation like Canada. It’s multicultural in many ways and any country that is multicultural is also multi-confessional.”
Kinsella said the best way the people of Canada and Turkey could come to understand each other was through education.
“Currently, there are approximately 1,500 students from Turkey studying in Canada. We’d like to double that number immediately. I’d like to see Canadian students come and have a semester or two, join a four-year university [course] in [a] Turkish university.”
The Turkish language is not only important for what it reflects as the heritage of the Turkish people but is an increasingly important trade language in the world, he said. “Turkey is a member of G-20. Turkey connects so many civilizations. Some Canadian students come to Ankara University to study literature and linguistics, not just engineering, architecture or medicine,” he said.
Kinsella said a way to improve relations on practical business level was through increased sea traffic between the two countries. “For the boats going to North America it takes one less day to sail if they come to Canada. Atlantic Canada is an opportunity to be a new gateway to the entire North American continent. With less sailing time Canada is closer to Turkey than New York.”
“The sea traffic from Asia Pacific, China, India and other countries is going to increase dramatically. Obviously, Turkey is a maritime nation, a part of this tremendous growth that will occur, strategic relationship between us is necessary,” he said.
Kinsella also said Turkish-Canadian partnership in NATO was important. “Another factor relates to NATO and [the] partnership of Canada and Turkey in NATO. Today we are seeing obstacles in Somalia, [in] maritime piracy. The Turkish navy has been very active there protecting the sea vehicles. That will continue to be more [and more] important,” Kinsella said.
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