An Armenian, Daron Acemoglu, has been appointed Turkish Ambassador to France, a source in the Turkish Foreign Ministry reported.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who addressed a conference, entitled, “Turkey’s policy in the modern world” organized by Wilton Park with the support of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, confirmed the appointment.
Davutoglu said Turkey will send an ambassador of Armenian origin to France. He said the person, who will be appointed as ambassador to France, is Turkish scientist of Armenian origin, Daron Acemoglu.
The nomination of the ambassador has already been approved by Prime Minister Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul. The new ambassador has asked for three months to complete his new study in economics.
Daron Acemoglu is a Turkish economist of Armenian origin. He is currently the Charles P. Kindleberger Professor of Applied Economics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and winner of the 2005 John Bates Clark Medal. The economist was twice nominated for the Nobel Prize.
On March 3, Turkish State Council adopted decision allowing a Turkish citizen of Armenian origin Leo Suren Halepli to work for Turkey’s secretariat general for EU affairs.
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Turkey is in a hurry to fill posts with Turkish citizens of Armenian origin. They are preparing grounds for proclaiming that Turks do not discriminate nor hate Armenians, and here is the proof. This, together with the Post-revolution Ottoman Armenian Parliamentarians, is going to clinch the irrevocable truth that genocide against the Armenians could not possibly have happened.
After all, as insisted by the late Turkish far right ambassador-turned journalist-turned negotiator in TARC, Gunduz Aktan, in order to accomplish a genocide there must be an institutional hatred towards the Armenians, this appointment proves, Turks will claim, that they simply do not hate Armenians, not now nor in the past.
The sad thing is the West will gladly find a pretence in this Turkish comedy as a reason to reject Armenian Genocide recognition struggle.
This is just a civilized facemask to look good in front of EU where world is aware what evil face is covered by that mask.
He will be used by Turkey for propaganda. It’s a disgrace. The Turks have made sure that he is a nice passive Armenian,
I wonder whose side he’ll take when France condemns the Genocide deniers ?????
Hi,
The appointment of Daron Ajemian as an embassador of tukey in France reminds me the YENI CHERI policy of turks who were forcefully grabbing the armenian children from villages and converting them into islam and training them as militry forces to attack christian villages, the same turkish policy is continuing nowdays by assigning Daron as the embassador of france to confront the armenian cause,
I guess Ankara is reverting back to its old tactics of hiring Armenians to do their dirty work for them.
Am I right in assuming that Daron will not be saying the G-word in a months time while commemorating our martyrs on April 24th?
The fact that an Armenian was duped into participating in this charade is not surprising.The fact that our people keep getting duped by these same asinine government officials using the same lies…is.
As Armenians we do not support one another, sell each other in an instant. That’s when we open the enemies eyes and give them the power to do whatever they want with fragile territory. That’s been our history and still is repeating itself unfortunately. When will we ever learn and stop the backstabbing toward one another. Before we blame other nations, let us accept our fault and try to fix it. Let us teach our children the right and not this ancesterial self destructive behavior. WAKE UP ARMENIANS, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING, OR ELSE………BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!
Yes, this sort of stuff – making nice to Armenians – is expected; and Turkey will do more. Now, that Turkey’s eastern frontiers have received international recognition (The Protocols of 2010) that gave legitimacy to the Moscow Treaty of 1921: more significant in the Moscow Treaty was the to be determined status of the territories of the first Armenian Republic 1918-20 that Turkey was holding on to as “care taker” per the Moscow treaty – until recently – it has been settled under the Protocols as Turkish territory and the validates the present frontiers.
So, now Turkey will appointment Armenians to prominent positions and even acknowledge the deaths of Armenians and send a senior Turkish official to the genocide memorial to utter the words “we’re sorry”.
And what is next, a Turkish citizen of Armenian origin Ambassador to Azerbaijan.
This something …oglu, if he is Armenian should work for Armenia and Karabakh.
I would suggest then to find some Azeri/Turk, make him Armenian citizen and send to France as Armenian ambassador. 🙂
Here’s another article which makes it sound like he did not accept the OECD position:
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-239568-turkey-intended–to-appoint-armenian–as-envoy-to-oecd.html
No mention of France. I’m sure more solid details will come out over the next day or two.
Daron Acemian??? or Ajemian ( Oglu…Turkified Name)
He is not the first one ambassador
I heard that 60% of Turkish ambassadors are of Armenian origin.
There was one in the Gulf he was a painter as well…very quite person with his nice wife.
I am happy to hear that another Armenian nominated for Nobel prize but he did not get it.
Armenians and Nobel Prize
Many Armenians did not get the Nobel Prize:
Was not given to Altounyan,*
The Scientist who discovered the Medical Inhalers.
Nor to the inventor, Damadian,** who discovered MRI .
Both are saving lives and will continue to save them.
Even the Turks—who live longer by using inhalers—
Who threw us from Anatolia, our Noah’s Land,
Any Turk who takes that puff to re-breathe and stay alive,
Let them remember that Anatolian-Armenians giving them new life.
Also do not forget poetess Alicia Ghiragossian***
Another Armenian lady nominated for the Nobel Prize!
She wrote in three languages without any translation,…
Still did not get it: I feel I want to burn my soul to know why!
Sylva Portoian, MD
December 9, 2009
_______________
* Roger Altounyan (1922 – 1987) was a Syrian-born physician and pharmacologist of Armenian and English descent who pioneered the use of sodium cromoglycate as a remedy for asthma. Starting with khella, a traditional Middle Eastern remedy for asthma, he discovered in 1965, that khella’s active ingredient was khellin. He eventually produced a safer chemical based on khellin, sodium cromoglycate. This was later marketed as Intal by Fisons Pharmaceuticals. The discovered inhalers used by asthmatics saving billions of lives. His colleagues say that he deserved to win the Nobel Prize in Medicine. (I’d like to say that if you are asthmatic or you’re using any type of inhaler, please remember him. I prescribe inhalers almost everyday to my sick children saving them from being admitted to hospitals and contacting more germs.)
** Raymond V. Damadian: American pioneer in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). His discovery was original work, unfairly judged by the Nobel Committee, ending controversially in him not winning the Nobel Prize.
***Alicia Ghiragossian: Nominated for the Nobel Prize in literature; She writes poetry in three languages.
Reply
Something smells here….beyond fishy!
He shouldn’t have accepted this offer, simply because the intention of Turkey is of ill character and ill guided.
Well, now he has accepted this ugly offer, the best would be to invite the “Turkish ambassador” to the commemoration of 24 April. Make sure he will be fired or recalled by as “traitor” – Turks like this Term – since they are looking only for justification to cover up the genocide committed!!
Soon, Turkey will appoint a Turkish Armenian of Dashnak or Henchak fellow to the governor of Van and a one will sitting in Turkish Parliament.. Turkey is trying to create for its own society and the world community “an illusion of the time before 1915”, hopping to gain the maximum – as if nothing were happened ! ..
wondering what kind of comments will our blindly skeptic armenian neighbours make. Please say this is another Turkish game to deceive public opinion.
nice looking super intelligent boy. The question is how ” Armenian” does he feel???. , or is he a ” deracinated” Armenian ?? . I have several Armenian friends, who happen to hail from Turkey. I simply refer to them as ” Turks”, not in any derogatory sense, but because they totally lack any semblance of Armenian feelings, sentiments and expressions.
Wow this is interesting. Are they trying to show the world that they don’t have an institutionalized policy of racism by nominating these Armenians? Are they nominating these Armenians so that when we push for Genocide recognition they will have an extra talking point saying that they’ve moved on and have integrated Armenians into their government? Is this good for us, bad for us, or will it have no impact on our issues Ara???
I am puzzled with turkish ministry of FA . What would be their next move ? They have assigned another armenian Suren Halepli to their UN affairs office . I am afraid that they are confronting armenians and Armenia by armenians. This should really bother us.
Թերեւս Եւրոպական կարք մը պետութիւններու դիւանագետներ կ՛ըզմայլին՝ թրքական այս Խորամանկութեան վրայ, հաշիւի առնելով թէ դիւանագիտութիւնը՝ նաև բոզութիւն է։
Turkish Armenians should not accept such posts. If they do, they must do the best job possible to represent Turkey’s interests. Appointments to the UN or France are highly conflicting and provocative. TrkushArsmenians could do a good unconflicted job of representing Turkey’s best interests in say, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Yemen, etc. But not the EU, Russia, Iran the US, etc….
Moreover, this is yet another pre-April 24 ploy by the Genocide denialists.
More coverage:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=fm-offers-diplomatic-position-to-a-turkish-armenian-2011-03-30
http://eu.greekreporter.com/2011/03/30/ethnic-armenian-in-turkey-rejects-diplomatic-post/
i don’t think he’s been chosen to be the ambassador to france. maybe another position, not ambassador. big difference.
And we thought that the old Ottoman practice of the predetory YENICERI process was a thing of the past… It is diabolically clever, on the part of a nation, that continues doing everything in its power bring the 1915 Genocide to its successful conclusion — the annihilation of the Armenians as a nation…
Correct, the Ottomon practice has always been clever; but as Armenians we have not played our cards right. We have made ourself the victims by working against one another. This type of destructive behavior is happening today, we don’t realize it now. However, it is time we did, before it’s too late. CAN WE PLEASE SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER AS BROTHERS, AND NOT GIVE ODARS THE RIGHT TO WALK, STEP AND RUN ALL OVER US!!!!
Hello,
I understand from http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/17404398.asp?gid=373
that he declined the offer.
So what will this Turkish appointed Ambassador to France with Armenian origins comment about the rallies that take place every April 24 around the world (including Paris) commemorating the Armenian genocide?
Turks are pretty clever: you have to give them that.
Obviously this is to blunt the effort of criminalizing Denial of the AG @ the French Senate.
He will certainly make speeches calling for ”….reconciliation, not opening old wounds, letting historians handle the matter…”, etc, etc
However, we shall not judge him harshly: Mr. Acemoglu and all other Armenians living in Turkey have to be considered hostages, or Helsinki Syndrome victims, with figurative guns to their heads….or sometimes, as in the case of Hrant Dink, real guns.
Anything that Mr. Acemoglu says against the AG has to be considered having been done under duress.
There has been a lot of confusion here. I think he was original offered the position to represent Turkey in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) which is based in Paris. Through the grapevine this turned into “ambassador to France”. Acemoglu is a renowned economist. As an Armenian from Turkey, his appointment would have been had a publicity benefits for Turkey on many levels.
He currently has dual US/Turkish citizenship and is a professor of economics at MIT.
Us the armenians are so naive and stupid, starting from Krikor Zohrab and down all the way to Hrant dink, why should Daron be different from the rest of us, first of all he should change his name to mehmat, attaturk, gengeis or some kind of rear turkish name then axcept the post, shame on him. Any way the Armenians that live in turkey are all turk lovers, and lots in diaspora, speaking, watching buying, ” turkish”. This was insult to the injury. When are we going to grow up ?
Shame on you Aro that you call the armenians who live in Turkey are all turk lovers. It shows that you do not have any idea or knowledge about them. First of all, except Armania, Istanbul has been the number one center of Armenian Culture and still turkish armenians in Istanbul keep their culture and heritage of it. You can not compare any armenian community in any city of the world with armenian community in Turkey/Istanbul. If some people of diaspora are talking turkish the main reason is they could not go to the armenian school because there were not armenian schools in the villages of Anatolia but the armenians in Istanbul have chance to go armenian schools and they know perfect armenian language. And their armenian dignity is strongest than may be you or other armenians of diaspora. For your information there are 33 armenian churches, 18 Choirs for Badarak, 21 elementary-middle-high schools, 18 non profit organizations, each school has its association for graduated students where they get together to keep their culture (folklore, sport, lecture etc.) alive. I think you do not have any idea about Krikor Zohrab and Hrant Dink as well. Zohrab, as a member of turkish parliament, had defended armenians rights in Turkey, after Dink’s assassination more than 100,000 people participated his funeral and turk scholars started to write articles and books about genocide.I want to repeat Hrant Dink’s speech before assassination ” We have to teach the turk people about armenian genocide starting the bottem from regular people then go to the top to authorities of goverment” so turk scholars writing on this way. Do you know that last year in 2010 commemoratons of April 24 event has been placed at 3 locations in Istanbul and this year same events will be hold in the 4 major cities in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Diyarbakir.To conclude my speech please DO NOT ACCUSE DIASPORA TURKISH ARMENIANS OR ARMENIANS IN ISTANBUL WITHOUT HAVING CORRECT INFORMATION ABOUT THEM.Thank you for your patience.
I agree with Simon. Who are we to judge? We don’t know are own history. Armenians living in Turkey have faught the battle 10 times harder than the rest of us to keep their Armenian heritage. Aro, did you know the amount of backstabbing that takes place within the Armenian community, especially in Los Angeles? An Armenian American politician cannot be elected to local city government office due to Armenian backstabbing. We give the power for odars to walk all over us, what a shame. And we have the audacity to blame others. Wake up and smell the coffee, we are repeating history all over again, all on our own, without any help. Of course the Turk, the Arab the Israeli, etc. will take advantage of us, we are so double faced…. It makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it. I HOPE OUR CHILDREN DO NOT FOLLOW IN OUR FOOTSTEPS AND BECOME THE GOOD SUPPORTIVE ARMENIANS TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER….
Shame on you folks! You can’t even wait a little bit and find the right news.You are ready to jump and accuse anybody with your hateful attitude. Yes, the news was not what you think. He was not appointed as an ambassador, he got an offer for OECD and rejected. I got this news from a Turkish newspaper and I think it is right. By the way, Daron comes from a prominent intellectual family whose late mother was a Armenian school principle and a poet, and his late father was a assistant prof. in the faculty of law. They were very much involved with the community. He is graduated from London School of Economic and currently is a professor of economics at MIT. He is extremely smart and highly educated young Armenian. Please be a little bit respectful to each other. Some comments were very hurtful.
Aro, when will you grow up?
unfortunately there are too many Aros within the Armenian community. Aro was just corageous enough to voice his opinion. Most of them don’t even express themselves and come on to be supportive, and back stab behind the scenes. Now I know what type of behavior our Armenian leaders were incorporating in Turkey in 1915???????
“Any way the Armenians that live in turkey are all turk lovers,”
Enough!
Those who think like this, so willing to dismiss other Armenians simply because of where they live is stupid, disgusting and destructive. Such individuals are turning their pain and hatred towards other Armenians. Not all Armenians in Turkey have Turkish last names, and a lot of them have done this because it’s not easy being Armenian in Turkey. We should grow up by not putting down others so easily and without attempting to understand.
In case you missed it, it appears Daron rejected it the offer, which was for the OECD and not full diplomatic ambassadorship. Davutoglu mentioned the offer to get brownie points from the international community (look we treat everyone equally etc). And of course such a thing would also upset Armenians.
People like Aro are a shame to our Armenian Civilization which has survived the last 3000 years. If we go down his path, soon we’ll be at each others’ throats because we don’t like each other’s choices, looks, birthplace, etc. His words are yet another attempt at simplifying issues instead of looking at things with intellectual vigor.
We should be proud of the Armenian community in Turkey because they are the ones at the ‘coal face’! Instead of criticizing them, we should support them in every way we can. Have you already forgotten Hrant Dink?
Arziv, to know few Armenians from Bolis doesn’t give you the right to say wrong and baseless things about them. You need to involve with their lives in order to say anything about them. We don’t need naive and insensitive people who are doing more harm than any nation.You don’t know what kind of rich cultural life they have right now. I wish to have the same here in US as an Armenian. By the way, even if you have a Turkish last name does not mean that you’re a bad Armenian. One example is Daron and countless of intellectuals with a high sense of national identity. Who knows, maybe they had done more things for our nation than someone with Armenian last name.Next time when you say something,please think twice.
Hi folks :let’s not jump the gun give the guy a chance lets think beyond our feelings, do we need an Armenian in the world that lives in Turkey with good education and intellectual young manwho can surve his country and his ancestors origins to the wide world? yes it is a propaganda but 90% is in our Armenian favor, some other people will think twice and ask why they call him a Turkish/Armenian, and as far as his name is concerned lets be fair ask any Armenian who is born in Argentin can use his Armenian name first or going to be Romeo or pablo etc. or any Armenian in Iraq that they were forced to change there last name to there grandparent’s name or here in our FREE America have you seen any first generation Armenian with Armenian name lookin the Armenian Church arcives and see from Adam to Roger to Taylor and the last name from Hagopian to Jackops or Hovanesian to Johns or Johnsons and the best is in Armenia, show me in Armenian names Vlademir Volga or Yuri , or how about in Germeny from Hanz to Victor . that’s all have to say good day folks.
I dissent.
The Turkish state nominates Acemoglu for bad reasons. That is true. However, if Turkey was not a country of crippling hatred and discrimination, Acemoglu and others would be entitled to occupy such positions by reason of skill and merit.
In the United States, the fight against racism began 100 years before the 1964 Civil Rights Act. These small steps are good for the health of Turkey and the welfare of the minorities. This is a nation which teaches its young that Armenians are traitors.
I am for it, even if it increases the chances of Armenians in Turkey to live more freely only a small bit, and even if Turkey uses it to fight Genocide recognition.
There is also the wild card. Acemoglu might embarass his government by being brave, as Dink called out for us all to be.
Although the Armenians of Istanbul are somehow “prisoners” to the Turkish totalitarian regime/system and do not have the choice but to accept their situation still there are many diaspora sympathizers (with a perfect knowledge of the Armenian language) who speak Turkish, watch Turkish TV and buy Turkish products with a smile. I’m an extremist and you don’t build a nation with half measures!
If Armenians in Bolis are prisoners, I wonder why ten thousand Armenians came to that city and living there. Probably they wanted to be under a totalitarian regime worse than Armenia. Their numbers unfortunately is getting bigger and none of them is complaining. I had a chance to talk and try to convince them to go back.They laughed. By the way, we are not seeing the real issues regarding our nation, we are living in a pink world.Nothing is wrong with us. Try concentrate your thoughts and efforts in order to have a democratic government in our land who can respect human rights and freedom. Otherwise, our future is not going to be bright. We are loosing our people and no one is paying attention. Leave other countries to their people. I think being extremist means nothing. Are you doing any positive thing for your country,or culture? P.S. Thank you Simon,you put everything .
Hye, Obviously, asking an Armenian, selected by a turkey, to be turkey’s Ambassador to France?? Just another of their endless/ongoing PLOYs – signifying a desperate turkey.
I would suggest to appoint a Turk as the Ambassador of Armenia in France. (may be). Hasgetsoghin shad Parev.
AN OPEN LETTER:
The sole goal of appointment of Turkish citizens of the Armenian heritage as ambassadors of Turkey is
a) to create an army of Janichars, collaborators. To corrupt the bright Armenian intellectuals by offering them a well-paid positions. The contract of such deal is also a contract of cutting the string connecting one with his origin. Once 2015 passes, these people will be discarded as useless.
b) To challenge both the Armenian Diaspora and the governments of the countries which have recognized the Armenian Genocide.
c) To turn into a comedy the tragedy of the Armenian Genocide.
Help to build Armenia – dream of your ancestors. Do not collaborate, team-up with its destroyers!
Apply your Armenian part for the Armenian cause, not against it!
Recognize the Armenian Genocide by rejecting the offer to become a collaborator.
Please do not contribute to the political agenda of Turkish government! It is a short-time agenda aiming to pass safely 2015.
Oops,
Read this:
” Turkish Foreign Ministry offered a post to Daron Acemoglu as the country’s permanent representative to the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). News sources first claimed he would be appointed as Turkish ambassador to France, but Foreign Minister Davutoglu, in his press conference yesterday corrected that mistake without naming names.
Acemoglu, a Turkish/Armenian and a prominent economist and academician has rejected the offer noting that his academic career has priority over political inspirations.
Critics see the offer as an act to save face against allegations of mistreatment of minorities in Turkey. Government spokespersons claim they want to normalize relations with Armenia in accordance with Turkey’s so called “zero conflict” policy with her neighbors.
Daron Acemoğlu is currently Professor of Applied Economics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and winner of the 2005 John Bates Clark Medal. He is said to be a good candidate for a future Nobel prize in economics.
Although there are no restrictions in law, minorities in Turkey were never appointed to official posts by the state since 1950′s and could not held public office. There was never a minority Member of Parliament nor a high level public servant since then.”
I suppose that I am the only one here who thinks that we should welcome and cherish any friendly gesture from Turkey or other Muslim nations. Turks like other Muslims are the product of their religion which commanded them to ruthlessly conquer and wrench other people’s lands and possessions without guilt, remorse or compunction. We can not expect them to be like us. They are not there where ourselves and others in our Western civilization are yet.