Aline Ozinian
Turkish Sabah newspaper, which has come to be considered in recent
years as the mouthpiece of the ruling Justice and Development Party,
announced the appointment of Etienne Mahcupyan as Chief Advisor to
Turkey’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on October 25. Sabah “adorned”
the news of the appointment with the fact that after Erdogan’s
“constructive” April 24 message this was yet another important step,
this time taken by Davutoglu, toward the “normalization” of relations
between Turkey and Armenia (the term used in Armenia-Turkey protocols),
by appointing an Armenian as his Chief Advisor.
This appointment was regarded in Turkish press as an important step
which would assist Davutoglu in his policy on minorities and the
improvement of Turkey-Armenia relations. At the same time, Mahcupyan
denies the Armenian-Turkish orientation of his appointment, giving a
wider role to his activities. Mahcupyan said that it was a compelling
proposal which he gladly accepted. In the meantime, Turkish media is
emphasizing his Armenian roots, underscoring that the AKP managed to
bring even an Armenian to the position of chief advisor to the Prime
Minister.
