1. What do you think about what was done by the Ottoman Empire and the Armenians within the period 1908-1915? Was it genocide?
Many things happened a hundred years ago, two hundred years ago or five hundred years ago. It ill-befits us to constantly examine and research into these. What is befitting is to approach one another with love and compassion and to leave the past behind and build a bright future. That period was the early 1900s, when there was no culture, information or research. There was Darwinism and the indoctrination of communism and fascism. It would be wrong to base anything on the climate of violence established by the Freemasons at that time. What is more, it is by no means clear what actually happened in that period. It is the people of that time who are responsible for the events of that time. The important thing is that our nation loves you. We want the borders to come down. We want you to unite with Turkey. Let us forgive everything that happened in the past and give up our rights to each other. Let us put the matter to rest. The best thing will be to consign it to the shelves of history. Many Turks lost their lives in the Hocali incident and others. But it would ill-befit any of us to make a vendetta out of it. We give up our rights. There was a state of war in the 1900s, and people were killed on both sides. We’d like to you to give up your rights, too.
We cannot get anywhere if we approach matters with the mindset of the 1900s. We must abandon the logic of the 1900s and act according to the good, loving and unificatory logic of the 2000s. Those dark days lie in the past. Let us not be deceived by the Masons, atheists, fascists, communists, neo-Nazis and atheist Zionists. There is a Masonic plot here; they want to see the nations at one another’s throats, for which reason they create an artificial pretext, shed blood, and create a vendetta between the two sides. We must not allow ourselves to be tricked. The Armenians are a People of the Book. They are pleasant, of good character, cultured, sensible and immaculate brothers of ours.
Let Armenians come and settle in Istanbul, or Ankara or wherever they like. Turkey is well-disposed to that. Let young Armenians come to Turkey, and we can go there, and nothing bad will come of it. We played host to Armenians in these lands for hundreds of years. We lived together, side-by-side, as brothers. We regarded them as a loyal nation. The Turkish nation dislikes enmity. Armenia dislikes enmity, too. Nothing good ever comes from enmity. Good comes from friendship. Enmity gives rise to sickness. Forgiveness is enshrined in Islam and in Christianity. Let us love one another. Let us forgive one another and treat one another with affection, and let the matter be put to rest.
2. Why do you think the Turkish-Armenian border is closed? Whose fault is that?
Instead of constantly looking for a culprit, let us look at what we can do from now on. We must leave the past behind us. That border must be re-opened right away, by Allah’s leave. Armenia is our brother. The fact our Armenian brothers are suffering is no source of happiness for us. Rather, it makes us uneasy. Armenia is experiencing economic difficulties at the moment, and the public are suffering. A solution to that must be found straight away. My ideal is the establishment of the Turkish-Islamic Union, and the unification of Turkey and Azerbaijan as two states and a single nation is the first step toward that. Such unification would bring huge relief to Armenia, as well. Armenia would become many times richer and better-off than it is now. That is because Turkey will invest in it, Azerbaijan will invest in it, and European investors will invest in it. Armenia will become unrecognizably wealthier and make enormous progress in industry, art and science. A wealthy Armenia would please us. A happy Armenia would delight us. Our Armenian brothers are very dear to us and they, too, by Allah’s leave, will take their place in the loving arms of the Turkish-Islamic Union. They will live in peace. Their security will be guaranteed.
Allah willing, the border issue will be discussed and an agreement reached, and it will soon be opened up with both sides’ consent. Our Armenian brothers will happily and willingly open up the border. Let us make that possible. Let us support Armenia, and regenerate its economy. You come and work in Turkey. And we will come and work in Armenia. Let our commercial, artistic and cultural activities be interconnected. We need one another in art, science, technology and everything. Why should we stay at arm’s length? Let us found universities, and factories and scientific institutes together. Science and art must grow. The days of iron curtains and brick walls are over. It is time they must be brought down.
3. Why are there no diplomatic relations between our countries? Whose fault is that? How do you see the future of Turkish-Armenian diplomatic relations?
Allah willing, a brand-new age is now beginning. The future will be bright and excellent for our Armenian brothers and for the Turkish nation. Everyone, the Russians, the Georgians, the Abkhazians and the Azeris, everyone, will live at ease. We need to make our love and friendship for one another crystal clear, to make our respect and concern for and protection of one another plain to see. We need a spirit of brotherhood. It is essential to abide by religious moral values if brotherhood is to be re-established. In the Qur’an Allah commands Muslims to respond to evil with good. He tells us, “... Repel the bad with something better and, if there is enmity between you and someone else, he will be like a bosom friend.” (Surah Fussilat, 34) Christians are also commanded in the Bible to love others, their neighbors, for example. It says that “Love does no harm to its neighbor” and “Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.” If we approach one another with that love then, by Allah’s leave, there is no problem that cannot be resolved.
It is essential that these moral values prevail across the world. That is only possible through the Turkish-Islamic Union and under Turkish leadership, with Turkey playing the role of elder brother to the region. In that event there will be no more terror, or shortages, or hunger or poverty. Armenia will breathe easy, as will Israel and Palestine and Egypt and Iran and America. And Russia, too, and Europe. Everyone will be better off. That union will bring a superb peace to the world. That is why the establishment of the Turkish-Islamic Union is a matter of such urgency. Turkish leadership is very definitely not a claim to any racial superiority. It means willingness to undertake a heavy burden and difficulty and the desire to make the region more morally virtuous. Let our Armenian brothers be at ease. Allah willing, we have entered a time when we will enjoy all the delights and beauties of the Golden Age.