Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu stood alongside his Canadian counterpart on Sept. 20 to dedicate a memorial to a Turkish military attaché, three decades after he was gunned down by Armenian militants in Ottawa. The memorial to Col. Atilla Altıkat is “a monument condemning terrorism,” he said, adding that stood in memory to terror victims.
“On behalf of the Turkish nation, I would like to thank you for your perseverance throughout the years,” said Davutoğlu, referring to Altıkat’s wife and children.
The Syrian crisis is likely to be the focus of plenary and bilateral meetings in New York, but there are few expectations that the U.S. will move forward on the Syrian issue due to November’s presidential election.
Turkey has repeatedly complained that it is not receiving enough international assistance for Syrian refugees and has pushed for the creation of a foreign-protected “safe zone” inside Syria to try to help civilians on the other side of the border, but it has failed to receive support from international actors on the plans.
Erdoğan had been due to travel to New York between Sept. 22 and 25 and to give a speech at the U.N. Assembly, where he was expected to push the U.N. to recognize Islamophobia as a crime against humanity.
The prime minister took the decision to cancel his trip to New York after a meeting with his party deputes and secretary general on Sept. 20.
President Abdullah Gül had earlier been scheduled to attend the U.N. Assembly but canceled due to a chronic ear infection.
September/22/2012
