Turkish Minister Postpones Swiss Visit in Protest

[Siamanto]

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
June 12 2005

Turkish Minister Postpones Swiss Visit in Protest

ANKARA - Turkish State Minister Kursat Tuzmen postponed an official
visit to Switzerland to protest against a Swiss investigation into a
Turkish historian, Yusuf Halacoglu, who denied the so-called Armenian
genocide claims, officials said late Thursday. In Switzerland no one
can defend a pro-Turkish approach on Armenian issue.

Tuzmen had been scheduled to take part in a June 22-24 Turkish-Swiss
business forum. But his visit and the conference were "indefinitely
postponed" because of an ongoing Swiss criminal probe into Halacoglu,
the head of the Turkish Historical Society (TTK), officials in
Tuzmen's office said.

The probe was launched because of suspicions that Halacoglu had
violatedSwiss 'anti-racism laws' by denying the so-called Armenian
genocide claims in a speech last year.

Turkish the Anatolia news agency said a visit by Swiss Economy
Minister Joseph Deiss to Turkey, scheduled for September, has also
been postponed. Turkish officials could not immediately confirm the
report.

Manuel Sager, spokesman for the Swiss Economy Ministry, said that
Deiss would like to travel to Turkey as planned, but "the trip has
yet to be confirmed from the Turkish side."

Tuzmen's postponement is the latest row between Turkey and
Switzerland over the Armenian "genocide" claims.

Micheline Calmy-Rey, the Swiss foreign minister, had been scheduled
to travel to Turkey in 2003, but Turkey withdrew its invitation after
the Parliament of a western Swiss canton (state) recognized the
so-called Armenian genocide claims that March.

The Armenians claim that the Ottomans committed a genocide against
Armenians in 1915, and modern Turkey has to recognise it. However
Turkey has never accepted the allegations. Hundred and thousands of
Turks and Armenian died during the Armenian riot. Moder than 523,000
Turkish Ottoman citizens were massacred by the Armenian gangs.
Similarly many Armenians died in the ethnic clashes. Many more died
due to the war curcumstances. The Armenian diaspora never used the
term 'genocide' till 1965. However after the 1965 demonstrations,
Armenian groups started anti-Turkish campaigns in the Western
countries.

There is a strong Armenian diaspora in Switzerland and it manipulates
the Swiss politics towards Turkey.

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg115433.html

[Siamanto]

Neue Z�rcher Zeitung, Switzerland
June 12 2005

Armenian question overshadows Turkish visit

A delegation of Turkish parliamentarians arrives in Switzerland on
Monday, amid fresh controversy over the killing of Armenians by the
Ottoman Empire.



Newspaper reports in Turkey on Friday said planned visits by
ministers from both countries had been cancelled, in response to the
launch of a criminal investigation against a Turkish historian.

Turkish newspapers, Radikal and Milliyet, reported that the
Turkish trade minister, K�rsad T�zmen, had cancelled a visit to
Zurich, planned for June 22-24.

T�zmen had been due to address the Swiss-Turkish Business Council,
which said he had postponed his visit a month ago. He was also due to
meet the economics minister, Joseph Deiss.

T�zmen was refusing to come to Switzerland for reasons of solidarity
with the historian in question, Yusuf Halacoglu, the papers said.
Radikal quoted T�zmen as saying that Halacoglu was a "good friend".

Last month, the cantonal prosecutor's office in Winterthur launched a
criminal investigation against Halacoglu for violating anti-racism
laws. The prosecutor's office says the Turkish historian played down
the massacre of Armenians in 1915-18 in a speech in May 2004.

According to Radikal and Milliyet, Deiss has cancelled a reciprocal
visit to Turkey, scheduled for September. There has been no
confirmation from the Swiss economics ministry, but spokesman Manuel
Sager said the Turkish side had indicated that there were "scheduling
problems" with the visit.

However, the press attach� at the Turkish embassy in Bern, Sibel Gal,
said Deiss's visit was still expected to take place in the autumn.

Controversy
The latest controversy comes as the foreign affairs committee of the
Turkish Grand National Assembly begins a weeklong visit to
Switzerland on Monday. The trip is a reciprocal visit: a Swiss
delegation visited Ankara last year.

The Turks are due to meet Swiss parliamentarians, as well as Deiss
and the Swiss foreign minister, Micheline Calmy-Rey.

Turkey and Switzerland have been at odds over the Armenian question
since 2003, when the Vaud cantonal parliament voted to recognise the
killings as genocide. The House of Representatives followed suit
three months later.

Ankara withdrew an invitation to Calmy-Rey after the vote in Vaud,
but she visited the country last March once tensions had eased.

Turkey strongly denies the charge of genocide, putting the emphasis
on killings by both sides.

"Bitter taste"
Speaking to swissinfo earlier in the week, before the latest
controversy erupted, the Turkish ambassador to Bern, Alev Kili�,
admitted that the Armenian situation "has left a bitter taste at a
certain point in our relations".

"We would like to clear this once and for all by establishing a
commission of historians from both sides and opening all files and
archives."

Kili� added the Swiss had shown interest in such a commission during
Calmy-Rey's visit in March, and that now it was up to the Armenians
to make their position clear.

"Of course the proposal has also been made to the Armenian government
and we can't establish anything without their agreement. We have
still not received a positive reply."

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg115430.html

[TomServo]

Ooh. That's showin' em.

[winoman]

Many Ottomans lost their lives... Armenian people also died...

..oh yes incidently Armenian people died during this period...perhaps of old age or food poisoning...and yes Armenians can give speechs at their Parliment saying there was no Genocide - yup...who does he think he is - Turkish Martin Luther King..."I have a dream" etc...

Akp Deputy Comez Says Armenia Should Give Up Its Allegations

Turkish Press
June 13 2005

YEREVAN (AA) - Turkish Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy from
Balikesir Dr. Turhan Comez said that new initiative should be launched
in regard to so-called Armenian genocide, adding that Armenia should
give up its genocide allegations.

Comez, continuing his tour of Yerevan, had a meeting with Armenian
deputy Hacat Sukyasyan.

Comez and Sukyasyan exchanged views on development of relations
between Turkey and Armenia.

"There had been sufferings in 1915. Many Ottomans lost their
lives... Armenian people also died. The two countries should carry
out a joint study. When I deliver a speech at the Turkish Parliament
for opening of Armenian border gate, at the same time you can deliver
a speech at your parliament saying that incidents happened in 1915
were not genocide; that historians should study these issues and that
Armenia should respect the territorial integrity of Turkey. Maybe,
it is a small step, but it will be an important beginning," Comez
told Sukyasyan.

Sukyasyan noted that the two countries should leave aside problems
between them, stating that border gate should be opened by Turkey
and Armenia.

Stressing that after border gate was opened, the two countries would
further improve, Sukyasyan added that Turkey and Armenia should
further develop the region together.

[winoman]

Further brilliance from the poster child for leaving history to historians

Ak Party Deputy Comez Says Turkey Ready To Debate Armenian Claims

Turkish Press
June 13 2005

YEREVAN (AA) - Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy Turhan
Comez told Armenian deputies and officials on Saturday that Turkey
was ready to debate genocide claims both in historical and in legal
platforms.

Responding to questions of some Armenian deputies about Armenian
claims of 'genocide,' Comez explained them the historical realities
and noted that the Armenian claims were baseless.

Reminding of the UN Genocide Convention, Comez said that genocide
meant committing mass massacre with the intention of killing all
members of an ethnic or religious group. Many Muslim Turks were
killed during the uprising of Armenian gangs, said Comez, adding
that the Ottomans adopted the Deportation Law in order to protect
the integrity of the country.

"Citizens (of Armenian origin) living in Izmir and Istanbul were
not asked to migrate. Therefore the decision (of deportation) can't
be considered within the UN Genocide Convention of 1948. Maximum
security measures were also taken to guarantee the safe deportation
of Armenians showing that Ottomans didn't have the intention to kill
them," Comez told Armenian politicians.

"Turkey is right in its point of view historically and legally against
those claims," he said.

Comez added that the two sides shouldn't get stuck on the past,
but look for common interests for the future.

[winoman]

Lets heear it for the (Jews?) of the New York Time!

US daily editors, Turkish PM discuss unpublished advert on Armenian issue

NTV television, Istanbul
11 Jun 05

[Announcer] It has emerged that New York Times [NYT] [daily] refused
to publish an advertisement by 36 Turkish nongovernmental
organizations [NGOs] which reject the allegations regarding the
Armenian genocide.

The NYT advertisement section wrote a letter to the said Turkish NGOs,
stating: We believe that the Armenian genocide took place. Therefore
we do not find it right to publish your advertisement.

At a meeting with the editorial council of the NYT, Prime Minister
Erdogan expressed his displeasure regarding this issue.

On the last day of his contacts in the United States, Erdogan held a
meeting with the NYT editorial council. At the meeting, the NYT
officials criticized the cancellation of the planned Armenian
conference that was to be held at Bogazici University. Prime Minister
Erdogan said that Justice Minister Cemil Cicek's remarks on the issue
were his personal views and that there was no legal barrier to hold
the conference.

At this point, Erdogan raised the issue of the NYT's refusal to
publish the advertisement last April, and criticized the paper for the
decision. Erdogan pointed out that by showing its goodwill Turkey has
opened its archives. Anyone can come and learn the truth from these
official archives, he said.

Given this situation, Erdogan went on, the fact that the NYT refused
to publish the Turkish NGOs advertisement by claiming that it believed
in the Armenian genocide showed that it had had certain ulterior
motives.

Akif Beki, the prime minister's spokesman, related how the NYT editors
responded to the prime minister's remarks:

[Beki] They merely listened. Then they said that they would study the
said advertisement as well as the refusal by the head of the
advertisement section, and that they would inform us of the results of
their evaluation.