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Turkish PM: We'll Retaliate Against States that Recognize 'Genocide'
TNA Parliament Bureau / Ankara
19 May 2005
Countries which have officially recognized the so-called Armenian
genocide will face retaliation from Turkey, warned Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan yesterday. Erdogan added that these 15 countries which
have made decisions against Turkey without proof will face similar
treatment from Turkey's Parliament, albeit with proof on its side.
Speaking to a Justice and Development (AK) Party group meeting,
Erdogan laid out the government's stance on the Armenian genocide
claims in clear terms. "In some countries' parliaments, decisions
to accept the Armenian genocide were made after they were lobbied,"
he said. "Their decisions will have an adverse effect on international
diplomacy. Such decisions, without using any documents or information,
are not supported by any solid evidence. Such decisions have been
made in the parliaments of 15 countries so far. We will discuss
those 15 countries. Among them are countries which have committed
genocide themselves. We will make a similar decision regarding their
pasts after studying the documents. Our decisions will be based on
historical documents and information. We will take this step."
Erdogan's speech was punctuated by frequent applause by AK Party
deputies.
About Armenian Prime Minister Robert Kocharian, who was at this
week's Council of Europe summit along with Erdogan, he said: "We have
recognized Armenia's independence but we don't have any diplomatic
contact. Despite this, we have initiated flights to Yerevan from
Istanbul. In another step, our Culture and Tourism Ministry has
completed restoring the Armenian church on Van's Akdamar Island. The
conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia continues. There are some
positive developments, though. France, Britain and the U.S., which
have been so effective elsewhere, should become more active in the
troubles because their involvement will help lead to a solution.
There are seven different regions in Nagorno-Karabakh. We don't know
how much of this Armenia will concede.
"We don't want bad relations with any of our neighbors. An Armenian
official brought up the so-called Armenian issue [at the summit]
when we were not looking. The next day, I replied and reiterated
the positions that we have already laid out. We have opened up our
state archives and there are over 1 million documents that we have
declassified so far. We are ready to look at our history. Let the
Armenians open their archives if they have them. Let the historians
work on the issue and we will make a political decision when the time
is right. Unfortunately, we haven't yet received a positive reply
from Armenian President Robert Kocharian."
Erdogan continued, "During its history, Turkey has never degraded
itself to the vile cruelty of committing genocide. It's out of the
question for us to accept this." Erdogan said that it was normal
for the Ottomans, who were battling on three fronts, to decide to
relocate the Armenians, who were rebelling at the provocation of
other countries. The decision to relocate the Armenians, who lived
for centuries under Ottoman rule, should be evaluated according to the
conditions of the time, he said. Deaths happened during the relocation,
argued Erdogan.
Erdogan declared that Turkey will never accept that a genocide has
been committed in its history. He also cited how hundreds of years
ago Jews who were expelled from Christian Spain found safe haven in
Ottoman territory.
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Copyright 2005, Turkish Daily News. This article is redistributed with
permission for personal use of Groong readers. No part of this article
may be reproduced, further distributed or archived without the prior
permission of the publisher. Contact Turkish Daily News Online at
http://www.TurkishDailyNews.com for details.
TNA Parliament Bureau / Ankara
19 May 2005
Countries which have officially recognized the so-called Armenian
genocide will face retaliation from Turkey, warned Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan yesterday. Erdogan added that these 15 countries which
have made decisions against Turkey without proof will face similar
treatment from Turkey's Parliament, albeit with proof on its side.
Speaking to a Justice and Development (AK) Party group meeting,
Erdogan laid out the government's stance on the Armenian genocide
claims in clear terms. "In some countries' parliaments, decisions
to accept the Armenian genocide were made after they were lobbied,"
he said. "Their decisions will have an adverse effect on international
diplomacy. Such decisions, without using any documents or information,
are not supported by any solid evidence. Such decisions have been
made in the parliaments of 15 countries so far. We will discuss
those 15 countries. Among them are countries which have committed
genocide themselves. We will make a similar decision regarding their
pasts after studying the documents. Our decisions will be based on
historical documents and information. We will take this step."
Erdogan's speech was punctuated by frequent applause by AK Party
deputies.
About Armenian Prime Minister Robert Kocharian, who was at this
week's Council of Europe summit along with Erdogan, he said: "We have
recognized Armenia's independence but we don't have any diplomatic
contact. Despite this, we have initiated flights to Yerevan from
Istanbul. In another step, our Culture and Tourism Ministry has
completed restoring the Armenian church on Van's Akdamar Island. The
conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia continues. There are some
positive developments, though. France, Britain and the U.S., which
have been so effective elsewhere, should become more active in the
troubles because their involvement will help lead to a solution.
There are seven different regions in Nagorno-Karabakh. We don't know
how much of this Armenia will concede.
"We don't want bad relations with any of our neighbors. An Armenian
official brought up the so-called Armenian issue [at the summit]
when we were not looking. The next day, I replied and reiterated
the positions that we have already laid out. We have opened up our
state archives and there are over 1 million documents that we have
declassified so far. We are ready to look at our history. Let the
Armenians open their archives if they have them. Let the historians
work on the issue and we will make a political decision when the time
is right. Unfortunately, we haven't yet received a positive reply
from Armenian President Robert Kocharian."
Erdogan continued, "During its history, Turkey has never degraded
itself to the vile cruelty of committing genocide. It's out of the
question for us to accept this." Erdogan said that it was normal
for the Ottomans, who were battling on three fronts, to decide to
relocate the Armenians, who were rebelling at the provocation of
other countries. The decision to relocate the Armenians, who lived
for centuries under Ottoman rule, should be evaluated according to the
conditions of the time, he said. Deaths happened during the relocation,
argued Erdogan.
Erdogan declared that Turkey will never accept that a genocide has
been committed in its history. He also cited how hundreds of years
ago Jews who were expelled from Christian Spain found safe haven in
Ottoman territory.
-----------
Copyright 2005, Turkish Daily News. This article is redistributed with
permission for personal use of Groong readers. No part of this article
may be reproduced, further distributed or archived without the prior
permission of the publisher. Contact Turkish Daily News Online at
http://www.TurkishDailyNews.com for details.
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