ABDULLAH GUL: THE “GENOCIDE” WILL BE THE STRONGEST CHALLENGE OF 2005

Azg/arm 28 Dec 04

The foreign minister of Turkey, Abdullah Gul, made a speech at the
Turkish parliament these days clarifying the results of the EU summit
on December 16-17. On December 25, TurkishRadicalnewspaper touched on
the key moments of the minister’s speech who had singled out the
struggle against ArmenianGenocide’s international recognition as vital
one in the Turkey-EU walk. Here is whatRadicalwrote: “We have
estimated all possible developments of the coming year, all possible
issues that will arise, the issues that need to be highlighted, the
issues that Turkey will soon face but the Turkish community is unaware
of. The first issue is the Armenian Cause. Apart from the present, we
can never allow that our ancestors and the past bear the stigma of
such condemnations. It should be explained to the world. Though we
try, I still doubt over the efficiency of our explanations. The
employees of the Foreign Ministry said yesterday that “while they
(Armenians) spend hundred we spend thousand against it”. The issue is
in the spotlight of a number of establishments, including the Foreign
Ministry. We carefully discuss the issue, we shall talk it over again
after reviewing the methods of the (fight).

As far as I know, historians, scientists that include them
(Armenians), meet with few scientists from Turkey, and we encourage
these meetings. There wasa meeting in Vienna lately. But they did not
participate at the meeting though they indirectly sent their
views. From the Armenians’ viewpoint, this was also a step. These
arrangements can develop in future. We cannot avoid it.

We have to know what measures to take and how to fight against all
these. It’ s useless saying: “They talk such things of us”. If we want
to continue like that we have to resign the European institutions. As
we cannot resign, the only thing to do is to fight to the end, for
that reason we need to get armed. It’ s an undeniable fact that our
fight (over Genocide) with one of the 25 EU states will continue. They
will do everything to stymie our accession to the EU. For that very
reason we shall keep on pushing our policy to reach a desirable
solution in the issues of the genocide acknowledgment and the Cyprus
issues. In any other case, we shall face enforcement. If we are
successful in our policy, the initiative for solutions will come from
us, and that, I believe, will bring relief (on our way with the EU)”.

By Hakob Chakrian