French Speaker, Turkish MPs discuss plans for Armenian genocide probe
Anatolia news agency
4 Feb 05
ANKARA
French National Assembly President Jean Louis Debre proposed on Friday
[4 February] that an international independent organization should
investigate the Armenian genocide claims.
Debre, who is visiting Turkey, met Yasar Yakis, chairman of the
Turkish Parliamentary European Union (EU) Adjustment Commission, and
the members of this commission.
So-called Armenian genocide allegations and the referendum to be held
in France on Turkey’s EU membership were debated in the meeting.
Debre said that Armenian genocide claims could be examined by a group
including scientists and representatives of organizations like United
Nations (UN), NATO, and Council of Europe, and a group from
Switzerland, and noted that thus, it could be proven whether those
claims were true or false.
On the other hand, Yakis said that any study to be made, supposing
that the Armenian genocide happened, and without investigating whether
some acts considered as “genocide” were true or false could be
wrong. He said that Turkey was not against any study to be made by
historians and so, opened its archives. But, he stated, Armenia had
not opened its archives.
Meanwhile, Onur Oymen, a parliamentarian from the main opposition
Republican People’s Party (CHP) who is also a member of the
Commission, said that a meeting on this matter was held in (Austrian
capital of) Vienna but the Armenian historians did not join a second
meeting.
Also confirming that Turkey had opened its archives, Oymen claimed
that making a political decision on historical incidents would cause
wrong results.
As Oymen asked why the French parliament passed a law without
investigating the Armenian genocide claims, Debre said, “let’s leave
things aside. We should forget the past. We want to help you on your
road to the EU”.
[Passage omitted]