Turkey calls on Armenia to agree to joint research on Armenian massacres

AP Worldstream
Apr 13, 2005

Turkey’s foreign minister told an open session of parliament Tuesday
that his government is calling on Armenia to jointly research the
killings during World War I, Armenians say was a genocide.

Armenia accuses Turkey of genocide in the killings of up to 1.5
million Armenians during World War I and the collapse of the Ottoman
Empireas as part of a campaign to force them out of eastern
Turkey. Turkey denies this.

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul’s call, unusual in its openness, comes
two weeks before the 90th anniversary of the date that Armenians mark
as the start of the killings. Turkey is keen to head off Armenian
pressure on European countries and the United States to mark the
anniversary by recognizing the killings as a genocide.

There was no official reaction in Armenia to Gul’s call, but Armenian
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said in February that Armenia had no
intention to conduct additional research on an issue that it regarded
as a historical fact.

Gul said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sent a letter to
Armenian President Robert Kocharian, inviting Armenia to help set up a
joint research committee.

“No doubt, a positive response from Armenia to our call, would
contribute to improving our relations,” Gul said. “We call on all
countries to use their influence on Armenia and encourage it to accept
this call.”

Turkey has no diplomatic ties with Armenia.

France and Russia have already declared the killings a genocide and
there is strong pressure from Armenian diaspora groups on the
U.S. Congress to recognize the killings as genocide.

The issue is extremely sensitive in Turkey and Turks in the past could
face prosecution for saying the killings were genocide.

The issue was rarely talked about in the past in Turkey, but recently,
facing EU pressure, Turkey has been opening up on the subject.

In rare self-criticism, Gul said Turkey has neglected to properly
respond to the Armenian accusations.

“Unfortunately, Turkey has failed to do necessary homework … and
this has led to the false image that Turkey was hiding something,”
said Gul.