Polish Press Agency
PAP News Wire
April 21, 2005 Thursday

Nothing anti-Turkish in Sejm resolution – Cimoszewicz

Warsaw, April 21

The Sejm resolution marking the 90th anniversary of genocide on Turkish
Armenians has no anti-Turkish bias; Turkey still finds it difficult
to reconcile with historical truth, but we considered paying homage
to the victims an obvious thing – is how Sejm speaker Wlodzimierz
Cimoszewicz reacted Thursday to Turkish official protest of Wednesday.

The Turkish foreign ministry on Wednesday criticised Tuesday’s
resolution by the Polish Sejm condemning and recognising as genocide
the mass killing of Armenians during World War I.

The Turkish side accused Polish politicians of being
“irresponsible.” The Turkish foreign ministry said that Turkey strongly
condemned the Polish Parliament’s resolution and warned deputies to
avoid “initiatives that could provoke vengeance and hatred between
nations.”

Cimoszewicz said Thursday that the MPs adopted the resolution knowing
full well that “Turkish authorities continue to refuse admitting
Turkey’s responsibility for the extermination of Armenians in 1915.”

“I understand that such admittance is politically and psychologically
hard for the Turks, even though the events took place three generations
ago,” Cimoszewicz went on.

“The Turkish foreign ministry is in the wrong and I do not accept
its criticisms,” the Sejm speaker said flatly.

He added that it was in the interests of Turkey and Poland to avoid
a dispute or conflict over this historical issue. “It would make no
sense,” Cimoszewicz argued, adding that the adoption of the resolution
was not anti-Turkish in the least.

The Sejm speaker noted that the Poles remembered well Turkey’s
approach to the Polish cause when Poland had been partitioned. Now
Poland was among the most fervent supporters of talks with Turkey on
its EU admission, Cimoszewicz remarked.

“The Turkish foreign ministry did what it considered politically
indispensable but I do hope that a few days from now the problem
between us will disappear,” the speaker declared.