Turkish Press
May 7 2005
Press Review
Sabah/Turkiye
GUL CONDEMNS EFFORTS TO CRIMINALIZE DENIAL OF “GENOCIDE” ALLEGATIONS
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said yesterday that Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan might meet with his Armenian counterpart Robert
Kocharian later this month, but added, “However, this isn’t yet
firm.” Speaking to reporters at Ankara’s Esenboga Airport before
leaving for Kyrgyzstan, Gul condemned certain European countries’
recent efforts to criminalize denying the so-called Armenian
genocide. Stressing that he had discussed the issue with Belgian
Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht, Gul said that the right of people to
express their opinions and expose truths about history could not be
denied. “Such initiatives are against the basic principles of Europe,”
said the foreign minister. The lower house of the Belgian Parliament
recently passed a bill criminalizing statements denying the genocide
allegations. The bill proposing up to one year in prison for violators
is awaiting the approval of the Senate. /Sabah-Turkiye/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress