Erdogan: Allegations Regarding Armenian Genocide Are Totally Baseless

Turkish Press
5/18/2005

WARSAW (AA) – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on
Friday that the allegations regarding Armenian genocide were totally
baseless.

Prime Minister Erdogan, who is currently in Polish capital Warsaw to
attend the Council of Europe (COE) Third Summit of Heads of State &
Government, held a news conference at the Royal Castle of Warsaw.

Replying to a question about the allegations regarding so-called
Armenian genocide, Prime Minister Erdogan said, “we have expressed
our uneasiness clearly on numerous occasions. Those allegations
are totally baseless. We have already opened all our archives. Now,
Armenia and the other third countries should open their archives to
historians, jurists and scientists. Then, we, as politicians, can
evaluate the issue and make a decision. Turkey cannot accept such
baseless allegations. No one can achieve anything by keeping such
baseless allegations on top of agenda.” “Future should be based on
peace and affection instead of hatred and enmity,” he stressed.

Recalling that Turkey had recognized Armenia, Prime Minister
Erdogan said that it was Armenia which failed to develop diplomatic
relations. “Also, the COE considered Armenia the occupier on the Upper
Karabakh dispute. First, Armenia should withdraw from Upper Karabakh
instead of putting forward such baseless allegations,” he said.

When recalled that Belgian Senate would debate a resolution envisaging
consideration of rejection of so-called Armenian genocide a crime,
Prime Minister Erdogan told reporters, “I cannot understand an
unrelevant country’s making such a decision. If they accept the
resolution, Turkey will launch a new initiative by approving similar
resolutions against countries which had committed genocide in the
past.” Upon another question about the decision of the European Court
of Human Rights (ECHR) regarding Abdullah Ocalan, the head of terrorist
organization PKK, Prime Minister Erdogan said, “the decision will be
debated by the COE Committee of Ministers. Then, Turkish jurisdiction
will take a decision. Turkish people have already closed the file of
Ocalan in their conscience.”