Turkish justice minister criticizes Ottoman Armenians conference
Anatolia news agency
24 May 05
ANKARA
Turkish Minister of Justice Cemil Cicek has indicated today (Tuesday)
[24 May] that the conference on “Ottoman Armenians” to be organized at
the Bogazici (Bosphorus) University (BU) is nothing but stabbing on
the back of Turks. “I wish that, as the minister of justice, I had not
delegated my authority to file suit,” said Cicek.
Cicek answered questions of (main opposition) Republican People’s
Party (CHP) deputy from Istanbul Sukru Elekdag and (ruling) Justice
and Development Party (AKP) deputy from Aksaray Ramazan Toprak on the
conference to take place at the BU between 25-27 May.
Cicek remarked that deputies have a duty to express the sentiments of
the society. “There is no nation who has a clean conscience as much as
the Turks do. We have no fears from any one. Our history and archives
are the witnesses on which we rely as a nation,” told Cicek.
Cicek stressed that for a long time Turks wanted to see a cooperation
between the government and the opposition. “This (Armenian) issue
facilitated cooperation between the government and the opposition. The
Turkish government is currently working on informing all countries of
the lies of Armenians. How can we convince the parliamentarians of
other states when the BU holds talks that stab the Turks on their
back? Wouldn’t the parliamentarians say ‘do not try to convince
us… [ellipses as received] convince the BU?’ The conference at the
BU is nothing but stabbing the back of the Turks”, noted Cicek.
Ramazan Toprak expressed that, if the BU conference concluded with a
decision recognizing the so-called Armenian genocide, the BU rector
would be held responsible and could face legal procedures.