AZG Armenian Daily #106, 10/06/2005

Turkey

ARMENIAN JOURNALISTS TO VISIT TURKEY IN JULY

Turkish Foreign Ministry Positively Evaluates This Initiative

The Union of Turkish Journalists of Ankara and the Union of Private Radio
and TV Companies initiated to invite 20 Armenian journalists to Turkey. This
initiative is supported by Culture and Tourism Ministry of Turkey. The
Armenian journalists will visit Istanbul, Ankara, Cappadocia and Antalya.

ANKA agency informed about this on June 7. The agency stated that the
organizers will emphasize “the inconvenience of passing the grief both side
experienced as a result of the events of 1915 to the coming generations.”
Turgut Dedeogli, Chairman of Union of Turkish Journalists in Ankara, said
that they found it necessary to take this initiative to lessen the tension
caused by “the statements on the so called genocide” lately. He said that
the Armenian journalists will visit the offices of Hurriyet, Milliyet, and
Sabah newspapers in Istanbul, as well as the Armenian Patriarchate in Polis.
They organizers will also hold meetings with the Turkish journalists.

Dedeogli said that they envisage organizing the meeting of the Armenian
journalists with President Ahmed Necet Sezer and high-ranking Turkish
officials. He added that they will spare no efforts to unfold discussion
between the Turkish and the Armenian journalists. Dedeogli said that “the
events of 1915 made both sides suffer, but that shouldn’t be passed to the
coming generations. The grief was not conditioned by state policy, thus the
commitment of a genocide was impossible and this factor will be emphasized.”
Dedeogli said they applied to Turkish History Foundation and other
institutions to secure the opportunity for the Armenian journalists to study
the archives of Turkey.

Dedeogli said that the visit of the Armenian journalists to Turkey is
envisaged in July. He added that Turkish Foreign Ministry evaluates this
initiative quite positively.

By Hakob Chakrian