US daily editors, Turkish PM discuss unpublished advert on Armenian issue

NTV television, Istanbul
11 Jun 05

[Announcer] It has emerged that New York Times [NYT] [daily] refused
to publish an advertisement by 36 Turkish nongovernmental
organizations [NGOs] which reject the allegations regarding the
Armenian genocide.

The NYT advertisement section wrote a letter to the said Turkish NGOs,
stating: We believe that the Armenian genocide took place. Therefore
we do not find it right to publish your advertisement.

At a meeting with the editorial council of the NYT, Prime Minister
Erdogan expressed his displeasure regarding this issue.

On the last day of his contacts in the United States, Erdogan held a
meeting with the NYT editorial council. At the meeting, the NYT
officials criticized the cancellation of the planned Armenian
conference that was to be held at Bogazici University. Prime Minister
Erdogan said that Justice Minister Cemil Cicek’s remarks on the issue
were his personal views and that there was no legal barrier to hold
the conference.

At this point, Erdogan raised the issue of the NYT’s refusal to
publish the advertisement last April, and criticized the paper for the
decision. Erdogan pointed out that by showing its goodwill Turkey has
opened its archives. Anyone can come and learn the truth from these
official archives, he said.

Given this situation, Erdogan went on, the fact that the NYT refused
to publish the Turkish NGOs advertisement by claiming that it believed
in the Armenian genocide showed that it had had certain ulterior
motives.

Akif Beki, the prime minister’s spokesman, related how the NYT editors
responded to the prime minister’s remarks:

[Beki] They merely listened. Then they said that they would study the
said advertisement as well as the refusal by the head of the
advertisement section, and that they would inform us of the results of
their evaluation.