Turkish prime minister arrives in Lebanon as Armenians protest, burn Turkish flag
Associated Press Worldstream
June 15, 2005 Wednesday 4:40 PM Eastern Time
BEIRUT, Lebanon — Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan flew
into Lebanon on Wednesday for talks on expanding relations, but the
country’s Armenians protested his visit, burning the Turkish flag and
calling for Lebanon to recognize the World War 1 killing of Turkish
Armenians as genocide.
Erdogan and members of his Cabinet were received at Beirut airport
by Prime Minister Najib Mikati. The two prime ministers talked alone,
but no details were released.
Shortly before his arrival, some 1,500 Armenians demonstrated in the
northern Beirut district of Bourj Hammoud against Turkey’s refusal
to recognize what Armenia and several other countries regard as an
act of genocide.
Armenians say Turks killed up to 1.5 million Armenians in eastern
Turkey between 1915 and 1923. Turks claim the number is inflated and
that the victims were killed in civil unrest or during deportation
to Syria.
The Lebanese protesters burned a Turkish flag and closed their shops
for an hour in Bourj Hammoud, which has a large Armenian community.
Some 100,000 Armenians live in Lebanon.
A newly elected Armenian member of parliament, Hagob Pakradounian,
said Lebanon must follow 18 other countries in officially recognizing
the killings as genocide. Speaking to reporters, he demanded that
Turkey recognize the massacre.
Erdogan and his wife, wearing a purple headscarf, visited the
residence of the slain former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri to pay their
condolences to his widow, Nazek. Later, the three visited Hariri’s
grave on Martyrs’ Square in central Beirut. Hariri was killed with
20 other people in a massive bombing in Beirut on Feb. 14.
During his two-day visit, Erdogan is scheduled to attend the Arab
Economic Forum for Investment and Arab Capital Markets, which opens
in Beirut on Thursday, the official National News Agency reported.
Erdogan is also due to meet President Emile Lahoud and parliamentary
Speaker Nabih Berri on Thursday.