Turkey’s Premier in Beirut as Armenians Stage Street Protests

An-Nahar, Lebanon

June 16 2005

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a round of talks with
Lebanon’s Premier Najib Mikati on expanding bilateral relations and
was the guest of honor at the Arab Economic Forum for Investment and
Arab Capital Markets, which opened in the Lebanese capital Thursday.

Erdogan flew in Wednesday and was awarded a red carpet welcome at
Rafik Hariri Beirut airport although hundreds of Lebanese Armenians
were demonstrating in the capital’s 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 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.

Erdogan also met President Emile Lahoud and Speaker Nabih Berri
on Thursday.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress