ARMENIAN CONFERENCE IN ISTANBUL CANCELLED IN MAY FIXED FOR SEPTEMBER 23

YEREVAN, AUGUST 23. ARMINFO.

The “Armenian Conference” in Turkey cancelled in May 2005 will be
held on September 23, at Bosfor University of Istanbul with the same
agenda and n the same staff, CNNTurk reports.

It should be noted that on May 25-27 in Istanbul a scientific forum
on the topic “Armenians in the period of collapse of the Ottoman
Empire” was planned. However, the forum was postponed because of
hot counteraction by Turkish nationalists. The forum participants
and its organizers – Bosfor University, several pro-governmental and
opposition figures were announced “betrayers” and on may 24 the forum
was postponed for indefinite period of time. The well-known statement
by Justice Minister of Turkey Cemil Cicer played a leading role
in the forum’s failing. He stated that the “forum of oppositionist
intellectuals is a stab in the back of the Turkish people.” At the
same time, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated in this
connection: “Let them speak, we’ll see what they will say.”