TURKISH COURT STOPS CONFERENCE ON ARMENIAN KILLINGS
Reuters
09/22/05 19:23 ET
ISTANBUL, Sept 22 (Reuters) – A Turkish court has ordered the
postponement a university conference called to debate the deaths
of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey during World War One, the state news
agency Anatolia said on Thursday.
The conference, already postponed in May after a minister accused its
organisers of treason, was meant to give a platform to intellectuals
who question Turkey’s official view of the Armenian killings. It was
due to start on Friday.
Turkey denies claims the death of 1.5 million Christian Armenians
in the dying days of the Ottoman empire was genocide, but is under
pressure to change its stance as part of its bid to become the first
Muslim country to join the European Union.
The court unanimously awarded the temporary injunction after various
lawyers and organisations filed complaints demanding the cancellation
of the conference, which was to be held at Istanbul’s Bosphorus and
Sabanci universities.
“Istanbul 4th Administrative Court suspended ‘Ottoman Armenians
during the collapse of the Empire’ conference until the defendant
Bosphorus and Sabanci universities give their defence,” Anatolia news
agency said.
The court asked the universities to provide more information on the
content of the conference and on its speakers but gave no further
details. Turkish law prohibits any comments which are considered
insulting to Turkish national identity.
Turkey’s pro-European government, breaking with past administrations,
has said it is willing to discuss historical differences with
Armenians. But official policy still rejects claims that 1.5 million
Armenians were slaughtered.
It accepts that hundreds of thousands of Armenians were killed by
Ottoman Turks, but says even more Turks died in a partisan conflict
that erupted as the Ottoman empire collapsed.
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said he regretted the court’s decision.
“It is not possible that I approve such a decision during a time of
steps for a more advanced democracy, and a more free Turkey.”
Turkey is due to start European Union accession talks in October,
and has taken wide-ranging political reforms to bolster freedom of
expression and improve human rights.
The EU has said Turkey should improve ties with neighbouring Armenia,
and some European leaders have said Turkey must acknowledge the deaths
of Armenians as genocide.
The conference was postponed in May after Justice Minister Cemil
Cicek accused the organisers and participants of treason.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress