RIA Novosti, Russia
Sept 23 2005
Turkish PM disappointed over court’s cancellation of Armenian
genocide conference
12:45 | 23/ 09/ 2005
ANKARA, September 23 (RIA Novosti, Andrei Palariya) – Turkish Prime
Minister Erdogan said Friday he regretted an Istanbul court’s
decision to cancel a planned academic conference on the Armenian
genocide.
“I do not welcome the court’s decision. It goes against democratic
and civilized society,” Erdogan told a news conference.
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said he saw the decision as an
attempt of some political forces to sabotage Ankara’s integration
with Europe.
The European Commission also said it was disappointed with the
decision.
The Shishi district court of Istanbul ruled to cancel the conference
Thursday on security reasons.
Several hundreds of scholars and intellectuals were expected at the
unprecedented conference due to discuss events of 1915 when up to a
million of Armenians have been killed.
Armenians want the killings classified as genocide, but Turkey
refuses, pointing to casualties on both sides.
It is the second time the conference has been called off.