PRAVDA, Russia
Sept 23 2005

UN condemned Turkey’s cancellation of conference on massacre of
Armenians during Ottoman Empire

14:46 2005-09-23
The European Commission on Friday condemned a Turkish court ruling
that ordered the cancellation of an academic conference dealing with
the massacre of Armenians during the Ottoman Empire.

Thursday’s ruling reflected badly on Turkey’s attempts to live up to
European democratic norms, just ahead of when it is to open entry
talks with the European Union, officials said.

“We strongly deplore this new attempt to prevent Turkish society from
freely discussing its history,” said EU spokeswoman Krisztina Nagy.

“The timing of this decision the day before the opening of the
conference looks like yet another provocation.” Nagy added that the
cancellation “illustrates the difficulties of Turkey, and in
particular of the judiciary, to ensure effective and uniform
implementation of the reforms in Turkey.”

She said the scrapping of the conference “will be reflected” in the
Commission’s regular progress report on Turkey’s reform plans, which
is to be released Nov. 9.

The conference was scheduled to deal with one of the most sensitive
issues in Turkish politics, the killings of Armenians during the
collapse of the Ottoman Empire around the time of World War I, which
an increasing number of countries have officially recognized as
genocide.

Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also condemned the
court’s decision.

Nevertheless, Turkey’s government has tried hard to counter an
Armenian campaign to have the killings recognized as genocide.

Turkey says the killings took place during civil unrest, and backing
the genocide claim in Turkey can be a cause for prosecution.

EU officials warn attempts to curb basic human rights such as freedom
of expression would reflect badly on its efforts to join the
25-nation EU. In its negotiating mandate for Turkey, the EU warns it
will freeze entry talks if Turkey backtracks on human rights
commitments.

Earlier this month the EU condemned a legal case against one of the
country’s most acclaimed contemporary writers, novelist Orhan Pamuk.

EU lawmakers at the European Parliament also announced they were
considering sending observers to monitor the trial of Pamuk, who has
been charged with insulting the country’s national character for his
comments on Turkey’s killing of Armenians and Kurds, and could face
up to three years in prison.

Senior EU officials say the case violates the European Convention on
Human Rights.