CoE SEC. GEN. COMMENDED INITIATORS OF ARMENIAN ISSUE CONFERENCE FOR COURAGE AND RESOLUTENESS

Pan Armenian News
26.09.2005 07:46

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Council of Europe Secretary General Mr.Terry Davis
commended the initiators of the conference of the Armenian issue for
courage and resoluteness. He also noted that the “people believing in
modern, democratic and tolerant Turkey do not fear of nationalists
in the Istanbul streets any longer.” “I confirm my endorsement to
the position of Prime Minister Erdogan, who came to support freedom
of speech in Turkey. I hope that such attitude will affect the legal
proceedings against well known Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk, who is
accused of making public statements on the Armenian Genocide”,
Mr. Davis said. “I understand the sensitivity of the Turkish
authorities on this issue, however such delicate issues should be
solved via dialogue and truth but not by means of prosecution and
propaganda. Being a member of the Council if Europe Turkey is obliged
to respect the European Convention on Human Rights. I am convinced
that the Turkish leadership will not abandon the way of democratic
reform in the time epochal for the Turkey-Europe relations,” CoE
Secretary General stated, Mediamax reports.