MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR WWI DEATHS AT ISTANBUL U. CONFERENCE

Hurriyet, Turkey
March 16 2006

The “New Approaches in Turkish-Armenian Relations” conference which
opened yesterday at Istanbul University began with a moment of silence
for all the lives lost during World War I. Following on the this,
the Turkish national anthem was read by Ferikoy Armenian primary
school student Katya Hallacoglu, who came in third place in a citywide
competition for the memorization and reading of the anthem.

Speaking at the opening of the conference, Istanbul University Rector
Mesut Parlak said “Let us use this conference to examine the events
of 1915 without falling into political fanaticism.”