PM’S ‘GENOCIDE’ COMMENT SPARKS ROW WITH TURKEY

Ottawa Citizen
Saturday, May 06, 2006

OTTAWA — Turkey has recalled its ambassador to Canada as the country
plots an official response to Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s recent
acknowledgement of the 1915 Armenian genocide — one of the most
disputed and politically fraught events of the 20th century.

Harper’s three-paragraph statement April 19 to mark the “sombre
anniversary” — the first time that Canada has made such a statement
— barely caught the attention of most Canadians, but it ignited a
furor in Ankara that appears set to boil over.

An official at the Turkish Embassy in Ottawa told CanWest News
Service that Aydemir Erman has not been formally withdrawn from
Canada over the prime minister’s comments, but he has been “called
back” to Turkey to discuss with government officials what steps will
be taken to express displeasure with the remarks.

Those options include the formal withdrawal of Turkey’s top diplomat
in Canada, a threat Turkey has made with Canada and other countries
in the past.

“The ambassador is now travelling to Turkey because our authorities
have asked him to join them for consultations and, indeed, it is
related to what’s been happening here in the last week or so here in
Canada with the prime minister’s declaration,” said Yoney Tezel, a
counsellor with the embassy.

Ottawa’s official position that 1.5 million Armenians were killed in
a “genocide” adds Canada to a group of about 25 other countries,
including France, Russia, Poland and Argentina.

“For us, this is a serious matter,” Tezel said. “The Armenian claims
are a direct attack on our identity, on Turkey’s history. We feel
it’s unfair. That’s why when these claims find some recognition we
always consider that something negative.”

Harper’s statement, delivered on the 91st anniversary of the
bloodbath, noted that both the Senate and the House of Commons have
adopted motions acknowledging that a genocide took place.

“My party and I supported those resolutions and continue to recognize
them today,” he said.

On April 25, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement accusing
Harper of exhibiting a “gravely prejudiced attitude.”

“Such statements … are not only counter-productive to the
atmosphere of dialogue we wish to build between Turkey and Armenia,
but also adversely affect the relations between Turkey and Canada,”
the Turkish government said.

A Turkish newspaper, Hurriyet, reported after Harper’s statement that
Canadian companies would be barred from bidding on contracts related
to the construction of a major nuclear power plan.

Arif Babikian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee
of Canada, said Turkey has reacted similarly in the past.

“In 2002, when the Senate passed a resolution, they also threatened
and blackmailed Canada that they are going to cut the relationship
and boycott Canadian companies and nothing happened,” he said. “They
did the same thing in 2004 when the House of Commons passed a
resolution. Now they are using the same tactics.”

awoods@cns.canwest.com