ANKARA: Denouncement Against Karekin II

DENOUNCEMENT AGAINST KAREKIN II

Anatolian Times, Turkey
July 3 2006

ISTANBUL – Kemal Kerincsiz, chairman of the executive board of the
Union of Jurists, denounced Karekin II, head of the Armenian Orthodox
Church, to the Chief Prosecutor`s Office in Istanbul on Thursday
on charges of denigrating Turkish people by claiming that Turks had
committed genocide against Armenians.

In a petition he submitted to the Chief Prosecutor`s Office, Kerincsiz
said that a public prosecution should be filed against Karekin II
for denigrating Turkish people in accordance with Article 301/1 of
the Turkish Penal Code.

Kerincsiz also requested the Chief Prosecutor`s Office to issue
a warrant of arrest to detain Karekin II if he enters the country
once again.

Karekin II paid a visit to Istanbul last week at invitation of
Greek-Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I.

During a news conference at the Turkish-Armenian Patriarchate on June
25th, Karekin II said that it was impossible to find a solution as
long as Turkey denied the so-called Armenian genocide.

Article 301/1 says that individual/s who openly denigrate/s Turkish
people, Republic of Turkey or Turkish parliament is/are sentenced to
prison from six months up to three years.