TURKEY SAID SCEPTICAL ON CHIRAC’S ASSURANCE ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE LAW

TRT 2 television, Ankara,
16 Oct 06

[Studio announcer] A cautious approach is maintained on the impression
President Chirac created during his telephone conversation with Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the effect that he will not sign the
law on the so-called Armenian genocide claims. Speaking on the matter
after the Council of Ministers meeting today, Government Spokesman
Cemil Cicek said that such a bill reaching this stage is enough for
us to be sceptical.

[Cicek] Esteemed Chirac is in office today. But, he might not be
there tomorrow. Someone else might be in his office. The matter is
not one that will exist for only day or a week. We have to closely
follow it. We have to completely remove the lie. We have to inform
everyone that it is a lie. So, we cannot ignore the problem just
because such a statement has been made. In other words, we cannot
view such an individual statement as a guarantee.