GUL SAYS TURKEY WORKING ON NEW INITIATIVE FOR ARMENIAN ISSUE
By Suleyman Kurt, Ankara
Zaman, Turkey
Nov 15 2006
Following Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s letter to Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan last year in which he proposed the
appointment of a joint commission of historians to discuss the 1915
incidents, Turkey intends on offering new initiatives.
Speaking at the Budgetary Commission of the Turkish National Assembly,
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Turkish and foreign lawyers
were studying the issue. Gul noted that Turkey did not rule out
international adjudication, an option for which the views of both
domestic and foreign international lawyers were being sought.
Minister Gul also recalled that Turkey had invited not only Armenians
but also third parties to join the proposed commission of historians.
In his assessment on the situation in Iraq, Gul, strongly opposed
division scenarios: "If Iraq is divided, a dark period will begin.
Then, the attitudes of the neighboring countries would not be the
same as today."
Also rejecting the claims that the government had made concessions
with regard to Cyprus issue, Gul asserted that in reference to the
Turkish part’s interaction with the world, Turkish Cyprus had been
recognized de facto. Minister Gul, who further denied that Turkey
would hand over Maras to the Greek Cypriots, clearly stated, "This is
something that only those who have lost their minds would do. Maras
is part of a comprehensive solution." Gul also stressed that the
government would not compromise on anything that it would not be able
to reinstate within the negotiation period with the European Union.