ANKARA NOT EXPECTS NEGATIVE DECISION ON GENOCIDE RESOLUTION
The New Anatolian, Turkey
Feb 19 2007
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated over the weekend
that Ankara doesn’t expect a negative conclusion regarding the
resolution on the so-called Armenian genocide about to be discussed
at U.S. House of Representatives.
Erdogan, at a dinner of the American Business Forum in Turkey, sated
that Ankara is about to pass through a very sensitive period. "April is
coming and the so-called Armenian genocide allegations will be brought
onto agenda again. We are tired of it. But, Armenian diaspora is not,"
he added.
"We say that this is historians’ business. I wrote a letter to
Armenian Prime Minister. I proposed this issue to be examined by
historians, political scientists, lawyers, archeologists and art
historians. Then, we – politicians – will assess the reports on
these examinations. Turkey opened its archives. More than 1 million
documents have been examined so far. If you (Armenia) have archives
too, open them. If third countries have archives, they should open.
But we cannot accept to be stained without making these examinations."
Citing that currently there are nearly 40-50,000 Armenians who live
as illegal migrants in Turkey, however, Erdogan stated that Turkey
doesn’t send them back to Armenia. He said, "Why these Armenians are
living in Turkey? They do not have appropriate conditions for living
in Armenia. They have come Turkey, and we do not send them away."
Noting that Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and Turkish Chief
of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit held meetings in the U.S.
regarding the resolution, Erdogan called on businessmen to exert
efforts too. He expressed his belief that economic, political,
military, commercial and cultural solidarity between Turkey and the
U.S. will continue.
Stating that the economic and commercial relations with the U.S. are
developing in parallel with comprehensive cooperation on political
and security areas, he said "This development will have important
contributions to all dimensions of strategic partnership."