Today’s Zaman, Turkey
March 17 2007

FM Gül calls for peace while paying tribute to slain diplomats

Commemorating martyred members of the Turkish Foreign Ministry at a
ceremony held in Ankara, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül called for
attention to the fact that certain radical Armenian groups who now
support the recognition of an alleged Armenian genocide also once
supported terrorist activities.

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül attended a ceremony in Ankara yesterday
commemorating martyred members of the Foreign Ministry. Dozens of
Turkish diplomats were slain in the past in attacks by the Armenian
Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia, or ASALA.
"I hope that those who are attempting to politicize the alleged
genocide will not play this game and instead remember past terror
incidents, remember how those groups for which they feel sympathy now
produced terrorists at the time, and remember how they carried out
terrorist activities in countries assumed to be the most civilian,"
Gül said at the ceremony.

"The entire world knows well that the Turkish nation didn’t hesitate
to sacrifice their lives for moral values," Gül added, referring to
the fact that dozens of Turkish diplomats were murdered in the past
in attacks by the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia
(ASALA). Thirty-nine Foreign Ministry diplomats buried in the Cebeci
Cemetery in Ankara were killed as a result of Armenian terrorism or
some other terrorist attacks.

Expressing the pride that his ministry feels for the martyrs, Gül
also called for peace. "We hope that everyone understands that peace
is precious. When needed, the Turkish nation went to war, however,
when needed, it never avoided peace as well. That’s why we continue
to spread peace in our neighborhood," he said.

Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ertuðrul Apakan as well as the
relatives of martyred diplomats and ministry staff attended the
ceremony.