TANER AKCAM: ISSUE OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IS CHINESE TORTURE FOR TURKEY
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 06 2007
ISTANBUL, APRIL 6, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. In his interview to
the Turkish newspaper "Zaman", Taner Akcam, of Michigan University,
Turkish historian, said that he is in favor of the bill on the Armenian
Genocide recognition submitted to the US Congress. "The issue of the
Armenian Genocide is a Chinese torture for Turkey. Every year we ask
themselves the question if the US Congress will adopt a resolution
about recognition or not. Let the congress adopt it, and we’ll get
free," he noted.
According to Akcam, Armenians will also benefit from adoption of such
resolution. "In case of the resolution’s adoption, Armenians will
say that yet another country has joined the countries recognizing the
genocide. Everybody in the US is convinced that Turks committed the
genocide but they are just reluctant to inflict pain on Turkey. The
problem is that in case of the resolution’s ratification Turks will
not allow Americans to use the Incirlik military base," he said.
The newspaper "Marmara" (Istanbul) reported that the Turkish historian
also spoke about the structure of the Turkish government and relations
with Armenia. "The current problems with Armenia will be solved if
people like Yusuf Halacoglu (NT: director of Turkey’s Institute of
History), Gyunduz Aktan (NT: member of the dissolved Turkish-Armenian
Reconciliation Commission), and Shyukru Elekdag (NT: retired diplomat,
deputy from opposition Republican People’s Party), who form state
policy, are isolated," Taner Akcam expressed an opinion.