TURKS STAGE DEMO IN US AHEAD OF APRIL 24

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
April 23 2007

The Federation of Turkish-American Associations (TADF) and the Young
Turks Association held a joint rally titled "An End to Armenian Lies,"
in a show of protest against Armenian allegations of genocide days
before April 24, when Armenians mark the anniversary of what they
claim was the beginning of a systematic genocide campaign at the
hands of the late Ottoman Empire.

Addressing more than 500 participants ahead of the four-hour long rally
on Saturday, TADF President Atilla Pak called on the US administration
to be fair, while also saying that their primary goal was to give
accurate information about the alleged genocide.

"Bringing up allegations of genocide spells hiding the truth. Today
unfortunately truths are being denied and facts are being distorted.

Turks have never committed genocide along their thousands year long
history," Turkey’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Baki
Ýlkin, who also attended the rally, told reporters for his part.

Meanwhile, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi once more declined to
meet with a group of Turkish parliamentarians who were lobbying in
Washington a resolution based on Armenian allegations of genocide,
as she did with two other Turkish parliamentarian group in the
recent past.

The resolution was presented to the US House of Representatives
earlier this year, though the timing of the vote has yet to be
decided. Turkey has warned that passage of the resolution would harm
strategic relations with the United States and undermine cooperation
in key regions across the world, in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere.

During a February visit, Pelosi refused to meet Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul as well.

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