Today’s Zaman, Turkey
June 9 2007
Ankara chides Chilean Senate’s `genocide’ move
Expressing regret over the passage of a resolution by the Chilean
Senate recognizing an alleged Armenian genocide claimed to have taken
place during World War I, Turkey emphasized that the resolution’s
text is full of incorrect information.
The resolution, passed unanimously by the Chilean Senate on June 5,
has suggested that the alleged Armenian genocide at the hands of the
Ottoman Empire during World War I was recognized in 1985 by the UN
Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of
Minorities.
"As is known, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon most recently made a
clarification in an April 30 speech on this allegation, which is
frequently voiced by Armenian circles, and stated that the UN to date
has had no [official] position regarding the 1915 incidents," the
Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a written statement released on
Friday. "We condemn and reject the resolution, which serves to
distort history for political purposes. We consider the Chilean
Senate’s resolution to be an attitude casting a shadow over friendly
relations between the two countries," the Foreign Ministry said.