OFFICIAL SAYS ADOPTION OF ARMENIAN BILL TO "SERIOUSLY" HARM TURKEY-US RELATIONS

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Sept 21 2007

"HISTORY SHOULD BE TACKLED BY HISTORIANS, HISARCIKLIOGLU" – AA

ISTANBUL (A.A) -"History should be tackled by historians. Politicians
cannot re-write the history," Union of Chambers & Commodity Exchanges
of Turkey (TOBB) Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu said on Friday as
regards to a draft resolution submitted to the US Congress in relation
with Armenian allegations on 1915 incidents.

Speaking to A.A correspondent, Hisarciklioglu said he met four members
of the congress while he was in the States.

"I told them that approval of the draft resolution in question would
harm Turkish-US relations seriously and this would have a negative
impact on Turkey’s relations with its neighbours. I also suggested
that the matter be investigated by Turkish and Armenian historians,"
Hisarciklioglu said.

Hisarciklioglu said that TOBB established ‘Ankara Forum’ in 2005 to
enable business community to contribute to Middle East peace process.

He said Israeli Manufacturers’ Union and Palestinian Chamber of Trade,
Industry & Agriculture convened in Ankara, thanks to the initiative
of TOBB.

"Thus a tri-partite forum was established which was called Ankara
Forum. The Forum asked TOBB to carry out a study to revive Erez
Industry Zone in Gaza, and works started on a project envisaging to
provide job opportunities to 10,000 people. However, the political
developments in Gaza delayed the project. Israeli President Shimon
Perez and Palestinian National Administration Chairman Mahmud Abbas
asked Ankara Forum to initiate a similar study in the West Bank.

Convening on September 4th, 2007, Ankara Forum has decided to establish
an industrial zone in the West Bank."