FOXMAN: THERE MAY BE DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN FRIENDS FROM TIME TO TIME
The New Anatolian, Turkey
Sept 28 2007
"There may be disagreement between friends from time to time. This
does not change friendship or deference," Abraham Foxman, the National
Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said on Thursday.
Foxman replied to the questions of reporters following Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s meeting with representatives of Jewish community
in New York.
Asked what was the matter of disagreement, Foxman said the disagreement
was some words describing Turkish-Armenian history.
He also said historical and current Turkish-Jewish relations were
discussed at the meeting. "We have expressed gratitude for the support,
deference and tolerance shown to Jews in Turkey. We also discussed
Turkish-U.S. relations. Iran, Syria and Middle East process as well
as Turkish- Israeli relations were handled at the meeting," he noted.
Asked to comment on the Armenian draft in the U.S. Congress, Foxman
said, "we believe that a matter between Turkey and Armenia related
to history should be tackled between the two parties, not in U.S.
Congress or parliament of any other country. This is not a political
matter and those in the Congress are not historians."
"I believe that we should focus on the future, not the past. If the
Jewish community, the United States and the Congress are willing
to assist they should bring together Turkey and Armenia for the
grandchildren of the two parties," Foxman said.
Indicating that the matter should not be tackled in the French
parliament or any other place, Foxman said he expected Armenians
to respond affirmatively to the proposal to discuss the matter in a
committee of historians.
Abraham Foxman, the National Director of ADL, had said earlier in a
statement that his organization had come to share the view that the
incidents of 1915 "were indeed tantamount to genocide," but added
that the organization maintained its opposition against bringing the
issue to Congressional floor.