SCHIFF REFUTES DEPUTY’S ACCOUNT OF MEETING

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Dec 24 2007

US Congressman Adam Schiff has denied he was "surprised" when a
Turkish lawmaker told him the story of his family, a survivor of
Armenian atrocities in the course of World War I in eastern Anatolia,
during a recent meeting in Washington.

Schiff, in a letter to Today’s Zaman, said a story in the paper based
on lawmaker Burhan Kayaturk’s account and published on Dec. 20,
"grossly mischaracterizes" the meeting he had earlier this month
with a Turkish delegation, arranged by the American Council of Young
Political Leaders (ACYPL).

Kayaturk, a deputy from the ruling Justice and Development Party
(AK Party), said he had explained that Turks and Armenians killed
each other during civil strife when Armenians cooperated with the
invading Russian army and revolted against the Ottoman Empire. He
said his grandfather was one of the Muslims killed by the Armenians
at that time and called on US congressmen not to deepen hostilities
by pressing the administration to recognize Armenian claims that the
events amounted to genocide of Armenians.

In response, Schiff said, according to Kayaturk, that he was surprised
by what he heard and that it was the first time he heard a different
account of the events. In his letter to Today’s Zaman, however, Schiff
denied having made such comments and insisted that he reiterated his
outright position in favor of the Armenian claims.

"I told the delegation that the historical record was unequivocal
— that 1.5 million Armenians perished at the hands of the Ottoman
Empire between 1915-1923 and that this tragedy constituted the first
genocide of the 20th century," he said, adding, "Turkey’s denial
of the genocide is hurting Turkey and jeopardizing the country’s
accession to the European Union."