TURKEY OFFERS DIASPORA $20 MLN TO OPEN UP ARMENIAN ARCHIVES IN US
Hurriyet
May 20 2008
Turkey
Turkey offered to give $20 million aid to the classification and
opening of the Armenian archives in the U.S. city of Boston, which
he said, included "very important" documents regarding the incidents
of 1915, a high level Turkish official told Hurriyet daily. Head of
Turkey’s state-funded Turkish Historical Society (TTK) Yusuf Halacoglu
said the Armenians do not want to have the archives opened because
such efforts will start a real debate over the genocide claims. Nabi
Sensoy, the Turkish Ambassador in Washington D.C., also reiterated
Turkey’s willigness to open its archives. (UPDATED)
Halacoglu said that the Armenian archives in Boston included very
important documents regarding both the 500,000 Armenians who currently
live in Turkey, and the 1915 incidents.
"The (Armenians) had said ‘We don’t have money to categorize the
archives, and therefore we cannot open them’. I frankly told them
‘We can give you the money needed and open the archives’. But they
did not respond to my offer," Hurriyet was quoted Haracoglu as saying
on Tuesday.
Armenia, with the backing of the diaspora, claims up to 1.5 million
of their kin were slaughtered in orchestrated killings in 1915. The
Armenian diaspora has lately increased its organized activities
throughout the world for the acknowledgment of their unfounded
allegations in regard to the incidents of 1915 as "genocide" by
national and local parliaments.
Turkey rejects the claims, saying that 300,000 Armenians along with
at least as many Turks died in civil strife that emerged when the
Armenians took up arms for independence in eastern Anatolia. Ankara’s
attempts to resolve the issue has not so far get a concrete response
from Yerevan.
Halacoglu said he also presented his proposal to two Armenian
historians, Ara Sarfian and Hilmar Kaiser, adding he heard no word
back, and noted that the opening of the archives in Boston would launch
a real debate on the issue. "This would directly open a debate over
the genocide claims. Armenians are aware of this and therefore they
are doing their best not to sit at the table," he added.
Turkey is of the view that parliaments and other political institutions
are not the appropriate forums to debate and pass judgment on
disputed periods of history. Past events and controversial periods
of history should be left to historians for their dispassionate study
and evaluation.
In 2005, Turkey officially proposed the establishment of a joint
commission comprised of historians and other experts from both sides
to study the events of 1915, utilizing not only Turkish and Armenian
archives, but also those of relevant third-party countries and to share
their findings with the public. Armenia has not responded positively
to this initiative, as yet.
AVOID ANIMOSITY
Sensoy called on Armenians not to raise children with animosity, in
his speech at a meeting hosted by the Potomac Institute for Policy
Studies on "the Future of Turkey-U.S. Strategic Partnership", the
Anatolian Agency reported on Tuesday.
"We should not raise our children with animosity. I grew up together
with many Turkish citizens of Armenian descent. It was one of
our Armenian neighbors who cried and mourned most when I lost my
father. Enmity does not lead us anywhere," he said.
Sensoy reminded that Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan had
called on Armenians to form a joint committee of historians to unveil
the truth.
"Turkey opened its archives. Armenians should do the same. We expect
politicians in the United States and in other countries to let
historians deal with past events," Sensoy said.
Sensoy denied accusations that Turkey imposed an economic embargo
on Armenia, saying Turkey was the fifth biggest economic partner
of Armenia and number of weekly flights between Turkey and Armenia
reached four.
Sensoy also said the draft resolution submitted to the U.S. Congress
on the incidents of 1915 brought Turkey-U.S. relations to ‘brink of a
disaster’. "We are pleased with leaving those days behind as a result
of resolute attitude of the U.S. administration and congressmen,"
he added.
A report on an Armenian bill regarding the incidents of 1915 was
adopted last year by the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
U.S. House of Representatives.