HISTORIANS TO FIND THE TRUTH NOT POLITICIANS, SAYS GUL

Turkish Daily News
June 18 2008

It is the duty of historians and scientists to write history, not of
politicians or Parliament, the president commented at a conference
on Turkish history yesterday.

President Abdullah Gul spoke at the opening of the 11th International
Congress of Social and Economic History of Turkey, which took place
in Ankara’s Bilkent Hotel yesterday. He said the best way to achieve
accuracy is to leave the evaluation of historical events to historians.

"Our approach as a state is in the same way on the issue of the
alleged-Armenian genocide, which is insistently brought to the agenda,"
he said, adding that Turkey has done its best to ensure the allegations
are investigated by historians.

"We make all our archives available for researchers. Our most
confidential archive is open. Turkey is reconciled with its history
and proud of it."

Gul said it must be the duty of historians and scientists to write
history, not politicians or parliaments, adding, "We objected to
making politics by abusing sorrows in the past and we think in the
same today as well."

"The fact that we are working together to genuinely find the truth
is worthy of applause," said Parliament Speaker Köksal Toptan during
a meeting with representatives from the Azerbaijan-Turkey Historical
Research Foundation Monday. The foundation was established to uncover
the truth about the Armenian genocide allegations.

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