GLOBAL BAK DEMANDS REMOVAL OF THE DEFENSE MINISTER

BIA
Nov 17 2008
Turkey

The Global Peace and Justice Coalition (Global BAK) has demanded
removal of Minister of Defense Vecdi Gönul for presenting the
minorities living in Turkey as the enemy.

The Global Peace and Justice Coalition (Global BAK) has demanded
removal of Minister of Defense Vecdi Gönul for defending the forced
exchange of populations and the forced migration of Armenians during
the late Ottoman and the early Republican periods.

The Global BAK said that Gönul was threatening the minorities that
exist in Turkey today by justifying the violence against the minorities
and the different groups.

Gönul had asked rhetorically in the speech he gave at Brussels on
November 10 whether the present national state would be possible
if the Greeks would stay in the Aegean region and the Armenian all
over Turkey.

The racist climate that led to Dink’s murder The Global BAK argued
in its speech given today that if Gönul was not removed from his
post then the government would be responsible for the implications
of Gönul’s speech.

"The Global Peace and Justice Commission is an anti-war platform in
whose ranks are also Armenians, Greeks and Kurds. Among its founders
was Hrant Dink, who was killed by the racist climate while trying to
form bridges of dialog for the brotherhood of peoples."

"Hrant Dink, who had committed his whole life to the struggle
for peace, justice and equality was murdered because he was an
Armenian. But now Vecdi Gönul is trying to foster the same climate,
the same racist atmosphere. A minister is praising a dark page of
recent history that led to great sufferings. "

The organization claimed at Gönul had committed the crime of "pushing
people towards hatred and hostility by presenting the Greeks and
Armenians who still live in Turkey as "the enemy".

–Boundary_(ID_bAtfxo2JtDE+OANhniuOe g)–