TURKEY SAYS ARMENIAN CAMPAIGNS WITHIN FREEDOM OF SPEECH
Dec 17 2008
Turkey
Turkish Foreign Affairs’ spokesman Ozuergin said both campaigns were
privately initiated noting that they did not inspire nor would react
to both campaigns.
Turkish Foreign Affairs’ spokesman Burak Ozugergin said Wednesday that
the apology campaign for 1915 incidents and the following counter
campaign launched by retired diplomats, should be viewed within the
scope of freedom of speech.
Commenting on the issue at a press briefing at the Turkish Foreign
Ministry in Ankara, Ozuergin said both campaigns were privately
initiated noting that they did not inspire nor would react to both
campaigns.
Ozugergin said Turkey’s stance on the 1915 incidents was well known
by everybody noting that all kinds of topics ought to be able to be
discussed freely in Turkey.
"However our foreign policy is not fragile to shift as a result of
daily debates. We will continue to act on principles," said Ozugergin.
Ozuergin said Turkish Foreign Affairs was an institution who
gave many victims to terror (Armenian) pointing out that the very
hall where the press briefing was held, was named after Taha Carim
(Turkey’s ambassador to Vatican City, who was assassinated by Armenian
terrorists) .
"So this issue is very delicate for us," said Ozugergin.