TURKISH PREMIER COMMENTS ON CAMPAIGN APOLOGIZING TO ARMENIANS ON 1915 INCIDENTS
Today’s Zaman
Dec 17 2008
Turkey
Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that he did not
accept or support the campaign recently launched by a group of Turkish
intellectuals and academicians aiming to apologize to Armenians for
the incidents of 1915.
"They might have committed such a crime themselves, as they
are apologizing now. Republic of Turkey does not have such a
concern. One can apologize if there is a crime necessitating such
an apology. Neither my country, nor my nation has such concerns,"
Erdogan said, replying to questions following his meeting with
Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov in Istanbul.
Erdogan said that it was unacceptable to support such a campaign just
because it was launched by intellectuals. "I personally do not accept,
support or participate in this campaign," he said.
Erdogan also said that he could not understand the approach of the
intellectuals, adding that such kind of initiatives could only create
chaos and destroy peace. "I find it unreasonable to apologize when
there is no reason," he said.
Erdogan commented on an Iraqi reporter’s throwing his shoes at the
U.S. President George W. Bush as well.
Noting that he did not approve such an attitude, Erdogan said,
"Expression and thought are the greatest powers of a journalist. I
wish that journalist could have pushed Bush with those qualities".
Briefing reporters on his meeting with the Bulgarian president,
Erdogan said they had quite fruitful talks during which they mainly
discussed economic and commercial matters.