AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
Dec 24 2008
Tarkan moves to allay controversy ahead of Baku concert
24-12-2008 20:44:26
World-famous Turkish singer Tarkan has dismissed reports of a
controversy surrounding his joining the recent online campaign of
Turks apologizing to Armenians for the alleged World War I-era
killings of huge numbers of their countrymen.
Tarkan said he was unaware that his name had been included in the list
of voters for the campaign, launched on the
website on December 5.
Tarkan said he was on a tour of Europe at the time and learnt about
the development from media reports.
"This happened unbeknownst to me and without my will," Turkish
Hurriyyet newspaper quoted him as saying.
Tarkan, who enjoys great popularity in Azerbaijan, is scheduled to
give a concert in Baku on December 30. Announcements for the concert
have been widely published in local media and the tickets are nearly
sold out. But the reports on his alleged joining the "apology
campaign" have sparked controversy and raised doubts about its taking
place. The insurance company Garant Sighorta and the Bank of
Azerbaijan – organizers of the concert scheduled at the Heydar Aliyev
Palace – warned Monday that they would refuse to cooperate with Tarkan
if the reports were proven true.
The apology initiative, launched by up to 200 Turkish scholars,
journalists, men of art and NGO representatives, seeks to extend an
apology for the alleged mass killings in the Ottoman Empire that
Armenians term as genocide, a claim strenuously denied by Ankara.
Supporters of the campaign add their assistance by posting their
names, city of residence and email addresses on the web-page. A person
named "Tarkan Tevet oglu" has recently joined the campaign, which
sparked concerns about the mega-star`s recognizing the alleged
genocide of Armenians.
Armenia and Turkey maintain no diplomatic ties and the border between
the two countries has been closed since 1993 on Ankara`s insistence
due to Armenia`s policy of occupation of Azerbaijani territories and
the Armenian "genocide" claims.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress