IN TURKISH PARLIAMENTARIAN’S AFFIRMATION, CAMPAIGN I APOLOGIZE TO ARMENIANS IS SPONSORED BY EUROPEAN UNION
Noyan Tapan
Feb 10, 2009
BAKU, FEBRUARY 10, NOYAN TAPAN. Some initiators of the campaign I
Apologize to the Armenians launched in Turkey have received big sums
from European Union funds. According to the Merkez newspaper published
in Azerbaijan, deputy of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey,
member of the Nationalist Movement party Behic Celik stated this.
According to the Azeri newspaper, the Turkish parliamentarian stated
that the campaign I Apologize to the Armenians started in Turkey
by European Union’s order, and those conducting the campaign have
received big sums from European funds.
Thus, according to Behic Celik, among campaign initiators, Ahmed Insel,
Halil Berktay, Murad Belge, Serafettin Elci, Mehmed Ali Birand have
received 107 414 euros each, journalist Mine Kerekkanat 70 thousand
euros, professor Ibrahim Kaboglu 193 548 euros, professor Atilla
Yayla 449 620 euros, Ertugrul Kurkrcu 809 414 euros.
Agos newspaper’s editor-in-chief Etyen Mahcupian has received the
biggest sum, 1m 32 thousand 921 euros, on the list of the names
mentioned by the Turkish deputy.
"The above mentioned people for the sums received by them carry out
online signature collection I Apologize to the Armenians and ensure
assistance of greater number of people to that campaign," the Turkish
deputy stated.
It should be mentioned that in 2008 December four Turkish
intellectuals, Basken Oran, Ahmed Insel, Cengiz Aktar, and Ali
Bayramoglu came up with the initiative I Apologize to the Armenians,
within the framework of which an online signature collection was
organized.
More than 28 thousand people assist to the campaign I Apologize
to the Armenians. A website I Expect Apology operates in Turkey to
counteract to this campaign. According to the latest data, the website
has collected more than 116 thousand signatures.