TURKISH PRESIDENT INVITES HISTORIANS TO STUDY ARMENIAN MASSACRES

Agence France Presse
Oct 6 2009
France

Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Tuesday urged foreign historians to
join a commission to study the massacres of Armenians under the Ottoman
Empire, envisaged under a peace deal between Ankara and Yerevan.

"There are all sorts of allegations about what happened a century
ago. It is clear that people who do not know what happened where or
how are not able to take decisions on this matter," Gul said in an
interview with AFP.

"What we hope is that historians, archive specialists study this
matter and we are ready to accept the conclusions of this commission.

"To show that we are sincere, we even said that if a third country
is interested in this matter, if French historians, for example,
want to take part in this commission, they are welcome," he added on
the eve of a visit to France.

The establishment of a commission to study the massacres is part of
two protocols that Turkey and Armenia said they would sign in a bid
to establish diplomatic ties for the first time and open their border,
sealed since 1993.

The most contentious issue between the two neighbours is the World
War I massacres of Armenians

Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their kin were systematically
killed between 1915 and 1917 as Turkey’s predecessor, the Ottoman
Empire, was falling apart.

Turkey rejects the genocide label and argues that 300,000-500,000
Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil strife when
Armenians took up arms against their Ottoman rulers and sided with
invading Russian troops.

Gul underlined that addressing historical grievances was one of the
most important steps to overcome decades of enmity between Turkey
and Armenia.

"If we keep on living the present with the problems of the past,
we will only poison the future," he said, appealing for a balanced
representation of history.

"You must not forget that we also suffered a lot in the four corners
of the world, in the Balkans, in the Caucasus. Millions of people had
to migrate from the Balkans, the Middle East, the Caucasus to Turkey,
and on the way, half of them were killed, were dead," he said.

Turkish officials have said the two sides will sign the protocols on
Saturday in Switzerland, but Armenian officials have not confirmed
it yet.

The protocols, however, will not take effect immediately.

Both governments will submit the documents to their respective
parliaments for ratification, a process expected to take considerable
time.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress