TURKISH PRESIDENT ON RESOLUTION ON ARMENIAN ALLEGATIONS

Today’s Zaman
March 11 2010
Turkey

Turkey’s president said on Thursday that he hoped everybody would
see the inaccuracy of the political decisions on Armenian allegations
regarding the incidents of 1915.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul replied to questions of reporters during
his visit to the office of the mayor of southwestern Isparta province.

Upon a question on a recent resolution adopted by a US congressional
panel and a similar decision to be discussed by the Swedish parliament
regarding the Armenian allegations on incidents of 1915, Gul said
such decisions had no respectability for Turkish nation.

"All these decisions are wrong and they constitute a great injustice
to the science of history," he said.

Gul said that politicians and people who did not have any historical
knowledge should not decide on matters related to history.

"I attach importance to peace, stability and cooperation. Therefore,
solution of the problems in the Caucasus region is important for me,"
Gul said.

"I hope everybody will see the inaccuracy of such political decisions,
which will harm peace and stability in the long term," the Turkish
president added.

The US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted
a resolution on Armenian allegations related to the incidents of 1915
in a voting of 23-22 last week.

Turkey and Armenia signed two protocols on October 10, 2009 to
normalize relations between the two countries. The protocols envisage
the two countries to establish diplomatic ties and open the border
that has been close since 1993. Turkey and Armenia also agreed to take
steps to operate a sub-commission on impartial scientific examination
of the historical records and archive to define existing problems
and formulate recommendations, in which Armenian, Turkish as well
as Swiss and other international experts would take part. However,
on January 12, 2010, the Constitutional Court of Armenia declared a
decision of constitutional conformity on the protocols. Turkey thought
the fifth article of Armenian Constitutional Court’s verdict regarding
the protocols was against the target and basis of the protocols.

Also, in 2005, Turkey officially proposed to Armenian government the
establishment of a joint commission of history composed of historians
and other experts from both sides to study together the events of
1915 not only in the archives of Turkey and Armenia but also in the
archives of all relevant third countries and to share their findings
with the public.