TURKEY TO DEPORT ARMENIANS IN BACKLASH
by Siyabonga Ntshingila
The Richmark Sentinel
dlines.asp?recid=4149
March 17 2010
Turkey has threatened harsh retaliation against what it perceives as
insulting resolutions by US and Swedish lawmakers.
Washington and Stockholm had earlier this month passed non-binding
resolutions that define WWI killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as
genocide. Turkey has already retaliated by withdrawing its ambassadors
from Washington and Stockholm. This week the Turkish Prime Minister
announced that up to 100,000 non-citizen Armenians may be deported
from Turkey.
Blaming the resolutions on perceived efforts by the Armenian diaspora,
Mr Resep Erdogan warned that the resolutions could impact adversely
on the tentative reconciliation process between the two neighbours.
He also added "There are currently 170,000 Armenians living in
our country. Only 70,000 of them are Turkish citizens, but we are
tolerating the remaining 100,000. If necessary, I may have to tell
these 100,000 to go back to their country because they are not my
citizens. I don’t have to keep them in my country."
Mr Erdogan called on foreign governments to stand firm in the face
of lobbying by Armenia. He also reminded the West of the sensitivity
of the issue and apportioning of blame in his native land.