TURKISH PARLIAMENTARIAN DOESN’T KNOW WHETHER TO CALL THE MASSACRES OF THE ARMENIANS A GENOCIDE OR NOT

Panorama.am
17:52 23/03/2010

Politics

Leader of Liberal-Democratic Party of Turkey Cem Toker told reporters
in Yerevan today that he doesn’t know whether to call the massacres
of the Armenians in Turkey a genocide or not.

"There were horrible brutalities and I don’t know whether to call these
genocide or not. I don’t like history and I don’t get interested in it:
it bores me," the Turkish parliamentarian said noting it’s difficult
for him to comment on the events that occurred before his birth.

He read the books of Armenian historians and heard that there was
Armenian Genocide, but he said he has read Turkish historians as well,
the latter saying that brutalities actually happened but "this wasn’t
a genocide."

Hence, the Turkish parliamentarian said he has no firm opinion as
to whether the massacres of the Armenians carried out by Turkey was
genocide or not, though, he affirmed he understands that this is a
"deep national trauma."

"I understand and respect this. Though, I try to remain abstinent as
I don’t know what to call it," C. Toker said.

As he said, during his 5 visits to Armenia, he saw that each family
has a story to tell over "the brutalities and the disaster".

"As they say, even God cannot change the past," the Leader of
Liberal-Democratic Party of Turkey concluded.