Turkish Politician Denies in Turkey What He Said in Armenia

12:16 – 26.03.10

Turkish Liberal Democratic Party Leader Cem Toker has denied media
reports that he visited the Genocide Memorial Tsitsernakaberd during
his recent visit to Yerevan and placed flowers in remembrance of
Armenian Genocide victims.

While talking to local Turkish daily Hurriyet, Toker said that not the
Armenian, but the Russian media sources are to blame for disseminating
those reports.

`I have paid several visits to Armenia with an aim to support the
normalization process of Armenian-Turkish relations. I have not spoken
about the issue of Genocide and I have tried to substantiate the
necessity of engaging in a dialogue. I have informed President
Abdullah Gül about the details of my visits. I have not made any
comments which could contradict the official policy pursued by our
country. I have not ackowledged the accusations over the Genocide
during my visits, nor have I placed a wreath on the Genocide memorial.
If it were a reality, first of all Armenian media would have reported
it before Russian media. But the sources of such news are not Armenian
media outlets, but Russian ones,’ said Toker.

Earlier, at a March 23 press conference, Toker had stated that he had
visited the Genocide Memorial, though he did not mention that he had
place a wreath there.

`Horrible atrocities took place; however, I don’t know whether they
should be called genocide or not. I don’t like history and for that
reason, I haven’t really delved [into the issue],’ Toker had said
earlier, when asked whether he accepts that a genocide took place in
1915.

Tert.am