TURKEY’S DEPUTY PREMIER SAYS ARMENIAN ALLEGATIONS ‘OVERSHADOW’ TIES WITH US

Anadolu Agency
May 24 2010
Turkey

New York, 24 May 2010: A Turkish deputy prime minister said on Sunday
[23 May] that Armenian allegations regarding the incidents of 1915
were overshadowing relations with the United States.

Turkey’s State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek said
that Turkey had nothing to worry about the Armenian allegations.

“History will confirm it sooner or later irrespective of who says
what,” Cicek said during the “Turkish Day Festival” in New York.

Cicek said that the issue was overshadowing relations with the United
States, and hoped nobody would resort to such wrong views from now on.

Also, Cicek said the United States was Turkey’s ally and friend,
and two countries undertook responsibilities in many places around
the world from Korea to Afghanistan for over 50 years, which further
improved and institutionalized the relations.

However, Turkey was deeply sorry about the US resolutions reached by
baseless allegations accusing the Turkish nation, he said.

Cicek said Turkey was ready to confront its history. Minister Cicek
later left New York for Turkey.

The Federation of Turkish American Associations (FTAA) organized the
29th Turkish Day Festival in New York.

Janissary Band and folkloric dance team performed shows during the
festival. Also Turkish singers took stage and Turkish food was served
and sold the whole day.

From: A. Papazian