TURKISH PM CANCELS ARGENTINA VISIT IN MONUMENT ROW

Focus News
May 30 2010
Bulgaria

Ankara. Turkey’s prime minister cancelled a visit to Argentina after
authorities there scrapped a plan to unveil a monument of Turkey’s
founder, bowing to pressure from ethnic Armenians, officials said
Sunday, cited by AFP.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan had been scheduled to travel to Argentina after
wrapping up a visit to Brazil, and meet with Argentine President
Cristina Kirchner on Monday.

He cancelled the trip after the autonomous administration of Buenos
Aires withdrew a permission for the inauguration of a monument of
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, “as a result
of interference by Armenian circles hostile to Turkey,” a foreign
ministry statement said.

Kirchner called Erdogan to say that “our reaction is rightful” but
explained that under Argentine law, the central government was unable
to reverse the decision of the local authorities, the statement said.

Erdogan responded that “this attitude is unacceptable, whatever the
reason is, and cancelled the visit,” it added.

Turkey expects Argentina “to take steps as soon as possible to make
up for the shadow that has been cast on bilateral relations,” the
statement said.

From: A. Papazian