Turkey’s president warns against impact of 1915 apology

Focus News, Bulgaria
Jan 3 2009

3 January 2009 | 19:20 | FOCUS News Agency

Ankara. The apology campaign for the events of 1915 would adversely
affect the diplomatic efforts between Turkey and Armenia, says
President Abdullah Gul, and the latest debates about the campaign do
not help relations with Yerevan, the online English edition of
Hurriyet newspaper writes.

President Abdullah Gul, one of the main actors who initiated the
normalization process of Turkish and Armenian relations through
football diplomacy, said the apology campaign for 1915 events would
adversely affect the diplomatic efforts between the two countries.

"When we examine the latest debates in terms of their results, I do
not think they make a positive contribution," Gul said in a televised
interview on ATV on Thursday.

"Ideas that we like or not, support, or even fight against, can be
discussed if they do not target violence. However, the polarization
sometimes can reach serious dimensions due to the sensibility of the
subjects," Gul said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS