Xinhua, China
April 26 2009
Turkish PM says Obama’s comments on 1915 incidents "unacceptable"
2009-04-26 18:43:37
ANKARA, April 26 (Xinhua) — Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan on Sunday saw U.S. President Barack Obama’s remarks regarding
the incidents of 1915 as "unacceptable".
"We see the previous day’s remarks on the incidents of 1915 as an
unacceptable interpretation of history that does not reflect the
realities," Erdogan said during a meeting of his Justice and
Development (AK) Party in the Turkish capital of Ankara.
"Such a sensitive issue of expertise, which should in fact be left
to historians, is continuously being used as a tool for politics and a
matter of misuse by lobbies every year, and this prevents
normalization of relations between people and countries," he said.
"I would like to express my deep sorrow over efforts of many
politicians to try to win votes over misuse of 1915 incidents, and
history is an esteemed branch of science that cannot be made a tool
for internal politics," he said.
Erdogan expressed Turkey’s wish to leave history to historians,
saying if countries that had no connection with the issue gave up
dealing with the issue, this would lead to normalization of relations,
illumination of history and laying the groundwork for peace.
The Turkish prime minister said it was not a remark satisfying
Turkey, but it was a statement which kept promises made at election
grounds.
Armenians claim that more than 1.5 million Armenians were killed
in a systematic genocide in the hands of the Ottomans during World War
I before modern Turkey was born in 1923.
But Turkey insists the Armenians were victims of widespread chaos
and governmental breakdown as the 600-year-old empire collapsed in the
years before 1923.
During his visit to Turkey on April 6, U.S. President Barack Obama
said he was encouraged by the dialogues between Turkey and Armenia
aimed at improving ties, promising Washington will be as constructive
as possible on the improvement of their ties.
He said as Turkey and Armenia are having serious negotiations that
could bear fruit quickly, "I will be as encouraging as possible,"
adding the world should also encourage them.
Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 in support of
Azerbaijan during its conflict with Armenia over the Upper Karabakh
region.
Editor: Wang Guanqun