Turkish group protests Schwarzenegger over Armenian genocide
statement, want films banned
AP Worldstream
Apr 26, 2005
A Turkish group uniting hundreds of businesses and organizations
demanded Tuesday that Arnold Schwarzenegger’s movies be banned from
Turkish television to protest the California governor’s use of the
term genocide to describe the massacre of Armenians by Turks during
World War I.
Schwarzenegger, a former actor best known for his role in “The
Terminator,” declared April 24 a “Day of Remembrance of the Armenian
Genocide.” California has one of the largest populations of diaspora
Armenians.
An umbrella organization grouping some 300 Ankara-based associations,
unions and businesses and led by the Ankara Chamber of Commerce said
it launched a petition to have the governor’s films banned in Turkey.
“We condemn and protest movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger, who declared
April 24 a day to commemorate the Armenian genocide and accused Turks
of genocide by acting under the influence of the Armenian lobby, and
without researching historical truths,” read a statement from Sinan
Aygun, head of Ankara Chamber of Commerce.
“We don’t want his films shown in Turkey,” said the statement.
Armenia says up to 1.5 million Armenians died or were killed as part
of a genocidal campaign to force them out of eastern Turkey. Turkey
acknowledges that large numbers of Armenians died, but says the
overall figure is inflated and that the deaths occurred in civil
unrest during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.