PM plans counter attack on genocide claims
Thursday, May 19, 2005
DIPLOMACY
ANKARA – Turkish Daily News
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday Turkey planned to
launch a counter-attack on countries whose parliaments recognized
as genocide the 1915 killings of Armenians under the rule of the
Ottoman Empire.
Speaking at the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)
parliamentary group meeting, Erdogan said the parliaments of 15
countries had adopted resolutions recognizing the so-called Armenian
genocide. He said that among them were countries that had committed
genocide that had been proven by historical documents and archives.
The prime minister did not name those countries but said his
government would pass similar resolutions through the Turkish
Parliament recognizing the genocides committed by them in retaliation
for their recognition of the Armenian genocide claims.
Erdogan said Turkish and Armenian politicians could make a political
decision on the genocide allegations once Armenia opened up its
archives and historians and scientists conducted necessary studies on
the matter, he said. Turkey strongly denies the genocide accusations
and says both sides suffered from losses during a civil war during
World War I.