PRESS RELEASE
Council of Europe Press Division
Ref: 491a05
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Terry Davis: “Both Turkey and Europe must honour their word”
Strasbourg, 26.09.2005 – Following a conference on the fate of Turkish
Armenians at the end of the Ottoman Empire, which was held at Bilgi
University in Istanbul this weekend, Terry Davis, Secretary General of
the Council of Europe, made the following statement:
“I want to congratulate the organisers of the conference on their
courage and determination. Those believing in a modern, democratic and
tolerant Turkey refused to be intimidated and silenced by extreme
nationalists on the streets of Istanbul.
I reiterate my strong support for the position taken by Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has supported freedom of expression in Turkey.
I hope that such an attitude will also prevail with regard to the
shameful prosecution of one of the most renowned Turkish writers, Orhan
Pamuk, who was recently indicted for speaking openly on the Armenian
issue.
I appreciate the sensitivity of this question for the Turkish
authorities and the public opinion, but, however painful, such issues
must be resolved through dialogue and truth, not repression and
propaganda. As a member of the Council of Europe, Turkey is obliged to
respect the European Convention on Human Rights, and I am confident that
the Turkish authorities will not waver in their democratic and human
rights reforms at this critical junction in relations between Turkey and
Europe. I also hope that leaders in other European capitals will rise to
the occasion, remember their commitments and honour their word to
Turkey”, concluded the Secretary General.
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