TURKEY CANNOT SHARE SOME EXPRESSIONS OF BUSH, TAN
Anatolian Times, Turkey
April 26 2006
ANKARA – “It is not possible for Turkey to share some expressions of
U.S. President George Bush in his statement released on April 24th.
On the other hand, the reference to creation of joint commissions
is positive,” said Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Namik Tan
on Tuesday.
Replying a question about President Bush’s statement on so-called
Armenian genocide anniversary, Tan said, “President Bush displayed
his regular attitude of releasing a written statement on ‘Armenian
remembrance day’ on April 24th this year as well. It is not possible
for Turkey to share some assessments in the statement.”
“History can only be written and assessed on the basis of official
documents. The resource is the archives,” he noted.
“Controversial part of Turkish-Armenian joint history can only be
researched on scientific aspect, and the assessments can be made
under the results of these researches,” he added.
Tan said, “Thus, Turkey’s proposal (to Armenia) to investigate
incidents before and after 1915 by a joint history commission (and to
share results with people) can enlighten this period of history and
normalize the relations between the two countries, and this initiative
should be supported.”
U.S. President George Bush said in his statement (released on April
24th), “today, we remember one of the horrible tragedies of the
20th century — the mass killings and forced exile of as many as 1.5
million Armenians in the final days of the Ottoman Empire in 1915.
This was a tragedy for all humanity and one that we and the world must
never forget. We mourn this terrible chapter of history and recognize
that it remains a source of pain for people in Armenia and for all
those who believe in freedom, tolerance, and the dignity and value
of every human life. We encourage dialogues, including through joint
commissions, that strive for a shared understanding of these tragic
events and move Armenia and Turkey towards normalized relations.”