BÝA, Turkey
Aug 24 2007
Mesrob II isnt French, a Turkish Citizen
Lawyer Cetin criticized Primer for saying, Some school books in
France and Armenia contain expressions that would offend Turks, after
the Armenian Patriarch Mesrob II asked him to remove certain parts
from school books that would offend Armenians.
bia news center
29 Eylül 2003, Pazartesi
Burçin BELGE Lawyer Fethiye Cetin criticized Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan for saying, "Some school books in France and Armenia
contain expressions that would offend Turks."
Erdogan reportedly said this to the Armenian Patriarch Mesrob II,
after the patriarch asked Erdogan to remove certain parts from school
books in Turkey that would offend Armenians.
"Removing such expressions should be mutual," said Erdogan, according
to a report in the daily Milliyet. Lawyer Cetin emphasized that
Mesrob II is a Turkish citizen. "Legally, a prime minister cannot ask
for "mutual" action from its own citizens," said Cetin.
"If Prime Minister Erdogan indeed said something like that, such an
approach is totally out of line with the government’s efforts to join
the European Union (EU)," said Cetin. Erdogan has to make a statement
about this issue, according to Cetin.
"The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization-UNESCO and the United Nations (UN) are carrying out a
joint effort to "clear history of hostilities," said Cetin.
"If Turkey is sincere about joining the EU, it should take part in
these efforts and object to using history for bad intentions."
"Mutuality, legally, involves citizens of different countries. It is
unacceptable for Turkey to punish its own citizen, and see him/her as
hostage, for something another country has done," she concludes.
Milliyet’s report
According to the report in Milliyet, which carried the title, "There
are expressions in books that offend Turks," Armenian Patriarch
Mesrob II asked Erdogan, in a visit, to remove certain expressions
from Turkish history books that offend Armenians.
Erdogan replied to Mesrob II saying, "certain expressions in French
and Armenian history books offend Turks." "Removing such expressions
should be mutual," Erdogan said, according to Milliyet. (BB/EA/NM)