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ANKARA: Greens Conference Discusses Armenian Issue

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  • ANKARA: Greens Conference Discusses Armenian Issue

    Zaman, Turkey
    April 13 2005

    Greens Conference Discusses Armenian Issue

    A conference titled "The Future of the Past: Armenians in Turkey" and
    organized by the Greens Group in the European Parliament (EP) has
    called for the Armenian-Turkish conflict not to be handled like a
    football match.

    While the conference passed in a mature atmosphere though without
    much attention from EP members much, there was a short moment of
    tension when Greek Cypriot deputy Marios Matsakis's alleged that
    Turks had committed genocide in Cyprus. It was striking that no
    academics had been invited to defend the Turkish thesis though Taner
    Akcam of the University of Minnesota claimed that so-called genocide
    had occurred. EP deputy Cem Ozdemir, of Turkish origin, said it was
    impossible tocall representatives of all positions and that the
    Armenian Diaspora had also protested that there was no one to arguing
    the Armenian thesis. One of the three attendants, Zaman writer Etyen
    Mahcupyan criticized both Turkey's and Armenia's approach to the
    controversy and said that the two parties are similar in their
    manners. Mahcupyan commented: "It would be easier for the Diaspora if
    there were no Armenians left in Turkey, but Armenians in Turkey live
    intermingled with Turks and perceive the issue at a more humanitarian
    level."

    Mahcupyan emphasized on an expected gesture from Turkey regarding the
    Armenian issue depends on gestures that the European Union could
    make. Armenians should give up their insistence on the so-called
    genocide and Turkey should accept it, he added. General Coordinator
    of the Agos newspaper Hirant Dink, meanwhile, said that Europe should
    play its part. Noting that relations between Armenian and Turkish
    people were consumed by Europe, Dink argued that the EU should offer
    an incentive by ascribing Armenia an EU perspective.

    'Don't listen to Mahcupyan and Dink'

    The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy urged in a
    letter sent to all EP deputies before the conference that Mahcupyan's
    and Dink's statements should be approached cautiously because
    Armenians were under pressure in Turkey. The Federation claimed that
    one million Armenians currently live in Turkey, but that a majority
    of them were converted to Islam by force.

    Meanwhile Mahcupyan criticized remarks on the Armenian issue from
    Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk saying that such "provocations" are not
    beneficial. "I used to discuss these issues with 80 or 100 people
    each week before Pamuk's statement, many of whom were from the
    Justice and Development Party (AKP). After his statement, these
    people began to listen to me less. We should be careful of scoring
    such own-goals."
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