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Gul says Turkish-Armenian summit possible
Friday, May 6, 2005
DIPLOMACY
FM concerned about European attempts to criminalize genocide
counterclaims
ANKARA - Turkish Daily News
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan might meet with Armenian
President Robert Kocharian later this month, Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul said yesterday.
Gul said, however, that there were no specific plans being
drawn up at the moment for a meeting between the two leaders.
The heads of state of Council of Europe countries will meet in
Warsaw on May 16, with Erdogan and Kocharian expected to be in
attendance. Erdogan and Kocharian are also planning to visit Moscow
next week to attend May 9 celebrations of the 60th anniversary of
Soviet victory over Nazi forces.
The foreign ministers of Turkey and Armenia have already held a
number of meetings, but there is no official diplomatic relationship
between the two countries and their common border is closed.
Turkey says the normalization of ties depends on Armenia's
withdrawal from Nagorno-Karabakh, part of Azerbaijani territory that
Armenia occupied in the last decade, as well as on a resolution of
bilateral issues including Armenian charges that 1.5 million
Armenians were killed as part of a genocide campaign in the last days
of the Ottoman Empire.
Erdogan recently sent a letter to Kocharian proposing the
establishment of a joint commission of historians to study the
allegations. Kocharian responded by suggesting an inter-governmental
commission that would look into ways to normalize bilateral
relations.
Gul, speaking to reporters before heading to Kyrgyzstan on a
state visit, complained that there were efforts in some European
countries to criminalize rejection of Armenian genocide allegations.
Professor Yusuf Halacoglu, who heads the Turkish Historical
Society, is facing trial in Switzerland for his public speeches
denying the allegations. Gul said there were "dangerous"
developments in Belgium and that he has discussed the issue with
Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht.
The Belgian Parliament recently proposed a bill penalizing
statements denying genocide allegations. The bill, which envisages up
to one year in prison, is now awaiting passage.
"Such initiatives are against the basic principles of
Europe," Gul said. "You are preventing a person from
expressing his or her opinion and exposing truths about
history."
--Boundary_(ID_Gp+wayqk1fHObhMoNr7mZg)--
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Friday, May 6, 2005
DIPLOMACY
FM concerned about European attempts to criminalize genocide
counterclaims
ANKARA - Turkish Daily News
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan might meet with Armenian
President Robert Kocharian later this month, Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul said yesterday.
Gul said, however, that there were no specific plans being
drawn up at the moment for a meeting between the two leaders.
The heads of state of Council of Europe countries will meet in
Warsaw on May 16, with Erdogan and Kocharian expected to be in
attendance. Erdogan and Kocharian are also planning to visit Moscow
next week to attend May 9 celebrations of the 60th anniversary of
Soviet victory over Nazi forces.
The foreign ministers of Turkey and Armenia have already held a
number of meetings, but there is no official diplomatic relationship
between the two countries and their common border is closed.
Turkey says the normalization of ties depends on Armenia's
withdrawal from Nagorno-Karabakh, part of Azerbaijani territory that
Armenia occupied in the last decade, as well as on a resolution of
bilateral issues including Armenian charges that 1.5 million
Armenians were killed as part of a genocide campaign in the last days
of the Ottoman Empire.
Erdogan recently sent a letter to Kocharian proposing the
establishment of a joint commission of historians to study the
allegations. Kocharian responded by suggesting an inter-governmental
commission that would look into ways to normalize bilateral
relations.
Gul, speaking to reporters before heading to Kyrgyzstan on a
state visit, complained that there were efforts in some European
countries to criminalize rejection of Armenian genocide allegations.
Professor Yusuf Halacoglu, who heads the Turkish Historical
Society, is facing trial in Switzerland for his public speeches
denying the allegations. Gul said there were "dangerous"
developments in Belgium and that he has discussed the issue with
Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht.
The Belgian Parliament recently proposed a bill penalizing
statements denying genocide allegations. The bill, which envisages up
to one year in prison, is now awaiting passage.
"Such initiatives are against the basic principles of
Europe," Gul said. "You are preventing a person from
expressing his or her opinion and exposing truths about
history."
--Boundary_(ID_Gp+wayqk1fHObhMoNr7mZg)--
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress