TURKISH ENVOY SAYS US TV PROGRAMME ON ARMENIAN ISSUE "PREJUDICED"
Anatolia news agency, Ankara
19 Apr 06
Washington DC, 19 April: Turkey's Ambassador to Washington DC Nabi
Sensoy said that the programme on the so-called "Armenian Genocide",
broadcast by US Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) TV reflected "a
tragic chapter of the world history but in a prejudiced way".
Releasing a statement following the broadcast on PBS on 17 April,
Sensoy said: "Many outstanding academicians as well as Turkish
government rejected the theses that were put forth in the programme."
He also indicated that the programme served to the political aims of
the activists of Armenian origin .
"Contrary to the claims presented at the programme, allegations
of Armenian genocide have never found historical and legal basis,"
Sensoy added.
Turkish ambassador indicated that as opposed to the Jewish genocide,
the Armenian allegations were not compatible with specific dates
and facts, adding that Guenter Lewy's book on "Armenian Massacres in
Ottoman Turkey: A Disputed Genocide" was a good example of this.
Indicating that there were mistakes, exaggeration, and baseless
allegations in the PBS programme, Sensoy said the producer of the
programme benefited in the past of the funds he got from Americans
of Armenian origin and did not conceal his enmity towards Turkey.
Sensoy recalled that following the programme in PBS, Assembly of
Turkish American Associations (ATAA) collected 40,000 signatures
calling for arrangement of a panel discussion reflecting Turkish views.
Sensoy remarked that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan last
year proposed to Armenian Head of State Robert Kocharyan to tackle
the issue in a joint commission, underscoring that the other party
has not yet responded positively.
Turkish Ambassador emphasized that a sincere compromise cannot be
reached in the Caucasus unless the Turkish and Armenian peoples
initiate an open and honest dialogue.
Anatolia news agency, Ankara
19 Apr 06
Washington DC, 19 April: Turkey's Ambassador to Washington DC Nabi
Sensoy said that the programme on the so-called "Armenian Genocide",
broadcast by US Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) TV reflected "a
tragic chapter of the world history but in a prejudiced way".
Releasing a statement following the broadcast on PBS on 17 April,
Sensoy said: "Many outstanding academicians as well as Turkish
government rejected the theses that were put forth in the programme."
He also indicated that the programme served to the political aims of
the activists of Armenian origin .
"Contrary to the claims presented at the programme, allegations
of Armenian genocide have never found historical and legal basis,"
Sensoy added.
Turkish ambassador indicated that as opposed to the Jewish genocide,
the Armenian allegations were not compatible with specific dates
and facts, adding that Guenter Lewy's book on "Armenian Massacres in
Ottoman Turkey: A Disputed Genocide" was a good example of this.
Indicating that there were mistakes, exaggeration, and baseless
allegations in the PBS programme, Sensoy said the producer of the
programme benefited in the past of the funds he got from Americans
of Armenian origin and did not conceal his enmity towards Turkey.
Sensoy recalled that following the programme in PBS, Assembly of
Turkish American Associations (ATAA) collected 40,000 signatures
calling for arrangement of a panel discussion reflecting Turkish views.
Sensoy remarked that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan last
year proposed to Armenian Head of State Robert Kocharyan to tackle
the issue in a joint commission, underscoring that the other party
has not yet responded positively.
Turkish Ambassador emphasized that a sincere compromise cannot be
reached in the Caucasus unless the Turkish and Armenian peoples
initiate an open and honest dialogue.