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Today's Zaman, Turkey
Sept 13 2008
Babacan presses Armenia for joint study of genocide claims
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan yesterday pressed Armenia to accept a
Turkish proposal to establish a joint commission of historians to
study events of World War I in eastern Anatolia, which Armenians claim
amounted to systematic genocide of the Armenian population by the late
Ottoman Empire.
"We are ready to face our past. We have nothing to be afraid in our
history, and we are ready to face whatever this proposed commission
will come up with at the end of its studies," Babacan told state
broadcaster TRT and the Anatolia news agency. "We are that confident."
Turkey proposed the commission of scholars in 2005, but Armenia
rejected it. Yerevan says instead it is ready to normalize relations
without any conditions, meaning that it will not force Turkey to
recognize the genocide claims as a precondition for dialogue. Turkey
denies Armenian claims that 1.5 million Armenians were killed in a
systematic genocide campaign and says instead there were deaths on
both sides when Armenians revolted against the Ottoman Empire in
collaboration with the Russian army in hopes of creating an
independent Armenian state in part of eastern Anatolia.
The dispute over history is at the heart of problems between Turkey
and Armenia, two neighbors which have had no formal ties since
1993. President Abdullah Gül took a landmark step on Saturday in
visiting Armenia to watch a soccer game between national teams of the
two countries, paving the way for diplomatic contacts and raising
hopes for reconciliation. Babacan said Turkish and Armenian diplomats
will meet more frequently but did not comment on when or where.
Babacan was speaking after a visit to Switzerland, one of the
countries whose parliament recognized Armenian genocide claims. At a
press conference after talks with his Swiss counterpart, Micheline
Calmy-Rey, late on Thursday, Babacan said history must be written by
historians, not by "yes" or "no" votes by deputies.
While in Switzerland, Babacan and Calmy-Rey also signed an addendum to
a memorandum of understanding, originally signed in the Swiss capital
in 2001, that envisaged establishment of a political consultation
mechanism between Turkish and Swiss foreign ministries.
He also discussed efforts against terrorism and asked the Swiss
authorities to step up cooperation with Turkish authorities against
the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The PKK is designated a
terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union but
not by non-EU member Switzerland. Babacan told Calmy-Rey that the PKK
is a terrorist organization and complained that Turkish-Swiss
cooperation on the issue was insufficient.
Calmy-Rey responded by saying that Switzerland does not have a
blacklist of terrorist organizations but that this does not mean Swiss
authorities do not fight terrorism.
13 September 2008, Saturday
TODAY'S ZAMAN Ä°STANBUL
Sept 13 2008
Babacan presses Armenia for joint study of genocide claims
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan yesterday pressed Armenia to accept a
Turkish proposal to establish a joint commission of historians to
study events of World War I in eastern Anatolia, which Armenians claim
amounted to systematic genocide of the Armenian population by the late
Ottoman Empire.
"We are ready to face our past. We have nothing to be afraid in our
history, and we are ready to face whatever this proposed commission
will come up with at the end of its studies," Babacan told state
broadcaster TRT and the Anatolia news agency. "We are that confident."
Turkey proposed the commission of scholars in 2005, but Armenia
rejected it. Yerevan says instead it is ready to normalize relations
without any conditions, meaning that it will not force Turkey to
recognize the genocide claims as a precondition for dialogue. Turkey
denies Armenian claims that 1.5 million Armenians were killed in a
systematic genocide campaign and says instead there were deaths on
both sides when Armenians revolted against the Ottoman Empire in
collaboration with the Russian army in hopes of creating an
independent Armenian state in part of eastern Anatolia.
The dispute over history is at the heart of problems between Turkey
and Armenia, two neighbors which have had no formal ties since
1993. President Abdullah Gül took a landmark step on Saturday in
visiting Armenia to watch a soccer game between national teams of the
two countries, paving the way for diplomatic contacts and raising
hopes for reconciliation. Babacan said Turkish and Armenian diplomats
will meet more frequently but did not comment on when or where.
Babacan was speaking after a visit to Switzerland, one of the
countries whose parliament recognized Armenian genocide claims. At a
press conference after talks with his Swiss counterpart, Micheline
Calmy-Rey, late on Thursday, Babacan said history must be written by
historians, not by "yes" or "no" votes by deputies.
While in Switzerland, Babacan and Calmy-Rey also signed an addendum to
a memorandum of understanding, originally signed in the Swiss capital
in 2001, that envisaged establishment of a political consultation
mechanism between Turkish and Swiss foreign ministries.
He also discussed efforts against terrorism and asked the Swiss
authorities to step up cooperation with Turkish authorities against
the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The PKK is designated a
terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union but
not by non-EU member Switzerland. Babacan told Calmy-Rey that the PKK
is a terrorist organization and complained that Turkish-Swiss
cooperation on the issue was insufficient.
Calmy-Rey responded by saying that Switzerland does not have a
blacklist of terrorist organizations but that this does not mean Swiss
authorities do not fight terrorism.
13 September 2008, Saturday
TODAY'S ZAMAN Ä°STANBUL