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TURKEY TO FACE UP TO 1915 INCIDENT OF ARMENIA IN OBJECTIVE, FAIR WAY: FM
Xinhua General News Service
December 26, 2011 Monday 4:55 PM EST
China
Turkey was ready to confront the 1915 incident of Armenia only if in an
objective and fair way, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Monday.
When reviewing the history, historians should be involved and all
archives should be make sure to be open, Davutoglu was quoted by
semi-official Anatolia news agency as saying.
Davutoglu made the remarks when meeting with Switzerland's President
and Minister of Foreign Affairs Micheline Calmy-Rey on Monday in
the capital of Ankara, saying that he hoped France could change its
attitude for the benefit of peace in the Caucasus region.
Last Thursday, Turkey halts "all political consultations, joint
military activities and maneuvers" in response to the French approval
of a bill, which stipulates criminal sentences and fines for those
who refuse to recognize the killing of Armenians in 1915 as "genocide"
in France.
For his part, Calmy-Rey said that historians in Armenia and Turkey
should deal with the allegations regarding the incidents of 1915 and
make contribution to diplomatic discussions with their findings.
Switzerland had mediated between Turkey and Armenia and helped the
two countries reach protocols in Zurich in October 2009, Calmy-
Rey was quoted as saying.
Davutoglu thanked Switzerland for its active policy which had a
significant effect on Turkish-Armenian normalization talks.
Despite strong protests by Turkey, French lawmakers in the National
Assembly, the lower house of the parliament, voted Thursday in favor
of a bill criminalizing those who refuse to recognize the killing of
Armenians in 1915 as "genocide" in France. The bill will be debated
next year in the French Senate.
In response, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Recep Erdogan announced a
set of sanctions against France on Thursday, saying that Turkey would
impose more sanctions if the bill was passed by the French Senate.
Turkish officials said earlier that the French move aimed to win
the votes of the 500,000 ethnic Armenians in France in next year's
elections.
Turkey and Armenia have been bogged down in a dispute over the World
War I-era deaths of Armenians under the Ottoman rule. Armenia says
the deaths occurred in a "genocide," while Turkey denies the charge
and insists that the Armenians were victims of widespread chaos and
governmental breakdown as the Ottoman Empire collapsed before modern
Turkey was created.
Turkey rejects the term "genocide" for killings of Armenians in the
World War I era, arguing the issue should be left to historians.
Ankara has proposed to establish a joint commission by Turkish,
Armenian and other international historians to discuss incidents in
1915, but Armenia has not responded positively to the offer.
Xinhua General News Service
December 26, 2011 Monday 4:55 PM EST
China
Turkey was ready to confront the 1915 incident of Armenia only if in an
objective and fair way, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Monday.
When reviewing the history, historians should be involved and all
archives should be make sure to be open, Davutoglu was quoted by
semi-official Anatolia news agency as saying.
Davutoglu made the remarks when meeting with Switzerland's President
and Minister of Foreign Affairs Micheline Calmy-Rey on Monday in
the capital of Ankara, saying that he hoped France could change its
attitude for the benefit of peace in the Caucasus region.
Last Thursday, Turkey halts "all political consultations, joint
military activities and maneuvers" in response to the French approval
of a bill, which stipulates criminal sentences and fines for those
who refuse to recognize the killing of Armenians in 1915 as "genocide"
in France.
For his part, Calmy-Rey said that historians in Armenia and Turkey
should deal with the allegations regarding the incidents of 1915 and
make contribution to diplomatic discussions with their findings.
Switzerland had mediated between Turkey and Armenia and helped the
two countries reach protocols in Zurich in October 2009, Calmy-
Rey was quoted as saying.
Davutoglu thanked Switzerland for its active policy which had a
significant effect on Turkish-Armenian normalization talks.
Despite strong protests by Turkey, French lawmakers in the National
Assembly, the lower house of the parliament, voted Thursday in favor
of a bill criminalizing those who refuse to recognize the killing of
Armenians in 1915 as "genocide" in France. The bill will be debated
next year in the French Senate.
In response, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Recep Erdogan announced a
set of sanctions against France on Thursday, saying that Turkey would
impose more sanctions if the bill was passed by the French Senate.
Turkish officials said earlier that the French move aimed to win
the votes of the 500,000 ethnic Armenians in France in next year's
elections.
Turkey and Armenia have been bogged down in a dispute over the World
War I-era deaths of Armenians under the Ottoman rule. Armenia says
the deaths occurred in a "genocide," while Turkey denies the charge
and insists that the Armenians were victims of widespread chaos and
governmental breakdown as the Ottoman Empire collapsed before modern
Turkey was created.
Turkey rejects the term "genocide" for killings of Armenians in the
World War I era, arguing the issue should be left to historians.
Ankara has proposed to establish a joint commission by Turkish,
Armenian and other international historians to discuss incidents in
1915, but Armenia has not responded positively to the offer.