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Agerpres, Bucharest, Romania
April 16, 2015 Thursday
Corlatean on genocide against Armenians: Romania preferred to
encourage dialogue between Turkey and Armenia
April 16--BUCHAREST -- Former Foreign Affairs Minister Titus
Corlatean, currently honorary adviser to the Prime Minister, on
Thursday said that Romania had a "wise attitude" and preferred to
encourage the dialogue between Turkey and Armenia concerning the
"extremely delicate" topic of "the genocide" against Armenians.
"It is a topic, which in Bucharest, all these years, has been avoided
and there has been a certain caution to enter the political
sensitivity of this topic. Here, in Bucharest, the historic dimension
was rather preferred (...) and also the encouragement of the direct
dialogue between the authorities of Ankara and Yerevan, in order to
gradually get closer through political dialogue, for the two states
directly interested in the topic to finally find a convenient
solution. (...) I believe that Romania had a wise attitude in an
extremely delicate matter, in the sense of encouraging and supporting
the two countries to solve this difference on their own," Corlatean
told RFI radio.
The European Parliament (EP) on Wednesday evening adopted a resolution
urging Turkey to admit the Armenian "genocide," three days after a
statement of Pope Francis, who used this word to describe the massacre
against Armenians committed by the Ottoman Empire during the First
World War, AFP informs.
During a debate on the resolution, conservative German MEP Elmar Brok
said: "My own people committed genocides," evoking "a moral
obligation" to recognise and commemorate such massacres. "Hundreds of
thousands of Armenians died at the hands of the Ottoman empire's
henchmen between 1915 and 1917," Brok added.
The EU executive refuses to speak of "genocide," as this term is not
used by all the 28 EU member states.
In the resolution adopted by a wide majority, the MEPs hail the
remarks made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu "offering condolences and recognising
atrocities against the Ottoman Armenians."
Moreover, the EP encourages Turkey to use the commemoration of 100
years since the Armenian genocide as an important opportunity to open
the "archives and come to terms with its past" and "thus to pave the
way for a genuine reconciliation between the Turkish and Armenian
peoples."
The Armenian side estimates that 1.5 million Armenians were killed
between 1915 and 1917, in the last years of the Ottoman Empire. A
great number of historians and over 20 countries, including France,
Italy and Russia recognised the genocide against Armenians. In
exchange, Turkey says it was a civil war during which between 300,000
and 500,000 Armenians died and as many Turks.
___ (c)2015 Agerpres, Bucharest, Romania Visit Agerpres, Bucharest,
Romania at www1.agerpres.ro/english Distributed by Tribune Content
Agency, LLC
ACC-NO: 20150416-1AR-Corlatean-on-genocide-against-Armenians-Romania-preferred-to-encourage-dialogue-between-Turkey-and-Armenia-0416-20150416
April 16, 2015 Thursday
Corlatean on genocide against Armenians: Romania preferred to
encourage dialogue between Turkey and Armenia
April 16--BUCHAREST -- Former Foreign Affairs Minister Titus
Corlatean, currently honorary adviser to the Prime Minister, on
Thursday said that Romania had a "wise attitude" and preferred to
encourage the dialogue between Turkey and Armenia concerning the
"extremely delicate" topic of "the genocide" against Armenians.
"It is a topic, which in Bucharest, all these years, has been avoided
and there has been a certain caution to enter the political
sensitivity of this topic. Here, in Bucharest, the historic dimension
was rather preferred (...) and also the encouragement of the direct
dialogue between the authorities of Ankara and Yerevan, in order to
gradually get closer through political dialogue, for the two states
directly interested in the topic to finally find a convenient
solution. (...) I believe that Romania had a wise attitude in an
extremely delicate matter, in the sense of encouraging and supporting
the two countries to solve this difference on their own," Corlatean
told RFI radio.
The European Parliament (EP) on Wednesday evening adopted a resolution
urging Turkey to admit the Armenian "genocide," three days after a
statement of Pope Francis, who used this word to describe the massacre
against Armenians committed by the Ottoman Empire during the First
World War, AFP informs.
During a debate on the resolution, conservative German MEP Elmar Brok
said: "My own people committed genocides," evoking "a moral
obligation" to recognise and commemorate such massacres. "Hundreds of
thousands of Armenians died at the hands of the Ottoman empire's
henchmen between 1915 and 1917," Brok added.
The EU executive refuses to speak of "genocide," as this term is not
used by all the 28 EU member states.
In the resolution adopted by a wide majority, the MEPs hail the
remarks made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu "offering condolences and recognising
atrocities against the Ottoman Armenians."
Moreover, the EP encourages Turkey to use the commemoration of 100
years since the Armenian genocide as an important opportunity to open
the "archives and come to terms with its past" and "thus to pave the
way for a genuine reconciliation between the Turkish and Armenian
peoples."
The Armenian side estimates that 1.5 million Armenians were killed
between 1915 and 1917, in the last years of the Ottoman Empire. A
great number of historians and over 20 countries, including France,
Italy and Russia recognised the genocide against Armenians. In
exchange, Turkey says it was a civil war during which between 300,000
and 500,000 Armenians died and as many Turks.
___ (c)2015 Agerpres, Bucharest, Romania Visit Agerpres, Bucharest,
Romania at www1.agerpres.ro/english Distributed by Tribune Content
Agency, LLC
ACC-NO: 20150416-1AR-Corlatean-on-genocide-against-Armenians-Romania-preferred-to-encourage-dialogue-between-Turkey-and-Armenia-0416-20150416