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Turkish PM Cancels Argentina Visit In Monument Row

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  • Turkish PM Cancels Argentina Visit In Monument Row

    TURKISH PM CANCELS ARGENTINA VISIT IN MONUMENT ROW

    Agence France Presse
    May 30, 2010 Sunday 6:43 AM GMT

    Turkey's prime minister cancelled a visit to Argentina after
    authorities there scrapped a plan to unveil a monument of Turkey's
    founder, bowing to pressure from ethnic Armenians, officials said
    Sunday.

    Recep Tayyip Erdogan had been scheduled to travel to Argentina after
    wrapping up a visit to Brazil, and meet with Argentine President
    Cristina Kirchner on Monday.

    He cancelled the trip after the autonomous administration of Buenos
    Aires withdrew a permission for the inauguration of a monument of
    Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, "as a result
    of interference by Armenian circles hostile to Turkey," a foreign
    ministry statement said.

    Kirchner called Erdogan to say that "our reaction is rightful" but
    explained that under Argentine law, the central government was unable
    to reverse the decision of the local authorities, the statement said.

    Erdogan responded that "this attitude is unacceptable, whatever the
    reason is, and cancelled the visit," it added.

    Turkey expects Argentina "to take steps as soon as possible to make
    up for the shadow that has been cast on bilateral relations," the
    statement said.

    Argentina is home to a community of ethnic Armenians, decendants
    of immigrants who escaped mass killings under the Ottoman Empire,
    Turkey's predecessor, during World War I.

    Turkish-Armenian ties have been poisoned for decades over Armenian
    allegations that up to 1.5 million of their kin were killed at the
    hands of their Ottoman rulers in what was a genocide.

    Turkey fiercely rejects the genocide label and says between 300,000
    and 500,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks perished in civil
    strife when Armenians rose up for independence and sided with invading
    Russian forces.

    Argentina is among a number of countries that have recognised the
    killings as genocide.

    Erdogan was now scheduled to travel from Brazil to Chile, the last
    stop in his Latin America tour, his office said.




    From: A. Papazian
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