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Turkey PM: political relations could be established with Armenia

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  • Turkey PM: political relations could be established with Armenia

    Report: Turkey's premier says political relations could be established with
    Armenia

    AP Worldstream
    Apr 29, 2005


    Turkey's prime minister said his country could establish political
    relations with Armenia if the two sides agree to jointly research the
    killings of Armenians during World War I, which Armenians say was a
    genocide, a newspaper reported Friday.

    Turkey has no diplomatic ties with Armenia. But Prime Minister Recep
    Tayyip Erdogan told the daily Milliyet that Turkey might establish
    political ties if Armenia agreed to his proposal.

    "Political relations might be established on one side and studies
    (about killings) can continue on the other side," Milliyet quoted
    Erdogan as saying.

    Turkey has been opening up on the subject under pressure from the
    European Union ahead of negotiations on membership in the bloc.

    Earlier this month, Erdogan sent a letter to Armenian President Robert
    Kocharian inviting Armenia to set up a joint research
    committee. Kocharian reportedly responded by saying ties should be
    formed first, according to Turkish newspapers.

    Armenians say some 1.5 million of their people were killed as the
    Ottoman Empire forced them from eastern Turkey between 1915 and 1923
    in a deliberate campaign of genocide.

    Turkey denies a genocide was committed, saying the death count is
    inflated and insisting that Armenians were killed or displaced as the
    Ottoman Empire tried to secure its border with Russia and stop attacks
    by Armenian militants.
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