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ANKARA DENIES MASS ARRESTS OF ARMENIANS
By Emil Danielyan
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Oct 18 2007
The Turkish government has denied reports that scores of Armenian
nationals living in Turkey have been arrested since the latest
advance of an Armenian genocide resolution in the U.S. Congress,
official Yerevan said on Thursday.
An Irish newspaper reported last week that about 100 Armenians
were rounded up by the Turkish police in recent days and are
facing deportation to Armenia. The paper suggested that the Turkish
authorities ordered the crackdown in retaliation for the anticipated
adoption by the U.S. House of Representatives of a resolution
recognizing as genocide the 1915 massacres of Armenians in the
Ottoman Empire.
"I have unofficial information confirming the fact of such arrests,"
Karen Mirzoyan, Armenia's permanent representative to the Istanbul
headquarters of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation organization,
said on Monday.
The reports led Armenia's Foreign Ministry to ask for an official
clarification from Ankara. In a statement, the ministry said it has
been told by the Turkish authorities that 542 foreigners have been
arrested of late for breaking Turkish immigration rules and that only
one of them is an Armenians citizen.
The Turkish government claims that at least 50,000 Armenians live and
work in Turkey. Many in Armenia dismiss the figure as grossly inflated.
By Emil Danielyan
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Oct 18 2007
The Turkish government has denied reports that scores of Armenian
nationals living in Turkey have been arrested since the latest
advance of an Armenian genocide resolution in the U.S. Congress,
official Yerevan said on Thursday.
An Irish newspaper reported last week that about 100 Armenians
were rounded up by the Turkish police in recent days and are
facing deportation to Armenia. The paper suggested that the Turkish
authorities ordered the crackdown in retaliation for the anticipated
adoption by the U.S. House of Representatives of a resolution
recognizing as genocide the 1915 massacres of Armenians in the
Ottoman Empire.
"I have unofficial information confirming the fact of such arrests,"
Karen Mirzoyan, Armenia's permanent representative to the Istanbul
headquarters of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation organization,
said on Monday.
The reports led Armenia's Foreign Ministry to ask for an official
clarification from Ankara. In a statement, the ministry said it has
been told by the Turkish authorities that 542 foreigners have been
arrested of late for breaking Turkish immigration rules and that only
one of them is an Armenians citizen.
The Turkish government claims that at least 50,000 Armenians live and
work in Turkey. Many in Armenia dismiss the figure as grossly inflated.