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Al-Jazeera, Qatar
Jan 12 2005
Armenian 'genocide': Probe sought
As Armenians prepare to mark the 90th anniversary of what they
believe was a genocide of their people by Ottoman Turkish forces, a
leading Turkish historian has called for a multi-national inquiry
into what happened.
Armenia says 1.5 million of its people died between 1915 and 1923 on
Ottoman territory in a systematic genocide and says the decision to
carry it out was taken by the political party then in power in
Istanbul, popularly known as the Young Turks.
Turkey denies genocide, saying the Armenians were victims of a
partisan war during World War One which also claimed many Muslim
Turkish lives. Turkey accuses Armenians of carrying out massacres
while siding with invading Russian troops.
"I think we historians, Turkish, American, French, British and
Armenian, must come together and form a commission to investigate
this issue objectively," Yusuf Halacoglu, head of the Turkish
Historical Society, told Reuters on Wednesday.
EU issue
Halacoglu, who endorses the mainstream Turkish view of the events and
rejects the genocide claims, said setting scholars to work together
was all the more important for his country because the genocide issue
threatened to complicate Turkey's entry talks with the European
Union.
The genocide issue might
complicate Turkey's EU entry
The European Parliament and France, home to Europe's largest Amenian
community, have both urged Turkey to recognise the killings of
Armenians between 1915 and 1923 as genocide.
Armenians this year mark the 90th anniversary of the events on April
24 and Turkey is to start EU entry talks on 3 October
Halacoglu said the commission would ideally work under the auspices
of the United Nations or another international body to help ensure
impartiality and to encourage all states concerned to open up their
archives to the panel.
He was due to discuss his research on the period on Wednesday with
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and said he hoped for official Turkish
backing for a commission.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Jan 12 2005
Armenian 'genocide': Probe sought
As Armenians prepare to mark the 90th anniversary of what they
believe was a genocide of their people by Ottoman Turkish forces, a
leading Turkish historian has called for a multi-national inquiry
into what happened.
Armenia says 1.5 million of its people died between 1915 and 1923 on
Ottoman territory in a systematic genocide and says the decision to
carry it out was taken by the political party then in power in
Istanbul, popularly known as the Young Turks.
Turkey denies genocide, saying the Armenians were victims of a
partisan war during World War One which also claimed many Muslim
Turkish lives. Turkey accuses Armenians of carrying out massacres
while siding with invading Russian troops.
"I think we historians, Turkish, American, French, British and
Armenian, must come together and form a commission to investigate
this issue objectively," Yusuf Halacoglu, head of the Turkish
Historical Society, told Reuters on Wednesday.
EU issue
Halacoglu, who endorses the mainstream Turkish view of the events and
rejects the genocide claims, said setting scholars to work together
was all the more important for his country because the genocide issue
threatened to complicate Turkey's entry talks with the European
Union.
The genocide issue might
complicate Turkey's EU entry
The European Parliament and France, home to Europe's largest Amenian
community, have both urged Turkey to recognise the killings of
Armenians between 1915 and 1923 as genocide.
Armenians this year mark the 90th anniversary of the events on April
24 and Turkey is to start EU entry talks on 3 October
Halacoglu said the commission would ideally work under the auspices
of the United Nations or another international body to help ensure
impartiality and to encourage all states concerned to open up their
archives to the panel.
He was due to discuss his research on the period on Wednesday with
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and said he hoped for official Turkish
backing for a commission.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress