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US'S JEFFREY SUMMONED TO FOREIGN MINISTRY OVER OBAMA STATEMENT
Turkish Press
April 28 2009
US Ambassador to Ankara James Jeffrey was summoned to the Foreign
Ministry over the weekend to hear of Turkey's dissatisfaction with US
President Barack Obama's recent message for April 24, the so-called
Armenian "genocide" anniversary. Reportedly there was no official
protest during the meeting, but ministry officials expressed Turkey's
firm reaction to the statement. Ankara denies claims that Armenians
were subjected to genocide at the hands of the late Ottoman Empire,
saying that the incidents of 1915 occurred when the empire tried
to quell an Armenian revolt in cooperation with Russian forces then
invading eastern Anatolia during World War I. During these incidents,
many Turks lost their lives as well. In his statement, Obama did not
use the English word "genocide" but called the incidents a great
atrocity, and also employed an Armenian phrase which some say is
equivalent to "genocide." Turkish leaders' reaction to the statement
was negative.
President Abdullah Gul said that the Turks who perished at the hand of
Armenians should also be remembered and that everyone's grief should
be shared. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the statement
an unacceptable and untruthful interpretation of history, adding that
historical issues should not be used as political fodder. Erdogan
also warned that such statements could harm ongoing reconciliation
efforts between Turkey and Armenia. Opposition party leaders also
criticized the statement. /Turkiye/
Turkish Press
April 28 2009
US Ambassador to Ankara James Jeffrey was summoned to the Foreign
Ministry over the weekend to hear of Turkey's dissatisfaction with US
President Barack Obama's recent message for April 24, the so-called
Armenian "genocide" anniversary. Reportedly there was no official
protest during the meeting, but ministry officials expressed Turkey's
firm reaction to the statement. Ankara denies claims that Armenians
were subjected to genocide at the hands of the late Ottoman Empire,
saying that the incidents of 1915 occurred when the empire tried
to quell an Armenian revolt in cooperation with Russian forces then
invading eastern Anatolia during World War I. During these incidents,
many Turks lost their lives as well. In his statement, Obama did not
use the English word "genocide" but called the incidents a great
atrocity, and also employed an Armenian phrase which some say is
equivalent to "genocide." Turkish leaders' reaction to the statement
was negative.
President Abdullah Gul said that the Turks who perished at the hand of
Armenians should also be remembered and that everyone's grief should
be shared. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the statement
an unacceptable and untruthful interpretation of history, adding that
historical issues should not be used as political fodder. Erdogan
also warned that such statements could harm ongoing reconciliation
efforts between Turkey and Armenia. Opposition party leaders also
criticized the statement. /Turkiye/