Milliyet, Turkey, Report by Utku Cakirozer:
Turkey is preparing for a great surprise in its Armenian policy. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, declaring that the government may take the genocide claims to an international court, has said:
“The accusation will be the most important problem in the decade ahead.”
It has emerged that, following its proposal, in the face of the
Armenian genocide claims, for the establishment of a historical commission, to be composed of international historians, Turkey is preparing to take yet another very significant initiative.
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has announced that they may take the genocide allegations before an international court.
CHP [opposition Republican People’s Party] Istanbul Parliamentary Deputy Sukru Elekdag, who spoke during yesterday’s discussion of the Foreign Ministry budget in the TBMM [Turkish Grand National Assembly].
Planning and Budget Committee session, proposed that Turkey take recourse to the method of “international arbitration” in order to prevent the Armenians’ claims from gaining legitimacy. Elekdag spoke as follows:
“Will Show We Are in the Right”
“Turkey should announce that it will accept the incidents of 1915 being assessed in accord with the provisions of the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and for this purpose should propose referring the matter to international arbitration. The Armenians will reject this, but this announcement will be an indication of Turkey’s being in the right morally and legally, and will in large measure limit the issue’s being exploited politically against Turkey.”
Gul as well, noting that he ascribes very great importance to
Elekdag’s viewpoint and support, said:
“I see the danger of these Armenian accusations and distortions harming our relations with third countries as one of the most important problems of the next decade.”
Pointing out that Turkey has been engaged in a sincere effort for the historical reality to emerge, and by changing the parameters for the first time and taking a new initiative, has made the proposal for a joint historical commission, Gul said:
“A good many countries have supported this thesis of ours. We are also engaging in careful work aimed at taking other steps as well. We are considering everything, including taking the judicial route. We are getting opinions not just from our own legal experts, but from legal experts abroad as well.”
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