WikiLeaks: Turkey tries to control foreign media to prevent programs on Armenian Genocide

PanARMENIAN.Net - According to a classified cable sent by former U.S. ambassador to Turkey Ross Wilson, Turkish MFA Deputy Director General for Security Affairs Sakir Torunlar called the embassy on April 18, 2007 to express concern about a program on the Armenian Genocide scheduled to be aired on Iraqi TV station Al Hurra.

Torunlar said that, “were this a commercial station with advertisers, it might be understandable, but al Hurra appears to be congressionally funded.”

“We shared information that the Turkish desk in Washington had been in touch with the programmers, who had reviewed the film for balance. We stressed that it would be the station's call, not the Embassy's or the State Department's. We noted that there is an issue of freedom of the press. We pointed out that these sorts of issues will continue to arise until Turkey and Armenia take concrete steps toward normalizing relations,” amb. Wilson reported in a secret cable released recently by whistleblower website WikiLeaks.

“The MFA's attention to detail shows continuing Turkish sensitivities on this issue. It is one of the prisms through which they view the world and will continue until the sore is lanced. We hope that can occur after parliamentary elections later this year and formation of a new government with a fresh mandate,” he resumed.