May 12, 2004 - 20:16 AMT
TURKEY SHOULD ALLEVIATE BURDEN OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, EP MEMBER CONSIDERS
Turkey should recognize the Armenian Genocide and alleviate the burden at last, European Parliament rapporteur for the South Caucasus Per Gahrton stated in Yerevan at the conference on the subject of "Enlarged Europe - New Neighbors: Armenia's expectations". In his words, this year the EU confirmed its commitment and again urged Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide. It is naive of Ankara to deny the Genocide as the Istanbul courts at their time sentenced to death the Turkish politicians, who had organized the genocide of Armenians, EP member said. "Where would today's Germany find itself if hadn't acknowledged the Holocaust? Not in European structures anyway", Per Gahrton noted. At the same time the parliamentarian spoke for Turkey's admission to EU, what, in his words, will contribute to the settlement of regional problems, the opening of the Turkish-Armenian border, in part.