March 4, 2005 - 17:48 AMT
TURKEY READY TO DISCUSS GENOCIDE ISSUE WITH ARMENIA BUT NOT DIASPORA
Turkey cannot carry on pursuing the policy of the Armenian Genocide denial, head of the parliamentary faction of the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Socialist Union of Germany Wolfgang Bosbach during the event with the subject "How will the dialogue with Turkey proceed?" organized in Koln by the Union of Turkish Democrats. The declaration by the leader of the German opposition aroused indignation of the Turkish Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Cuneyd Zapsu. He stated that Turkey is ready to discuss these issues with the representatives of Armenia but not of the Armenian Diaspora. He also noted that there are many other issues to be discussed thus trying to distract attention from the topic of the Armenian Genocide. In response Mr. Bosbach asked, "What other issues besides the Genocide can arouse during the dialogue with Armenians? I wonder about the facts you can furnish for this discussion. Do you think Germany would become an EU member and one of the leading states without having recognized the Holocaust and denying the fact of its history. In this case no single state would maintain relations with us. If Germany acknowledges its history so why cannot Turkey do that?" Mr. Bosbach stated. After these words the Turkish Prime Minister's Adviser preferred to finish up the discussion saying, "If our ancestors were so blood-thirsty, there would not be any Christian left in Europe."