TURKISH PM SURE JOINT EFFORTS TO PROMOTE PEACE INTERNATIONALLY

PanARMENIAN.Net - Leader of oppositionist Republican People's Party of Turkey (CHP) Deniz Baykal met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan March 8 and informed the Government head on the plans of the party for resisting to accusations over the Armenian Genocide, Regnum news agency reported referring to Turkish Daily News. At a joint press conference after the meeting Erdogan said: "Nothing should be based on hatred. The Blue Book was written 90 years ago during the war for propaganda purposes. We will cooperate with the CHP and will present the outcome of our research to the Parliament. Turkey is ready to solve the issue. It has opened its state archives. Anyone can come and study them. I am sure that our joint efforts will promote international peace." Baykal in his turn stated at the press conference: "The Armenian accusations in Genocide started after 1975 and are politically motivated. They are not scientifically grounded. The word "genocide" should be used very carefully. We will address the British Parliament asking to clear up the issue of the Blue Book. The government and the opposition cooperate for solving the issue." Baykal also called Armenians to open their state archives. Answering the question why the Turkish commission plans to address the British Parliament instead of discussing the question with Armenians directly, Erdogan said: "We will meet with all interested parties." The CHP initiative is targeted first of all at challenging the statements made in the Blue Book, written by historian Arnold Joseph Toynbee and diplomat James Bryce (the original title of the book is Treatment of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, 1915-1916).