Pamuk: I Never Meant to Offence Turkish RepublicDecember 26, 2005 - 18:10 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - When responding to the questions of the Turkish prosecutor Orhan Pamuk said that his statement on the killing of 1 million of Armenians and 30 thousand of Kurds was an attempt to raise taboo of the Armenian issue in Turkey. He said he never set an objective to offence the Turkish republic and the Armenian Genocide was perpetrated not in the times of modern Turkey. "I am not a historian but I read books about the history of my country and think about it. I am a Turk and I am proud of it," Pamuk noted. Pamuk's defender for his part added that the writer has never made any statement insulting Turks. "There is nothing criminal in this statement and Pamuk should be released," the lawyer said. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Armenia recalls Belarus envoy for consultations Armenian Ambassador to Belarus has been called to Yerevan for consultations, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry reveals. Armenia denies Azerbaijan's ceasefire accusations The Armenian Defense Ministry has denied Azerbaijan's accusations of violating the ceasefire. Armenia will leave Russian-led military bloc, says Pashinyan Armenia will leave the Russian-led Collective Security Organization, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said, without giving any dates. EU encourages Armenia to prioritize strategic projects The EU has encouraged Armenia to prioritize strategic projects, according to a statement from the country’s Foreign Ministry. |