16/03/2010 11:39
Turkish parliamentarians urge to deport Armenians
The Committee on Foreign Affairs of Turkish Parliament held Monday a panel discussion to learn reports on processed of approval of Resolutions on the 1915 Genocide. Country’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and recalled Ambassadors (from Sweden and the United States) delivered their reports on the recent passages of Resolutions at Sweden’s Parliament and the U.S. Committee on Foreign Affairs.
During debates and discussions, the Turkish parliamentarians called the government to respond to these approvals through more hard-and-fast actions, 1NewsAz Agency reports, citing Sabah paper. In particular, Turkish PMs demanded to close the U.S. access to the Incirlik Air Base and deport all Armenians, who are illegally living in Turkey.
“Turkey has made available for Armenians to live in Turkey illegally as it takes into account the heavy economical situation in Armenia,” said Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.
“Moreover, if we deport Armenians from Turkey, then all the western media will start a campaign against Turkey, covering this as if Turkey would have deported Armenians. This would put us into a complicated situation,” he said.
Referring to Armenia-Turkey documents, Davutoglu said Ankara isn’t going to call them off the Parliament.
“All in good time,” he said.
“We shouldn’t make decisions, which can harm our interests. However, we will campaign hard over upholding national interests of Turkey; and let everyone know it.
“Turkey is not the country to speak to in a language of pressure. We will make use of the signed Armenia-Turkey protocols,” said Ahmet Davutoglu.
It’s worth mentioning that Turkey has been campaigning vigorously against the Resolution. It traditionally denies facts of Genocide.
Resolution, branding massacres, deportations, executions, starvations and other means that resulted in more than 1,5 million deaths among Armenians in Turkey, was adopted on March 4 by the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the United States House of Representative (by a vote of 23 to 22), and by Sweden’s Parliament on March 11 (by a vote of 131 to 130).
The 1915 Genocide is recognized by Uruguay (recognized and condemned earliest, 1965), Russia, France, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Canada, Chile, Argentina, and 42 States of America; Vatican, the European Parliament, and the World Council of Churches.