By Muhammet Emin Avundukluoglu
ANKARA (AA) – The Turkish nation has never in its history committed any genocide, said a top Turkish parliamentarian on Tuesday.
Meeting with French MP Stephane Teste, the co-chair of the Turkish-French Interparliamentary Friendship Committee, Emrullah Isler, who heads parliament’s Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Committee, told how during the Ottoman era ethnic Turks and Armenians co-existed in peace.
“There is no genocide against any region in our history, ” said Isler, Ankara deputy of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party.
“We are also against parliaments making decisions on such issues, ” said Isler, referring to motions in various countries on the events of 1915.
“History should be written by the historians. ”
Isler said Turkey has opened its archives to historians to research these events.
“While Turkey approaches this issue clearly, some parliaments' decisions on the issue upset us, ” he added.
Isler said that teaching about the so-called Armenian genocide in secondary schools abroad hurts students of Turkish origin living there.
“This causes a problem in our relations, ” he said.
-Deep Turkish-French ties
For his part, Teste said that the relations between France and Turkey have roots going back centuries.
“We want to strengthen our relations, ” he said.
Turkey says that during World War I, the deaths of Armenians in eastern Anatolia occurred after some sided with invading Russians and revolted against Ottoman forces. A subsequent relocation of Armenians resulted in numerous casualties.
Ankara does not accept the alleged “genocide ” but acknowledges there were casualties and tragedies on both sides.
Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission of historians from Turkey and Armenia plus international experts to tackle the issue.
