U.S. President Barack Obama said Monday his views on the 1915 incidents remain unchanged but that he was encouraged by the ongoing dialogue between Turkey and Armenia. He also said Turkey and the U.S. can build a model partnership.

“My views (on 1915 incidents) are not changed. What I have been encouraged by a series of negotiations in place between Armenia and Turkey to resolve outstanding issues. I want to be as encouraging as possible in moving negotiations move forward,” Obama told at the joint press conference with Turkish President Abdullah Gul.

 ”I want to focus not on my views right now, but on the views of the Turkish and Armenian people. If they can move forward… the entire world should encourage them,” added Obama, who had pledged to recognize Armenia’s claims during his presidential campaign.

Gul said Turkey is ready to face with the historic events and reiterated his country’s proposal of forming a commission of academics and historians to investigate the issue. “These historic issues were brought on the agenda on political grounds, mostly by the diaspora, who wants to protect its own identity,” he said.

 Turkey is in talks with Armenia to normalize relations and he was hopeful for a positive outcome, Gul added.

Armenia, with the backing of the diaspora, claims up to 1.5 million of their kin were slaughtered in orchestrated killings in 1915. Turkey rejects the claims saying that 300,000 Armenians, along with at least as many Turks, died in civil strife that emerged when Armenians took up arms, backed by Russia, for independence in eastern Anatolia.

Turkey has offered to form a joint commission to investigate what happened in 1915 and opened all official archives. Armenia however has continued to drag its feet on accepting the offer.
 

Source: Hurriyet
URL: www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/domestic/11372985.asp?gid=244

Filed under: Armenian Claims, Turkish Press, Turkish-Armenian Relations