Turkey may establish relations with Armenia

Apr. 29, 2005 13:29
By ASSOCIATED PRESS

ANKARA, Turkey

Turkey's prime minister said his country could establish political
relations with Armenia if the two sides agree to jointly research the
killings of Armenians during World War I, which Armenians say was a
genocide, a newspaper reported Friday.

Turkey has no diplomatic ties with Armenia. But Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan told the daily Milliyet that Turkey might establish
political ties if Armenia agreed to his proposal.

"Political relations might be established on one side and studies
(about killings) can continue on the other side," Milliyet quoted
Erdogan as saying.

Turkey has been opening up on the subject under pressure from the
European Union ahead of negotiations on membership in the bloc.

Earlier this month, Erdogan sent a letter to Armenian President Robert
Kocharian inviting Armenia to set up a joint research
committee. Kocharian reportedly responded by saying ties should be
formed first, according to Turkish newspapers.

Armenians say some 1.5 million of their people were killed as the
Ottoman Empire forced them from eastern Turkey between 1915 and 1923
in a deliberate campaign of genocide.

Turkey denies a genocide was committed, saying the death count is
inflated and insisting that Armenians were killed or displaced as the
Ottoman Empire tried to secure its border with Russia and stop attacks
by Armenian militants.