"'Armenian Administration should also Open Historical Archives'
By Erdal Sen
Published: Friday 04, 2005
zaman.com
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticized Armenia regarding the so-called Armenian Genocide allegations and said: 'If Armenian historians have some claims, so do our historians.'
Erdogan hosted French Parliamentary Speaker Jean Louis Debre in his office, who visited Turkey in order to hold talks about the Armenian and the Cyprus issues as well as reforms regarding the European Union (EU). Reacting specifically against the so-called Armenian genocide allegations raised by France, Erdogan reportedly said: 'We leave the discussion of these issues to our historians.' According to sources, the Prime Minister told the guest French Parliamentary Speaker that Turkey is unbowed on this issue as it has opened the Ottoman archives and there is no evidence to support these claims. Erdogan also called on the Armenians to open their archives and argued: 'Let's leave this issue to the historians. If Armenian historians have some claims to make, so do our historians. If they open their archives, it will be seen that the situation is nothing like what has been claimed. We do not have any problems with our Armenian citizens. We have already opened our archives on this issue, but the Armenians have not.' "
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