"Our head is high and we are blameless. Regardless of whatever they tell, the truth will eventually unveil," State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek said in New York, commenting on Armenian allegations regarding to 1915 incidents.
Stating that Armenian issue casts a shadow on the relations between Turkey and United States, Cicek said, "There is nothing in our history that we can't account for."
Attending to the Turkish Festival in New York organized by Federation of Turkish American Associations (FTAA), Cicek said, "29 years ago, an illegal campaign of defamation was initiated against Turkish people and Turkishness and more than 40 Turkish diplomats were assassinated. You stood proudly and you initiated a glorious struggle against these. The struggle which began 29 years ago, turned into an important tradition for introducing Turkish existence to whole world."
Stating that United States is an ally and friend of Turkey, Cicek said that two countries shared responsibilities in Korea, Afghanistan and several other places. "We want these relations to be developed and institutionalized. On the other hand, baseless allegations which blame Turkey are turned into a (U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee) decision because of the influence of certain lobbies in United States. That disappointed us a lot. This issue should be handled by historians instead of politicians and parliaments."
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
