The New Anatolian
April 30 2005
Turkey’s main opposition party,CHP deputy protests Poland’s
‘genocide’ decision
The New Anatolian / Ankara
Halil Unlutepe, Afyonkarahisar deputy of the Republican People’s
Party (CHP), yesterday resigned from the Turkish-Polish
Interparliamentary Friendship Group as a protest against the Polish
Parliament’s recent decision to recognize the so-called Armenian
genocide.
Unlutepe issued a written statement on the Polish Parliament’s
decision last week labelling events which occurred between Turks and
Armenians in World War I as the `Armenian genocide.’ Continued the
statement: “The Polish Parliament declined our suggestion to wait for
the investigation of Turkish state archives and to wait for an
official conclusion. Instead, it hastily accepted allegations based
on on groundless and distorted documents.”
“Although we have frankly expressed our goodwill to Poland, and the
intention of clarifying the events around the so-called genocide, the
acceptance of such a cruel decision can’t be reconciled with the aim
of the friendship group,” Unlutepe stressed.
The Polish Parliament’s decision has clouded efforts to strengthen
friendly ties between the Turkish and Polish parliaments, Unlutepe
concluded.