TURKISH MP: ‘RAFFI HOVANNISIAN’S BAKU STATEMENT RE: GENOCIDE IS SLANDER’

hetq
14:21, November 23, 2012

According to the Azeri Press Agency, Justice and Development Party MP
Ercan Candan took issue with Raffi Hovannisian’s comments at the 7th
General Assembly of the International Conference of Asian Political
Parties now underway in Baku.

Hovannisian, leader of Armenia’s Heritage Party, noted that the
term “occupation” shouldn’t be used by Azerbaijanis and others when
referring to Nagorno-Karabakh.

The diaspora born Hovannisian argued that when it comes to the
concept of “occupation”, Armenians have suffered to a far greater
degree and pointed to Turkey, implying the usurpation of western
Armenian territories.

APA reports that Candan described Armenian claims of genocide as a
“distortion” of history.

The Turkish MP noted that his country had faced occupation by four
European states early in the past century.

“Though Armenians and Turks had coexisted in Turkey by that time,
later they took advantage of the situation and went for separatism. At
that time we defeated the occupants. But we did not expel Armenians
from Turkey; they left Turkey of their own accord.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress