TERRY DAVIS: “BOTH TURKEY AND EUROPE MUST HONOUR THEIR WORD”
Support A1+!Following a conference on the fate of Turkish Armenians at the end of the Ottoman Empire, which was held at Bilgi University in Istanbul this weekend, Terry Davis, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, made the following statement:
"I want to congratulate the organisers of the conference on their courage and determination. Those believing in a modern, democratic and tolerant Turkey refused to be intimidated and silenced by extreme nationalists on the streets of Istanbul.
I reiterate my strong support for the position taken by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has supported freedom of expression in Turkey. I hope that such an attitude will also prevail with regard to the shameful prosecution of one of the most renowned Turkish writers, Orhan Pamuk, who was recently indicted for speaking openly on the Armenian issue.
I appreciate the sensitivity of this question for the Turkish authorities and the public opinion, but, however painful, such issues must be resolved through dialogue and truth, not repression and propaganda. As a member of the Council of Europe, Turkey is obliged to respect the European Convention on Human Rights, and I am confident that the Turkish authorities will not waver in their democratic and human rights reforms at this critical junction in relations between Turkey and Europe.
I also hope that leaders in other European capitals will rise to the occasion, remember their commitments and honour their word to Turkey", concluded the Secretary General.
