Turkije stelt conferentie over het doden van Armeniërs tijdens Eerste Wereldoorlog uit (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - A conference questioning Turkey's official policy as regards the Armenian killings during World War I has been cancelled following pressure from the government.

The conference entitled "Ottoman Armenians at decline of the empire. Scientific responsibility and issues of democracy" was to start on Wednesday (26 May) and would have given the floor to academics to discuss the Turkish position of denying the genocide.

But Turkish Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said that the conference was "treason" and a "stab in the back of the Turkish people", according to international media.

"We must end this treason, the spreading of propaganda against Turkey by the people who belong to it", he said.

As a result, the Bosphorus University "decided it would be more appropriate to postpone the conference because of the results that could occur if the conference were held under these circumstances".

The killing of Armenians during World War I is one of the controversial episodes in Turkey's history.

Turkey refuses to recognise the killings as genocide, and rejects estimations that 1.5 people were massacred.

It agrees that many Armenians were killed by the Turks, but also says that as many Turkish people died in the conflicts that took place while the Ottoman Empire was being dismantled.

Some countries, particularly France, which has a large Armenian population, has pushed for a tough line on Turkey in regards to Armenia.

But the EU has limited its demands to calling on Ankara to improve its relations with Armenia before starting its membership negotiations.

EU regrets "mixed messages"

The EU expressed regret concerning "the mixed messages" coming from Turkey.

"We are aware of the tragedy in 1915. We hope that now, thanks to the EU prospect it will be possible to create a climate of confidence with the Armenians", a spokesperson for the European Commission told the EUobserver.

This is why "we expect that such a seminar will be held in the future, as the academic point of view is highly valuable when discussing these historical issues", she added.

However, the spokesperson declined to speculate on possible consequences for the launch of EU talks, due on 3 October.

"A clear agreement on starting the talks was reached by the Council [member states], the decision was taken at the highest political level", she said.

"The European Commission continues to monitor the situation and will issue a statement in its next [enlargement] report on Turkey ", the spokesperson concluded.

Several EU countries, such as France, Poland and Germany have formally recognised the Armenian genocide.