050413 - Ankara worries that the Armenians are using the anniversary to step up their campaign

Turkey To Debate Genocide Denial Strategy
(AFP) - Turkey's parliament next week will debate counter-action against a damaging Armenian campaign for the recognition of the killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire as genocide, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul was quoted as saying Saturday.
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> Gul told journalists accompanying him on a trip to Algeria he would take the floor at a special parliamentary session, scheduled for Wednesday, to detail Ankara's strategy, Anatolia news agency reported.
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> "Like it or not, Turkey has gotten behind on this issue," Gul said. "Turkey should have been more active and addressed this problem with more courage to better enlighten the international community."
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> On April 24 the Armenians will mark the 90th anniversary of the beginning of the World War I massacres, which have already been acknowledged as genocide by several countries, including France which is home to a large Armenian Diaspora.
Ankara worries that the Armenians are using the anniversary to step up their campaign, particularly in the United States, whose traditionally close ties with Turkey are today markedly strained amid differences over Iraq. Some European Union politicians also maintain that Turkey should address the genocide claims and mend fences with neighboring Armenia as it prepares to launch membership talks on October 3.

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