ANKARA (Turkish Daily News)–The Turkish Parliament Advisory Board has ruled to maintain the overall reservations toward the Armenian genocide resolution–the Anatolia news agency reported Monday.
The board met under the chairmanship of newly elected Parliamentary Speaker Omer Izgi yesterday morning. The press was not admitted. After the meeting–Izgi briefed the press–saying the meeting had been convened at the request of all the political parties in Parliament. The parties’ deputy group leaders had all wanted to express their reservations and sensitivities over the Armenian resolution–even though it has now been withdrawn from Congress. He said the resolution had done the Turkish nation a great injustice and that the incident in question had been attempted to be used for political ends by distorting all the historical facts.
Izgi announced the decision had been taken to set up a group of Turkish and foreign historians to look into the facts and eradicate these accusations once and for all. He said the group to be formed was expected to complete its work by April 24–2001–that being the day claimed by Armenia’s as "Genocide Day."
"We are not afraid because we know that the victims in this case were the Ottomans. The victim is being made out to be the perpetrator–but we will strive to disclose the true historical facts. If we can pull this off by April 24–2001–the Foreign Ministry will deliver the report to all parliamen’s and all libraries so that whoever wants to can come and see for themselves," he said.