May 3, 2004 - 21:30 AMT
TURKISH DEPUTY DEMANDED SCHWARZENEGGER TO ABANDON ASSESSMENTS ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN OTTOMAN TURKEY
Member of People-Democratic party of Turkey, deputy Atilla Bashoglu sent a letter to governor of California State Arnold Schwarzenegger in view of his recent statement regarding the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey. As known, during his speech April 24, Schwarzenegger spoke of genocide and elimination of the Armenian civilization by Turks and even called Istanbul as "Constantinople". In his interview to Zaman Turkish newspaper the Turkish deputy said: "Historians should judge the past. Arnold is a cinema hero and is not aware of these issues. He can't even show Turkey on the map". Bashoglu called Schwarzenegger to abandon his words, threatening, otherwise, to appeal to the European Court for Human Rights.