RA FM called on EP to think about Article 301 of Turkish Penal Code
"Turkey's proposal for setting up a commission of historians to discuss the Armenian Genocide has been used by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to put Armenia in a difficult position," Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said in his address to European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs in Brussels.
He said there is no rejection of the offer but current conditions are not suitable for such a discussion. "Think about Article 301 which penalizes referring to the Armenian genocide and insulting Turkishness. How would any historian discuss this matter knowing that the sword of 301 is hanging over them?" Oskanian said.
He described the border closure as another reason for not taking Turkey's offer seriously.
He said there is no rejection of the offer but current conditions are not suitable for such a discussion. "Think about Article 301 which penalizes referring to the Armenian genocide and insulting Turkishness. How would any historian discuss this matter knowing that the sword of 301 is hanging over them?" Oskanian said.
He described the border closure as another reason for not taking Turkey's offer seriously.
