Armenian Historians Refuse to Participate in Armenian Genocide Conference in Istanbul

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian scientists do not consider necessary to take part in the Armenian Genocide conference initiated by Istanbul University, head of the Turkish department of the Institute of History of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences, Doctor Ruben Safrastyan told PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In his words, invitations of the kind are not new for Armenian scientists. "Turkey exerts every effort to reduce the Armenian Genocide issue to the discussions of historians. This tendency received a new impulse after the famous letter sent by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Armenian President Robert Kocharian. The Turkish Premier proposed to form a committee of historians to clarify whether the Genocide took place or not. For us this fact is a historical reality and participation in such a conference would mean to question Armenia's position," Safrastyan said. He also added that the Istanbul University is the most conservative university in Turkey. So, the conduction of the conference there tells of the importance Turkey attaches to the Armenian Genocide issue.