ARMENIAN AND GREEK AMERICANS DISAPPOINTED OVER BUSH STATEMENT ON TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) and the American Hellenic Institute (AHI) expressed their profound disappointment over recent remarks by President Bush praising Turkey's treatment of national minorities and calling for that nation's accession to the European Union. ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian and AHI President Gene Rossides, in a letter to the President, pointed out that, "the reality is that Turkey is neither secular nor democratic and, if anything, represents a negative role model for the states of the region. Over the past one hundred and fifty years, successive Turkish governments have been characterized by their violence toward their own citizens, their disdain for democracy, and their aggression against neighboring states. Significantly, during this period, Turkey has dealt with its minority populations by committing genocide against Armenians, massacring and driving Pontians and other Greeks from its shores, denying the existence of its Kurdish citizens, and restricting the rights of Christians to worship freely." In the words of the authors of the letter, the call for Turkey's accession to the EU does not enjoy the backing of their nation's citizens, who recognize that the Turkish government falls far short of meeting even the most basic international standards of democracy and human rights.