STATEMENT CALLING TURKEY TO ACKNOWLEDGE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO BE PUT TO VOTE NO EARLIER THAN MAY 2005

PanARMENIAN.Net - Chairman of the German-Turkish forum of the Christian Democratic Union Bulent Arslan refused to participate in consideration of the statement by the faction of Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union on Armenian Genocide. In his words, it is a very subtle issue and cannot be really presented in Germany. "Any interference from outside will impede reconciliation of the Armenian and Turkish people. It is essential to perceive history impartially", he noted. To remind, early March Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union submitted to the consideration of Bundestag a statement calling Turkey to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. However, the discussion was postponed at the urgent request of the greens and social democrats, who did not wish to tense relations with Turkey on the threshold of Gerhard Schroder's visit to Ankara. The preliminary hearing of the statement will be held April 21, however it will be put to the vote in May or June.