MGK calls for impartial, scholarly study of 1915 incidents

The National Security Council (MGK), chaired by President Abdullah Gul convened yesterday at the Cankaya Presidential Palace. Issues such as talks towards normalized relations with Armenia and Turkey's important ties with Azerbaijan were high on the agenda of the meeting, along with recent developments in Iraq, the security of energy lines, and Afghanistan. Referring to US President Barack Obama's recent message on the so-called Armenian "genocide" claims, a MGK statement issued afterwards said the joint history of the Turkish and Armenian nations should be studied through objective, scholarly methods supported by indisputable evidence and documentation and free of all preconceptions. It also referred to Turkey's proposed joint historical commission to thoroughly and objectively investigate the incidents of 1915. During the meeting, issues concerning Turkey's security and its possible additional contributions to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan were also discussed, the statement said, adding that Turkey's firm determination to continue the fight against terrorism within the framework of democracy and the rule of law was stressed. "We evaluated our relations with Iraq and discussed in detail the fight against terrorist attacks coming from northern Iraq," said the statement. "The issue of Turkey's energy needs was discussed from political, strategic and diplomatic perspectives. We welcome with pleasure the recent early elections in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), and their peaceful conduct." In related news, during a meeting of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), Turkey gave a green light to Armenia's participation in a BSEC highway project. The project aims to connect the group's 12 member countries to each other by one continuous road. Member countries with no coastline along the Black Sea such as Greece, Serbia, Albania, Azerbaijan and Armenia would establish connections with the main route of the planned highway through their nearest neighbors. Under this project, a move exempting truck drivers using the highway from visa requirements is also expected.