Posted on 10/13/2006 2:04:05 PM PDT by a_Turk
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's military said on Friday Armenian soldiers fired into its territory two days ago amid an escalation in tensions after France's passage of a law making it a crime to deny Armenians suffered genocide by Ottoman Turks.
The powerful General Staff called on the Foreign Ministry to investigate the incident on the border on October 11, which it said caused no injuries or material damage.
"Turkish soldiers came under harassing fire from Armenian territories on the Turkey-Armenia border on October 11, 2006," the Turkish General Staff said in a statement.
Turkey closed its border with the ex-Soviet republic of Armenia in 1993 to protest against Yerevan's occupation of territory inside Azerbaijan, a Turkic-speaking ally of Ankara.
Ties have also been strained by claims by Armenia that some 1.5 million of its people suffered genocide from 1915 to 1923 on Ottoman territory.
Turkey denies any genocide, saying the Armenians were victims of a partisan war that also claimed many Muslim Turkish lives. Turkey accuses Armenians of carrying out massacres while siding with invading Russian troops.
The military's statement comes a day after France's lower house of parliament approved a law making it a crime to deny the genocide. France is home to Europe's largest Armenian diaspora.
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan warned on Friday that European Union-applicant Turkey was studying retaliatory measures against France following approval of the law, which still needs the senate and President Jacques Chirac's approval.
Turkey's problems with Armenia have always threatened to complicate Ankara's entry talks with the EU, which expects all member states to have good relations with their neighbours.
Are you arguing that the Armenian genocide did not happen?
Who is arguing? I just posted an article.
Looks like our Armenian neighbors are taking shots at Turkish border guards. Must be they have some reason to feel cocky :))
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!
I'll suspend judgment on this one. The Turks tell Reuters that the Armenians started it, but either side could have done so. No love is lost between Turkey and Armenia.
I must say, it's typically irresponsible of Reuters to present the Turkish statement without bothering to ask for a statement from Armenia in response.
I know! Ain't it a hoot?
I watch a lot of History Channel. And all the losers of WWII stated the same kind of rhetoric!
After the way the turks tried to shake down the U.S. to use their land to invade iraq they can all go to hell there turk boy.
Reasonably modernized or no, when it comes down to it, Turkey is just another Islamic nation. Except maybe for Lebanon, is there a neighbor they haven't threatened to invade recently?
Whoops scratch Lebanon, they're not actually a bordering state...
"The military's statement comes a day after France's lower house of parliament approved a law making it a crime to deny the genocide."
I have to agree with your assessment of Reuters, and the timing of this statement from Turkey is also highly suspect. Sounds very much like Turkey is throwing a little hissy fit and passing more disinformation in keeping with their pattern of airbrushing the truth.
Your operation increasingly draws critics from your own party. Soon you'll stand alone like a plucked chicken in elephants clothing.
Armenians.
Lucre. Lucre. Lucre.
You truks know bribes not rightous behavior.
If I were a turk I'd be ashamed.
Now shut the hell up and go shake down someone like your kind does.
If you were a Turk I'd be ashamed.
You're a plucked chicken. November is almost here. You have ruined a perfectly good party.
Go hump a goat like your mother or was she a swine?
Good one :))
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