PARIS - Turkish Embassy in France said on Tuesday that history should not be distorted by the statue that would be opened in Paris, France in the memory of the so-called Armenian genocide on April 24.
Issuing a written statement, the Turkish Embassy strongly condemned the expressions written under the statue and noted that the statue was used as a means of distorting the history.
Noting that Ottoman archives were open for researchers for a long time, Turkish Embassy said that ''Turkey was not concerned about the results of a serious research to be undertaken on this issue.''
Pointing out that the claims of so-called Armenian genocide claims constituted an impediment to friendship among peoples, Embassy said that ''history should be left to historians.''
Armenians in France have been carrying out lobby activities for opening of the statue on April 24 for a long time.
(ÖS) 22.04.2003