CUMHURIYET - Columnist Orhan Birgit writes on the international conference organized by the Swedish government. A summary of his column is as follows: "The second international conference organized since 2000 by the Swedish government begins today. During the conference beginning on 24 April, the theme of 'True Justice and Reconciliation' will be discussed. The Swedish ambassador responsible for the conference to be held under the coordination of the foreign ministry of the host country called the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm to say that Armenia's deputy foreign minister would also attend the conference. In order to counter the claims of the Armenian diaspora on 24 April, Bulent Akarcali was appointed to head Turkey's delegation in Stockholm. Certainly, he is taking official reports and original documents with him proving Turkey's arguments countering the claims of the so-called genocide. However, one of the firmest arguments on the issue to date is presented in an interview with our colleague Hrant Dink published by French weekly L'Express. Hrant Dink is the responsible editor of the Armenian newspaper Agos published in Istanbul. In order to attract younger readers the newspaper is published not only in Armenian, but also has Turkish sections. While talking to L'Express, Dink called the Armenian diaspora to travel to Istanbul and said, 'I am ready to discuss all issues with you here in Istanbul. I am proud to be an Armenian of Turkey. I want to represent the rebirth of this community with my newspaper. If Turkey does not move along the road to democratization, Armenia will never be secure.' I have never seen such a warm sense of belonging from people of any other ethnic origin in describing their identity. A Turkey where such a sense of belonging is felt by everyone is fully in line with the definition of citizenship as laid out by Atatürk. Today, at the Stockholm conference, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Rouben Shougarian and an accompanying delegation will participate. Hrant Dink describes Turkey's neighbor to the northeast as a country 'near suffocation' whose only real chance to move forward depends on Turkey. I hope that the Yerevan goverment listens to the voices of its kinsmen in Istanbul calling for common sense, and makes use of this opportunity.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION