PARIS (A.A) - 15.05.2002 - Sonmez Koksal, the Turkish Ambassador to France, said that he did not hate the Armenians although it was the Armenians who killed his grandfather.
When a French student with Armenian origin asked a question on so-called Armenian genocide during a conference on Turkey-European Union (EU) relations at Paris University, Koksal said, ''the Armenians killed my grandfather, but I do not hate the Armenians.''
Koksal noted that there was not any genocide those years as claimed and asked the students to analyze and well evaluate the historical realities.
The Armenians who were living in the region and having good and friendly relations with the Ottomans assumed an attitude beside Russia by being influenced by extreme nationalist movements, Koksal stated.
Koksal pointed out that his grandfather was killed by the Armenians those days but this did not require his hatred of Armenians.
The law adopted at French parliament was totally contradicting with the French Constitution, Koksal said.
Koksal noted that French parliamentarians acted with a concern of votes.
Touching on Turkey-EU relations, Koksal stressed that the EU was important for Turkey.
Koksal said that EU's granting Turkey full membership status was necessary for Europe's construction.
Drawing the attention to historical ties between Turkey and Europe, Koksal said that the success of Turkish model was a historic opportunity for Europe in order to prevent extreme wings in both the Muslim and the Christian worlds.
Koksal pointed out that if secular and Muslim, modern and developed Turkey became an EU member, the EU would show the Muslim world that Islam did not contradict with democracy and modernism.
Secular and democratic Turkey had to take its place in the EU for the success of secular thought in Europe and in order to prevent the division between two big religions, Koksal said.
Koksal added that a definite date had to be set for opening of full membership negotiations with Turkey during the Term Presidency of Denmark.