Gul blames imperialist circles for the Armenian issue

Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul spoke openly about the so-called Armenian genocide, Tuesday, stating, "Genocide is to eradicate traces of any ethnic or religious group. Why then do Armenian churches still exist in Turkey? And why then do we have Armenians here?" Gul said that it was the minority of Armenians living in Europe and the U.S. who were causing the issue to escalate. "It is the imperialist circles and chauvinist Armenian nationalists who have created this problem. They do it to hold onto their power." Gul also said that the Armenians living abroad have very good lifestyles and don't go home to Armenia to help their brothers. The Turkish government have called for a historical study of what happened, requesting that all documents and archives be examined by experts, to find some closure on the issue. " The archives in Lenin, Britain, Paris and Armenia should be opened," Gul added. The Turkish government stands by its convictions that the genocide happened on both sides, to both Armenians and Turks: "Armenians and Turkish people lived together for thousands of years, contributing to each others' culture and security." Â