Turkey’s new ambassador to France ready for ‘unprejudiced dialogue’ with Armenians
Hakkı Akil, who began his term as Turkey’s ambassador to Paris on April 14, has described the “Armenian issue,” which is the thorniest subject in his portfolio, as “heartbreaking,” reports Hurriyet Daily News. In an interview with daily Hürriyet, Akil stressed that he was ready to engage in an “unprejudiced dialogue” with Armenians in France ahead of 2015, the 100th anniversary of the tragedy that befell the Ottoman Armenians. “Two nations that are so alike should finally make peace. We should take steps to realize it,” Akil said at his official residence in Paris. He said, the “Armenian problem,” should be considered in general terms, rather than with regards to France only and added that the “genocide question” should be addressed in the near future by international courts. The new ambassador also admitted that he has “no special preparation” for the symbolic year 2015. “Whether it’s 2014 or 2016, I suggest the same policy: Leave the legal and historical debates to jurists. Our mission is to eliminate hate speech,” Akil added.
