Turkey's top EU official meets EP chief in Brussels

BRUSSELS (A.A) - February 7, 2012 - Turkey's European Union Minister and Chief Negotiator for accession talks Egemen Bagis on Tuesday met with European Parliament President Martin Schulz in Brussels. Commenting on foreign parliaments' attitude toward Armenian allegations on the Ottoman era incidents of 1915, Bagis said politicians and parliaments should focus on the future instead of dealing with the past and making historical research. "Politicians should not steel any role from historians. Our job is to make a history which is much more peaceful, prosperous and hopeful," Bagis told a joint press conference with Schulz after their meeting. The Turkish minister said the Turkish prime minister sent a letter in 2005 to the Armenian president, expressing readiness to open Turkey's archives for scientific research into the incidents of 1915. "However, Armenia had failed to respond positively. We are ready for the establishment of an international committee of historians and researchers and we are ready to accept any decision that comes from that committee if it is based on not only the archives of Turkey and Armenian but also on the archives of Germany, Britain, Russia, France and the United States," Bagis said.     Responding to a question if freedom of expression faced any limitations in Europe, Schulz on his part said that he did not see any threat in Europe against freedom expression.               "Even if there were, I would do anything in my power to fight that. Freedom of expression is one of the basic values of EU," Schulz said.