Ali Asker
2008-12-26 01:30:10 UTC
Gül considers as insult a deputy's remarks on his mother's ethnic
origin
President Abdullah Gül filed a mental anguish lawsuit against Canan
Arıtman, Izmir deputy for the People's Republican Party (CHP), in the
amount of 1 YTL (about 0.5 euro).
CHP deputy Arıtman had implied that President Gül's mother was
Armenian, when the President had made the comment about the campaign
to apologize to the Armenians that ability to discuss every opinion is
the policy of the state.
Arıtman had continued her comments after the reactions to her initial
comments: "When some people agree with or support the claim that we
committed the crime of genocide against the Armenians, the others
would ask them if they were Armenians. They would ask this question
even if that person is a president."
President Gül claims that his identity as a statesman, which he has
been trying to maintain with utmost responsibility and meticulousness,
was defamed.
The President explained yesterday (December 21) that his family was
both "Muslim and Turk" and in reply to this explanation, Arıtman said,
"The President declared, with some difficulty, that he was the
president of the state of the Turkish Republic and the nation. I am
sorry that this identity was declared as secondary. He should have
said 'I am a Turk' as his first identity." (BIA, December 23, 2008)
origin
President Abdullah Gül filed a mental anguish lawsuit against Canan
Arıtman, Izmir deputy for the People's Republican Party (CHP), in the
amount of 1 YTL (about 0.5 euro).
CHP deputy Arıtman had implied that President Gül's mother was
Armenian, when the President had made the comment about the campaign
to apologize to the Armenians that ability to discuss every opinion is
the policy of the state.
Arıtman had continued her comments after the reactions to her initial
comments: "When some people agree with or support the claim that we
committed the crime of genocide against the Armenians, the others
would ask them if they were Armenians. They would ask this question
even if that person is a president."
President Gül claims that his identity as a statesman, which he has
been trying to maintain with utmost responsibility and meticulousness,
was defamed.
The President explained yesterday (December 21) that his family was
both "Muslim and Turk" and in reply to this explanation, Arıtman said,
"The President declared, with some difficulty, that he was the
president of the state of the Turkish Republic and the nation. I am
sorry that this identity was declared as secondary. He should have
said 'I am a Turk' as his first identity." (BIA, December 23, 2008)