ADL Reiterates Support For Efforts To Reconcile Turkey And Armenia
New York, NY, August 23, 2007 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today reiterated its support for efforts to bring together Turkey and Armenia to resolve differences over their shared history.
Glen S. Lewy, ADL National Chair and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:
We must encourage steps to create an atmosphere in which Armenia will respond favorably to the several recent overtures of Turkey to convene a joint commission to assist the parties in achieving a resolution of their profound differences. We believe there are many renowned historians, human rights activists and distinguished world leaders who are willing to lend their knowledge, experience and judgment to this cause. We know that earlier this year, Professor Elie Wiesel and more than 50 of his fellow Nobel Laureates called for concrete steps to be taken by Turkey and Armenia to find a way forward to reach the goal of reconciliation, and that, last week, Professor Wiesel reaffirmed his support for efforts to create a body in which both Turkish and Armenian experts can come together to work cooperatively in re-examining the shared past of both peoples.
The force and passion of the debate today leaves us more convinced than ever that this issue does not belong in a forum such as the United States Congress.
The proper role of those of us who deeply believe the controversy must be resolved is to promote and support Turkey and Armenia in efforts to bring them together to begin the process of reconciliation. Although independent scholars may have reached a consensus about the genocide, in an effort to help accomplish the reconciliation there is room for further dispassionate scholarly examination of the details of those dark and terrible days.ADL and the American Jewish community should focus their attention on supporting efforts to urge Turkey and Armenia to make this happen.
The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20071012205635/https://www.adl.org/PresRele/Mise_00/5116_00.htm
