LETTER TO NEW YORK TIMES BY EGEMEN BAGIS

Egemen Bagis as a reaction to an article published in New York Times wrote a letter to the Editor and said "Armenian propaganda seems to have reached to a new surreal high with allegations about the Turkish archives."

Bagis said that for more than two years the Turkish government and the Turkish parliament have been calling for all interested historians, Armenian, Turkish and all, to form joint research groups and explore all the relevant archives about the events of 1915 and added that Turkey has not yet received a positive response from Armenia

"Beyond everything else, there are two sides in this issue. Turkish archives have long been open for this purpose, but this fact is ignored and clouded by the Armenian propaganda. The Turkish initiative also suggests that all relevant documents at the Russian, Armenian, German, British, French, American and even Austrian archives need to be cross-checked for the simple and absolute truth. As a result of this cross-check, the truth will be surely understood." Bagis stressed that Turkish archives are open and are waiting for Armenian researchers who only need to be brave enough to see the truth, and who can resist the temptation of mass-hysteria and history should be left to historians not politicians.

Bagis said that the Turkish Republic is unfairly and unjustly blamed for events that are claimed to have occurred in 1915 and added that "It is time to leave history to historians."