EU slams Turkish 'provocation'

A decision by Turkish judges to ban an academic conference on the Armenian genocide has been attacked as a “deplorable provocation” by the European Commission.

A ruling by judges banning a meeting planned for Saturday on the massacre of Armenians in World War One is second attempt to ban the conference.

Brussels, and Ankara, officials are furious at the timing of the decision just ten days before the October 3 date for the start of Turkey EU entry talks.

“We strongly deplore this decision to stop the Turkish people from discussing their history,” a commission spokeswoman said on Friday.

"The absence of legal motivations and the (timing) of this decision a day before the conference looks like yet another provocation.”

The commission is warning Turkey that the decision to cancel the conference for a second time would be noted in an annual situation report due out soon.

“The decision will be reflected in the regular report that the commission will release on November 9,” a commission spokeswoman said.

The EU attack echoes the sentiment of the Turkish government, which has condemned the decision.

Turkish foreign minister Abdullah Gul suggested the ruling was a move by internal opponents to domestic reforms required by the EU.

“Those inside and outside the country who want to obstruct us as we go towards October 3 are making their last efforts. There is no one better than us when it comes to harming ourselves,” he said.

Turkey has always denied claims that Ottoman forces carried out genocide against Armenians during WW1, but following EU pressure Ankara agreed to let historians debate the issue instead of politicians.

The Istanbul University conference aimed to allow historical scrutiny of events but the judicial decision sees politics once again directing debate.

"To prevent a meeting which has not yet happened and where it is not clear what is to be discussed has got nothing to do with democracy," newspapers quoted Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan as saying.

European Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn previously called a Turkish court's plans to prosecute novelist Orhan Pamuk a provocation.

Pamuk faces up to three years in jail for backing allegations that Armenians suffered genocide 90 years ago.

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