ANKARA
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said that Armenian allegations about 1915 incidents were groundless.
Only historians, not politicians, can reveal the truth about these incidents, added Arinc who spoke to France 24 TV in Paris.
Noting that leaders of ruling and opposition parties in Turkey gathered and signed a joint declaration in 2005 and opened all of Turkish archives about those incidents, Arinc said that Turkey also agreed to accept a decision by an independent committee which would be set up by historians, however, Armenian officials did not want this.
Regarding the solution process about Kurdish issue in Turkey, Arinc said that the process was initiated to settle permanent peace, adding that terrorism had been a chronical problem continuing for the past 35 years.
Also commenting on Turkey's EU membership process, Arinc said that the government's target was full membership in EU.
We will not be a burden to the EU, on the contrary we will share the burden of EU, he added.
Arinc: it's time to say stop to terrorism
Arinc said that terrorism had caused too much pain in Turkey for the last 30 years, and it was now time to say stop to terrorism.
Our economy, foreign policy and democratization process had always remained behind due to terrorism, added Arinc who spoke at a conference at Center for International Studies and Research in France.
Noting that the ruling Justice & Development (AK) Party in Turkey envisioned a change in the country under three main topics as democratization, economic success and multi-dimensional foreign policy, Arinc said that struggle against poverty, corruption and prohibition was the way to fulfill those three topics, adding that they focused on human rights vision too.
We have been working on ending terrorism problem for the past three months, said Arinc, adding that the solution process, which was initiated recently in Turkey, focused on silencing weapons and talking politics and ideas.
Arinc said that comprehensive improvements were made in cultural rights area in Turkey, adding that there were broadcast in different languages and dialects used by Turkish citizens traditionally.
Arinc said that Turkey was the 16th largest economy in the world and 6th in Europe, adding that national income per capita exceeded 10,500 USD, and inflation dropped to 6.2 percent.
Arinc also said that Turkey supported Arab Spring as it considered it as the most natural and legitimate demands of peoples.
Despite very limited international support, Turkey is hosting 191,000 Syrian refugees and in total 300,000 Syrian citizens, he noted.
During his talks in Paris, Arinc also visited "La Closerie Des Lilas" restaurant, and had interviews with leading French newspapers Le Monde, Le Figaro and La Liberation.
Arinc also met France Islamic Council Chairman Mohammad Mousavi.
