Turkish group urges Schwarzenegger boycott
Associated Press | April 26, 2005
ANKARA, Turkey A Turkish business group is demanding today that Governor Schwarzenegger's movies be banned from Turkish television because of an Armenian genocide statement.
The governor declared April 24th a "Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide."
The Armenian government says up to one-point-five (m) million Armenians ultimately died or were killed over several years as part of a campaign to force them out of Turkey. The 90th anniversary of the campaign was marked April 24th by Armenians.
Turkey does not deny that many Armenians died, but says that most were part of the general unrest during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
An umbrella group of some 300 Turkish associations, unions and businesses says it is launching a petition to ban Schwarzenegger's movies in Turkey. They claim the governor is "acting under the influence of the Armenian lobby" and has not researched historical truths.
California has one of the largest populations from the Armenian diaspora.
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