Turkey, Ankara, 17 June / Trend corr T. Aliyev/ Ankara hosted the first meeting of Azerbaijan-Turkey Historical Research Fund, which is intended to research the 'Armenian' issue, to prove groundlessness of Armenians' claims to recognize the 'Armenian genocide' and to popularize the truth about the issue amongst the international community. The meeting approved of the administration and structure of the Fund.
By the decision of the Fund's trusteeship council, new members were admitted to the Fund to increase their number from 13 to 52. Turkey's 9th President Suleyman Demirel was elected the Chairman of the Trusteeship Council. World-known scientist Ihsan Dogramac, Deputy Chairman of PACE Samad Seyidov and Chairman of the Azerbaijan-Turkey Businessmen Association (ATIB) Ahmet Erentok were elected his deputies.
It was decided at the meeting to confer the title of Honorary Chairman of the Fund to the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Abdullah Gul.
Speakers of Azerbaijani and Turkish Parliaments Ogtay Asadov and Koksal Toptan were elected as co-chairmen of the Fund's Supreme Consultative Council. Yusuf Halacoglu was elected Chairman of the Supreme Scientific Council of the Fund; Director of the History Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan Yagub Mammadov, chancellor of the Baku State University Abel Maharramov and head of the Azerbaijan State Archive Atakhan Pashayev were elected his deputies. Turkey's former Culture Minister Namik Kamal Zaybek was elected chairman of the board.
The Ankara meeting also adopted the Charter of the Azerbaijan-Turkey Historical Research Fund, determined composition of the financial commission and approved the budget for 2008.