| Academics have held the first-ever public discussions in Turkey about the early 20th century mass killings of Armenians, prompting criticism from Turkish nationalists who called it an attempt to accuse Turkey of genocide. The European Union called the academic conference on Saturday a test of freedom of expression in Turkey, which is hoping to begin talks for membership in the bloc next month. The academic conference had been cancelled twice, once in May after the justice minister said organisers were "stabbing the people in the back," and again on Thursday when an Istanbul court ordered the conference closed and demanded to know the academic qualifications of the speakers. |