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Hayk Demoyan: Dialogue between Armenians and Turks is necessary
armradio.am
09.02.2008 11:04
`Dialogue between Armenians and Turks is necessary,' Director of the
Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Hayk Demoyan said during the
international conference on `Countries of the Caucasus and the Middle
East: Possible partners in the process of formation of the regional
security system.' He noted that Turks must realize that the genocide is
part of their history they have been carefully concealing for many
years. According to Hayk Demoyan, the dialogue will promote the
establishment of trust between the younger generations of Armenians and
Turks. According to him, it's pleasant that positive progress has been
registered over the past years: the number of Turks interested in the
topic has increased. `Turkish citizens visit the Museum to familiarize
themselves with history, but a different history which is not spoken
about in Turkey, because there is Article 301 of the Penal Code and
there is a common atmosphere,' Hayk Demoyan declared.
Turkey's activity in the direction of denying the fact of the Genocide
results in deepening of crisis among the Turkish society. Thus, a
special organization on the level of National Security Agency has been
established in Turkey to act against the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide. However, the further denial of this fact is a threat to
Turkish identity. `The official interpretation of history is one thing,
what the world speaks and writes about is a different thing. It's
already a serious challenge, since the most terrible may happen: own
citizens will stop trusting their authorities. A conflict will emerge
that can lead to the collapse of the state. Currently deep processes of
restoration of history are underway: the heritage of Ataturk is being
discussed, which was not the case before.
According to Hayk Demoyan, the discussion of the Genocide issue is
certainly a challenge to Turkey. Nevertheless, the task of Armenia is
not to aggravate the situation. `We must not present the Turks as
enemies or potential enemies, we must conceive them as partners for the
dialogue that will serve the interests of both countries,' he noted.
Vice-President of the Istanbul Fund of Journalists and Writers Jemal
Ushak also addressed the conference. He also underlined the necessity
of launching dialogue between the societies of the two countries.
armradio.am
09.02.2008 11:04
`Dialogue between Armenians and Turks is necessary,' Director of the
Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Hayk Demoyan said during the
international conference on `Countries of the Caucasus and the Middle
East: Possible partners in the process of formation of the regional
security system.' He noted that Turks must realize that the genocide is
part of their history they have been carefully concealing for many
years. According to Hayk Demoyan, the dialogue will promote the
establishment of trust between the younger generations of Armenians and
Turks. According to him, it's pleasant that positive progress has been
registered over the past years: the number of Turks interested in the
topic has increased. `Turkish citizens visit the Museum to familiarize
themselves with history, but a different history which is not spoken
about in Turkey, because there is Article 301 of the Penal Code and
there is a common atmosphere,' Hayk Demoyan declared.
Turkey's activity in the direction of denying the fact of the Genocide
results in deepening of crisis among the Turkish society. Thus, a
special organization on the level of National Security Agency has been
established in Turkey to act against the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide. However, the further denial of this fact is a threat to
Turkish identity. `The official interpretation of history is one thing,
what the world speaks and writes about is a different thing. It's
already a serious challenge, since the most terrible may happen: own
citizens will stop trusting their authorities. A conflict will emerge
that can lead to the collapse of the state. Currently deep processes of
restoration of history are underway: the heritage of Ataturk is being
discussed, which was not the case before.
According to Hayk Demoyan, the discussion of the Genocide issue is
certainly a challenge to Turkey. Nevertheless, the task of Armenia is
not to aggravate the situation. `We must not present the Turks as
enemies or potential enemies, we must conceive them as partners for the
dialogue that will serve the interests of both countries,' he noted.
Vice-President of the Istanbul Fund of Journalists and Writers Jemal
Ushak also addressed the conference. He also underlined the necessity
of launching dialogue between the societies of the two countries.