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TURKEY BLASTS AUSTRALIA FOR 'DISTORTING HISTORY'
Armenian Weekly
Tue, Aug 10 2010
FAIRFIELD, Australia-A monument commemorating the genocide of 750,000
Assyrians in World War I was unveiled on Saturday, August 7, reported
the Assyrian International News Agency. Ankara reacted immediately,
accusing Australia of distorting history.
The Assyrian Genocide Monument in Fairfield, Australia.
Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Selcuk Unal said on Aug. 9 that
Turkey condemned opening of the Assyrian Genocide Monument.
"We express regret over participation of federal executives to this
intentional activity which will not have any contribution to relations
of the two countries," Unal told a written statement.
The spokesman said the monument showed unethical searches of circles,
which appeal to poisoning of excellent relations between Australia
and Turkey, for rewriting of history for political goals.
Unal said support in federal level to the efforts in question was a
"grave and unacceptable development," indicating that opening of this
monument caused indignation and disappointment in Turkish citizens
living in Australia.
The monument, designed by Assyrian artist Lewis Batros, was strongly
opposed by the Turkish community in Australia, that claimed the
monument would "sew division" between the Assyrian and Turkish
communities.
"Turkey hopes that federal and local politicians, who allowed
construction of the monument despite all the against initiatives,
are aware of the dangers caused by such kind of steps which aim at
sowing seeds of hatred and enmity and which contradict historical
facts," Unal said.
"Turkey calls on all the related parties to assume a stance appropriate
to friendship of peoples of Turkey and Australia to prevent such kind
of steps which unilaterally target to distort history for political
aims," Unal said.
More than 2,000 Assyrians and Australians attended the dedication at
Bonnyrigg Park. The monument was sponsored by the Assyrian Universal
Alliance and officially approved by the Fairfield city council on
December 15, 2009.
The monument is dedicated to the Turkish genocide of Assyrians as
well as the 1933 massacre of Assyrians at Simmele by Iraqi government
forces, in which 3,000 Assyrians were killed.
The Assyrian genocide monument in Australia is not the first of its
kind. Genocide monuments have been erected in Los Angeles, Chicago,
Paris, and Russia, but it is the most controversial one to-date. On
Feb. 5, the mayor of Yerevan signed an order approving the construction
of an Assyrian Genocide monument in Armenia and allocating 16 square
meters for the site. The monument is currently in the planning stage.
From: A. Papazian
Armenian Weekly
Tue, Aug 10 2010
FAIRFIELD, Australia-A monument commemorating the genocide of 750,000
Assyrians in World War I was unveiled on Saturday, August 7, reported
the Assyrian International News Agency. Ankara reacted immediately,
accusing Australia of distorting history.
The Assyrian Genocide Monument in Fairfield, Australia.
Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Selcuk Unal said on Aug. 9 that
Turkey condemned opening of the Assyrian Genocide Monument.
"We express regret over participation of federal executives to this
intentional activity which will not have any contribution to relations
of the two countries," Unal told a written statement.
The spokesman said the monument showed unethical searches of circles,
which appeal to poisoning of excellent relations between Australia
and Turkey, for rewriting of history for political goals.
Unal said support in federal level to the efforts in question was a
"grave and unacceptable development," indicating that opening of this
monument caused indignation and disappointment in Turkish citizens
living in Australia.
The monument, designed by Assyrian artist Lewis Batros, was strongly
opposed by the Turkish community in Australia, that claimed the
monument would "sew division" between the Assyrian and Turkish
communities.
"Turkey hopes that federal and local politicians, who allowed
construction of the monument despite all the against initiatives,
are aware of the dangers caused by such kind of steps which aim at
sowing seeds of hatred and enmity and which contradict historical
facts," Unal said.
"Turkey calls on all the related parties to assume a stance appropriate
to friendship of peoples of Turkey and Australia to prevent such kind
of steps which unilaterally target to distort history for political
aims," Unal said.
More than 2,000 Assyrians and Australians attended the dedication at
Bonnyrigg Park. The monument was sponsored by the Assyrian Universal
Alliance and officially approved by the Fairfield city council on
December 15, 2009.
The monument is dedicated to the Turkish genocide of Assyrians as
well as the 1933 massacre of Assyrians at Simmele by Iraqi government
forces, in which 3,000 Assyrians were killed.
The Assyrian genocide monument in Australia is not the first of its
kind. Genocide monuments have been erected in Los Angeles, Chicago,
Paris, and Russia, but it is the most controversial one to-date. On
Feb. 5, the mayor of Yerevan signed an order approving the construction
of an Assyrian Genocide monument in Armenia and allocating 16 square
meters for the site. The monument is currently in the planning stage.
From: A. Papazian