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Today's Zaman, Turkey
April 12 2015
Pope uttering `genocide' angers Turks, Vatican ambassador recalled
Pope Francis called the mass killings of Armenians at the end of World
War I under Ottoman rule `the first genocide of the 20th century'
during his Sunday Mass, and immediately after it Turkey called its
ambassador to the Vatican back to Ankara for consultation.
Vatican Ambassador to Turkey Antonio Lucibello was summoned to the
Foreign Ministry on Sunday. The ministry's deputy undersecretary,
Levent Murat Burhan, told Lucibello that Turkey is `greatly saddened
and disappointed' by the pope's characterization of the 1915 events as
genocide, a Foreign Ministry spokesman told journalists. Turkey also
called its ambassador to the Vatican back to Ankara for consultation.
Foreign Minister Mevlüt ÇavuÅ?oÄ?lu wrote on his Twitter account on
Sunday that the pope's genocide remarks are `unacceptable.'
`The pope's remarks, which are not based on historical and legal
facts, are not acceptable. Religious positions are not the place to
fuel malice and hatred with unfounded claims,' said ÇavuÅ?oÄ?lu.
The pope was the first guest at President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an's
lavish palace when he visited Turkey last November.
At the start of his Sunday Mass in the Armenian Catholic rite in St.
Peter's Basilica honoring the centenary, Pope Francis said,
`Concealing or denying evil is like allowing a wound to keep bleeding
without bandaging it.'
It is claimed that the pope has close ties to the Armenian community
from his days in Argentina and he has said it is his duty to honor the
memory of the innocent men, women, children, priests and bishops who
were `senselessly' murdered.
The pope also called on all heads of state and international
organizations to recognize `the truth' of what transpired and oppose
such crimes without ceding to ambiguity or compromise, in a subsequent
message directed to all Armenians.
Pope Francis's remarks acknowledging the 1915 events as genocide came
at the 100th anniversary of the mass killings of Armenians at the
hands of the Ottoman Empire. Armenia has been preparing to commemorate
the tragic events on April 24 with the attendance of a number of world
leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ankara denies claims that the events of 1915 amount to genocide,
arguing that both Turks and Armenians were killed when Armenians
revolted against the Ottoman Empire during World War I in
collaboration with the Russian army, which was then invading Eastern
Anatolia.
Pope Francis is not the first pope to utter the word `genocide.' Pope
John Paul II also described the Armenian killing as `the first
genocide of the 20th century' in a joint statement with Armenian
Apostolic Church Supreme Patriarch Kerekin II in 2001. Pope Francis
had used the word "genocide" back in 2013 during a Vatican audience
with an Armenian delegation and prompted a strong protest from Ankara.
'Not acceptable'
Following the pope's remarks, main opposition Republican People's
Party (CHP) Adana deputy and veteran diplomat Faruk LoÄ?oÄ?lu issued a
statement on Sunday criticizing the pope for his genocide remarks.
LoÄ?oÄ?lu said the pope's remarks are not only damaging to
Turkish-Armenian relations but also `provocative and destructive' at a
time when tensions between the Christian and Islamic world are rising.
`The pope's repeating this claim one more time without referring to a
source, reason or an international court decision is not
understandable, acceptable or forgivable,' said LoÄ?oÄ?lu. Accusing the
pope of resorting to populism that may lead to grave consequences,
LoÄ?oÄ?lu said the pope is taking sides and neglecting historical facts.
LoÄ?oÄ?lu also urged the Turkish government to recall its ambassador to
the Holy See until the pope corrects his genocide remarks.
Opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) parliamentary group deputy
chairman Yusuf HalaçoÄ?lu criticized the ruling Justice and Development
Party (AK Party) government and said that despite the pope being the
first guest at President ErdoÄ?an's palace, `Turkey is not capable of
preventing the pope from making a political statement against Turkey.'
HalaçoÄ?lu said religious leaders or politicians do not have the right
to make a grave accusation such as genocide against a country.
Turkey's ambassador to the Holy See canceled a planned news conference
for Sunday, presumably after learning that the pope would utter the
word "genocide" over its objections.
The pope uttered the word `genocide' during an Armenian rite Mass in
St. Peter's Basilica marking the 100th anniversary of the mass
killings, alongside the Armenian Catholic patriarch, Nerses Bedros XIX
Tarmouni, Armenian Christian church leaders and Armenian President
Serzh Sarksyan, who sat in a place of honor in the basilica.
Pope Francis also said that the killing of Armenians was the first of
three massive and unprecedented genocides last century that was
followed by the Holocaust and Stalinism. He said the mass killings in
Cambodia, Rwanda, Burundi and Bosnia had followed.
The pope said the human family seems to be refusing to learn from its
mistakes and even today there are those who attempt to eliminate
others with the help of a few and the complicit silence of those who
stand by. Pope Francis has frequently denounced the `complicit
silence' of the international community in the face of the modern-day
ethnic and religious killings by extremists.
During Sunday's Mass, the pope pronounced a 10th-century Armenian
mystic, St. Gregory of Narek, a doctor of the church to honor the
Armenian community. Only 35 people have been given the title.
http://www.todayszaman.com/diplomacy_pope-uttering-genocide-angers-turks-vatican-ambassador-recalled_377797.html
April 12 2015
Pope uttering `genocide' angers Turks, Vatican ambassador recalled
Pope Francis called the mass killings of Armenians at the end of World
War I under Ottoman rule `the first genocide of the 20th century'
during his Sunday Mass, and immediately after it Turkey called its
ambassador to the Vatican back to Ankara for consultation.
Vatican Ambassador to Turkey Antonio Lucibello was summoned to the
Foreign Ministry on Sunday. The ministry's deputy undersecretary,
Levent Murat Burhan, told Lucibello that Turkey is `greatly saddened
and disappointed' by the pope's characterization of the 1915 events as
genocide, a Foreign Ministry spokesman told journalists. Turkey also
called its ambassador to the Vatican back to Ankara for consultation.
Foreign Minister Mevlüt ÇavuÅ?oÄ?lu wrote on his Twitter account on
Sunday that the pope's genocide remarks are `unacceptable.'
`The pope's remarks, which are not based on historical and legal
facts, are not acceptable. Religious positions are not the place to
fuel malice and hatred with unfounded claims,' said ÇavuÅ?oÄ?lu.
The pope was the first guest at President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an's
lavish palace when he visited Turkey last November.
At the start of his Sunday Mass in the Armenian Catholic rite in St.
Peter's Basilica honoring the centenary, Pope Francis said,
`Concealing or denying evil is like allowing a wound to keep bleeding
without bandaging it.'
It is claimed that the pope has close ties to the Armenian community
from his days in Argentina and he has said it is his duty to honor the
memory of the innocent men, women, children, priests and bishops who
were `senselessly' murdered.
The pope also called on all heads of state and international
organizations to recognize `the truth' of what transpired and oppose
such crimes without ceding to ambiguity or compromise, in a subsequent
message directed to all Armenians.
Pope Francis's remarks acknowledging the 1915 events as genocide came
at the 100th anniversary of the mass killings of Armenians at the
hands of the Ottoman Empire. Armenia has been preparing to commemorate
the tragic events on April 24 with the attendance of a number of world
leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ankara denies claims that the events of 1915 amount to genocide,
arguing that both Turks and Armenians were killed when Armenians
revolted against the Ottoman Empire during World War I in
collaboration with the Russian army, which was then invading Eastern
Anatolia.
Pope Francis is not the first pope to utter the word `genocide.' Pope
John Paul II also described the Armenian killing as `the first
genocide of the 20th century' in a joint statement with Armenian
Apostolic Church Supreme Patriarch Kerekin II in 2001. Pope Francis
had used the word "genocide" back in 2013 during a Vatican audience
with an Armenian delegation and prompted a strong protest from Ankara.
'Not acceptable'
Following the pope's remarks, main opposition Republican People's
Party (CHP) Adana deputy and veteran diplomat Faruk LoÄ?oÄ?lu issued a
statement on Sunday criticizing the pope for his genocide remarks.
LoÄ?oÄ?lu said the pope's remarks are not only damaging to
Turkish-Armenian relations but also `provocative and destructive' at a
time when tensions between the Christian and Islamic world are rising.
`The pope's repeating this claim one more time without referring to a
source, reason or an international court decision is not
understandable, acceptable or forgivable,' said LoÄ?oÄ?lu. Accusing the
pope of resorting to populism that may lead to grave consequences,
LoÄ?oÄ?lu said the pope is taking sides and neglecting historical facts.
LoÄ?oÄ?lu also urged the Turkish government to recall its ambassador to
the Holy See until the pope corrects his genocide remarks.
Opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) parliamentary group deputy
chairman Yusuf HalaçoÄ?lu criticized the ruling Justice and Development
Party (AK Party) government and said that despite the pope being the
first guest at President ErdoÄ?an's palace, `Turkey is not capable of
preventing the pope from making a political statement against Turkey.'
HalaçoÄ?lu said religious leaders or politicians do not have the right
to make a grave accusation such as genocide against a country.
Turkey's ambassador to the Holy See canceled a planned news conference
for Sunday, presumably after learning that the pope would utter the
word "genocide" over its objections.
The pope uttered the word `genocide' during an Armenian rite Mass in
St. Peter's Basilica marking the 100th anniversary of the mass
killings, alongside the Armenian Catholic patriarch, Nerses Bedros XIX
Tarmouni, Armenian Christian church leaders and Armenian President
Serzh Sarksyan, who sat in a place of honor in the basilica.
Pope Francis also said that the killing of Armenians was the first of
three massive and unprecedented genocides last century that was
followed by the Holocaust and Stalinism. He said the mass killings in
Cambodia, Rwanda, Burundi and Bosnia had followed.
The pope said the human family seems to be refusing to learn from its
mistakes and even today there are those who attempt to eliminate
others with the help of a few and the complicit silence of those who
stand by. Pope Francis has frequently denounced the `complicit
silence' of the international community in the face of the modern-day
ethnic and religious killings by extremists.
During Sunday's Mass, the pope pronounced a 10th-century Armenian
mystic, St. Gregory of Narek, a doctor of the church to honor the
Armenian community. Only 35 people have been given the title.
http://www.todayszaman.com/diplomacy_pope-uttering-genocide-angers-turks-vatican-ambassador-recalled_377797.html