TURKEY USES EVERY BIT OF POLITICAL LEVERAGE AGAINST THE POPE'S REMARK ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE - ANALYST
YEREVAN, April 14. /ARKA/. Turkey is trying to use every bit of
leverage, including hysteria, in response to Pope Francis' statement
about the Armenian genocide, head of political studies at the Caucasus
Institute Sergey Minasyan said on Sputnik-Armenia radio station.
On Sunday the head of the Roman Catholic Church served a landmark
mass in the Armenian Catholic rite in St. Peter's Basilica. In his
speech, Pope Francis used the world genocide in describing the mass
killings of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey a century ago. The Pope's
statement provoked anger in Turkey. Turkey recalled the ambassador
to the Vatican, and called the Vatican ambassador to the foreign
ministry for consultation.
There is no more influential political, public or cultural figure
than the Pope is, and Turkey's efforts in response to the statement
could be expected, Minasyan said.
The Vatican is not a mere religious structure: it is connected with
areas where historical truth and moral values play a great role,
he said.
Pope Francis' statement on the Armenian genocide was not something new
to the Catholic Church as Pope John Paul II made a similar statement
back in 2001, the expert said, as cited by Novosti-Armenia.
The Armenian genocide was the first genocide committed in XX century.
Turkey rejects the accusation of massacres and the killing of one
and a half million Armenians during World War I.
The fact of the Armenian genocide is recognized by many countries,
particularly by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, most of the U.S.
states, as well as by the parliaments of Greece, Cyprus, Argentina,
Belgium, Wales, National Council of Switzerland, Common House of
Canada, the Seym of Poland and lower house of Italian parliament. -0--
http://arka.am/en/news/politics/turkey_uses_every_bit_of_political_leverage_agains t_the_pope_s_remark_on_armenian_genocide_analyst/#sthash.v059ZaWB.dpuf
YEREVAN, April 14. /ARKA/. Turkey is trying to use every bit of
leverage, including hysteria, in response to Pope Francis' statement
about the Armenian genocide, head of political studies at the Caucasus
Institute Sergey Minasyan said on Sputnik-Armenia radio station.
On Sunday the head of the Roman Catholic Church served a landmark
mass in the Armenian Catholic rite in St. Peter's Basilica. In his
speech, Pope Francis used the world genocide in describing the mass
killings of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey a century ago. The Pope's
statement provoked anger in Turkey. Turkey recalled the ambassador
to the Vatican, and called the Vatican ambassador to the foreign
ministry for consultation.
There is no more influential political, public or cultural figure
than the Pope is, and Turkey's efforts in response to the statement
could be expected, Minasyan said.
The Vatican is not a mere religious structure: it is connected with
areas where historical truth and moral values play a great role,
he said.
Pope Francis' statement on the Armenian genocide was not something new
to the Catholic Church as Pope John Paul II made a similar statement
back in 2001, the expert said, as cited by Novosti-Armenia.
The Armenian genocide was the first genocide committed in XX century.
Turkey rejects the accusation of massacres and the killing of one
and a half million Armenians during World War I.
The fact of the Armenian genocide is recognized by many countries,
particularly by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, most of the U.S.
states, as well as by the parliaments of Greece, Cyprus, Argentina,
Belgium, Wales, National Council of Switzerland, Common House of
Canada, the Seym of Poland and lower house of Italian parliament. -0--
http://arka.am/en/news/politics/turkey_uses_every_bit_of_political_leverage_agains t_the_pope_s_remark_on_armenian_genocide_analyst/#sthash.v059ZaWB.dpuf