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AN OPEN LETTER TO PRINCE CHARLES
13:02, 15 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan
Ara Papian, Head of Modus Vivendi Centre, has addressed an open letter
to His Royal Highness Charles Philip Arthur George, Prince of Wales.
The full text of the letter is below:
Your Royal Highness,
There is unequivocal truth in that the lives of kings and princes
are full of responsibilities. Paying respect to the memory of the
subjects of their own country is, without doubt, one of the most
commendable responsibilities. Hence, Your and Prince Harry's planned
visit to Istanbul this year on April 24-25 and participation in the
commemorative ceremony of the Centenary of the Gallipoli Campaign,
which is dedicated to the memory of the victims of around 35 thousand
British subjects, is perfectly understandable. However, the issue is
not as straightforward as it appears to be at first sight.
The military actions in Gallipoli or Canakkale, as Turks refer to it,
commenced on 18 March, 1915. Consequently, Turkey has traditionally
been commemorating it on 18 March. It would be wise to question as
to why this year Turkey has decided to commemorate it on 24 April? No
notable event has taken place on April 24 in the Gallipoli Campaign.
If the change in the calendar for the commemoration by Turks is
conditioned by the fact that Turkey wishes to give importance to
the intended landing of the British-French navy on the shores of the
peninsula (although it is not clear why Turkey would give importance
to it), then it should be noted that this took place on April 25. The
change in the calendar by the Turkish authorities (the change of
Canakkale celebration from 18th to 24th of April ) pursues only one
aim - to obscure and even ridicule the memory of the victims of the
Armenian Genocide, which has always been commemorated on 24 April.
Sir, By making such changes in the calendar, the Turkish authorities
are using You as a means to their end in a distorted game of
propaganda.
By participating in the theatrical performance organised by the Turkish
authorities on April 24, the day of the commemoration of the victims
of the Armenian Genocide, you will not only disrespect the memory
of the British victims of Gallipoli, but you will also forever stain
the British throne and Bonae Memoriae of your ancestor George V.
After all, the liberation of the Armenian people from the oppression
of the Ottoman Empire was one of the principal reasons and officially
announced objectives of the British Empire, its Monarch and the
Government, in joining the First World War. At the time, the British
Empire failed to carry out its mission, and as a result, millions
of innocent victims paid with their blood. At least now, do not
desecrate the memory of your soldiers, who fell for the freedom of the
Armenians, and the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. A
representative of the British monarchy should not be coerced into
being a puppet in the political games of a state with such an agenda.
In fact, recognizing their own culpability in the massacres of the
Armenians, which was a result of their failure to land onshore during
the Gallipoli Campaign, the Government of George V, together with
Russia and France, made a joint statement on 24 April, 1915 and
promised to bring to justice those responsible for the Armenian
massacres. Alas, neither Your country, nor Russia or France kept
their promise. I find it necessary to mention, that the righteous
offsprings of my homeland did not forget the promises of the great
powers, and a considerable number of the perpetrators of the Armenian
Genocide received their deserved punishment.
Sir, Your Highness and Prince Harry are visiting Istanbul to take part
in the Anzac Day Commemoration, which has always been remembered on
April 25. I do believe that it is Your duty to remember the British
subjects. However, it must be acknowledged that is also Your duty to
remember the Armenians, who became victims of the policy of the British
Empire. If the British Empire had not prevented the collapse of the
Ottoman Empire on various occasions, the Armenians would have not
been massacred; instead they would happily live in their millennial
homeland and would not mourn their losses every year on April 24. If
you are going to take part in the commemorative ceremony in Istanbul
on the dawn of the 25th of April, then it is your duty to also pay
tribute to the victims of the Armenian Genocide.
The flight from Yerevan to Istanbul will only require 3 hours and
40 minutes, given the two-hour time zone difference between the
two cities.
http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/04/15/an-open-letter-to-prince-charles/
13:02, 15 Apr 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan
Ara Papian, Head of Modus Vivendi Centre, has addressed an open letter
to His Royal Highness Charles Philip Arthur George, Prince of Wales.
The full text of the letter is below:
Your Royal Highness,
There is unequivocal truth in that the lives of kings and princes
are full of responsibilities. Paying respect to the memory of the
subjects of their own country is, without doubt, one of the most
commendable responsibilities. Hence, Your and Prince Harry's planned
visit to Istanbul this year on April 24-25 and participation in the
commemorative ceremony of the Centenary of the Gallipoli Campaign,
which is dedicated to the memory of the victims of around 35 thousand
British subjects, is perfectly understandable. However, the issue is
not as straightforward as it appears to be at first sight.
The military actions in Gallipoli or Canakkale, as Turks refer to it,
commenced on 18 March, 1915. Consequently, Turkey has traditionally
been commemorating it on 18 March. It would be wise to question as
to why this year Turkey has decided to commemorate it on 24 April? No
notable event has taken place on April 24 in the Gallipoli Campaign.
If the change in the calendar for the commemoration by Turks is
conditioned by the fact that Turkey wishes to give importance to
the intended landing of the British-French navy on the shores of the
peninsula (although it is not clear why Turkey would give importance
to it), then it should be noted that this took place on April 25. The
change in the calendar by the Turkish authorities (the change of
Canakkale celebration from 18th to 24th of April ) pursues only one
aim - to obscure and even ridicule the memory of the victims of the
Armenian Genocide, which has always been commemorated on 24 April.
Sir, By making such changes in the calendar, the Turkish authorities
are using You as a means to their end in a distorted game of
propaganda.
By participating in the theatrical performance organised by the Turkish
authorities on April 24, the day of the commemoration of the victims
of the Armenian Genocide, you will not only disrespect the memory
of the British victims of Gallipoli, but you will also forever stain
the British throne and Bonae Memoriae of your ancestor George V.
After all, the liberation of the Armenian people from the oppression
of the Ottoman Empire was one of the principal reasons and officially
announced objectives of the British Empire, its Monarch and the
Government, in joining the First World War. At the time, the British
Empire failed to carry out its mission, and as a result, millions
of innocent victims paid with their blood. At least now, do not
desecrate the memory of your soldiers, who fell for the freedom of the
Armenians, and the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. A
representative of the British monarchy should not be coerced into
being a puppet in the political games of a state with such an agenda.
In fact, recognizing their own culpability in the massacres of the
Armenians, which was a result of their failure to land onshore during
the Gallipoli Campaign, the Government of George V, together with
Russia and France, made a joint statement on 24 April, 1915 and
promised to bring to justice those responsible for the Armenian
massacres. Alas, neither Your country, nor Russia or France kept
their promise. I find it necessary to mention, that the righteous
offsprings of my homeland did not forget the promises of the great
powers, and a considerable number of the perpetrators of the Armenian
Genocide received their deserved punishment.
Sir, Your Highness and Prince Harry are visiting Istanbul to take part
in the Anzac Day Commemoration, which has always been remembered on
April 25. I do believe that it is Your duty to remember the British
subjects. However, it must be acknowledged that is also Your duty to
remember the Armenians, who became victims of the policy of the British
Empire. If the British Empire had not prevented the collapse of the
Ottoman Empire on various occasions, the Armenians would have not
been massacred; instead they would happily live in their millennial
homeland and would not mourn their losses every year on April 24. If
you are going to take part in the commemorative ceremony in Istanbul
on the dawn of the 25th of April, then it is your duty to also pay
tribute to the victims of the Armenian Genocide.
The flight from Yerevan to Istanbul will only require 3 hours and
40 minutes, given the two-hour time zone difference between the
two cities.
http://www.armradio.am/en/2015/04/15/an-open-letter-to-prince-charles/