Tweet
POPE'S ARMENIAN COMMENTS INFURIATES TURKS
ANSAmed - Italy
April 13, 2015 Monday 8:12 PM CET
Francis provokes controversy with 'genocide' reference
ROME
(by Sandra Cordon).
(ANSAmed) A reference by Pope Francis to the massacre 100 years ago
of Armenians, calling it a "genocide", provoked a furious reaction
from Turkey as it recalled its envoy to the Vatican and one official
on Monday attacked the pontiff's Argentine roots.
The controversy was stirred on Sunday when, during a Mass in St.
Peter's Basilica attended by the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
and top church leaders, the pope referred to "the first (tragedy of
the 20th century), which is widely considered 'the first genocide of
the 20th century'".
Turkey denounced Francis's comments, made during a Mass to commemorate
the 100th anniversary of the massacre, as amounting to slander.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu added that Ankara was not
ruling out further action after it recalled its envoy to the Vatican.
"Genocide is a legal concept," read a statement by Turkey's embassy
to the Holy See.
"Claims not fulfilling the requirements of law, even if they are
attempted to be explained on the basis of widespread conviction,
are bound to remain as slanders".
The pope's statement and the phrase "first genocide of the 20th
century" were actually borrowed from remarks written in 2001 by
former Pope John Paul II in a joint declaration with the Armenian
church leader, Karenkin II.
Numerous governments, experts and scholars in the field support
Armenia's position, concluding a genocide occurred.
Armenia and many historians say up to 1.5 million Armenian Christians
were killed by Ottoman forces in 1915.
But Turkey disputes this figure and argues that the deaths were part
of a civil conflict.
Azerbaijan also denies the Armenian genocide.
Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni came to the pope's defence
on Monday, saying the strength of the tone used by Turkey against the
Vatican "doesn't seem justified to me, bearing in mind that John Paul
II said something similar 15 years ago".
Turkey, which also summoned the Holy See's ambassador of in Ankara
on Sunday for an explanation, alleged that history had been exploited
for political reasons.
"With a selective point of view, he ignored the tragedies that befell
on the Turkish and Muslim people who had lost their lives in World
War I," read the statement by Turkey's embassy to the Holy See.
Turkey's Minister for European Affairs Volkan Bozkir went a step
farther, launching a personal attack against Pope Francis.
He suggested the pope's views were shaped by his Argentine homeland,
which Bozkir said "welcomed the Nazis" while adding the Armenian
diaspora there "is dominant in the world of printing and business,"
giving it great influence.
The Grand Mufti Mehmet Gormez, the main Sunni Muslim religious
authority in Turkey, said that the pope's remarks were "without
foundation and inspired by...political lobbies and public relations
firms".
From: Baghdasarian
ANSAmed - Italy
April 13, 2015 Monday 8:12 PM CET
Francis provokes controversy with 'genocide' reference
ROME
(by Sandra Cordon).
(ANSAmed) A reference by Pope Francis to the massacre 100 years ago
of Armenians, calling it a "genocide", provoked a furious reaction
from Turkey as it recalled its envoy to the Vatican and one official
on Monday attacked the pontiff's Argentine roots.
The controversy was stirred on Sunday when, during a Mass in St.
Peter's Basilica attended by the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
and top church leaders, the pope referred to "the first (tragedy of
the 20th century), which is widely considered 'the first genocide of
the 20th century'".
Turkey denounced Francis's comments, made during a Mass to commemorate
the 100th anniversary of the massacre, as amounting to slander.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu added that Ankara was not
ruling out further action after it recalled its envoy to the Vatican.
"Genocide is a legal concept," read a statement by Turkey's embassy
to the Holy See.
"Claims not fulfilling the requirements of law, even if they are
attempted to be explained on the basis of widespread conviction,
are bound to remain as slanders".
The pope's statement and the phrase "first genocide of the 20th
century" were actually borrowed from remarks written in 2001 by
former Pope John Paul II in a joint declaration with the Armenian
church leader, Karenkin II.
Numerous governments, experts and scholars in the field support
Armenia's position, concluding a genocide occurred.
Armenia and many historians say up to 1.5 million Armenian Christians
were killed by Ottoman forces in 1915.
But Turkey disputes this figure and argues that the deaths were part
of a civil conflict.
Azerbaijan also denies the Armenian genocide.
Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni came to the pope's defence
on Monday, saying the strength of the tone used by Turkey against the
Vatican "doesn't seem justified to me, bearing in mind that John Paul
II said something similar 15 years ago".
Turkey, which also summoned the Holy See's ambassador of in Ankara
on Sunday for an explanation, alleged that history had been exploited
for political reasons.
"With a selective point of view, he ignored the tragedies that befell
on the Turkish and Muslim people who had lost their lives in World
War I," read the statement by Turkey's embassy to the Holy See.
Turkey's Minister for European Affairs Volkan Bozkir went a step
farther, launching a personal attack against Pope Francis.
He suggested the pope's views were shaped by his Argentine homeland,
which Bozkir said "welcomed the Nazis" while adding the Armenian
diaspora there "is dominant in the world of printing and business,"
giving it great influence.
The Grand Mufti Mehmet Gormez, the main Sunni Muslim religious
authority in Turkey, said that the pope's remarks were "without
foundation and inspired by...political lobbies and public relations
firms".
From: Baghdasarian