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POPE'S ARMENIAN GENOCIDE COMMENT 'SLANDER' - TURKEY-UPDATE3
ANSA English Media Service, Italy
April 13, 2015 Monday 3:31 PM CET
Ankara considering further action after recalling Holy See envoy
Rome
(ANSA) - April 13 - Turkey has said that Pope Francis's comments that
the mass killing of Armenians under Ottoman rule in World War I were
"genocide" amount to slander.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, meanwhile, said Monday
that Ankara was not ruling out taking more action over the comments
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 infuriated Turkey with the comments he made during a Mass on
Sunday in the Armenian Catholic rite at St Peter's Basilica, attended
by the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and top church leaders.
"The first (tragedy of the 20th century), which is widely considered
'the first genocide of the 20th Century', struck your own Armenian
people," the pope said.
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.
Turkey, which also summoned the Holy See's ambassador of in Ankara
on Sunday for an explanation, alleged that history was exploited for
political reasons at St Peter's on Sunday.
"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.
"During this Holy Mass, history was instrumentalized for political
aims.
"While overlooking the great sufferings and dark pages in remote
geographies far away from Anatolia, and disregarding completely the
cruelty of colonialism, only referring to our Christian brothers with
whom we lived side by side in Anatolia for centuries, and who have
nothing to do with the events of 1915, is unacceptable...
"We understand that Pope Francis is under the influence of the
Armenian narrative which persists to derive enmity from history
instead of leaving a legacy of friendship and peace to the future
generations. We reject this approach".
From: Baghdasarian
ANSA English Media Service, Italy
April 13, 2015 Monday 3:31 PM CET
Ankara considering further action after recalling Holy See envoy
Rome
(ANSA) - April 13 - Turkey has said that Pope Francis's comments that
the mass killing of Armenians under Ottoman rule in World War I were
"genocide" amount to slander.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, meanwhile, said Monday
that Ankara was not ruling out taking more action over the comments
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 infuriated Turkey with the comments he made during a Mass on
Sunday in the Armenian Catholic rite at St Peter's Basilica, attended
by the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and top church leaders.
"The first (tragedy of the 20th century), which is widely considered
'the first genocide of the 20th Century', struck your own Armenian
people," the pope said.
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.
Turkey, which also summoned the Holy See's ambassador of in Ankara
on Sunday for an explanation, alleged that history was exploited for
political reasons at St Peter's on Sunday.
"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.
"During this Holy Mass, history was instrumentalized for political
aims.
"While overlooking the great sufferings and dark pages in remote
geographies far away from Anatolia, and disregarding completely the
cruelty of colonialism, only referring to our Christian brothers with
whom we lived side by side in Anatolia for centuries, and who have
nothing to do with the events of 1915, is unacceptable...
"We understand that Pope Francis is under the influence of the
Armenian narrative which persists to derive enmity from history
instead of leaving a legacy of friendship and peace to the future
generations. We reject this approach".
From: Baghdasarian