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AND THE SULTAN "WARNED" THE POPE
Asia News, Italy
April 15 2015
The Turkish president yesterday warned Francis "not to make such a
mistake again" when referring to the Armenian "genocide". Today, he
said that a motion by the European Parliament on the same issue would
"go in one ear and out of the other".
Ankara (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
yesterday "warned" Pope Francis "not to make such a mistake again".
Today, he said that a motion set to be voted upon in the European
Parliament would "go in one of our ears and out of the other."
Nicknamed the "Sultan" for his neo-Ottoman ambitions, Erdogan continues
his campaign against the recognition of the mass slaughter of one
million and half Christian Armenians as "genocide."
Upcoming elections on 7 June might explain the president's hard-line
nationalist stance, especially as his Justice and Development Party
(AKP) might lose votes to the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
Yesterday, Erdogan lashed out against "the honourable pope" for his
"genocide" comments on Sunday. Recalling the pope's visit to Turkey
in November 2014, Erdogan said his remarks had been very different
at the time.
"Now, after his remarks, I have different opinions about him both as
a politician and a religious man," the Turkish leader said. "Let's
leave this aside for historians to study [the events of 1915]".
"When politicians and religious leaders take on the role of historians,
then we do not get the truth, but merely a bunch of nonsense,"
he added.
"Why are we standing on the defensive? [Revelation of] a shame,
a shadow like genocide is out of the question," he said, when asked
to comment on today's vote in the European Parliament on a motion to
recognise the mass killing of Ottoman Armenians.
Should the motion be adopted by the European Parliament, "It will go
in one of our ears and out of the other. Because it is not possible
for Turkey to accept such a crime, such a sin," Erdogan said.
Noting that around 100,000 Armenian migrants are currently living in
Turkey, in addition to Armenian-origin citizens of the Republic of
Turkey, the president said that Turkey never "discriminated against
the Armenian people."
He also repeated an argument that he made a few years ago, stating
that Turkey was actually acting generously by not deporting those
100,000 undocumented migrants, although it could do so if it wished.
(FP)
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/And-the-sultan-warned-the-pope-33987.html
From: A. Papazian
Asia News, Italy
April 15 2015
The Turkish president yesterday warned Francis "not to make such a
mistake again" when referring to the Armenian "genocide". Today, he
said that a motion by the European Parliament on the same issue would
"go in one ear and out of the other".
Ankara (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
yesterday "warned" Pope Francis "not to make such a mistake again".
Today, he said that a motion set to be voted upon in the European
Parliament would "go in one of our ears and out of the other."
Nicknamed the "Sultan" for his neo-Ottoman ambitions, Erdogan continues
his campaign against the recognition of the mass slaughter of one
million and half Christian Armenians as "genocide."
Upcoming elections on 7 June might explain the president's hard-line
nationalist stance, especially as his Justice and Development Party
(AKP) might lose votes to the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
Yesterday, Erdogan lashed out against "the honourable pope" for his
"genocide" comments on Sunday. Recalling the pope's visit to Turkey
in November 2014, Erdogan said his remarks had been very different
at the time.
"Now, after his remarks, I have different opinions about him both as
a politician and a religious man," the Turkish leader said. "Let's
leave this aside for historians to study [the events of 1915]".
"When politicians and religious leaders take on the role of historians,
then we do not get the truth, but merely a bunch of nonsense,"
he added.
"Why are we standing on the defensive? [Revelation of] a shame,
a shadow like genocide is out of the question," he said, when asked
to comment on today's vote in the European Parliament on a motion to
recognise the mass killing of Ottoman Armenians.
Should the motion be adopted by the European Parliament, "It will go
in one of our ears and out of the other. Because it is not possible
for Turkey to accept such a crime, such a sin," Erdogan said.
Noting that around 100,000 Armenian migrants are currently living in
Turkey, in addition to Armenian-origin citizens of the Republic of
Turkey, the president said that Turkey never "discriminated against
the Armenian people."
He also repeated an argument that he made a few years ago, stating
that Turkey was actually acting generously by not deporting those
100,000 undocumented migrants, although it could do so if it wished.
(FP)
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/And-the-sultan-warned-the-pope-33987.html
From: A. Papazian