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Armenian president says Ankara's attempts to re-write history are
short-sighted and cynical
YEREVAN, January 29. / ARKA /. Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan has
again deplored his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan today for
attempts to re-write the history, calling Ankara's decision to shift a
high-profile ceremony that will mark the 100th anniversary of the
Battle of Gallipoli fought by Ottoman and British-led troops during
the First World War, to April 24 when Armenians around the globe will
mark the centenary of the Armenian genocide 'short-sighted and
cynical.."
President Serzh Sargsyan made the statement during a meeting of a
state commission set up to coordinate the events commemorating the
100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
Earlier president Sargsyan rejected the invitation sent to him by
Erdogan to attend the Gallipoli commemoration. In a response letter he
said the anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli will be marked on
April 24 for the first time, despite the fact that it began on March
18, 1915 and continued through January 1916 and that the allies'
landing operation -- the Gallipoli Campaign itself -- started on April
25."
The Armenian president said the timing of the Turkish ceremony
"pursues a primitive goal of deflecting the international community's
attention from events that will mark the centenary of the Armenian
genocide." This is a continuation of Ankara's "traditional policy of
denial" of the genocide, he said.
Speaking at today's meeting Sargsyan said; "They say that in politics
all methods are appropriate, but I think Ankara has done a disservice
to itself in this matter... I think my answer and subsequent
international responses and reactions in Turkey proved that the plan
is a poorly calculated step."
"The denial (of the genocide) is not only a manifestation of political
weakness and inferiority complex, but a legal category. It links the
current government of Turkey with its predecessors, who committed the
crime of genocide. It makes them complicit in this dire crime against
humanity,' said Sargsyan.
Armenia and Turkey have no diplomatic relations. Ankara closed the
border with Armenia in 1993. The uneasy relationship between the
countries is caused particularly by Ankara's support to Azerbaijan on
Karabakh problem and Turkey's overreaction to international
recognition of the 1915 Armenian genocide in Ottoman Empire.
Some reconciliation in the relations started in autumn 2008 initiated
by Armenia's president Serzh Sargsyan. Foreign ministers of Armenia
and Turkey signed protocols about establishing diplomatic relations in
Zurich on October 10, 2009 that were to be ratified by their
parliaments. On April 22, 2010 Armenia's president Sargsyan suspended
the ratification process saying Turkey was not ready to continue the
process. Ratification of the protocols has been frozen. -0--
http://arka.am/en/news/politics/armenian_president_says_ankara_s_attempts_to_re_wr ite_history_are_short_sighted_and_cynical/#sthash.iPAq1rku.dpuf
short-sighted and cynical
YEREVAN, January 29. / ARKA /. Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan has
again deplored his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan today for
attempts to re-write the history, calling Ankara's decision to shift a
high-profile ceremony that will mark the 100th anniversary of the
Battle of Gallipoli fought by Ottoman and British-led troops during
the First World War, to April 24 when Armenians around the globe will
mark the centenary of the Armenian genocide 'short-sighted and
cynical.."
President Serzh Sargsyan made the statement during a meeting of a
state commission set up to coordinate the events commemorating the
100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
Earlier president Sargsyan rejected the invitation sent to him by
Erdogan to attend the Gallipoli commemoration. In a response letter he
said the anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli will be marked on
April 24 for the first time, despite the fact that it began on March
18, 1915 and continued through January 1916 and that the allies'
landing operation -- the Gallipoli Campaign itself -- started on April
25."
The Armenian president said the timing of the Turkish ceremony
"pursues a primitive goal of deflecting the international community's
attention from events that will mark the centenary of the Armenian
genocide." This is a continuation of Ankara's "traditional policy of
denial" of the genocide, he said.
Speaking at today's meeting Sargsyan said; "They say that in politics
all methods are appropriate, but I think Ankara has done a disservice
to itself in this matter... I think my answer and subsequent
international responses and reactions in Turkey proved that the plan
is a poorly calculated step."
"The denial (of the genocide) is not only a manifestation of political
weakness and inferiority complex, but a legal category. It links the
current government of Turkey with its predecessors, who committed the
crime of genocide. It makes them complicit in this dire crime against
humanity,' said Sargsyan.
Armenia and Turkey have no diplomatic relations. Ankara closed the
border with Armenia in 1993. The uneasy relationship between the
countries is caused particularly by Ankara's support to Azerbaijan on
Karabakh problem and Turkey's overreaction to international
recognition of the 1915 Armenian genocide in Ottoman Empire.
Some reconciliation in the relations started in autumn 2008 initiated
by Armenia's president Serzh Sargsyan. Foreign ministers of Armenia
and Turkey signed protocols about establishing diplomatic relations in
Zurich on October 10, 2009 that were to be ratified by their
parliaments. On April 22, 2010 Armenia's president Sargsyan suspended
the ratification process saying Turkey was not ready to continue the
process. Ratification of the protocols has been frozen. -0--
http://arka.am/en/news/politics/armenian_president_says_ankara_s_attempts_to_re_wr ite_history_are_short_sighted_and_cynical/#sthash.iPAq1rku.dpuf