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THE INTERVIEW : Armenia slams Turkey over genocide centennial absenc

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  • THE INTERVIEW : Armenia slams Turkey over genocide centennial absenc

    France24
    March 21 2015

    THE INTERVIEW
    Armenia slams Turkey over genocide centennial absence


    In an interview with FRANCE 24, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said
    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's decision to change this
    year's Gallipoli commemoration to coincide with Armenia's marking of
    the 100th anniversary of the genocide was a "cynical act".

    On April 24, Armenia is set to commemorate the centennial of the
    Armenian genocide, which saw the deportation and deaths of up to 1.5
    million Armenians during World War I.

    "Our intention was to commemorate the centennial together with the
    Turkish people," explained Sargsyan, noting that it was the reason his
    government invited the Turkish leader to attend the commemorations.

    Instead, Erdogan chose the same day to invite his Armenian counterpart
    to the centennial of the Gallipoli campaign, which marked a major
    World War I victory for the Ottoman forces against Allied troops,
    mostly from Australian and New Zealand. The date of their landing --
    known as "Anzac Day" -- is marked on April 25 every year.

    Turkey has long denied the mass deportation and killings of Armenian
    subjects of the Ottoman empire constituted genocide, claiming instead
    that they were the consequences of inter-ethnic violence inflamed
    during wartime.

    Erdogan's decision to change the date of the Gallipoli ceremonies to
    coincide with the Armenian centennial commemoration has drawn a sharp
    rebuke from Sargsyan.

    "Unfortunately, once again we find ourselves facing a negationist
    approach and I'm sorry to use this expression, but it is a
    particularly cynical act. The Battle of Gallipoli did not start of
    April 24 [1915], nor did it end on April 24, it's self-evident. This
    is a way of injuring, of wounding the Armenian people and at the same
    time, it is intended to set obstacles on the path to centennial
    commemorations [of the Armenian genocide]," said Sargsyan.

    The April 24 ceremonies will be attended by a number of world leaders,
    including French President François Hollande and Russian President
    Vladimir Putin.


    By Marc PERELMAN
    View the video at
    http://www.france24.com/en/f24-interview/20150321-armenian-president-sargsyan-turkey-erdogan-genocide-centennial/

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