Armenians of Turkey speak against adoption of Armenian Genocide Resolution by U.S. Congress

02.06.2007
PanARMENIAN.Net

The Archbishop Mesrop Moutafian said below: "The history will never forgive actions of İttihat ve Teraki party{The Ottoman administartion at the time of the genocide}, aimed at punishing not only armed Armenians who rebelled against the state, but also all Armenians residing on the Territory of Turkey. One and a half million Turkish citizens with Armenian descent were annihilated in Syrian deserts. Today 70 000 Armenians live in our country. We should not forget and those Armenians who adopted Islam in order to escape deportation. Since they continue to speak in Armenian, they remain faithful to the Armenian culture, and irrespective of religious difference we consider them as our compatriots. And just the opposite, we do not appreciate actions of the Armenian Diaspora, which pushes forward the historical events as subject of disputes."

This is a strange statement coming from the Archbishop. Reconciliation is not possible without Turkey recognizing the genocide. This is what the Diaspora is trying to achieve. Anything else is not going to bring closure.

Recently a U.S. Congress delegation had official meeting with Turkish leadership in Ankara. At the end of the meeting congressmen departed for Istanbul, where they visited the Armenian Patriarchy of Constantinople. “Lraber”, the bulletin of the Patriarchy reports in its May 31 issue that during their meeting with Archbishop Mesrop Moutafian U.S. Congress delegation members discussed issues concerning the Armenian Genocide Resolution, assassination of Hrant Dink, as well as murders of catholic priest Santoro in Trabzon and three evangelic missioners in Malatia. They also touched upon the bill on grounds of the community, which President Ahmed Necdet Sezer interposed his veto on, Turkish-Armenian relations, as well as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s initiative aimed at establishing a joint commission of Turkish and Armenian historians.

According to “Lraber” answering congressmen’s questions the Patriarch said, “Proceeding from intergovernmental relations between Armenia and Turkey, as well as relations between local Armenians and the Turkish nation, we do not treat positively the Armenian Genocide Resolution introduced in the U.S. Congress. We cannot deny the tragic events of the historical past.

The history will never forgive actions of İttihat ve Teraki party, aimed at punishing not only armed Armenians who rebelled against the state, but also all Armenians residing on the Territory of Turkey. One and a half million Turkish citizens with Armenian descent were annihilated in Syrian deserts. Today 70 000 Armenians live in our country. We should not forget and those Armenians who adopted Islam in order to escape deportation. Since they continue to speak in Armenian, they remain faithful to the Armenian culture, and irrespective of religious difference we consider them as our compatriots. And just the opposite, we do not appreciate actions of the Armenian Diaspora, which pushes forward the historical events as subject of disputes. We –Armenians of Turkey, together with our Muslim neighbors support social and trade relations. We do not want our relations to be spoiled with neighbor –Muslim Turks because of such resolutions. It is the time to develop a policy aimed at future. The Republic of Armenia borders upon Turkey. Since change of borders is out of the question, consequently Armenians of Turkey are interested in approaching the two neighbor-states. We are connected politically with the Turkish State and we have religions and cultural ties with Armenia. We –Armenians of Turkey, do not want anything except peace. While the unbridled approach of Diasporan representatives is a disturber of that peace,” “Azg” reports.

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