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Reuters
April 24 2014
Armenian leader says Ankara denies 'genocide' but Turks not enemy
By Hasmik Lazarian
(Reuters) - Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan accused Turkey of "utter
denial" of what Armenia sees as the genocide of Armenians by the
Ottoman Empire 99 years ago, but said his country does not consider
Turks its enemy.
Sarksyan's website posted on Wednesday the remarks he was to deliver
on Thursday. They appeared the same day Turkey's leader offered what
his government said were unprecedented condolences to descendants of
Armenians killed by Ottoman soldiers.
Deep disagreement about what happened in 1915 continues to poison
relations between Muslim Turkey and Christian Armenia. Turkey closed
its border with Armenia in 1993 and reconciliation efforts stalled in
2010.
true
Turkey accepts that many Armenians died in clashes, but denies that up
to 1.5 million were killed and that this was an act of genocide, a
term used by many Western historians and foreign parliaments.
The "Armenian Genocide ... is alive as far as the successor of the
Ottoman Turkey continues its policy of utter denial," Sarksyan said in
an address to be delivered on Remembrance Day on Thursday, according
to an English translation on the site.
"We are convinced that the denial of a crime constitutes the direct
continuation of that very crime. Only recognition and condemnation can
prevent the repetition of such crimes in the future," he said, calling
on Turkey to "repent".
TURKS NOT THE ENEMY
Erdogan did none of those things in his statement, but he unexpectedly
described the events of 1915 as "inhumane" and expressed condolences
to the grandchildren of the dead, in what Turkish government officials
said was a historic step.
Sarksyan did not mention Erdogan's remarks in the address and made
clear Armenia believes it is up to Turkey to "set aside the historical
stigma" and "set free their state's future from this heavy burden".
"At the same time, I publicly reaffirm: we do not consider the Turkish
society as our enemy," he said. "Bowing to the memory of the innocent
victims we remember all those Turks, Turkish families who lent a
helping hand to their Armenian neighbours."
"God bless the memories of those who gave plenty of our compatriots a
helping hand by risking even their and their families' lives," he
said, according to the text posted on the presidential website.
No one from Sarksyan's office or the Armenian government was
immediately available to comment.
Turkey cut ties and shut its border with Armenia in 1993 in support of
Turkic-speaking Azerbaijan, which was then fighting a losing war
against ethnic Armenians separatists for control of the
Nagorno-Karabakh region.
The frontier remains closed and international efforts to resolve the
dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh have been unsuccessful since a 1994
ceasefire, raising the persistent prospect that a new war could break
out.
Last December, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu made Turkey's
first high-level visit to Armenia in nearly five years, raising the
prospect of a revival in peace efforts between the historical rivals
which stalled in 2010.
(Writing by Steve Gutterman; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/23/us-turkey-armenia-sarksyan-idUSBREA3M1WB20140423
April 24 2014
Armenian leader says Ankara denies 'genocide' but Turks not enemy
By Hasmik Lazarian
(Reuters) - Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan accused Turkey of "utter
denial" of what Armenia sees as the genocide of Armenians by the
Ottoman Empire 99 years ago, but said his country does not consider
Turks its enemy.
Sarksyan's website posted on Wednesday the remarks he was to deliver
on Thursday. They appeared the same day Turkey's leader offered what
his government said were unprecedented condolences to descendants of
Armenians killed by Ottoman soldiers.
Deep disagreement about what happened in 1915 continues to poison
relations between Muslim Turkey and Christian Armenia. Turkey closed
its border with Armenia in 1993 and reconciliation efforts stalled in
2010.
true
Turkey accepts that many Armenians died in clashes, but denies that up
to 1.5 million were killed and that this was an act of genocide, a
term used by many Western historians and foreign parliaments.
The "Armenian Genocide ... is alive as far as the successor of the
Ottoman Turkey continues its policy of utter denial," Sarksyan said in
an address to be delivered on Remembrance Day on Thursday, according
to an English translation on the site.
"We are convinced that the denial of a crime constitutes the direct
continuation of that very crime. Only recognition and condemnation can
prevent the repetition of such crimes in the future," he said, calling
on Turkey to "repent".
TURKS NOT THE ENEMY
Erdogan did none of those things in his statement, but he unexpectedly
described the events of 1915 as "inhumane" and expressed condolences
to the grandchildren of the dead, in what Turkish government officials
said was a historic step.
Sarksyan did not mention Erdogan's remarks in the address and made
clear Armenia believes it is up to Turkey to "set aside the historical
stigma" and "set free their state's future from this heavy burden".
"At the same time, I publicly reaffirm: we do not consider the Turkish
society as our enemy," he said. "Bowing to the memory of the innocent
victims we remember all those Turks, Turkish families who lent a
helping hand to their Armenian neighbours."
"God bless the memories of those who gave plenty of our compatriots a
helping hand by risking even their and their families' lives," he
said, according to the text posted on the presidential website.
No one from Sarksyan's office or the Armenian government was
immediately available to comment.
Turkey cut ties and shut its border with Armenia in 1993 in support of
Turkic-speaking Azerbaijan, which was then fighting a losing war
against ethnic Armenians separatists for control of the
Nagorno-Karabakh region.
The frontier remains closed and international efforts to resolve the
dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh have been unsuccessful since a 1994
ceasefire, raising the persistent prospect that a new war could break
out.
Last December, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu made Turkey's
first high-level visit to Armenia in nearly five years, raising the
prospect of a revival in peace efforts between the historical rivals
which stalled in 2010.
(Writing by Steve Gutterman; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/23/us-turkey-armenia-sarksyan-idUSBREA3M1WB20140423