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Press TV, Iran
April 12 2015
Turkey summons Vatican envoy over Pope's 'genocide' remarks
Turkey has summoned the Vatican envoy in Ankara to hear Turkish
government's protest over the Pope Francis' remarks describing the
massacre of Armenians a century ago as "genocide."
The ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry in Ankara on
Sunday, but the Turkish government has yet to make an official
statement on Francis' comments.
The pontiff used the word "genocide" to describe the massacre of
Armenians by Ottoman forces during World War I. He made the
controversial remarks during a Sunday solemn mass in Saint Peter's
Basilica.
Referring to a statement signed by John Paul II and the Armenian
patriarch in 2001, Francis said, "The first, which is widely
considered 'the first genocide of the 20th century', struck your own
Armenian people."
The 78-year-old head of the Roman Catholic Church added, "We recall
the centenary of that tragic event, that immense and senseless
slaughter whose cruelty your forebears had to endure."
"It is necessary, and indeed a duty, to honor their memory, for
whenever memory fades, it means that evil allows wounds to fester,"
Francis said.
Pope said he felt obliged to honor the memory of innocent men, women,
children, priests and bishops, who were 'senselessly' murdered.
Ankara rejects the term "genocide" and instead says the 300,000 to
500,000 Armenians, and at least as many Turks, who perished between
1915 and 1917 were the casualties of World War I.
Armenia, however, says up to 1.5 million of its people were killed and
demands that their death be recognized as genocide.
Armenia, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, France, Italy, Russia and Uruguay
formally recognize the incident as genocide.
JR/KA/SS
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/04/12/405937/Turkey-protests-Pope-genocide-remarks
April 12 2015
Turkey summons Vatican envoy over Pope's 'genocide' remarks
Turkey has summoned the Vatican envoy in Ankara to hear Turkish
government's protest over the Pope Francis' remarks describing the
massacre of Armenians a century ago as "genocide."
The ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry in Ankara on
Sunday, but the Turkish government has yet to make an official
statement on Francis' comments.
The pontiff used the word "genocide" to describe the massacre of
Armenians by Ottoman forces during World War I. He made the
controversial remarks during a Sunday solemn mass in Saint Peter's
Basilica.
Referring to a statement signed by John Paul II and the Armenian
patriarch in 2001, Francis said, "The first, which is widely
considered 'the first genocide of the 20th century', struck your own
Armenian people."
The 78-year-old head of the Roman Catholic Church added, "We recall
the centenary of that tragic event, that immense and senseless
slaughter whose cruelty your forebears had to endure."
"It is necessary, and indeed a duty, to honor their memory, for
whenever memory fades, it means that evil allows wounds to fester,"
Francis said.
Pope said he felt obliged to honor the memory of innocent men, women,
children, priests and bishops, who were 'senselessly' murdered.
Ankara rejects the term "genocide" and instead says the 300,000 to
500,000 Armenians, and at least as many Turks, who perished between
1915 and 1917 were the casualties of World War I.
Armenia, however, says up to 1.5 million of its people were killed and
demands that their death be recognized as genocide.
Armenia, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, France, Italy, Russia and Uruguay
formally recognize the incident as genocide.
JR/KA/SS
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/04/12/405937/Turkey-protests-Pope-genocide-remarks