WHITE HOUSE TO DISPLAY ARMENIAN ‘ORPHAN RUG’

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Oct 16 2014

Tolga TanıÅ~_
WASHINGTON

The White House has decided to exhibit an Armenian “orphan rug,”
in a move that could also be interpreted as a diplomatic message as
debates between the U.S. and Turkey heat up over the latter’s stance
regarding the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

The rug, also known as the “Ghazir Rug,” will be displayed as part of
an exhibition titled “Thank You to the United States: Three Gifts to
Presidents in Gratitude for American Generosity Abroad,” which will
be held on Nov. 18-23.

Citing transportation risks, the White House last year refused to
display the rug, which represents the mass killings of Armenians
under Ottoman rule in 1915-16.

Bernadette Meehan, the U.S. National Security Council spokeswoman,
stated on Oct. 15 that the rug was woven by 1,4000 Armenian orphans
in 1920 and presented to then-U.S. President Calvin Coolidge in 1925.

At the time, President Coolidge noted that, “The rug has a place of
honor in the White House where it will be a daily symbol of goodwill
on earth.”

The rug has more than 4 million hand-tied knots and took the Armenian
girls 10 months to weave.

Relations between Turkey and the U.S. are facing ups and downs at
the moment, with Turkey ruling out a weekend statement by Washington
claiming that Turkey had granted permission for the use of its
Ä°ncirlik base for attacks on ISIL.

October/16/2014

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress