French-Armenians concerned over Erdogan message to Armenian leader

French-Armenians concerned over Erdogan’s message to Armenian leader

14:48 * 17.01.15

The Coordinating Council of French-Armenian Organization (CCAF) has
expressed its concerns over the Turkish president’s recent move to
invite the Armenian leader to the country in April for participating
in the commemoration events dedicated to the Gallipoli Battle’s 100th
anniversary.

In a statement published in the French-Armenian magazine Nouvelle
d’Armenie, the Council has describes the move as an attempt by Ankara
to derail the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide centennial.

The Council members note that the anniversary, traditionally
celebrated in Turkey on April 25, has been rescheduled to April 24
this year to coincide with the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.

“Ankara seeks to maximum diminish the international reaction to April
24. This tactics falls within the Turks’ denial policies, which are
nothing more than a continuation [of Genocide] through other means.

“”The Coordinating Council of French-Armenian Organizations has
expressed hope that the sates will manage to wreck the Turkish
authorities’ trap – which is becoming more and more cynical – in an
effort to uphold the international diplomacy’s moral norms in this
region,” reads the statement.

In his response to Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s invitation letter, Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan practically declined the invitation offer by
stating that it isn’t a commonly accepted practice in Armenia to be
hosted by a guest “without receiving an answer to our invitation”.

http://www.tert.am/en/news/2015/01/17/ccaf/1562168