Armenian Genocide: Turkish Politicians Criticise The EU; Mufti React

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE: TURKISH POLITICIANS CRITICISE THE EU; MUFTI REACTS TO POPE’S WORDS THREATENING TO TURN SAINT SOPHIA INTO A MOSQUE

AsiaNews.it
April 17 2015

Erdogan’s moderate Islamist party as well as the Kemalist and right
wing nationalist parties issue a statement slamming the European
parliament as “partial” and “intolerant”. For the mufti of Ankara,
Pope Francis’ statement was “extremely spectacular.” For the first
time in 85 years, a passage from the Qur’an was recited at Saint
Sophia. A symposium during Holy Birth Week was held in Istanbul on
“The Prophet and Cohabitation Ethics and Law”.

Ankara (AsiaNews) – Turkish political parties (with one exception)
released a joint statement against the European Parliament’s ‘genocide’
vote on the mass killings of Anatolian Armenians during World War I.

At the same time, Mefail Hızlı, the mufti of Ankara, spoke out
against Pope Francis for his use of the word ‘genocide’ in connection
with the mass slaughter of Armenians, saying that the pontiff’s remarks
will accelerate the rededication of Istanbul’s Saint Sophia Basilica
as a mosque.

On Wednesday, the European parliament passed the motion on the Armenian
genocide. Calling on Ankara to acknowledge the event, it urged Turkey
and Armenia to use the occasion of the centenary of the genocide to
establish diplomatic relations.

Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), as well as the
main opposition parties, the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), yesterday released a joint statement
“harshly condemning the partial approach” of the European Parliament,
which backed a motion calling the mass killings of Anatolian Armenians
during World War I a “genocide.”

The statement condemned the parliament’s “partial” approach as against
“the idea of peace, toleration and building of a common future.”

“Despite our objections, the European Parliament prefers to deepen the
problem and gap between our two societies . . . and prevent impartial
and scientific research of the issue,” said the joint statement.

Only the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) abstained from signing the
declaration, calling the reaction against the pope by Erdogan and
the other parties as childish. Instead, “The government should found
a truth and reconciliation commission in order to face the past,”
HDP Co-Chair Selahattin DemirtaÃ…~_.

For his part, the Mufti of Ankara Hızli Mefail said, “The statement
that the Catholic world’s spiritual leader pope delivered three days
ago, saying Armenians had been subjected to a genocide, is extremely
spectacular”.

In his view, the pope’s statement reflects “a modern colour of the
crusader wars launched in these lands for centuries.”

“Frankly, I believe that the pope’s remarks will only accelerate the
process for Hagia Sophia to be re-opened for [Muslim] worship”.

The latter echoes other voices who, in recent years, have called for
Saint Sophia Basilica to be turned into a mosque.

Following the city’s conquest by the Ottomans in 1453, the church
was used as a mosque. This lasted until the authorities of Turkey’s
new Republic reopened it in 1935 as a museum.

Last Friday, for the first time in 85 years, a Muslim cleric recited
the Qur’an in Hagia Sophia.

A passage from the Qur’an was recited late on April 10 at a ceremony
at the basilica to mark the opening of a new exhibition titled ‘Love
of the Prophet’ as part of this year’s Holy Birth Week. This includes
a symposium that opened today on “The Prophet and Cohabitation Ethics
and Law”.

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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress