ISTANBUL: Turkish-Armenians chide Ankara, Paris

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Dec 23 2011

Turkish-Armenians chide Ankara, Paris
ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

Vercihan ZiflioÄ?lu

Turkey’s Armenian community wants the events of 1915 to be discussed
in the Turkish Parliament rather than in other countries, Istanbul
Armenians have said, criticizing both Paris and Ankara for using the
community’s pain for their own benefit.

`We want the issue to be debated in the Turkish Parliament. It hurts
us when [the matter] is spoken about in other countries and our pain
is used for political gain,’ Istanbul Armenian community member Garo
Paylan told the Hürriyet Daily News on behalf of a group that released
a press statement on the issue.

`Turkey has been hurling threats at France for days. Does it not
constitute an ethical crime to deny such great agony? Did we not end
up here because of Turkey’s 96-year-long denial?’ Paylan said. Many
crimes were committed due to Turkey’s policies of denial in the
aftermath of 1915, which also paved the way for the 2007 assassination
of Hrant Dink, the editor-in-chief of the Turkish-Armenian weekly
Agos, said Paylan. Among the Istanbul Armenians who issued the press
statement was Arat Dink, the assassinated journalist’s son. `I would
like to ask whether the preference of Hrant Dink, the final scream of
Turkish-Armenians, not to use the term `genocide’ is of the same
caliber as others’ preference not to use the term `genocide’ now? Does
Turkey still have the face to use words it cherry-picked from Hrant
Dink for its own benefit?’ Arat Dink said in an apparent reaction to
recent statements made by the murdered journalist’s brother Orhan Dink
and which were widely covered in the Turkish press. Paylan also flatly
criticized deputy Patriarch Archbishop Aram AteÅ?yan’s recent
statement.
December/23/2011

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress