Turkey needs to abandon threatening populism of its denialist policy – Armenian FM

Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
February 2, 2018 Friday
Turkey needs to abandon threatening populism of its denialist policy –
Armenian FM
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 2, ARMENPRESS. The recognition process of the
Armenian Genocide is irreversible. It is obvious that the century-long
denialist policy failed. However, Turkey continues to stick to the
stereotypes, Armenian foreign minister Edward Nalbandian said in
response to the inquiry of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the
ministry told Armenpress.
Question: The Foreign Minister of Turkey qualified as populism the
recent remarks on the Armenian Genocide made in the speech of the
President of France? What can you say in this regard?
Answer:Turkey cannot but realize that the recognition process of the
Armenian Genocide is irreversible. It is obvious that the century-long
denialist policy failed. However, Turkey continues to stick to the
stereotypes.
Ankara does not shy away to distort not just the historic facts but
the current realities, including by misrepresenting the rulings of the
European Court of Human Rights.
In an open letter addressed to the Prime Minister of Turkey the
International Association of Genocide Scholars has rightly stated that
the Armenian Genocide is abundantly documented by thousands of
official records of the United States and other nations around the
world including the Ottoman Turkey’s wartime allies Germany, Austria
and Hungary, by eyewitness accounts of diplomats and missionaries, by
the testimony of survivors, by the decades of historical and legal
scholarships, and even by Ottoman court-martial records.
It is noteworthy that Germany and Austria have not only recognized the
Armenian Genocide as many other countries had done but also
acknowledged their part of responsibility, as Turkey’s allies of the
time.
The international community has emphasised on numerous occasions that
the denial of Genocide creates a breeding ground for the repetition of
crimes against humanity. Instead of labeling as populists those who
have recognized the Armenian Genocide, Ankara needs to abandon
threatening populism of its denialist policy and candidly face its own
past.