Turkish-Armenians chide Ankara, Paris

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

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 Ateşyan’s recent statement.