Turkey to Prosecute
Armenian Church Leader
ISTANBUL—The
chief public prosecution office in this metropolis, the largest city in
Turkey, has announced that it would investigate the world leader of the
Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos Karekin II, following claims that he
'denigrated Turkishness' in remarks made during his recent visit to
Istanbul, according to Cihan News Agency and Zaman.com.
The inquiry was launched after a written complaint lodged by an
association of Turkish nationalist lawyers. The same association staged
daily protests last week against Karekin’s presence in Istanbul.
Karekin II would be prosecuted under a highly controversial article of the
Turkish criminal code that has already been applied against writer Orhan
Pamuk and other prominent Turkish intellectuals who have challanged
Ankara’s vehement denial of the Armenian genocide. The European Union,
which has condemned the high-profile case against Pamuk, is pushing for
the abolition of the clause.
The
Catholicos, the head of the 8-million-strong Armenian Church, stated at an
Istanbul press conference last Sunday that Turkey must recognize the
Armenian Genocide.
In
his remarks, the Catholicos expressed his wishes for greater progress in
Turkish-Armenian relations. He said that while the issue of the Armenian
Genocide had been debated by researchers for 90 years, “For our people,
the Genocide is not a matter for research – it is a reality of fact that
happened, which must be recognized.”
The
Turkish Government paranoid reaction has, once again, demonstrated that it
is not serious in having a meaningful dialogue and reconciliation with the
Armenian people.
The Turkish Government’s public relations strategy of “opening of its
archives” and its “call for historians to study the mass annihilation
of the Armenians,” are diversions from the real issue of its culpability
in the first genocide of the 20th century.
While Ankara maintains its delaying tactic by calling for “historians
and other experts” to study the universally accepted historical fact of
the Armenian Genocide in 1915, it continues to prosecute, jail, terrorize
and silence righteous people--Turks and non-Turks, who dare to challenge
Turkish Government’s twisted version of history. Now, it seems,
even religious leaders are not immune to Ankara’s perverse system
of justice.
“On
behalf of the Canadian-Armenian community, we abhor and condemn such
uncivilized and undemocratic proceedings,” stated Aris Babikian,
executive director of the Armenian National Committee of Canada. “The
international community should not tolerate any measures which would
curtail freedom of speech and thought,” added Babikian.
-30-
The ANCC is the largest and the most influential Canadian-Armenian grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Canada and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCC actively advances the concerns of the Canadian-Armenian community on a broad range of issues.
