Open letter to Gul: Turkish people need recognition of Armenian GenocideDecember 9, 2008 - 13:56 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian intellectuals sent an open letter to Turkish President Abdullah Gul. The letter says in part, "Dear Mr. President, Your recent meeting with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan proved that normalization of neighbor relations demand bold and realistic action. It specifically refers to the Armenian Genocide issue, which has divided the two nations since 1915. Mr. President, it is an outrageous crime against the humanity which has no time limitation. Its recognition is not a demand of the Armenian people but a just expectation of the international community. The Armenian Genocide is a crime against the values of modern civilization, a crime that can't be questioned. We all should accept that the Ottoman Empire is guilty of the massacre of the Armenian people. Present-day Turkish diplomacy and propaganda machine can't cover this dark page of history. The historic memory of our nations is deep and restless. Recognition of the indisputable fact of the Armenian Genocide is first of all essential for the Turkish people. Relieving this burden of history, they can turn this dark page and launch a sincere dialogue for true reconciliation. Your visit to Armenia inspires hope for a new and realistic political course in Turkey. However, these efforts can fail of your state doesn't take action to put an end to the current policy of the Armenian Genocide denial." Top stories The Armenian Defense Ministry has denied Azerbaijan's accusations of violating the ceasefire. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took to social media to thank his Lithuanian counterpart for the contribution. President of the Armenian parliament Alen Simonyan met with the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova. Achieving stable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains a priority of the OSCE, said Ian Borg. Partner news | POLITICO: Baku lobbying agains detained Karabakh ex-leader abroad Azerbaijan is lobbying agains former Nagorno-Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan, according to POLITICO. Armenia named European U18 chess vice-champion The U18 chess team of Armenia won the title of vice-champion of the European Team Championship. Iran says change in presidency won’t affect ties with Armenia Ambassador Mehdi Sobhani made the remarks when speaking to reporters at the Iranian Embassy. Congress draft bill condemns Azerbaijan for Karabakh ethnic cleansing The bill condemns Azerbaijan for perpetrating ethnic cleansing against the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh. |