Armenian Diaspora can’t trust Turkey

April 5, 2010 - 14:24 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - After Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan advised Armenia “to get rid of Diaspora” and threatened to exile 100 thousand illegal Armenian migrants, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, as a good strategist, went counter to Erdogan to put off the scent, freelance French journalist Jean Eckian told PanARMENIAN.Net

“The secular Turkish diplomacy should understand that these maneuvers are more than doubtful in the eyes of the Armenian Diaspora. When he says "Who will believe Turkey’s intention to improve the relations with Armenia and Diaspora if the only way to do this is to immediately put on the table recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Hundreds of Turkish intellectuals and journalists understand this. Fortunately the international community can’t be fooled with statements made for effect,” he said.

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.