OTTOMAN MAP CONTAINS NO VESTIGE OF ARMENIANS AND GREEKS

Azg/arm
23 Nov 04

A message from the European Armenian Federation informs that an
exhibition “Mothers, Gods, Sultans” dedicated to Turkey opened at
the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels on October 6 will last till
January 16 of 2005. Exhibits displayed at the expositions belong to
Topkapi Palace Museum, Louver and famous museums of Vienna, Berlin
and Turkey. Interestingly, a map presenting the Ottoman Empire of
1299-1923 gives no indication as to Armenia and Armenians as well as
to Greece. An explanation leaflet reads: “During the past 9 thousand
years many nations lived in Anatolia and left their footprint. The
Hittite Kingdom, Greek and Roman empires, Byzantines and Ottomans
occupy their unique place in the history”. Nothing is said about the
Armenians while Anatolia was the birthplace of Armenian nation and
was known as the Armenian Plateau.

Such neglect towards history and the Armenians in particular is not
mainly the result of mistake or lack of professionalism but simply
another manifestation of anti-Armenian policy.

Elimination of Armenian presence from Ottoman Empire is continuation
of Turkey â~@~Ys anti-Armenian policy which reached its climax in
1915-1916 in form of genocide. The European Armenian Federation
considers Turkeyâ~@~Ys denialist stance an unacceptable burden
for integrating to the EU. This policy hinders improvement of
Armenian-Turkish relations and the stability of the region itself. The
map may be viewed as Turkeyâ~@~Ys attempt to impose its policy of
negation upon European society.

By Ruzan Poghosian

–Boundary_(ID_x7ii3xmyOBGePMyt0OTsjg)–