PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V. Rev. Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer

Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: cathcil@cathcil.org
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

“HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO ACCEPT TURKEY IN EUROPEAN COMMUNITY WHEN IT STILL
IGNORES THE GENOCIDE COMMITTED AGAINST THE ARMENIAN PEOPLE”

Declared His Holiness Aram I

Antelias, Lebanon – In a context of a telephone interview with a European
press agency, and in answering to a question concerning the membership of
Turkey in European community, His Holiness Aram I expressed his concern and
said: “European community was not established only on economic interests and
political collaboration. It is fundamentally a community of human values
which ensure the identity, integrity and unity of Europe, and give a
particular place and role to Europe in international community. Among these
values human rights occupy an important place”.

His Holiness Aram I raised a great doubt and concern about the way the human
rights are respected in Turkey. He said: “To what degree and in what way the
human rights values are accepted, respected and practiced in and by Turkey?
Turkey still ignores its immediate past; it still rejects to recognize the
Genocide which was planned and executed by the Ottoman Turkey in 1915. I
believe that the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Turkey is not only
an “Armenian problem”; it is a problem that pertains to the entire
international community, since it is a problem of justice and human rights.
The recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Turkey must be taken very
seriously by Europe as Turkey is trying by all means to become a full member
of Europe”.

Then concluding his remarks, said: “In this globalized world of ours
nations, religions, cultures and civilizations must live together on the
basis of peaceful coexistence. But living together as good neighbors and as
part of broader community implies to accept our fault, to affirm the truth
and recognize the rights of the others. In fact, the real community is built
on the basis of mutual trust and by doing justice. Therefore, it is my firm
expectation that beyond economic and political interests Europe will
continue to remain firmly attached to basic human values. It is the
expectation and hope of Armenians all over the world that the present Turkey
reaffirm the truth, accepting the historical reality by recognizing the
Armenian Genocide”.

In answering to a question related to the recent pressures and difficulties
surrounding the Ecumenical Patriarchate, in Turkey, His Holiness Aram I
said: “Here is another concrete example of the way the human rights are
respected in Turkey. The World Council of Churches and the Conference of the
Churches in Europe have publicly expressed their concern on this matter
expressing their solidarity with the Ecumenical Patriarch”.

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The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.