ANKARA: Celebrating Turkish Nat’l Fest, Armenians Skip Genocide Demo

Zaman, Turkey
April 24 2005

Celebrating the Turkish National Festival, Armenian Students did not
Join Genocide Demonstration

Published: Sunday 24, 2005
zaman.com

Armenian students who partook in the April 23rd Turkish National
Sovereignty and Children’s festival did not participate in the
so-called genocide demonstration for the first time in front of
Turkish Embassy. The officials of the Armenian school said: “We need
to put politics aside and live in peace.”

At a time when pressures about the Armenian genocide allegation are
increasing on Turkey, the Armenian school gave a message of peace by
attending Turkey’s April 23rd celebrations. It has been reported that
the directors of the Armenian school, who attended the April 23rd
celebrations with their students, said: “We will not go to in front
of the Turkish Embassy to protest.” Meanwhile, Turkey’s Ambassador to
Moscow, Kurtulus Taskent, attended the opening ceremony of a science
fair, which was held ahead of the April 23rd program in the Capital
Teachers’ Guesthouse. Children’s works, which won the April 23rd
painting contest, were on the exhibition.

Russian-Turkish schools have been supported by Turkish entrepreneurs’
Tolerance Education Foundation and Saglasya Education Organization,
and Armenian students performed their traditional folk dances in the
children’s celebration festival. Armenian students shared their
excitement about presenting their folklore in a Turkish school
program. The children noted that except for an Azeri, and Iranian and
a few Russians, all the students are Armenians and took photos with
Turkish businessmen before the program. According to information
given, teachers of 56 numbered Russian-Turkish school were served
Turkish coffee on their visit to the Armenia school.