ARMENIAN YOUTH CONDEMNED "BARBARITY AND SHOCKING HOOLIGANISM OF TURKISH NATIONALISTS"

Regnum, Russia
June 28 2006

"Turkey tries to destroy Armenian heritage at the state level," ARFD
Nikol Agbalyan Student Union Head Ishkhan Sagatelyan stated on June 27
at a press conference in Yerevan which covered incidents that happened
during the visit of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II to Istanbul.

The press conference’s participants informed that Republican Party’s
youth wing and ARFD Nikol Agbalyan Student Union released a statement
in which they condemned "barbarism and shocking hooliganism" that
occurred in Turkey during the visit of Garegin II. In particular, it
is stressed that "it is not the first case of attacks on Armenians
and Christian clergy in the Turkish history." "Several months ago,
a fanatic slaughtered a Catholic confessor during divine service
in Turkey, country which intends to access the EU." Representatives
of Armenian youth expressed apprehension with the fact that Turkish
mass media themselves have stirred up the public opinion, propagating
intolerance against Armenians and Christian religion, and the "Turkish
authorities have been destroying relics of Christian culture, insulting
heritage of religious minorities for dozens of years."

"We request that international community, in particular, the EU member
states, would respond and condemn the campaign aimed at terrorizing
the Catholicos of All Armenians and which humiliates Turkish Christians
too, in particular, civil rights and religious freedom of Armenians,"
it is said in the document.

The appeal will be addressed to all embassies accredited in Armenia,
as well as international organizations. 33 youth political,
non-governmental, and student organizations signed the statement.

The Republican Party’s youth wing is going to apply for a meeting with
the Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, after he returns back,
in order to discuss the possibility of increasing the Church’s role
in the lives of Armenian youth, Armenian Republican Party’s youth
wing Head Karen Avakyan informed at the press conference.

Visit of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II paid on June 22-28
was accompanied by numerous protest actions of Turkish nationalists.