Turkish Daily News
September 13, 2006 Wednesday

DIPLOMACY NEWSLINE

Douste-Blazy urges Armenians not to link politics to culture:

ANK – Turkish Daily News While giving a presentation for the Year of
Armenia at a press conference held at his ministry, French Foreign
Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy has made it clear that the Armenian
diaspora should not link such a cultural occasion to their political
aspirations, in an apparent reference to Armenian allegations of
genocide during World War I

Douste-Blazy’s remarks came yesterday in response to a question by an
Armenian journalist at the joint press conference, held together with
Douste-Blazy’s Armenian counterpart, Vartan Oskanian, Armenian
Culture and Youth Affairs Minister Hasmik Poghosyan and French
Minister of Culture and Communications Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres,
the Anatolia news agency reported

"While the Year of Armenia is being observed in France, the Year of
France will be observed in Turkey. Isn’t it paradoxical to have in
Turkey activities regarding France, when Turkey still has not
recognized the [Armenian] genocide?" the journalist was quoted as
asking by Anatolia

"Politics and cultural issues should not be intermingled," the
minister briefly said in response, the agency reported. Douste-Blazy
noted that Armenia will be presented through a celebration of its
culture during Year of Armenia activities in France