OPENING CEREMONY OF SURB KHACH CHURCH IS INSULT TO ARMENIAN
INDEPENDENT STATEHOOD, ARAM G. SARGSIAN FINDS
YEREVAN, APRIL 2, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The opening ceremony
of the Akhtamar Surb Khach (Saint Cross) church was an insult not only
to Armenians’ national dignity but also to the Armenian independent
statehood. Aram Gaspar Sargsian, the Chairman of the Democratic Party
of Armenia, a deputy of the National Assembly made such a statement at
the March 31 press conference. In his words, Turkey planned "to gain
from the church reconstruction" and gained by mastering, making
Turkish and distorting another monument of the Armenian culture, by
concreting the cross stones on the floor, taking out the cross from
the cupola of the church, decorating the church with Turkish flags and
Ataturk’s pictures.
In A. Sargsian’s words, that sacrilege was a consequence of
non-professional, inert and defensive style of activity of the RA
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The DPA leader mentioned that the RA
Ministry of Culture, which did not warn its delegation sent on mission
how to act in the case of not forseen development of events, has its
share of sin in the happened. Seeing such a distortion of the meaning
of the Armenian church, in A. Sargsian’s words, the Armenian
delegation was "to organize a demarche and make speeches of protest."
The NA deputy stated that their party will address to the RA Foreign
Ministry, demanding to address a note of protest on the occasion of
the happened to the international community, particularly, to
Christian states.