CYPRUS GOVERNMENT CONDEMNS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Financial Mirror, Cyprus
April 24 2007

The Cyprus government condemns the Armenian genocide, noting that
the modern Turkey, which aspires to join the EU, ought to recognize
the dark pages of its history and apologize for the crimes of its
sinful past.

The statement was made on Tuesday by Government Spokesman Christodoulos
Pashiardis who added that "as 92 years are being marked since the
genocide of Armenians by Turks, the Cyprus government condemns this
abhorring crime and takes part in the national mourning of the friendly
people of Armenia and especially the Armenian community in Cyprus".

He said that the "refusal of Turkey to recognize the massacre of one
and a half million Armenians constitutes "a ridicule and distortion
of history".

Pashiardis pointed out that "modern Turkey, which aspires and pursues
membership in the EU, ought to recognize the dark pages of its history
and apologise for the crimes of its sinful past".

"The genocide of the Armenian people is not a crime that can be wiped
down with the violent abuse of the historical truth by guilty Turkey",
the Spokesman added.