MESROP MUTAFIAN: 1.5 MLN ARMENIANS DIED IN DESERTS

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
May 31 2007

ISTANBUL, MAY 31, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Armenian Patriarch
of Constantinople, Archbishop Mesrop Mutafian met with members
of delegation of U.S. Congress working group for affairs of
Turkey. According to Milliyet, the participants of the meeting
spoke about the draft resolution on Armenian Genocide in Congress,
murders of editor-in-cheif of Agos newspaper Hrant Dink, Catholic
clergyman Santoro in Trapison, as well as cruel murders committed
lately in Malatia.

Speaking about the draft resolution N 106 about Armenian Genocide
in Congress and the events that happened in 1915, Mesrop Mutafian
stated: "From point of view of Turkey-Armenia bilateral relations,
as well as current relations between Armenians of Turkey and Turkish
people we do not treat positively the resolution on Armenian Genocide
submitted to U.S. Congress. We cannot exclude the painful events,
which happened during the history. The history will never forgive the
policy of Unity and Progress (Ittihat ve Terrakki) Party, which was
shown not only to Armenian groups making armed attacks on the state,
but also to all citizens of Armenia."

The Patriarch also said that 1.5 million Armenians died in the deserts
of Syria. While, only 70 thousand Armenians have remained in Turkey
at present.

"We should not also forget our Armenian citizens who adopted
Mohammedanism for avoiding deportation," the Armenian Patriarch of
Constantinople stated.