GROUP OF ARMENIAN INTELLECTUALS SEND OPEN LETTER TO TURKISH PRESIDENT URGING HIM TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

ArmInfo
2008-12-09 13:17:00

ArmInfo. A large group of Armenian intellectuals have sent an open
letter to President of Turkey Abdullah Gul urging him to recognize
the Armenian Genocide.

‘Dear Mr. President! The new state of affairs after the last incidents
in the South Caucasus, the decisive step by Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan to invite you to Armenia and the meeting that took place
have once again confirmed that settlement of the good-neighbored
relations between Armenia and Turkey require brave and realistic
decisions. First of all, we face a painful issue of Genocide of
Armenians. Let’s sincerely admit that this problem has separated the
two peoples since 1915. It confused the collective consciousness of
Armenians and Turks and became the reason of our actions irrespective
of the requirements of the everyday politics. Mr. President, it is a
horrifying crime against humanity that has no period of limitation. It
is not just a demand by the Armenian people but a fair expectation
of the international community. Armenian Genocide is a crime against
humanity and civilization values and no one, no single organization or
even a state power can cast doubt on this fact. All of us should admit
that Ottoman Turkey was guilty in the massacre of Armenians and the
present-day Turkey has inherited the responsibility for that. Modern
Turkish diplomacy and propaganda machine cannot conceal this black
page of our history. Historical memory of our two peoples is deep
and uneasy where no easy decisions are possible. Your generation of
Turkish leadership should admit this undisputable truth and recognize
the fact of Armenian Genocide.

We think that it is necessary, first of all, to the Turkish
people. Hereby, they will get rid of the burden of history and join
other states fair-faced.

It is the only way to turn this page and step forward to future. It
is the only way towards an open dialogue of the two nations and the
desired process of real reconciliation. Your visit to Armenia and
Turkey’s initiative of Caucasian Stability and Cooperation Platform
inspires us with hope that a realistic political flow is gradually
formed in Turkey. However, these efforts may easily fail if the
government takes no real measures to put an end to its present policy
of Genocide denial>, the letter says.

About 300 Armenian intellectuals, public workers, academicians, doctors
of science, heads of local mass media signed the letter. Among them
are the writer Perch Zeytuntsyan, People’s Artist of the USSR Sos
Sargsyan, the writer and publicist Zory Balayan and Chairman of the
Union of Armenian Writers Levon Ananyan.