Sofia Echo – Bulgaria
March 12 2009

Turkish and Bulgarian sister cities sever ties over Armenian genocide issue

Thu, Mar 12 2009 15:40 CET
by Svetlana Guineva

Twelve Turkish municipalities have severed ties with their Bulgarian
sister cities, because the latter have recognised the existence of
Armenian genocide in Turkey, Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) said on
March 11 2009, citing Turkish-language newspaper Hürriyet.

It first started on October 4 2007, when Plovdiv municipality, then
Bourgas and Stara Zagora, declared that the events of 1915 were
genocide. Those Bulgarian cities have traditionally been the home to
generations of Armenian families. The events in question refer to
April 24 1915, when a number of Armenian intellectuals and prominent
community leaders were arrested in Constantinople, the capital of the
Ottoman Empire. Subsequently, the military uprooted many ethnic
Armenians from their homes, making them march to the desert of what is
now Syria. The people in this forced exodus were subjected to torture
and annihilation.

The other nine Bulgarian municipalities that have sister city
partnerships with Turkish cities have not yet officially stated their
position on the issue.

Hürriyet said that the act of protest conformed to an ordinance
issued by the Turkish ministry of foreign affairs, dated July 18
2008. Cities like Bursa, Kırklareli and Adapazari severed ties with
Plovdiv, Shoumen and Dobrich, respectively. As of now, all mutual
agreements for partnership have been called off.

However, recently in Edirne, a forum was launched with the
participation of "young Thracians" from Turkey, Greece and
Bulgaria. More than 50 people from Yambol, Haskovo and Kurdjali were
participating, BNR said.