Turkish Government Intervention to Stop Assyrian Genocide Monument

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12/6/2009 12:14:00

According to the news from SBS radio last Friday on the Assyrian
program, that arguments over a proposed monument in Sydney suburb of
Fairfield has mounted to diplomatic level.

The regional Secretary of the Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA), Mr.
Hermiz Shahen has proposed a monument to be put on public land to what
he calls the victims of the Assyrian Genocide.

Mr. Shahen said during an interview with SBS Radio `Our people need
reconciliation, they are asking the Turkish government to some how
admit the wrongdoing against our people because if they don’t admit
it- then we are exposed to further genocide as its happening now in
Iraq and repeated itself in 1933′.

On the other hand the Turkish consul general in Sydney, Mr. Renan
Sekeroglu has denied there was any genocide against the Assyrians.

Although he admitted there were tragedies on both sides in a war
during the last years of the Ottoman Empire. He went further by saying
that he will contact the Fairfield Council to lodge an objection to
the proposed Assyrian monument.

Mr. Sekeroglu said during an interview with SBS Radio "I am afraid
that if such proposals bear fruit then it will create a climate of
hostility and it will also contradict the environment of historically
friendly relations between Turkey and Australia’.

The Fairfield council says `it’s taking into consideration all angles
before making a decision on the 4.5 meters sculpture that looks like a
hand holding up the globe’.

Fairfield Council will decide whether to permit the monument or not on
December the 15th.

Mr. Shahen encouraged on the Assyrian program all the freedom loving
people to support the application made by the AUA at Fairfield City.
Mr. Shahen said;
`It is an undeniable fact that over 750,000 Christian Assyrians lost
their lives in this genocide. The depopulation of Greek, Assyrians and
the Armenians was part of parcel of Turkey’s policy of eliminating the
Christian minorities. Efforts to encourage Turkey to face this
historical reality will help move forward the process of
democratization in that nation. It will as well, help to guarantee
that Turkey understands its contemporary obligations to protect both
the human and collective community rights of its minority populations
and to prevent any future genocide.’

Assyrian Universal Alliance, Australia Region
Member: Unrepresented Nations & Peoples Organization (UNPO)

PO Box 34, Fairfield NSW 1860 Australia
E-mail: auaaustralia@optusnet.com.au