BEDROS SIRINOGLU HAS NO RIGHT TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF ENTIRE ARMENIAN COMMUNITY

18:26 â~@¢ 31.03.15

One of the Turkish authorities’ old methods is to force certain
representatives of the Armenian community to make statements on
different occasions, especially on April 24, which [statements]
do not reflect the Armenians’ position, expert in Turkic studies
Ruben Melkonyan told Tert.am as he commented on a statement by Mr
Bedros Ã…~^irinoglu, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Surb Khach
(Holy Cross) hospital.

Mr Ã…~^irinoglu particularly said that “we [Armenians] do not want
any restitution from Turkey.”

“Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan made a similar scandalous statement
earlier. And Ã…~^irinoglu has now assumed this role. It should
be noted that Ã…~^irinoglu does not represent the entire Armenian
community though he introduces himself as lay leader of the Armenian
community. He is just one of the richest members of the Armenian
community, which, however, does not mean he is leader of the Armenian
community,” Mr Melkonyan said.

According to him, the Armenian community is showing serious discontent,
and Mr Ã…~^irinoglu has no right to speak on behalf of the entire
community.

If Mr Ã…~^irinoglu says “we” do not demand anything, it must mean that
“we” is nothing but the Armenian community’s oligarchs and small
pro-government circles.

“The Armenian community in Istanbul and Ã…~^irinoglu representing a
small number of its members is one thing, whereas the Armenians’ aims
and demands are quite a different thing. Ã…~^irinoglu cannot consider
his small groups’ interests superior to the Armenians’ interests,”
Mr Melkonyan said.

The statement is more intended for western and international circles
because Turkey’s authorities need to show the world Armenians’
disunity, and some groups do not lay any claims and are satisfied
with the situation, the expert said.