UN CHIEF: 1915 SLAUGHTERS OF ARMENIANS ARE ‘ATROCITY CRIMES’
Sioux City Journal
April 13 2015
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s spokesman
says the U.N. chief considers the slaughter of Armenians by Ottoman
Turks 100 years ago “atrocity crimes,” but he isn’t supporting Pope
Francis’ description of the killings as “the first genocide of the
20th century.”
Turkey denies the killings were genocide and accused Francis of
spreading hatred.
Stephane Dujarric told reporters Monday that Ban took note of the
pope’s comments on Sunday. He said the U.N. chief is fully aware of
“the sensitivities related to the characterization of what happened”
in 1915.
Dujarric said Ban believes the commemoration of the centenary and
continuing cooperation with Armenians and Turks “with a view to
establishing the facts about what happened should strengthen our
collective determination to prevent similar atrocity crimes from ever
happening in the future.”