The organizer of a Turkish agricultural delegation, whose meetings in Fresno were canceled after pressure from Armenian-American organizations, in a statement GV Wire, an the online news site, has denied the Armenian Genocide.

The organizer of the trip is the Irvine-based Trelodex, whose president Gurkan Suzer told GV Wire that last week’s abrupt cancellation of a meeting with Fresno business officials and representatives of the West Mediterranean Exporters’ Association, also known as BAIB, was because of “a tight schedule.”

However, Fresno business leaders said in an announcement last week that the meeting was canceled with Turkey’s agricultural industry representatives due to Armenian-American concerns about allowing Turkish government-affiliated entities to do business in Fresno.

“Out of respect to our community, the upcoming event scheduled for January 15 with an agriculturally-based Turkish delegation to Fresno has been canceled,” the Fresno Economic Development Council, Fresno Chamber of Commerce, Fresno County Farm Bureau, and the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Armenia in Fresno said in a joint statement last week. State Sen. Andreas Borgeas, a Republican representing Fresno, also signed the statement.

Responding to inquiries from GV Wire, Suzer, the Trelodex president said in an email: “I need to tell you something about the Armenian community concerns. I can only say structures built on lies will collapse someday.”

“Russian archives and Turkish archives are open to researchers; German, French and English archives as well. Armenians like to use war propaganda material as facts (like Saddam’s nuclear bombs and the reality, every war creates a reason for itself). And they are increasing the number of casualties every 10 years. The total population of Armenians (was) around 1.5 to 2 million before war. Calculate their population today and compare with other people’s population check the difference. Turkey lost 4 million lives and in 90 years the population increased from 15 million to 80 million, 5 times. There are more than 6-7 million Armenians and it is also 5 times of 1.5 million,” Suzer told GV Wire, adding more of the usual Turkish denialist boiler plate statements to his response.

“We do not like to promote hatred like them. If they need the truth, ask them (to) research the archives,” said Suzer, who in a post script to his email to GV Wire also said: “please do not write the things about Armenian issues, this is not related with the delegation and I just wanted to give a friendly advice.”
“It is astonishing that while Trelodex President Gurkan Suzer claims that a meeting of a Turkish agricultural delegation with Fresno entities was cancelled last week due to scheduling conflicts, yet feels the need to use the tired Turkish government line to deny the Armenian Genocide,” the Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region, whose Fresno chapter was active in the canceling the meeting, said in a statement about Suzer’s efforts to deny the Armenian Genocide.

“By urging Fresno authorities to ignore Armenian concerns, Suzer demonstrates his and his cohorts’ ignorance by attempting to distort history in a state and a city that have been on the forefront of Armenian Genocide recognition in the United States. After all, Fresno became a haven for refugees and survivors of systematic Turkish atrocities against Armenians, including the Armenian Genocide,” added the ANCA-WR.

“The ANCA-WR will continue to oppose efforts by Turkey’s business sector to infiltrate into California’s economy. This latest effort at denying the Armenian Genocide clearly demonstrates that the Republic of Turkey and its business representatives are not acting in good faith and through such statements and maneuvers are actually insulting the intelligence of California state and local officials, as well as its residents,” explained the advocacy organization.