Armenia strongly condemns the policy of consistent destruction and misappropriation of Armenian cultural heritage by the Turkish authorities, SPokesperson for the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anna Naghdalyan has said.

The comments come in the wake of Turkish media reports on the sale and destruction of the Armenian churches in Turkey. There are numerous facts about the destruction of Christian churches and graves, which receive no response from the relevant bodies of Turkey.

“We are familiar with the reports in Turkish media about the sale of Armenian churches in Turkey. In particular, the Armenian Catholic Church in Sebtash district of Bursa was put up for sale for 6 million Turkish lira, while another Armenian church in Bursa was put for sale for 6,3 million Turkish lira. Moreover, the Armenian St. Toros Church in the western Turkish province of Kutahya was destroyed,” Naghdalyan said.

“We strongly condemn the policy of consistent destruction and misappropriation of Armenian cultural heritage by the Turkish authorities that gained new momentum, and urge Turkey to strictly adhere to its obligations under the international agreements,” she added.

The Spokesperson noted that the calls on cooperation for regional peace and stability by a state which demonstrates such attitude towards historical-cultural monuments at least cannot be credible.

Referring to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusogl’s “advise” to Armenia to “learn lessons from history,” Naghdalyan said “no one has the right to speak disrespectfully with the language of threat and give lessons of history to the nation who survived genocide.”

“Turkey’s authorities must clearly realize that a relevant environment of trust is needed for a dialogue, and the destruction of the Armenian historical-cultural heritage definitely does not contribute to the establishment of such an environment,” the Spokesperson concluded.