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Armenian Youth Federation – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 206
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.507.1933
[email protected]
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PRESS RELEASE +++ PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Contact: Caspar Jivalagian
Tel: (818) 507-1933
ARMENIAN YOUTH FEDERATION CHALLENGES TURKISH VICE CONSUL GENERAL
Los Angeles, California- Members of the Armenian Youth Federation
(AYF) attended a coffee discussion last Sunday hosted by the Young
Associates of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council, which featured
a discussion by Vice Consul of Turkey in Los Angeles, Anil Bora Inan.
The Young Associates, a group that offers speakers and social events
for young professionals, provided a forum for Vice Consul Inan to
address the topic of Turkey’s candidacy to the European Union. Inan
spoke to a group of 30 young professionals, 14 of which were Armenian
youth. He first briefed the crowd about Turkey’s history and then
discussed a number of issues related to the European Union, often
mentioning the Armenian Diaspora and the Armenian Genocide issue as
an obstacle to Turkey’s advancement into the EU.
During a question and answer session following Inan’s briefing, members
of the AYF bombarded Inan with questions regarding Turkey’s record
of human rights, treatment of minorities, and denial of the Armenian
Genocide. When asked about the Armenian Genocide, Inan repeatedly
denied that what happened to the Armenians was genocide, insisting
that it was only massacres and deportations as a result of war. One
of the main topics covered during the question-answer session was
the recent bill passed by the French National Assembly criminalizing
the denial of the Armenian Genocide. The Vice Consul expressed his
opposition to the proposed law, calling it "French wrongdoings"
and assured attendees that the law would never go beyond the lower
chamber of the French legislature. The Vice Consul also denied that
Kurds are deprived of their civil rights in Turkey.
At the end of the evening, AYF members presented Inan with the book
Ambassador Morgenthau’s story, written by Henry Morgenthau, the former
American Ambassador to Turkey from 1913-1916. The book is a primary
American document on the Armenian Genocide which contains reoccurring
accounts of ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.
Upon his arrival in Los Angeles in 2004, one of Vice Consul Inan’s
main responsibilities became the observation of the Armenian American
community in California. On many occasions throughout the evening,
Inan stressed that he closely monitors Armenian organizations and
individuals in California, especially for anti-Turkish activity. In
doing so, he emphasized the strength and power of the California
Armenian American community and its ability to advance the Armenian
cause.
Prior to arriving in Los Angeles, Inan served at the Turkish Embassy
in Syria, where he was responsible for the bi-lateral political,
military, security and cultural relations between Turkey and Syria.
Inan has also served as Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of the
Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2002-2004.
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
