Lebanese Armenians Protest against Erdogan’s Visit
NaharNet – Lebanon
Jan 3 2007
Lebanese of Armenian descent on Wednesday protested against the visit
to Beirut by Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Representatives of the three Lebanese-Armenian political parties,
the Tashnaq, the Hunchakian and the Ramgavar also took part in the
sit-in at Beirut’s northern entrance.
The protestors waved placards denouncing what Armenians describe as
the1915-1923 genocide committed by Ottoman Turkey against civilian
Armenians.
The protestors denounced "Turkey’s intervention in Lebanon’s affairs,"
according to a statement distributed by the organizing committee.
The statement said Lebanese of Armenian descent "stress their
rejection of this visit as well as any Turkish interference in
Lebanon’s internal affairs."
It stated that Turkey and Israel are "strategic allies. and therefore,
Turkey’s interference in Lebanon ~E would stem from their joint
interests."
It also said Erdogan’s visit to Lebanon is "a step towards
crystallizing Turkey’s aspirations to dominate the region which it
had ruled for four centuries."
The statement stressed that Armenians want Turkey to acknowledge
committing the 1915-1923 massacres that they say claimed the lives
of 1.5 million civilian Armenians.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
