Sharmazanov: Turkey should recognize Armenian Genocide so as not to leave burden to next generations
Genocide of 1.5 million Armenians in their own land is nothing else than a striking manifestation of a crime against humanity. Consigning crimes against humanity to oblivion leads to new crimes. The Holocaust during World War II is one such example, Deputy Speaker of Armenian parliament Edward Sharmazanov told reporters on Wednesday, while commenting on the latest statement of Turkish President Abdullah Gul.
On January 27, during a meeting with French President Francois Hollande in Ankara, the Turkish leader said, “Woes of 100 years ago are our common woes…. It is not right to pass these woes from generation to generation. What should be done, instead of reviving these woes, is to leave these to historians.” Francois Hollande urged Ankara to “reconcile” with its own history and reaffirmed France’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
According to Sharmazanov, woes of the past should be settled, rather than be consigned to oblivion. He stressed that the Turkish authorities should take steps to reconcile with their own history, and should recognize the Armenian Genocide so as not to leave that burden to the next generations. “Otherwise, by conducting a policy of denial, they will commit no lesser crime than the one committed by the government of Young Turks,” he added.