Turkey complains about “Armenian” statue in Copenhagen
16.04.2015,
13:02
Ankara has complained to the Danish foreign ministry about the sculpture that will be erected in the center of Copenhagen to pay tribute to victims of the Armenian genocide in Ottoman Turkey.
YEREVAN, April 16. /ARKA/. Ankara has complained to the Danish foreign ministry about the sculpture that will be erected in the center of Copenhagen to pay tribute to victims of the Armenian genocide in Ottoman Turkey.
The Turkish foreign ministry said the statue would offend all Turks living in Denmark, but Danish politicians recommended the Turkish colleagues not to interfere in the kingdom’s affairs, BBC reports.
The Armenian genocide was the first genocide committed in XX century. Turkey rejects the accusation of massacres and the killing of one and a half million Armenians during World War I. The fact of the Armenian genocide is recognized by many countries, particularly by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, most of the U.S. states, as well as by the parliaments of Greece, Cyprus, Argentina, Belgium, Wales, National Council of Switzerland, Common House of Canada, the Seym of Poland and lower house of Italian parliament.
Last Sunday the head of the Roman Catholic Church served a landmark mass in the Armenian Catholic rite in St. Peter’s Basilica. In his speech, Pope Francis used the world genocide in describing the mass killings of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey a century ago. The Pope’s statement provoked anger in Turkey. Turkey recalled the ambassador to the Vatican, and called the Vatican ambassador to the foreign ministry for consultation.
On Wednesday, the European Parliament passed unanimously a resolution declaring April 24 as the Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide across the European Union. –0—
