Turkey set to step up its anti-armenian propaganda as the centenary of Armenian genocide nearing, expert says

YEREVAN, September 18. / ARKA /. Turkey is set to step up its anti-Armenian propaganda as the centenary of the Armenian genocide to be marked in 2015 is nearing, Artak Shakaryan, an Armenian expert in Turkic studies, said today.

He said because of Turkey’s indirect involvement in the Syrian crisis and the Kurdish question the government in Ankara is not paying enough attention currently to the anti-Armenian propaganda. “However, there are special academic institutions and persons who are closely involved in this. I think, on the eve of the centenary Ankara will intensify its anti-Armenian propaganda,” he said.

According to him, as the date is nearing Turkey will also increase pressure on Armenia regarding the Nagorno –Karabakh conflict.

The Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of the twentieth century. Turkey has been denying it for decades. The Armenian genocide was recognized by tens of countries. The first was Uruguay that did so in 1965. Other nations are Russia, France, Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Canada, Venezuela, Argentina, 42 U.S. states. The Armenian Genocide was recognized by the Vatican, the European Parliament, the World Council of Churches and other international organizations. -0-