The newly elected Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, Sahak II Mashalian, has made noteworthy statements to the Turkish broadcaster “A Haber”.
The Patriarch spoke about the resolution recognising the Armenian Genocide adopted by the US Senate. Regarding the past and present of Armenian-Turkish relations, he again alluded to the need for direct dialogue between the two countries.
Referring to the events that took place during the genocide, Mashalian said: “In our individual development, the events of 1915 are transmitted hereditarily; there is no family that has not experienced grief. During the Ottoman period there was an Armenian people of 2-2.5 million. At this moment 40-60 thousand Armenians live in Turkey. Over the last 100 years, a sharp decline has taken place in the number of Armenians living on these lands.”
According to Mashalian, however, the common history of the two peoples has not always been filled with problems.
“Armenian and Turkish cultures are very close to each other. Armenian musicians have a legacy in Turkish art and music. Armenians have their share in the creation of this culture and civilisation, which is why Armenians feel here as if it were their home.”
The Patriarch expressed the view that the situation in Armenia is perhaps better, pointing to two reasons: “The first is that Armenia was not part of the Ottoman Empire. In the 30 years since Armenia’s independence, hundreds of thousands of Armenians have come and gone from there to Turkey in search of work and for tourism. They were received well here, and they returned with good impressions. After all, it (Armenia) is a separate country, and that is why this genocide issue is not in the 1st or 2nd position on their agenda,” noted the Patriarch.
Regarding the adoption of the resolution recognising the Armenian Genocide by the US Senate, Mashalian said that such events take place because of the absence of dialogue between Armenia and Turkey.
“If the 2 countries cannot sit and talk about these topics, then 3rd or 4th countries that have political, economic or strategic problems with Turkey will put them on the agenda,” stressed the Patriarch, adding that he personally is offended that the memories of people who have suffered grief are used as a tool in the politics of the day.
