Edward Sharmazanov: Turkey must recognize Armenian Genocide

“Genocide of 1.5 million Armenians in their homeland is nothing other than a striking manifestation of a crime against humanity. Consigning crimes against humanity to oblivion results in new crimes such as the Holocaust,” the vice speaker of the Armenian parliament Edward Sharmazanov told Aysor.am when commenting on the recent statement of Turkish President Abdullah Gul.

During the January 27 meeting with French President Francois Hollande in Ankara, the Turkish president urged Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora not ‘to revive woes’ of the past and not to ‘pass these woes from generation to generation’.

In the words of Sharmazanov, woes of the past should be resolved rather than be consigned to oblivion. “I think the Turkish authorities should take steps to reconcile with their own history. They must recognize the Armenian Genocide so as not to pass on a heavy burden to the future generations,” he noted.

“Otherwise, by a policy of denial, they will commit no lesser crime than the one committed by the Young Turks’ government,” Edward Sharmazanov said.