YEREVAN. – Turkish writer Murat Belge claims he can speak up the Armenian Genocide without hesitations, as it is difficult to characterize killings of over 1 million people otherwise, the writer said during the discussions ‘Trying to Understand Turkey’ organized in Yerevan on Wednesday.

“Genocide is a complicated phenomenon bringing forth heavy charges,” he claimed.

Asked whether it is possible that he also has Armenian blood, Belge said that his two grandmothers were of Circassian descent, while he considers himself pure Turk. However, everything is possible as no one can tell what had happened, for example, 12 generations ago.

As for what he thinks about the fact that Turkey reconstructs Armenian church Surb Khach in Akhtamar or partly reconstructs churches in Ani but mentions nothing about Armenians, Belge said it is nationalism on state level. It is based on the fact that Turkey was not punished and obliged to take responsibility following the 1915 Genocide of Armenians.

Photo by Sona Barseghyan