YEREVAN. – The Turkish authorities will not react, without a direct question, to the blowing up of the Holy Martyrs Armenian Church in Deir ez-Zor, Syria, by the ISIS terrorist group, turkologist Andranik Ispiryan said at a press conference on Tuesday.

In Ispiryan’s words, ever since the start of the anti-government operations in Syria, Turkey began assisting virtually all opposition groups, and for two important objectives: Ousting incumbent President Bashar al-Assad and bringing the Sunni Muslim faction to power; and neutralizing Kurdish element that has become active in Syria, and removing from that area the Armenians who have settled in Syria after the Armenian Genocide and, also, by destroying the Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage.

“There was no Turkish media information on the blasting of Armenian church in Deir ez-Zor. Solely the Armenian Agos [weekly] of Istanbul and a Kurdish website wrote about it. This means that if there is no reaction, Turkey’s authorities will not react to this event.

“The Turkish authorities will be obligated to answer [solely] a direct question, but they will not say anything major. Their response will be in the manner that they do not accept the blowing up of holy sites regardless of their religious affiliation, and they may bring the example that they have restored the Armenian church of [Lake] Van’s Akhtamar [Island]” Ispiryan noted.