Turkey continues its denial policy at state level, thereby taking responsibility for the crime committed by the Ottoman Empire, Armenia’s FM Eduard Nalbandyan told the Italian website Adnkronos.com.

Responding to the question about his impressions from the declaration of Pope Francis regarding the Genocide, Nalbandyan said: “The statement made by Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Basilica during the mass served on the occasion of the Armenian Genocide Centennial, was a very important message of solidarity and assistance to the Armenian people, as well as a message of assistance to the efforts of the international community, aimed at preventing new crimes against humanity.”  

Commenting on Turkey’s dissatisfaction with regard to Pope’s statement, the Minister said that it was the statement of the spiritual leader of 1,200 billion Catholics. If Turkey doesn’t agree with this opinion as well as the opinions of many countries, which have recognized the Armenian Genocide, then this is the problem of Turkey and not that of the international community, Nalbandyan stated.

According to him, this comes to prove that Turkey and the international community speak different languages. “This is another proof of the fact that Turkey continues its denial policy at state level, thereby taking responsibility for the crime committed by the Ottoman Empire. Guided by high universal human values, the Pope pronounced wise words: Concealing or “Denying evil is like allowing a wound to keep bleeding without bandaging it.” Denial doesn’t open a door to reconciliation. On the contrary, it opens a door to new crimes against humanity”, Eduard Nalbandyan said.