Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church refused the invitation to give an interview to Turkish satellite television. 

“There is no Armenian issue—as you put it—for the Armenian people. The Armenian Genocide is an historical reality and, as such, it cannot become a subject for discussion, dialogue, or talks,” the Great House of Cilicia Department of Information noted in its response letter to the invitation.   

Stressing that Turkey must recognize the Genocide and pay compensation, the letter’s sources remarked that, “Turkey presents itself as a human rights defender yet it continues to disregard the rights of the Armenian people.”