Levon Panos Dabagian: "Turkish history has never had genocide against Armenians"
While protest actions against the adoption of a draft bill concerning the punishment for denial "Armenian genocide" adopted by the Lower Chamber of the French Parliament are ongoing, the Armenians living in Turkey decided to join to the process. According to the Armenians, distinguishing with their more moderate approach to the 1915 events rather than the Armenian diaspora, political speculations developing around the so called "Armenian genocide" complicates the process of improvement of the relations between Turks and Armenians. Turkish Armenians informed that they condemn the draft bill that is expected to be adopted by the Parliament of France and stated that the document just serve for pre-election interests of French political circles.
Mesrop Mutafian II, the religious leader of Armenians living in Turkey also noted that such decision of the French Parliament won't give anything to Armenians but just make worsen unfavorable relations between the two nations. In general, Mutafian's view to the 1915 events (Patriarch do not call them genocide) are regularly critiqued by Armenian diaspora and Yerevan political circles. According to Mutafian, Turks as well as Armenians are directly relevant to the 1915 events. But as the Patriarch thinks, the both nation's be better leave behind this date and think over how to rehabilitate friendship once existed between the nations, rather than to day, several decades after that event to reveal who is to blame for that to a greater or lesser extent.
Levon Panos Dabagian, Armenian historian living in Turkey also thinks so. It is appropriate mention that Dabagian was one of the first of few representatives of Armenian lobby who openly speaks against "genocide" campaign. At the same time Dabagian considers Armenian demands concerning the "genocide" groundless on the basis of historical facts. The historian studying the history of the Ottoman Empire's Armenians for a long time published his own book entitled "The history of Turkish Armenians" in 2003. It is known that right away after the decision of French Parliament Dabagian appeared in Turkish mass media and criticized such action of French MPs.
Dabagian confirms that throughout all Turkish history there were never events even closed to Armenian genocide, and all statements relating that are based on the political interests: "During World War I Turkey deported Armenians living in its territory and it is generally accepted but Turkey has never had conducted a genocide policy against Armenians." According to Dabagian, the decision concerning the mentioned deportation was taken due to the wartime conditions: "Anyway, the actions cannot be called genocide."...
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Mesrop Mutafian II, the religious leader of Armenians living in Turkey also noted that such decision of the French Parliament won't give anything to Armenians but just make worsen unfavorable relations between the two nations. In general, Mutafian's view to the 1915 events (Patriarch do not call them genocide) are regularly critiqued by Armenian diaspora and Yerevan political circles. According to Mutafian, Turks as well as Armenians are directly relevant to the 1915 events. But as the Patriarch thinks, the both nation's be better leave behind this date and think over how to rehabilitate friendship once existed between the nations, rather than to day, several decades after that event to reveal who is to blame for that to a greater or lesser extent.
Levon Panos Dabagian, Armenian historian living in Turkey also thinks so. It is appropriate mention that Dabagian was one of the first of few representatives of Armenian lobby who openly speaks against "genocide" campaign. At the same time Dabagian considers Armenian demands concerning the "genocide" groundless on the basis of historical facts. The historian studying the history of the Ottoman Empire's Armenians for a long time published his own book entitled "The history of Turkish Armenians" in 2003. It is known that right away after the decision of French Parliament Dabagian appeared in Turkish mass media and criticized such action of French MPs.
Dabagian confirms that throughout all Turkish history there were never events even closed to Armenian genocide, and all statements relating that are based on the political interests: "During World War I Turkey deported Armenians living in its territory and it is generally accepted but Turkey has never had conducted a genocide policy against Armenians." According to Dabagian, the decision concerning the mentioned deportation was taken due to the wartime conditions: "Anyway, the actions cannot be called genocide."...