Posted on 04/12/2015 1:02:20 PM PDT by Steelfish
Turkey Anger at Pope Francis Armenian 'Genocide' Claim (Recalls Ambassador)
James Reynolds examines the Pope's comments Turkey has recalled its envoy to the Vatican after Pope Francis described the mass killing of Armenians under Ottoman rule in WW1 as "genocide". Turkey has reacted with anger to the comment made by the Pope at a service in Rome earlier on Sunday.
Armenia and many historians say up to 1.5 million people were killed by Ottoman forces in 1915. But Turkey has always disputed that figure and said the deaths were part of a civil conflict triggered by WW1. The row has continued to sour relations between Armenia and Turkey.
'Bleeding wound' The Pope made the comments at a Mass in the Armenian Catholic rite at Peter's Basilica, attended by the Armenian president and church leaders. He said that humanity had lived through "three massive and unprecedented tragedies" in the last century.
"The first, which is widely considered 'the first genocide of the 20th Century', struck your own Armenian people," he said, in a form of words used by a declaration by Pope John Paul II in 2001.
Pope Francis also referred to the crimes "perpetrated by Nazism and Stalinism" and said other genocides had followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Burundi and Bosnia.
He said it was his duty to honour the memories of those who were killed. "Concealing or denying evil is like allowing a wound to keep bleeding without bandaging it," the Pope added.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
Good for the pope. The Turks will never admit that they were in the wrong. They, the Seljuks, did much the same to the Christians when they invaded the Byzantine Empire in the 11th Century. Their aggression precipitated the First Crusade.
Wow...truth hurts! Their denial says everything we need to know about the turks!?!
Now he’s gone and done it! Angels will not be permitted to fly over Turkey on their way to Iran.
When I was a young man living in LA, I had an Armenian friend. His relatives told me about how the Turkish army surrounded villages and then moved in and shot or bayoneted everyone Armenian they could find. I guess they were making up tales.
So much for “moderate” Muslims.
Islam is at open war with civilization — and civilization needs to start fighting back in earnest.
Re-enacted image from the 1919 documentary film, "Auction of Souls" showing the crucifixion of Armenian Christian girls by the Turks in 1915 according to the eye-witness account of 1 female Armenian teenager. The film is based upon her 1918 book, Ravished Armenia.
The above book excerpt from Ravished Armenia was published in The Daily News, Perth, Australia, 21 May 1920.
Lightin up Turkey
Man they throwing a fit
I thought the Turks were proud of what they did. I don’t know why they get angry every time someone accuses them of genocide.
CLAIM? What would the BBC call the planned, mass extermination of one ethnicity by another? Late term abortions?
The Turks are first and foremost muslims, and so lying comes naturally to them.
Their religion even says that it’s not a lie if it’s done to deceive and infidel.
Yes, good for the pope. And good post from you, pointing out similarities in history.
Turkey can get stuffed
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