High ranking Armenian cleric visits Cyprus
CATHOLICOS of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Aram I has called on Turkey to reconcile with its past and formally accept the Armenian genocide.
In a recent visit to Cyprus, Aram I said that he did believe that Armenians and Turks could live together, but that Turkey had to admit to its past.
“The people of Turkey are not our enemy. But we have a problem. And it is critically important that it is solved. We cannot ignore the past or deny our history. The Genocide is deeply rooted into the common consciousness of our people. It’s not fiction; it’s a fact,” he said.
Aram I also called on Turkey to respect the law when it came to the freedom of religious expression for Armenians in Cyprus.
“I have expressed my concern to the government and the United Nations over the issue that Armenians are prohibited from holding masses in their Turkish-occupied churches. It is vitally important that the occupying forces preserve the identity and sacredness of the religious sites. This is part of international law and human rights,” he added.
On the question of the restoration of the two Armenian churches and the Armenian monastery in the occupied areas which are falling apart, Aram I demanded for the restoration of all churches and not just the Armenian ones, as the current situation showed a lack of respect for sites of religious, historical and archaeological value.
Aram I was in Cyprus this week and held visits with the political and religious leadership of the island. After his meeting with President Demetris Christofias, the Catholicos of Cicilia spoke of the President’s evident desire to unify the island.
“I had a very interesting conversation with the President of the Republic. He is really committed to the process of reunification, and he is serious. He told me that he is going to continue committedly. But when you reunify two things, you also need the others committed, you cannot do that alone,” he said.
He also had a meeting with House President Marios Garoyian, who is Armenian, and the cleric spoke of his happiness that Armenians in Cyprus were so integrated into Cypriot society.
“We are proud that he [Garoyian] is of Armenian origin and that he is conscious of that. Here there are people of Armenian, Greek, Latin and Maronite origin, but the common denominator bringing them together is that they are all Cypriots. We need to accept and respect each other the way we are, not the way we want others to become.
“I am very happy to see that our people in this country are very much integrated into the fabric of the society. They participate fully, actively and responsibly in all spheres of the society,” he added.
And his message to the Armenians of Cyprus:
“As I repeatedly say, we must be active participants of the societies in which we live. But above all unity: unity is the source of strength,” he concluded.
