Dashnak Member Wants to Pray, But Not on the Day Determined by Turkey

Head of the Armenian Cause Office of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF-D, Dashnaktsutyun) Giro (Kiro) Manoyan, speaking today about Aghtamar’s Holy Cross liturgy, said that Turkey, by not placing the cross on the church, put itself in a ridiculous situation.

According to the politician, what’s bad is that Turkey constantly connects the issue of ethnic minorities in the country with the countries of those minorities.

“The issue is that all these monuments in reality belong to the Armenian people, not unconditionally to the Republic of Armenia. There is another right owner to the property, and all of this should be placed on a legal level and not to establish good relations with Armenia,” he said. 

Manoyan also said that Turkey has violated its international obligations so much so that people sometimes even think, it’s so good, at least they provided the opportunity to pray for one day. 

“That’s what the Armenians living in Turkey say, some of which accused us: ‘What do you want, don’t you want to pray?’ We want to pray, but 365 days a year and not that day that Turkey decides… This can’t be directed toward Armenia. Legally, politically, it has not connection with Armenia whatsoever: if that’s so, then the border should’ve opened at least for a day; if really that’s the purpose, but that’s not the purpose,” he said.