ANKARA—Etyen Mahcupyan, the chief adviser to Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu described the killing of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915 as genocide, reported Hurriyet Daily News.
“If accepting that what happened in Bosnia and Africa were genocides, it is impossible not to call what happened to Armenians in 1915 genocide too,” Mahcupyan said in an interview with news website Karar.com.
Commenting on Pope Francis’ remarks on April 12 describing the events of 1915 as “the first genocide of the 20th century,” Mahcupyan said the Vatican had “thrown out a 100-year-old psychological burden.”
He said that what actually needs to be questioned is the 100-year-old resistance to using the term. “The Vatican could have long ago said such a thing, but it did not do so,” he added.
Meanwhile, Mahcupyan also said the term “genocide” carries a “psychological meaning” for Armenians and others, rather than a “political meaning.”
“What counts is facing what has happened. The important thing is to look into what happened and to produce the future together, taking lessons from it all,” he said.
Mahcupyan’s words contradict his bosses, with both Prime Minister Davutoglu and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reacting angrily to Pope Francis’ remarks, with Davutoglu going as far as to condemn the pope as part of an “evil front” targeting the Turkish government.
Brave man. Once Davutoglu gets wind of this interview, heads are sure to roll !!
I don’t like this man’s job security prospects.
Great Armenian! Turks didn’t buy him!
Ah, this adviser… He’s a very convenient character for their government. Technically speaking, he has no authority to take important decisions or make strong statements. So, the prohibited “G word” isn’t pronounced by their government, yet it sounds as though it were coming from them. If anybody there doesn’t like this, their government can always say that the word was used by an Armenian. I won’t be surprised if this adviser says later that his words eere misunderstood or used out of context. Long story short, he’s lived there long enough to be disbelieved.
Etyen, is Honest Armenian…
Help him Not to be gunned down like Hrant Dink
Hep-Help-Help….
Look at Mahcopyan Eyes…
Very unlucky man…
He looks Sick, Depressed, Tired,
He was silent for a while …
Suddenly… could not close his mouth…
Against his genocided race …
He felt guilty…
They gave a job to shut his “vocal-pen”
He felt chained and wanted to be free
To say what he wished to say …
From his Cardiocytes…Astrocytes …Dendrites…
His “Brave- Heroic Gene”… could not shut up…
He is now at risk… like Hrant Dink …
Let any site take him away
Before Turks slay his tongue …
Help him please to take him any where …
This Earth belongs to everyone…
He can earn his bread … by his talent …
He knows many Languages
Being talented Armenian
He will not die hungry
HELP HIM …my dear ARMENIAN RACE
FLY HIM FROM THAT SAVAGE LAND,
If he is slayed
We all will cry and regret not helping him
HELP-HELP-HELP …
Plan to help this unlucky chained writer…
Sylva Portoian
Written Instantly after looking at Mahcupyan’s eyes
Thanks for intellectually honest response.