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French FM about the Armenian Genocide: I hope one day soon we can achieve fair reading of history

“The question of the Armenian genocide is a sensitive and difficult subject that has all too often cast a shadow over the French-Turkish bilateral relations,” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius wrote in an article published in the Hurriyet Daily News.

“In Turkey, many criticize France for embracing the “Armenian theses.” In France, many feel that Turkey is trying to minimize, if not deny the tragedy that befell the ancestors of our compatriots of Armenian origin. Things are changing. My colleague Ahmet Davutoğlu has made encouraging statements. I quote, “The Armenians have before them someone who is listening. This foreign minister does not claim that nothing happened in 1915.”

For myself, I am not unaware of Turkey’s share of suffering during the gradual dismantlement of the Ottoman Empire, with its succession of massacres and exoduses. However, I do believe that the disappearance of the Armenian civilization from Anatolian soil warrants some thinking on Turkey’s part as to what is needed to heal the wounds opened in 1915,” Minisetr Fabius stated.

The French Minister voiced hope that “that one day soon, we can achieve a calm, fair reading of history.” “In the meantime, we should try to learn to live with respect for the diversity of the legacies of which we are the guardians.”

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