Letter to His Holiness Pope Francis

Your Holiness,

I am writing from Turkey and I have just heard that Your Holiness will visit our neighbour Armenia on 24-26 June 2016. This apostolic journey to the first Christian nation should be very meaningful for you. Our homeland over the last millennium Anatolia, was home to early Christians in the earlier periods of history and this journey has reminded me of your visit to Turkey in 2014. Following your visit to Turkey, a news item which appeared in Agenzia Fides on October 2, 2014 (http://tinyurl.com/jn45pmy) had given me the impression that there is an expectation that Turkish research output is offered to the world scholarship in translation, quite rightly. Since I also believe that Turkish researchers should share their knowledge and views at international level more widely, I gave reference to this news item in an article I wrote last year.

 I am pleased to inform you that an increase in efforts in this respect is observed in recent years and I would like to point out some resources in English and French now available on the Internet. One of them is a website titled Turks and Armenians: Turkish-Armenian Relations Throughout History, hosted by the Marmara University, which has been built up by a group of scholars,  with some 110 articles in English (http://turksandarmenians.marmara.edu.tr/en/) and some 60 of them are also available in French covering all aspects of Armenian-Turkish relations. It is aimed to increase the number of articles offered. AVIM, Center for Eurasian Studies also offers articles and books in English (http://avim.org.tr/en). Mehmet Oğuzhan Tulun’s commentary on your visit to Armenia is a recent addition to their content (http://avim.org.tr/en/Yorum/POPE-FRANCIS-OFFICIAL-VISIT-TO-ARMENIA). 

We, most Turks have a genuine desire to improve our relations with Armenia and the Armenian diaspora provided that we are not accused with a very heavy crime our ancestors have not committed, allegations of genocide is stopped, and Azeri lands are returned enabling one million Nagorni Karabagh Azeri people to go back home. Turks, Armenians and Azeris all have very bitter memories of the past, but we are neighbours and we can prosper together through collaboration and synergy. Nothing is more valuable than peace and friendship on earth.  

Particularly following the European Court of Human Rights Grand Chamber Final Decision of October  15, 2015 concerning the Perinçek v Switzerland Case, we no longer expect any parallels to be drawn between the Holocaust and tragic relocation and resettlement of 1915, and hope a more positive atmosphere can be created to discuss different points of views, rather than the Turkish side being exposed to political and social pressures in an effort to create a consensus relying on perceptions built over the years based on falsifications of war propaganda in the absence of legally valid evidence; ignoring that ‘genocide’ is a legal term which can be used only if a local or international criminal court decides that an event is a “genocide”.   

While wishing you a very enjoyable visit to Armenia, can I humbly suggest you to read my letter to my grandaunt which you can find at http://armenianholocaustmystory.blogspot.com.tr/2015/04/sorry-my-dear-grandaunt-no-apology-to.html at your leisure time, perhaps on the plane to Armenia. 

With every good wish to Your Holiness, I am, Sincerely Yours,

Selma Aslan

Independent Researcher on  The Caucasian Front , WWI