ANKARA - Turkey has expressed its extreme regret over erection of a monument in yard of a Catholic church in Poland on which it was written that Turks had committed genocide against Armenians.
Releasing a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Wednesday, ''a monument was erected in yard of a Catholic church in Krakov city of Poland on April 17, 2004. There is an inscription on the monument writing that Armenians had been exposed to genocide in Turkey in 1915.''
''Although we have learnt that Polish government rejected the inscription on the monument, we extremely regretted erection of such a monument in Poland defaming our nation since we have always supported Poland in its most difficult periods,'' the MFA stressed.
Expressing Turkey's concerns about a church's being used as a tool of an understanding of history based of distorted data, and of obsessions of some marginal groups, the MFA emphasized, ''all countries should remember that if all religious faiths and their adherents are purified from prejudices and feelings of hatred, we can succeed in our efforts to provide inter-religious dialogue.''
''Otherwise, we will face the jeopardy of inciting intolerance and giving rise to social turmoil. The current sensitive period entails everyone, especially religious officials, to be responsible and careful in all steps to be taken,'' the MFA added.
(UK-AY) 21.04.2004