For the Attention Of: The Prime Minister
For the Attention Of:
The Prime Minister
Foreign Office Ministers:
Mr Miliband, Mr Murphy, Mr Howells and
Lord Malloch-Brown
Dear Sirs,
The impending state visit by HM the Queen to Turkey is seen in many quarters as a seal of approval of Turkey's continuing denial of the Genocide of its minorities in 1915, the continuing cultural Genocide in Turkey today, and its continued economic blockade of Armenia.
It feels to many like rubbing salt on the wounds of the descendants of Genocide survivors, over 30,000 of whom reside in the UK
There are two very imprtant Armenian Genocide Scholars visiting London on the same week as the State visit.(6th till 8th may) They are Dr Haig Demoyan Director of the Genocide Museum in Yerevan and Professor Ashot Melkonyan, Director of the National Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences, Yerevan, Armenia.
I write to ask the Prime Minister as well as a Member of the Foreign Office, (Mr Miliband, Mr Murphy, Dr Howells and Lord Malloch-Brown) to agree to meet one or both of them. Would any
of you be willing to make time (preferably on the 6th may, or failing that on the 7th or 8th may) to meet these.scholars?
You may contact me and I will pass your reply immediately to the relevant people to arrange the meeting.
Mr Murphy has said that he is willing to look at the Genocide issue afresh. Also the Prime Minister is a renowned historian. I should think that you would like to take advantage of this unique opportunity to try
to understand the perspective of Armenian historians.
You understand very well, I believe, that the present position of the UK government is untenable: ie that there was no genocide in 1915 because Turkey today is a lucrative ally. The often repeated mantra by government ministers that "the evidence is not sufficiently unequivocal" cannot be taken seriously as we know from all the UK based Genocide Scholars with whom we are in contact, that they have never been contacted by the government for their views. We can claim with a great deal of validity that Armenian Genocide denialism in the UK extends no further than 10 Downing Street.
If you acceeded to this request and arranged a time on the 6th or 7th may that would go some way to alleviate the disappointment felt by many UK Armenians by the Queen's state visit.
Yours sincerely,
