Ruben Melkonyan, “It is typical of Turkish political machine to promise and not to keep promise”

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS: It is ridiculous to justify the not pacing of a cross on the dome of Aghtamar Surb Khach (Holy Cross) Church by technical reasons, Deputy Dean of the Oriental Studies Department of the Yerevan State University, analyst of Turkish studies Ruben Melkonyan said today at a meeting with journalists, adding that the September 19 liturgy was presented by the Turkish propaganda machine as a challenge TO Armenia. According to him, it is already two weeks that the Armenians discuss that issue; the show related to placing of the cross-stone is not finished yet and new propaganda tricks can be expected by the Turkish party.

“It means that the enormous Turkish state is not able to place the 200 kg cross?” Ruben Melkonyan said, adding that this was the most unsuccessful and simplest step the Turkish authorities could make. “This is merely a religious issue, and the political authorities have nothing to do here, hence the silence of our authorities in this issue, I think, is quite a correct step,” the specialist of Turkish studies stressed, adding that hereafter we must be more attentive to the Turkish traps, as it is typical of the Turkish propaganda machine to promise and not to keep the promise.

“The steps of the Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin were quite self-strained and politically literary in this process. They had promised to the Mother See that the liturgy would be held in a consecrated church which had a cross, but after the breach of the promise the Mother See decided to boycott against that show,” Melkonyan noted, stressing that it is very correct decision.