Leader of US Eastern Diocese of Armenian Apostolic Church addresses a letter to Hilary Clinton

YEREVAN, AUGUST 22, ARMENPRESS:

Leader of the US Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Archbishop Khazhak Parsamyan has addressed a letter to US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton on the statement of candidate of US Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone, according to which most of the Christian churches functioning prior to 1915 are still operating as churches.

An official from the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) informed Armenpress that in the letter the Archbishop stressed that with his statement Ricciardone has deeply offended the Armenian-Americans, opening the sensitive wounds.

"I would like to remind that we have always supported the efforts of the US government directed toward support to establishment of normal relations between Turkey and Armenia. Taking into consideration those efforts, it is difficult to understand Ricciardone's groundings on the status of Armenian historical churches and other Christian churches in Turkey," the archbishop writes, stressing that the churches destroyed to the ground, the turning of holy sites into mosques is an enormous pain for Armenians and reminds about the victims and destructions in consequence of the 1915 Armenian Genocide.

According to Khazhak Archbishop, the diplomat, in all appearances, is just unaware of some facts. He also stressed that the knowledge on Turkey's history, its black and important pages is necessary for serving in the interests of America in that complicated region.