Irvine Mayor Donald P. Wagner
Statement of Mayor Donald P. Wagner, Regarding Turkish Heritage and Children’s Day,
Beginning yesterday, council members and staff began hearing from members of the Armenian community in opposition to a routine item on the consent agenda for tonight’s council meeting. The item is a resolution commemorating April 23 as Turkish Heritage and Children’s Day. This was the eighth straight year this resolution has come before the council; all seven prior appearances of this resolution were approved unanimously without objection from the Armenian community. For that reason, city staff and I believed the resolution was inoffensive and appropriate for the consent calendar.
Because of what we have heard over the last day, however, it is now clear to me and to the entire council that the choice of date for the Turkish Heritage resolution is deeply troubling to our residents and friends of Armenian heritage. April 23 is the day before the longstanding date for remembrance of the Armenian genocide. I have co-authored six resolutions during my service in the legislature recognizing and remembering the first – but sadly not last – genocide of the Twentieth Century. Neither I nor anyone on this council wishes to ignore or downplay the historical significance of that genocide.
For that reason, I have removed the Turkish Heritage resolution from tonight’s agenda. It is not going to be before us, and I will not sign such a resolution. Instead, staff is asked to work with all stakeholders in this matter to find an appropriate date to recognize Turkish heritage that is also sensitive to the concerns of those among us of Armenian heritage.
Mayor Wagner has the dignity to consider that, making April 23 as Turkish whatever day one day prior to the Armenian Genocide commemoration is an insult to 1.5 Million martyrs massacred by the Turks.
Yet he makes a point that another date for Turkish whatever will be accepted .
Thank you Mr. Mayor for your humanly attitude..
Thank you Honorable Mayor Wagner for your distinct and just consideration.
I want to thank Mayor Donald P. Wagner for standing for what is right.
His actions are very important to me, my family and the Armenian community in Orange County.
Thank you again.