October 10, 2013 – 15:41 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – One needn’t go far to discover those responsible for Armenia-related falsifications – with Turkey as the mastermind Azerbaijan is only following the suit.

Anadolu Agency quoted Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as saying at the AKP faction meeting, “we were the ones to establish the church on Akhtamar Island, as well as Tarsus Church and Sumela Monastery.”

The statement needs no further comments, considering no monument of Armenian architecture in Turkey carries any mention of Armenians. The Fortress of Van boasts the portrait of Ataturk: local boys who learnt a few words in English, announce him the founder of Van. Asked about the date of Ataturk’s birth or the fortress foundation, the boys seem to have no clue.

There’s no mention anywhere that Smbat Bagratuni, the founder of Ani, was Armenian. It’s merely marked as a monument of … Ottoman architecture. It’s hard to believe Erdogan is unaware who built Kars, Erzurum, Bayazet and other cities. As we repeatedly mentioned, appropriation of another nation’s culture is natural for nomads unable of creating their own, while destruction of another nation’s creations leads to degradation.

Here’s a piece for information especially for Erdogan: Van-located Armenian church of St. Cross was builtt by King Gagik Artsruni in 925-921. It was restored and opened to visitors, with liturgies allowed starting from 2010. Seems like the survivors of the Armenian Genocide were supposed to thank the Turkish government for restoration of the Akhtamar church as well as St Giragos Armenian Church in Diyarbakir. Yet, after Erdogan’s statements his “democratcy package” is worth nothing.

Turks still have a lot to appropriate: Greek, Assyrian, antique monuments which by the evil will of fate are now on the territory of modern Turkey, with Troy, Mycenaean Greece culture, Cilician Kingdom and the heritage of Ancient Armenian kings, mountain of Ararat to be soon called Ottoman. So it’s no surprise Azerbaijan’s official historiography refuses to recognize the aboriginality of Armenians.

One cannot but feel sorry for Turkish and Azeri “historians” – they need to invent their history which- and we can’t stress this enough- never ends well.

Karine Ter-Sahakian/ PanARMENIAN.Net