who has been critical of Ankara’s policies and has written extensively about the Armenian Genocide, was arrested on Saturday, August 19 morning in Granada after the Turkish government issued an Interpol international arrest warrant, El Periódico reports.

The Spanish police have yet to reveal the reason for the arrest.

After the 1980 coup d’etat, Akhanli went into hiding and was a political prisoner in a Turkish military jail between 1985 and 1987. He fled Turkey in 1991 and settled in Germany.

A German citizen, Akhanli is committed to memorializing the genocides of the twentieth century, including the Armenian Genocide, and to promoting cross-cultural dialogue with a view to reconciliation.

Akhanli wrote two novels on the mass killings of Armenians in 1915, ‘The Judges of the last Judgment’ and ‘The Last Dream of the Madonna’.

In August 2010, he returned to Turkey to visit his dying father, but was arrested at the airport and thrown into prison for four months. Thanks to a campaign in his defense, organized by civil rights activists and Turkish and German intellectuals, he managed to leave Turkey and return to Germany

El Periódico. Detenido en España otro escritor reclamado por Turquía

Spanish La 2 Channel hosts debate on the Armenian Genocide

Earlier this month Spain’s Second Television Channel (La 2) hosted a debate on the Armenian Genocide. The guests of the talk show were President of Ararat Armenian Association Ararat Ghukasyan and author of the new book “The Memory of Ararat” (“La memoria del Ararat”), writer, journalist, correspondent for the “El periódico” Daily Xavier Moret.

Spanish La 2 Channel see the video in spanish

The discussions focused on the Armenian Genocide, the reasons for, the process and the consequences of that crime against humanity, its recognition and Turkey’s state policy of denial.

The program began with the screening of a cognitive documentary film about the Armenian Genocide.

“The 10 million Armenians living in Armenia and abroad definitely feel the trace of the Genocide that will remain an unhealed wound as long as there is no adequate response and as long as Turkey continues to deny the Armenian Genocide,” Ararat Ghukasyan said.

When asked whether time can play a role or not, Ghukasyan said: “Even if 100 years go by, forgetting it will be a sin not only for us – Armenians, but also for the international community, at large.”

Writer Xavier Moret noted that he visited Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex on 24 April 2013 and added: “You definitely have to go there to understand what it is. Armenia is a marvelous country, and the Armenian people are marvelous. You definitely have to visit Armenia to understand their hospitality, their love, their sorrow and all this. I am in love with Armenia.”

The hostess of the show Marta Caseres said she had invited Turkey’s Ambassador and representatives of the Turkish Embassy, but they didn’t even respond to the invitation.

Writer Xavier Moret said it’s very important for countries like Spain and Israel to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide so that such crimes are never repeated.

At the end, Ararat Ghukasyan cited William Saroyan’s famous words about the Armeninas: “For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.”