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-I witnessed the effect of denial on Armenians when, a few months later, TARC interviewed retired Turkish ambassadors Omer Lutem and Mumtaz Soysal. When Armenians tried to explain the grief of being driven from their homes, Lutem retorted " Turkish books do not show any Armenian presence before the Turks. Anatolia was never an Armenian homeland. YOU WERE JUST VISITORS"
When Alex (Arzoumanian) pointed out that they were in Anatolia long enough to build more than four thousand churches, Soysal added, "We tried to destroy them all, but there were just too many." Then Lutem threatened, "If Armenians insist on genocide, Turkey will inflict hurt on Armenia. Is that what you want?"
We wondered if Lutem and Soysal were so hateful. Were their remarks inteneded to humiliate or were they designed to provoke confontation?".
-I witnessed the effect of denial on Armenians when, a few months later, TARC interviewed retired Turkish ambassadors Omer Lutem and Mumtaz Soysal. When Armenians tried to explain the grief of being driven from their homes, Lutem retorted " Turkish books do not show any Armenian presence before the Turks. Anatolia was never an Armenian homeland. YOU WERE JUST VISITORS"
When Alex (Arzoumanian) pointed out that they were in Anatolia long enough to build more than four thousand churches, Soysal added, "We tried to destroy them all, but there were just too many." Then Lutem threatened, "If Armenians insist on genocide, Turkey will inflict hurt on Armenia. Is that what you want?"
We wondered if Lutem and Soysal were so hateful. Were their remarks inteneded to humiliate or were they designed to provoke confontation?".