MARSEILLE, AUGUST 12, NOYAN TAPAN - ARMENIANS TODAY. The events of the Year of Turkey in France began with the arrival of a Turkish wooden ship in Marseille. Although it was planned to meet the ship with great festivity, by instructions of the Mayor of Marseille Jean-Claude Gaudin, the meeting ceremony was held in quite a cold atmosphere. In an interview with the correspondent of Nouvelles d'Armenie magazine, the businessman, Deputy Mayor of Marseille for Economic and Entrepreneurial Issues, the mayor's representative in the Armenian community Didier Parakian said that the Year of Turkey is officially celebrated in France, and Marseille as the second largest city of France was to receive the Turkish ship. At the same time it was taken into consideration that Marseille is the home of Europe's largest Armenian community (100 thousand members), who are mainly descendants of the Armenian Genocide survivors who came to Marseille also by ship. For that reason the Armenian community of the city had to display a special attitude in relation to the arrival of the Turkish ship. In the words of D. Parakian, he expressed his concern to Mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin who is one of the advocates of adoption of the law envisaging punishment for denial of the Armenian Genocide in France. The mayor and the Marseille Municipality's group in charge of events of the Year of Turkey in France have decided to hold these events with minimum coverage and in a modest way for the reason that Turkey has not recognized the Armenian Genocide. Meanwhile, the Armenian community has made a decision to use the occasion for raising the recognition problem before the Turks. The correspondent of Nouvelles d'Armenie noted that the Marseille Municipality did not want to organize an official reception in connection with the Turkish ship's arrival marking the start of the Year of Turkey in France. D. Parakian explained that the Armenian community of Marseille understood quite correctly the position of the municipality, and the ceremony of the Turkish ship arrival passed in a disreputably modest way instead of creating a positive image for Turkey. The deputy mayor of Marseille considered this circumstance natural, adding that the Armenians were satisfied with the least attention shown to the Turks in this connection. Marseille Deputy Mayor for Cultural Issues Daniel Hermann was instructed to make an official speech during the ceremony of the ship arrival. In response to the reporter's question: "What meaning did that event have for you?", D. Hermann replied that in 1996 the then President of France Jacques Chirac assumed the obligation to celebrate the Year of Turkey in the country. The deputy mayor also said: "It was difficult for us to disagree with that decision and not to hold the events of the Year of Turkey in Marseille". When the reporter asked D. Hermann if the fact of Marseille's large Armenian community composed of descendants of the Genocide survivors as well as victims of Turkey' policy of the Genocide denial was taken into account, the deputy mayor said that he is on friendly terms with the Armenian community of the city and is familiar with the history and pain of the Armenian people. He stated that he considers as his duty to remind the Turks about the Genocide and not to miss the opportunity to raise the problem of its recognition. However, according to D. Hermann, France is officially and diplomatically obliged to mark the Year of Turkey. At the same time the Marseille Mayor's instruction to pay as little attention as possible to the Year of Turkey events was carried out. The reporter noted that the Turks misrepresent the history by calling the Turkish ship, which has arrived in Marseille within the framework of the Year of Turkey, after the Greek ship that moored at the site of the present Marseille 2,600 years ago and founded the city. D. Hermann said he accepts the concern expressed by the Armenians in this respect and assured the reporter that "we have always been beside the Armenians, and today we must be beside them as they experience pain because of the unfair interpretation of the history". He added that France recognized the tragedy of the Genocide and in this way it performed its duty. D. Hermann urged the Armenians to engage in a dialog with the Turks, attaching importance to the recognition of the fact of the Genocide by Turkey itself. He is convinced that as a result of such dialog, Turkey will eventually recognize the Armenian Genocide. During an interview with Nouvelles d'Armenie, Turkish Consul in Marseille Ozer Aydan expressed an opinion that only thanks to the examination of the Turkish archives by Turkish and Armenian historians, it may become clear whether there was genocide or not. In response to the correspondent's remark that "we are aware of the destruction of the archives of the Ottoman government and some trials", the consul said that all materials of the archives of both the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Turkey have remained intact. He declared that if the guilt of the Ottoman government is revealed, Turkey will assume the obligations and responsibility for compensating the damage done. In answer to the reporter's claim that Turkey will not ignore its own interests, the consul noted that it is necessary to wait, adding that for example, "the role of superpowers during those events" will be a surprise to Armenia. "You are probably unaware of their role. Be sure Turkey will take responsibility if it turns out that it is to blame for the death of even one Armenian. It is a matter of principle to us". Nouvelles d'Armenie reminds at the end of the interview that in 2005-2007 Ozer Aydan was Turkish consul in Lyons and was famous for his actions against construction of a monument to the Armenian Genocide victims in that city, as well as for his position on the clashes that took place between Turkish extremists and young Armenians in Lyons. O. Aydan is an expert in international law, he was educated in Strasbourg and served as chairman of the Turkish parliament's committee on foreign relations. Accordng to O. Aydan, he was a friend of Hrant Dink, and while living in Istanbul, he had many "Turkish friends with Armenian roots".

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