MFA: Aznavour Has Not Received Any Award from Turkey

YEREVAN — Charles Aznavour has not received any award in Turkey and has not given an interview to any Turkish paper, the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a Facebook post.

Armenian websites earlier quoted Turkish media as saying that Charles Aznavour, a world-famous French Armenian singer, Armenia’s Ambassador to Switzerland and Permanent Representative to the UN Geneva Office, received a “Golden Maple” award, while the Turkish Posta daily published an extended interview.

This information, which was circulating in the Turkish media and was also widely discussed in Armenia, was dismissed by the Ministry.

Posting of the fakebinterview with Aznavour is a regular Turkish falsification at the threshold of the Armenian Genocide centenary. Director of the Oriental Studies Institute of the National Academy of Sciences Ruben Safrastyan told Armenpress.

“I think other similar falsifications are possible from Turkey in near future. Everything is possible, including falsifications,” Mr Safrastyan noted. He stated that there is absolutely no change in the Turkish policy.

“I am sure that the current generation of Turkey is not able to principally change their country’s policy in the issue of the Armenian genocide recognition. They will continue posting falsifications and will go on with their denial policy,” the Turkologist stressed.