Geneva to launch Genocide monument despite Turkey’s discontent

The municipal authorities of the Swiss capital, Geneva, are very resolute on their plan for building a genocide monument, Time Turks reports, despite earlier strong efforts by the Turkish lobby.

A decision to unveil the monument, named Lanterns of Memory, was made back in 2011. The author of the idea is the French-Armenian artist Melik Ohanian.

French-Armenian singer and song writer Charles Aznavour, who is Armenia’s ambassador to Switzerland, has said in an interview with the local media that the monument’s building should not be considered an attempt to “condemn a country”.

Aznavour made it clear that the monument will symbolize all the nations which have survived genocide.

Sami Kanaan, a Geneva municipality official in charge of the project, has said at a press conference that the word genocide will not be engraved on the monument.

But the Turkish publication says that the fact will remain a major trouble for the country even after this statement.

Turkey reportedly keeps complaining about the fact in the light of its current strategic relations with the Swiss Confederation.

A spokesperson for the Swiss Department for Foreign Affairs has told the Cihan News Agency that they are not vested with the authority of halting the monument’s construction.

“We know what a sensitive issue it is for Turkey. Keeping in touch with the two sides, we are now working towards the normalization of ties between Turkey and Armenia,” the ministry source was quoted as saying.