Canada welcomes the reconciliation efforts between Turkey and Armenia

PanARMENIAN.Net - The federal government of Canada says Turkey's decision to recall its ambassador does not represent a diplomatic breakdown between the countries.



The spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon insisted Canada's position on the issue is "not an indictment of modern Turkey."



"Turkey is a democracy, we have good relations with Turkey — they are allies," said the spokeswoman Catherine Loubier. "We welcome the reconciliation efforts between Turkey and Armenia."



Turkey pulled Ambassador Rafet Akgunay from Ottawa after it learned that a cabinet minister attended an event this week commemorating the Armenian Genocide by Turks during the First World War.



Akgunay was called home for "thorough evaluations and consultations," Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Burak Ozugergin said in Ankara.



However, another Turkish official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the ambassador was being withdrawn temporarily to protest the Canadian government's presence at the event on Parliament Hill.



Aris Babikian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee of Canada, said Immigration Minister Jason Kenney and Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff attended the group's event Tuesday.



The ceremony marked the fifth anniversary of Canada's recognition of the genocide.



Prime Minister Stephen Harper did not attend, but he sent a letter of support saying Canada hopes "tolerance and openness . . . will guide Armenia and Turkey in developing their relations."



"We remember the terrible loss of life during the demise of the Ottoman Empire in 1915, and in particular the horrific suffering endured by the Armenian people," Harper wrote in an annual message officials said was virtually unchanged from his original comment in 2006.



Ignatieff said the memory of the "Great Calamity" is "a reminder of the destructive power of animosity between nations."



"The memory of the victims of genocide must never be an incitement to hatred," he added.



"On this day, we commemorate that condemnation of the Armenian genocide of 1915 as a crime against humanity. In our own time, we commit ourselves to the intolerance of hatred and the defence of our shared humanity."