Patriarch Mutafyan's speech cancelled by decision of Georgetown University administration

PanARMENIAN.Net - "The decision to postpone the speech by Patriarch Mesrob II Mutafyan, religious leader of Turkish Armenians was taken by the Georgetown University administration after a meeting with the Armenian community," Armenian National Committee of America Executive Director Aram Hamparian told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.



"We shared with Georgetown our concern that - as a leading American center of learning - it should not allow itself to be used as a platform for the Turkish government's hateful campaign of the Armenian Genocide denial," Mr Hamparian underscored.



Patriarch Mesrob II, who arrived in the U.S. capital last week, was scheduled to deliver a speech called "The Impasse between Turks and Armenians Must Be Broken" at Georgetown University's Woodstock Theological Center.



The Turkish Daily News reported that "the event had been cancelled following pressure on the university by U.S. Armenian groups over Partiarch's opposition to the Armenian Genocide Resolution."



A Turkish diplomat said the event did not take place because "the Armenian lecturer doesn't share the opinion of the Armenian community of the U.S."



Asked by reporters if his speech was canceled because of U.S. Armenian pressure, the patriarch said, "it may have been."