Iranian-Armenian students have sent an open letter to Hasan Rohani with the demand for recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide, as hyeli.com reports.

The authors of the letter have drawn the Iranian President’s attention to Turkey’s destructive policy in the region, mentioning that modern-day Turkey not only denies the genocide that took the lives of nearly 1.5 million Armenians in Ottoman Turkey, but also backs terrorist groups that are killing numerous innocent civilians in Syria and Iraq.

Emphasizing the peaceful coexistence of different ethnic groups and religious minorities in Iran, the Iranian-Armenian students urge Hasan Rohani to recognize the Armenian Genocide to prevent the perpetration of such crimes in the future.

Despite the serious discord in the relations between Turkey and the Islamic Republic of Iran in terms of regional issues, the two countries have close and mutually beneficial relations.

Being a Muslim country, over the past years, Iran has led a moderate and precautious policy on the Armenian Genocide. However, it should be mentioned that the Deputies of the 6^th convocation of the Mejlis of Iran have condemned the Armenian Genocide. On 9 September 2004, during an official visit to Yerevan, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Seyyed Mohammad Khatami visited Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex. During the “Iran: Bridge of Victory” conference in August 2010, Vice-President of Iran Hamid Bagha pronounced the word “genocide” and declared that “in 1915, the government of Ottoman Turkey perpetrated genocide that took the lives of a certain amount of Armenians”. However, that statement was denied in order to not worsen relations with Turkey.

During a visit to Armenia in 2007, former President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mahmud Ahmadinejad dodged a visit to Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex, but when asked about the Armenian Genocide during a meeting with students of Yerevan State University, he mentioned that Tehran condemns any crime perpetrated in the course of the history of mankind.

Over the past couple of years, Tehran’s position on the Armenian Genocide has changed to a certain extent. The Iranian-Armenian community not only holds several events without any hindrances, but has also been allowed to hold protests in front of the Turkish Embassy in Iran for the past two years.

Taking into account the peculiarities of Iran’s diplomacy, no matter how much Iranian-Turkish relations intensify, it’s not very likely to see Tehran’s official recognition of the Armenian Genocide now.

However, Iran’s political and religious elite, as well as average citizens recognize the Armenian Genocide since, as Iran’s sources indicate, besides killing the Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks, the Ottoman Turks also killed numerous Iranians in the Urmia region in 1918.

In Iran’s case, we need to stress an important fact. Unlike several Christian countries, as well as Israel, which has also experienced genocide, the political authorities and parliament of the Islamic Republic of Iran have never speculated the issue of the Armenian Genocide when clarifying their relations with Turkey.