RA President Sargsyan awarded Ragip Zarakolu, the Turkish writer and publisher recently released from a Turkish jail, the 2011 Presidential Prize for informing the Turkish society about the   truth of the Armenian Genocide and for his untiring and principled struggle for the respect of the freedom of speech and human rights.

“I think that of special importance is the fact that Turkish citizen Ragip Zarakolu gets the Armenian Presidential Award for his significant contribution to the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. His activity is an exceptional mission. His struggle for presenting the historic truth to the Turkish society is a brilliant example of strong civic position and courage. Your presence here and the acceptance of this prize is also a sign of courage. This position of yours is aimed at raising the mutual understanding between the two neighborly peoples to a new level. It is targeted towards the future,” President Sargsyan stated. 

There were other award winners as well.

“The achievements of scholars and artists rejoice all of us, and it’s our duty to honor their activity with these prizes. I’m confident that of exceptional importance are the youth prizes, since they help ensure the continuity and endurance of our cultural development,” the President said.