YEREVAN, MAY 29, ARMENPRESS. The number of citizens, who adopted a critical approach towards the country's past, is growing in Turkey. Tessa Hofmann stated this during the press conference held on May 29 and added that this fact is both encouraging and consoling at the same time. Tessa Hofmann from Germany received the 2012 award of the President of the Republic of Armenia for her studies on the Armenian Genocide issues and active social activity in that field. As reports "Armenpress" Tessa Hofmann noted: "Many people in Turkey view their country's past very criticizingly. They study and condemn those crimes and express their support to the heirs of the Genocide victims in different ways."

Among other things the expert on genocides underlined: "For that reason it's not enough to bring together young Turks and Armenians during concerts or other cultural events without taking into consideration their demand for the official recognition of the Genocide."

Also the scientist underscored that despite the fact that there are a number of testimonies are kept in the archives of the German Foreign Affairs Office, the German legislator eschewed to recognize the historical facts as genocide or crime against humanity openly in 2005.

Tessa Hofmann studied at the Department of Slavonic Languages and Literature, as well as Armenian studies and sociology at the Free University of Berlin.

Hofmann is a member of the Society for Threatened Peoples. She is the chairperson of reorganized Working Group "Affirmation" – Against Genocide, for Reconciliation. She is an active participant in the international initiative "Speaking with one voice!" for the recognition of the Armenian, Aramean and Greek genocide. Hofmann is the author of over a dozen books on Armenian history and culture. She is an honorary professor at the Hrachia Acharian University, Yerevan (2002).