Eva Rivas’s winning song to present Armenia at Eurovision 2010 this May in Oslo has raised a wave of protest in Turkey, which claims that Armenia’s song has “a political context hinting at the Armenian Genocide.”

According to Anadolu (Anatolian) News Agency (Turkey), composer Yagoub Mutlu, who was at the Armenian national selection final concert ( February 14) said that Rivas’s ‘Apricot Stone’ apparently hinted at 1915 events.

The Turkish composer quoting the lyrics of the song, clarifies that

“Many, many years ago

when I was a little child,

our world is cruel and wild,

but to make your way

through cold and heat love

is all that you need”

sentence apparently recalls about deportation of Armenians by Ottoman Turkey in 1915 and ways they have passed.

“And the word ‘homeland’ mentioned several times in the chorus, means Turkish territories,” Mutlu says.

The lyrics of Rivas’ song, which won Armenian ‘Eurovision 2010’ song contest is written by Moscow-based Karen Kavaleryan, and according to Rivas’ PR manager Hayk Markosyan, he has not intended to hint at the genocide at all.

“The song has nothing to do with the Armenian genocide, and it does not have a political context. The song simply presents the Armenian culture, the Armenian traditions, the apricot, which is just an Armenian fruit and it is the symbol of Armenia, and the thoughts of a young (Armenian) woman who lived far from the homeland for years,” Markosyan told ArmeniaNow.