Turkey says never possible to recognize 1915 Armenia killings as genocide
Turkey says it will never recognize as genocide the 1915 killing of Armenians as the European Parliament considers whether to pass a resolution on the Ottoman-era massacre.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday, “For Turkey, it will never be possible to recognize such a sin, such a blame.”
Erdogan pointed to the European Parliament’s plan and said the resolution “will go in one ear and out the other.”
The World War I event, during which Armenia says up to 1.5 million of its people were killed, was first qualified as genocide in a similar resolution passed in 1987 by the European Parliament, which says the planned resolution is to honor “the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide.”
The Turkish president, meanwhile, defended the present-day treatment of Armenians in Turkey, saying, “There are 100,000 Armenians who are either Turkish citizens or not citizens in my country. Have they been submitted to any different treatment?”
He added that the Armenians in his country “benefit from all kinds of opportunities,” and Turkey does not deport them as, he said, “they are guests in our country.”
The issue was brought to the limelight on April 12, when in controversial remarks during a Sunday solemn mass in Saint Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis used the word “genocide” to describe the massacre. The pontiff said the incident was the “first genocide of the 20th century.”
Ankara was quick in responding to the remarks. The Turkish Foreign Ministry recalled its ambassador to the Vatican for consultation amid the worsening diplomatic row over the issue.
Davutoglu: Pope joined “an evil front”
Meanwhile, Turkey’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said during an event in Ankara on Wednesday that the Pope has joined “an evil front” plotting against Turkey.
He expressed Turkey’s willingness to face its history, but stressed, “We won’t allow our nation to be insulted through history, we won’t allow Turkey to be blackmailed through historic disputes.”
Ankara rejects the term “genocide” and says the 300,000 to 500,000 Armenians, and at least as many Turks, who perished between 1915 and 1917, were the casualties of World War I. Armenia, however, demands that the deaths be recognized as genocide.
Armenia, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, France, Italy, Russia and Uruguay formally recognize the incident as genocide.
MR/HSN/SS
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