Turkey reacted with a “strong condemnation” to France and Italy’s separate decisions to officially recognize the mass killings of Armenians in 1915 as genocide.
The decision on the controversial issue between Ankara and Europen Union governments was carried into effect by French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday.
Macron signed a decision setting April 24 as a day of annual commemoration for the victims of the killings one hundred years ago, which Paris had announced in February.
In a written statement reported by the state-run Anadolu news agency, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the declaration of France by warning it could damage two countries’ relations.
“Turks and Muslims all over France and the world will not forget this disrespect towards the memory of more than 500,000 Ottoman citizens killed by Armenian insurgents,” it said.
Ankara also accused Macron of being “a populist leader who politicizes history to woo votes” of Armenian circles and using this promise to win elections.
A similar move by Italy was also condemned by Ankara on Wednesday, as Italy’s lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, approved a motion to name the incidents in 1915 as genocide.
Turkish foreign ministry called this move an example of using Armenian claims for domestic politics.
Turkey concedes that Armenian minority living in the Ottoman Empire, a 600-year-long sultanate, were killed in clashes during World War One, but refuses to call it as a systematic mass killing and a genocide.
It says the death of Armenians in eastern Anatolia took place during Russian invasion and concordantly Armenian revolt against the Ottomans. Ankara describes the events as a tragedy which was suffered by both sides.
France declares April 24 a day to commemorate Armenian genocide
The post Turkey condemns French and Italian decision to recognize “Armenian Genocide” appeared first on IPA NEWS.
from IPA NEWS https://ipa.news/2019/04/11/turkey-condemns-french-and-italian-decision-to-recognize-armenian-genocide/
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder