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Turkish PM stays true to himself, persisting in Genocide denial
April 29, 2014 - 16:33 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Only a week after expressing condolences ahead of
the 99th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdoganhas said `the small Armenian community still
living in Turkey was proof that there was no Genocide in the past,'
Hurriyet Daily News reported.
Speaking in an interview with Charlie Rose from PBS, Erdogan said
`what happened in 1915 could not be described as Genocide.'
`This is not possible. Because if there were a genocide, [there would
not be] Armenians still living in Turkey,' Erdogan said, reiterating
that Ankara was ready to open its historical archives.
`We see genocide as a crime against humanity. We will never shut our
eyes to it. We are ready to open our archives. Armenia and other third
party countries should do it too,' he said, adding if documents prove
it, then Turkey would apologize.
`These events did not happen under the Turkish Republic, but the
Ottoman Empire. If the documents show it, then we will not avoid
apologizing and accepting the consequences,' he said.
"It is our hope and belief that the peoples of an ancient and unique
geography, who share similar customs and manners will be able to talk
to each other about the past with maturity and to remember together
their losses in a decent manner. And it is with this hope and belief
that we wish that the Armenians who lost their lives in the context of
the early twentieth century rest in peace, and we convey our
condolences to their grandchildren. Regardless of their ethnic or
religious origins, we pay tribute, with compassion and respect, to all
Ottoman citizens who lost their lives in the same period and under
similar conditions,' Erdogan's statement said.
April 29, 2014 - 16:33 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Only a week after expressing condolences ahead of
the 99th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdoganhas said `the small Armenian community still
living in Turkey was proof that there was no Genocide in the past,'
Hurriyet Daily News reported.
Speaking in an interview with Charlie Rose from PBS, Erdogan said
`what happened in 1915 could not be described as Genocide.'
`This is not possible. Because if there were a genocide, [there would
not be] Armenians still living in Turkey,' Erdogan said, reiterating
that Ankara was ready to open its historical archives.
`We see genocide as a crime against humanity. We will never shut our
eyes to it. We are ready to open our archives. Armenia and other third
party countries should do it too,' he said, adding if documents prove
it, then Turkey would apologize.
`These events did not happen under the Turkish Republic, but the
Ottoman Empire. If the documents show it, then we will not avoid
apologizing and accepting the consequences,' he said.
"It is our hope and belief that the peoples of an ancient and unique
geography, who share similar customs and manners will be able to talk
to each other about the past with maturity and to remember together
their losses in a decent manner. And it is with this hope and belief
that we wish that the Armenians who lost their lives in the context of
the early twentieth century rest in peace, and we convey our
condolences to their grandchildren. Regardless of their ethnic or
religious origins, we pay tribute, with compassion and respect, to all
Ottoman citizens who lost their lives in the same period and under
similar conditions,' Erdogan's statement said.