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Daily Sabah, Turkey
April 18 2015
Politicizing the issue will hurt Armenians the most, says President Erdoðan
MEHMET ÇELIK@celikmehmet0
ISTANBUL
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoðan has attended an inauguration
ceremony for various educational, medical, and sports facilities in
Turkey's western province of Kocaeli, where harshly criticized the
European Parliament's (EP) adoption of a resolution urging all member
states to recognize the 1915 events as 'genocide'.
The president refuted EP's claims, accusing them of using Armenia as a
tool against Turkey, saying "We know that their intention is not to
protect the rights of Armenians."
Erdoðan said that Turkey is ready to open its archives to investigate
the matter and that the incidents should be investigated by the
historians, not by politicians. He also called on Armenia and other
countries to open their archives, if they had any. In addition,
Erdoðan added that Turkey does not have any problems wýth Armenians,
and the fact that 80,000 Armenians live in Turkey is a proof of that.
"I call on the world, especially Armenians, politicizing the matter
will damage Armenians the most," Erdoðan said.
President Erdoðan also spoke on the issue of Nagorny Karabakh between
Armenia and Azerbaijan saying, "Our doors are still open to Armenia.
We are ready to establish all kinds co-operation with them, as long as
they take positive steps towards the claims of so-called 'genocide'
and the issue of Karabakh."
The dispute over Nagorny Karabakh is rooted in the 1990s war, which
left at least 30,000 people dead as a result of attacks by the
Armenian separatists, who seized the territory from Azerbaijan and
drove out the Azeri population.
The dispute between the two countries has not yet resolved, although a
ceasefire has been established since 1994. Karabakh regions has been
internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.
The 1915 incidents have been a source of dispute, disagreement and the
reason for decades of strained relations between Turkey and Armenia.
Armenia claims that 1.5 million people were deliberately killed.
However, Turkey denies these claims, saying that the historical facts
do not reflect such an intention and that the deaths were a result of
deportations and civil strife.
The 1915 events took place during World War I when a portion of the
Armenian population living in the Ottoman Empire sided with the
invading Russians and revolted against the empire.
The Ottoman Empire relocated Armenians in eastern Anatolia following
the revolts, and there were Armenian casualties during the relocation
process.
Armenia demands a formal apology and compensation, while Turkey has
officially refuted Armenian allegations over the incidents, saying
that although Armenians died during the relocations, many Turks also
lost their lives in attacks carried out by Armenian gangs in Anatolia.
http://www.dailysabah.com/diplomacy/2015/04/18/politicizing-the-issue-will-hurt-armenians-the-most-says-president-erdogan
April 18 2015
Politicizing the issue will hurt Armenians the most, says President Erdoðan
MEHMET ÇELIK@celikmehmet0
ISTANBUL
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoðan has attended an inauguration
ceremony for various educational, medical, and sports facilities in
Turkey's western province of Kocaeli, where harshly criticized the
European Parliament's (EP) adoption of a resolution urging all member
states to recognize the 1915 events as 'genocide'.
The president refuted EP's claims, accusing them of using Armenia as a
tool against Turkey, saying "We know that their intention is not to
protect the rights of Armenians."
Erdoðan said that Turkey is ready to open its archives to investigate
the matter and that the incidents should be investigated by the
historians, not by politicians. He also called on Armenia and other
countries to open their archives, if they had any. In addition,
Erdoðan added that Turkey does not have any problems wýth Armenians,
and the fact that 80,000 Armenians live in Turkey is a proof of that.
"I call on the world, especially Armenians, politicizing the matter
will damage Armenians the most," Erdoðan said.
President Erdoðan also spoke on the issue of Nagorny Karabakh between
Armenia and Azerbaijan saying, "Our doors are still open to Armenia.
We are ready to establish all kinds co-operation with them, as long as
they take positive steps towards the claims of so-called 'genocide'
and the issue of Karabakh."
The dispute over Nagorny Karabakh is rooted in the 1990s war, which
left at least 30,000 people dead as a result of attacks by the
Armenian separatists, who seized the territory from Azerbaijan and
drove out the Azeri population.
The dispute between the two countries has not yet resolved, although a
ceasefire has been established since 1994. Karabakh regions has been
internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.
The 1915 incidents have been a source of dispute, disagreement and the
reason for decades of strained relations between Turkey and Armenia.
Armenia claims that 1.5 million people were deliberately killed.
However, Turkey denies these claims, saying that the historical facts
do not reflect such an intention and that the deaths were a result of
deportations and civil strife.
The 1915 events took place during World War I when a portion of the
Armenian population living in the Ottoman Empire sided with the
invading Russians and revolted against the empire.
The Ottoman Empire relocated Armenians in eastern Anatolia following
the revolts, and there were Armenian casualties during the relocation
process.
Armenia demands a formal apology and compensation, while Turkey has
officially refuted Armenian allegations over the incidents, saying
that although Armenians died during the relocations, many Turks also
lost their lives in attacks carried out by Armenian gangs in Anatolia.
http://www.dailysabah.com/diplomacy/2015/04/18/politicizing-the-issue-will-hurt-armenians-the-most-says-president-erdogan