Turkey’s Foreign Ministry spokesman on Friday blamed France for its role in massacring the Turks a century ago by arming Armenians.
AT LEAST 3 CIVILIANS KILLED EVERY DAY IN YEMEN
“The French have a role in arming Armenians and massacring Turks a century ago,” Hami Aksoy said at a news conference in capital Ankara. “We will not forget [French President Emmanuel] Macron’s declaring April 24 as a day for commemoration [for the so-called Armenian genocide],” Aksoy said.
France held its first national day of commemoration on Wednesday. Turkey objects to the presentation of the incidents as “genocide” but describes the 1915 events as a tragedy in which both sides suffered casualties. Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission of historians from Turkey and Armenia plus international experts to tackle the issue.
The spokesman said archives of the Armenian side had not been revealed completely, contrary to Armenian claims. “If Armenians actually show the courage to reveal the archives, the truth will be out. Unfortunately, they continue misleading the world and the young generation,” he said.
Turkey’s position on the events of 1915 is that the deaths of Armenians in eastern Anatolia took place when some sided with invading Russians and revolted against Ottoman forces. Responding to recent remarks by French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe against Turkey regarding the events, Aksoy said: “I would like to point out that this attitude, which does not suit the head of an ally country, will not remain unanswered.”