Armenian MP of Turkey threatened by government after bill for genocide recognition

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• MP Paylan was threatened by the ruling AKP's spokesperson because of the bill he submitted for the recognition of the genocide

• President Erdoğan extended condolences to the patriarch of the Armenians of Turkey

• Protested by Armenians in Uruguay, Turkey's foreign minister displayed the ultranationalist "Grey Wolf" sign

• Foreign Ministry denounced US President Biden's statement marking the Genocide Remembrance Day

Garo Paylan, an ethnic Armenian MP of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), submitted a bill on Friday (April 22) for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

Parliamentary Speaker Mustafa Şentop returned the bill a day later because it was "against the provisions of the parliament's bylaw."

Later yesterday, the spokesperson of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Ömer Çelik, released a strongly worded statement about Paylan's bill on his Twitter account.

"This is an immoral proposal. No one can slander our nation that it committed genocide. Someone under the roof of the Supreme Assembly is immoral," he wrote.

Çelik claimed that the bill was intended to "sabotage" the ongoing normalization efforts between Turkey and Armenia.

He said they would take legal action regarding the bill and added, "We condemn the so-called genocide lobby and the sabotage network behind it."

In response to Çelik's statement, Paylan noted that he had been submitting similar law proposals for the past seven years.

"I only update years. I haven't been lynched like this for seven years. Because such issues could be talked about in Turkey," he was quoted as saying by BBC Turkish.

Paylan also noted that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan extends condolences for Armenians on April 24 every year.

Erdoğan's message

Sending a message to Sahak Maşalyan, the patriarch of the Armenians of Turkey, the president extended condolences for the Armenians who lost their lives in 1915.

"You have gathered under the roof of the Istanbul Armenian Patriarchate today to commemorate the Ottoman Armenians who lost their lives in the harsh conditions the First World War imposed," he said in the message. "I once again commemorate the Ottoman Armenians who passed away with respect and convey my sincere condolences to their surviving relatives."

Response to Biden's statement

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned US President Biden for describing the 1915 events as a "genocide."

"Statements that are incompatible with historical facts and international law regarding the events of 1915 are not valid. This includes the unfortunate statement made by US President Biden today, which is the repetition of the mistake he had made in 2021," it said.

"One-sided and selective approaches that serve no purpose other than to draw enmity from history are morally problematic and politically ill-intentioned."

Last year, Biden became the first US president to recognize the genocide.

"Grey Wolf" sign

Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu was protested by Armenians in Uruguay, where he paid an official visit.

In response to the protesters, he displayed the Grey Wolf sign, an ultranationalist symbol, while he was leaving Turkey's embassy in Montevideo. (RT/VK)