President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan extended condolences to Turkey’s Armenian community on the anniversary of the 1915 exodus of Ottoman Armenians in a message to Armenian Patriarch of Turkey Sahak Mashalian, according to the Presidency’s Communications Directorate.
In his message, Erdoğan commemorated the Ottoman Armenians who lost their lives "under the difficult conditions of World War I" and expressed his condolences to their descendants.
“We still feel the pain of the lives we lost due to rebellions, increasing gang activities, acts of subversion carried out by armed groups, and epidemics that took place during the times of war, corresponding to the last period of the Ottoman Empire,” he stated.
Highlighting the Armenian community's "valuable contributions" to the country, Erdoğan said, “Just as we brought Turkey to where it is today, we will build the Century of Turkey together as well, shoulder to shoulder. With these thoughts, I reiterate that I sincerely share the sufferings of the Armenian community in the past, and I once again respectfully commemorate all Ottoman citizens who lost their lives.”
While Turkey does not recognize the 1915 events as genocide, Erdoğan has issued similar messages annually since 2012, when he was prime minister.
A mass arrest of Armenian intellectuals in İstanbul on Apr 24, 1915, is widely regarded as the beginning of the ethnic cleansing of Ottoman Armenians and is commemorated as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.
In contrast to Erdoğan’s message, the National Defense Ministry commemorated the losses suffered by Turks during the same period. “We remember with gratitude the defenseless and innocent Turks who were mercilessly massacred by Armenians during the events of 1915," the ministry said on social media.
DEM Party calls for reckoning with history
The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party also issued a message for the anniversary, calling for a collective reckoning with historical truths. “Developing a sense of conscience and justice in a society and sharing the pain mutually is also the way to build a democratic, peaceful and equal future together,” it said.
The party said the arrest of the intellectuals "continued with the exile and massacre of hundreds of thousands of Armenians. Other Christian peoples of these lands also paid a heavy human cost.”
It urged the pursuit of recognition of cultural diversity, stating, “Erasing differences and creating a homogeneous society is a historical mistake. The universal truth that different ethnic identities, languages, cultures, or beliefs on these lands are equal must be accepted both socially and politically.”
The DEM Party called for peaceful coexistence with Armenians in Turkey and the development of diplomatic and cultural ties with Armenia. “It is of utmost importance to live together with the Armenian people, one of the ancient peoples of our geography, and our Armenian compatriots in peace and under equal conditions."
It concluded, “We once again share 110 years of pain and mourning; we feel the great human tragedy in the depths of our hearts and once again commemorate those who lost their lives in that process with sorrow and respect.” (VK)
