-Ankara upset about Biden’s ‘genocide’ label over WWI murders
-Turkey rejects Armenian claims
Foreign Desk Report
Ankara: After U.S. President Joe Biden broke the long-running tradition of former heads of state to not label the 1915 events as “genocide,” the Turkish nation stood united against the misrepresentation of history, as citizens from all political views flocked to social media platforms to express their anger. The Turkish government and opposition parties have also stood united against Biden’s move.
One of the strongest reactions from Turkey came from Armenian Patriarch Sahak Masalyan, who slammed the use of the 1915 events as a political tool.
Masalyan criticized the sorrow of the Armenian community being used as a political tool by third parties, underlining that such actions prevent Turkish and Armenian societies from moving on or building fresh relations.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Masalyan expressed the importance of building bridges of friendship and sincerity between Turkish and Armenian people in order to have a clear understanding and evaluation of the historical events.
“It is desired that third party countries provide encouraging contributions to these aims,” he stated and added that governments for decades have used the 1915 events in their agendas, which only causes further tension and serves no solid positive contribution.
Masalyan said that he will continue to wish for peace, friendship and well-being between Turks and Armenians, as his predecessors did before him. “We will see the events that took place 105 years ago as an exception to the 1,000 years of common history and encourage relations to be rebuilt in mutual neighborhood and interests,” he continued.
Masalyan also expressed his thanks to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for being the only Turkish president so far who expressed open solidarity with the Armenian community.
“In the messages (shared by Erdogan on the 1915 events), there is respect that attracts attention. We believe it would be right to see these messages as positive steps for a future reconciliation. I wish there could be a joint history commission as it was suggested (by the Turkish government),” the patriarch further highlighted.
Turkey’s Jewish community also released a statement regarding Turkey’s call for a joint history commission. “As we commemorate the lives lost at the great tragedy that befall Ottoman Armenians during the events of World War I, we join the call of Patriarch Masalyan to refrain from politicizing tragedies and support President Erdogan’s call for a joint historical committee,” the official Twitter account of Turkey’s Chief Rabbinate said.
Meanwhile, Erdogan offered condolences to Masalyan for the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire who lost their lives during the “difficult conditions” of World War I.
