TURKISH FM: 1915 INCIDENTS BEING USED FOR POLITICAL GAIN
Anadolu Agency, Turkey
Oct 13 2014
Cavusoglu addressed members of US non-governmental organizations at
Turkish Association in New York. NEW YORK (AA) – Turkey’s Foreign
Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said that the United States should not
blindly accept certain countries’ version of events when it comes to
the 1915 incidents between Turkey and Armenia
The 1915 incidents took place during World War I when a portion of
the Armenian population living in the Ottoman Empire sided with the
invading Russians and rose up against the ruling Ottoman authorities.
The uprisings were followed by a decision by the Ottoman Empire to
relocate Armenians living in eastern Anatolia.
Addressing members of US non-governmental organizations at the Turkish
Association in New York on Saturday, Cavusoglu said that the peoples
of Armenia and Turkey have “enough common sense not to be fooled by
politicians and academics who have political motivations.”
“The 1915 incidents are being misused for political gain and votes,”
the foreign minister continued. He explained that the US must take
into account Turkey’s views about the incidents as well.
Cavusoglu also mentioned that the US and Turkey have a strong
alliance in matters pertaining to foreign policy and that the Turkish
community’s voice in the United States was becoming stronger by
the day.
The Armenian diaspora and the state of Armenia have both described
the incidents as “genocide” and have asked for compensation.
Turkey states that even though Armenians died during the relocation,
many Turks were also killed in attacks carried out by Armenian gangs.
“We should oppose and prevent this great sorrow in our history being
used for malicious purposes and for influencing our friends in the US
We should also show them what really took place with real, empirical
evidence,” he said.
In April, Turkey’s then Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who
was elected president with popular vote on August 10 offered his
condolences for those Armenians who died during the incidents of 1915.