TURKISH PRESIDENT ERDOGAN ‘CONDEMNS’ POPE FRANCIS OVER ARMENIAN GENOCIDE COMMENT
Malta Independent Online
April 14 2015
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he is “condemning” Pope
Francis for describing the slaughter of an estimated 1.5 million
Armenians by Ottoman Turks as “the first genocide of the 20th century”
and for urging the international community to recognize it as such.
Turkey denies the killings that began 100 years ago were genocide and
contends those who died were victims of civil war and unrest. Turkey
also insists the death toll has been inflated.
It responded to the pope’s words Sunday by recalling its ambassador
to the Vatican and accusing Francis of spreading hatred and “unfounded
claims.”
On Tuesday, Erdogan said he was “condemning and warning” Francis
against making “such a mistake again.”
He renewed a call for a joint study by historians to determine what
unfolded.
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