The Nation, Pakistan
April 18 2015
Genocide recognition is European racism: Turkish PM
ANKARA – Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Friday angrily
condemned the European Parliament for adopting a resolution urging
Turkey to recognise the mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman
Empire as genocide, saying it was a sign of growing “racism” in
Europe.
Speaking to reporters in Ankara, Davutoglu said such statement ignored
the suffering of Muslim Turks in World War I and risked inciting
hatred towards other non-Christian religious groups.
The European Parliament on Wednesday agreed a resolution urging Turkey
to use the centenary of the 1915 tragedy to “recognise the Armenian
genocide” and help promote reconciliation between the two peoples.
“The European Parliament should not take decisions that would result
in hatred toward a certain religion or ethnic group if it wants to
contribute to peace,” said Davutoglu.
“This issue is now beyond the Turkish-Armenian issue.
It’s a new reflection of the racism in Europe.
”
Referring to the presence of nationalist and far-right groups in the
European parliament, he said: “All the marginal groups in Europe have
managed to make it to the European Parliament.
” “The European Parliament has a structure where the decisions are
taken in a very casual way,” added Davutoglu.
Tensions over the different interpretations of the tragedy are
intensifying ahead of April 24, when Armenians will mark the 100th
anniversary of the killings, especially after Pope Francis at the
weekend used the word genocide.
Armenia and Armenians in the diaspora say 1.
5 million of their forefathers were killed by Ottoman forces in a
targeted campaign ordered by the military leadership of the Ottoman
empire to eradicate the Armenian people from Anatolia.
Turkey says hundreds of thousands of both Turks and Armenians lost
their lives as Ottoman forces battled the Russian Empire for control
of eastern Anatolia during World War I.
Davutoglu said that the suffering of Muslim Turks in the fighting was
being forgotten amid the focus on Armenians.
“Turks and Armenians have been living together for 1,000 years.
We are ready to improve neighbourly relations with Armenia, but we are
against this suggestion that ‘Turks’ pains should be forgotten’.
”
“We are ready to share the pain but we won’t bow,” he added.
Yusuf Kaplan, a commentator for the pro-government Yeni Safak daily
said the statements by the pope and EU parliament were part of an
undeclared “war, diplomatic crusades” against Turkey.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
