Message to Armenians not tactical: Turkish Foreign Ministry

ANKARA

AA Photo

Messages from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan last year and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu on Jan. 20 addressed to Armenians were not “tactical” steps taken for the 100th anniversary of the 1915 events, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tanju Bilgiç has said.

“Those statements have sincere and functional dimensions. They represent a conscientious stance and a humane perspective,” Bilgiç told reporters on Jan. 21.

Ankara has taken a clear position against insensitivity toward the pain caused by the 1915 incidents, he claimed.

In a commemoration message for the eighth anniversary of the assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink on Jan. 20, Davutoğlu called on all Armenians to jointly seek ways to resolve their historical differences with Turkey, stressing that it is a must for Turks and Armenians to “engage in humane relations and to recognize each other in light of 800 years of common history.”

“It’s possible for two ancient people to have the maturity to understand each other and to look to the future together. Turks and Armenians, sharing the same geography and long history, can only talk to each other about their problems and seek together ways to resolve them. It is a necessity for us to develop mutual trust and cooperation, to know each other again in light of our 800 years of common history, and to engage in a humane relationship,” Davutoğlu said in a written statement.

In a landmark statement on the Armenian issue delivered on April 23, 2014, Erdoğan highlighted the “shared pain” endured during the 1915 events, expressing condolences on behalf of the Turkish state to the grandchildren of Armenians who lost their lives “in the context of the early 20th century.”