Turkey not to participate in Armenian Genocide Centennial events

February 4, 2015 - 18:18 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - A representative of the Turkey’s Foreign Ministry, Tanju Bilgic said his country will not participate in the events dedicated the centenary of the Armenian Genocide on April 24, SalamNews reports citing Anadolu news agency.

Bilgic said that representatives of many states are invited to take part in the ceremony dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli Campaign. Furthermore, according to him, Turkish government plans to organize "Summit for peace" on April 23 in Istanbul.

102 states were invited to take part in the events celebrating the 100th anniversary of the battle of Gallipoli. The president of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent an invitation to RA President Serzh Sargsyan as well. "We fought together in this battle, that is why I invite you too," Erdogan wrote in his invitation letter.

President Sargsyan declined the invitation of his Turkish counterpart, suggesting first to recognize the massacres committed against Armenians in 1915 as Genocide.

"Alas, Turkey continues its traditional policy of denialism. Year by year, “improving” its tools of history distortion, this time Turkey marks the anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli on April 24 for the first time, while it began on March 18, 1915 and lasted till late January, 1916. Furthermore, allies’ land campaign- Gallipoli land battle- took place on April 25, 1915. What purpose does it serve if not a simple-minded goal to distract the attention of the international community from the events dedicated to the centennial of the Armenian Genocide? Whereas, before organizing a commemorative event, Turkey has much more important obligation towards its own people and the entire humanity, namely the recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide. Hence, when calling for international peace I would advise you not to forget sending a message to the world to recognize the Armenian Genocide, thus paying a tribute to the memory of 1.5 million innocent victims.

Each of us is obliged to pass on an authentic and genuine history to the next generations, thereby preventing the repetition of such crimes and preparing the ground for rapprochement and further cooperation of nations, especially neighboring ones.

A few months ago I invited you to join us in commemoration of the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide in Yerevan on the 24th of April. It is not a common practice for us to accept an invitation, without receiving a response to ours,” President Sargsyan wrote in response to Erdogan's letter.

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.