Erdogan says 50 countries expected to attend Gallipoli centennial events

PanARMENIAN.Net - Representatives from about 50 countries, including heads of state and prime ministers, are expected to attend events Turkey will host on April 24 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli Campaign of World War I, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, according to Cihan.

Addressing a meeting in the northwestern province of Canakkale, the venue of the planned events, Erdogan said the participants will include the prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand, whose forces fought against the Ottoman army during the 1915-16 campaign, as well as presidents from other countries.

“Confirmations [from countries invited] so far show that perhaps up to 50 nations will be represented, including [those countries which will send] ministers,” Erdogan said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent official invitations to more than 100 world leaders, including Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, to take part in the ceremonies. The date designated for these commemoration events—April 24—created uproar among Armenians worldwide, while Turkish human rights groups urged world leaders to boycott the Gallipoli events.

On Jan. 16, Sargsyan responded to Erdogan’s invitation to Turkey in a strongly worded letter. “Turkey continues its conventional denial policy and is perfecting its instrumentation for distorting history. This time, Turkey is marking the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli on April 24, even though the battle began on March 18, 1915 and lasted until late January 1916, while the Allies’ operation started on April 25,” he wrote, adding, “What is the purpose [of this] if not to distract the world’s attention from the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide?”