Turkish-Armenian MP tells Erdogan to apologize for ethnic slur

PanARMENIAN.Net - Garo Paylan, a member of parliament of Armenian descent from Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), has asked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan if he is going to apologize for using an ethnic and religious slur – gavur – when criticizing the country's opposition, Stockholm Center for Freedom reports.

Erdogan resorted to discriminatory language when criticizing the Republican People’s Party (CHP) during a speech at the Union of International Democrats (UID) Women’s and Youth Committee, Turkish media reported.

“We are sorry to see that although the opposition has a Turkish identity, they are resorting to the methods of the infidel in attacking us [the government] under the guise of criticism,” he said. The word used by Erdogan, “gavur,” which translates as infidel, is often employed as a religious and ethnic slur against non-Muslims and non-Turks. It also insinuates barbarity, and opposition politicians accused Erdogan of hate speech by using the word.

Paylan criticized Erdogan on social media for using the word “gavur” (infidel), saying: “You use this hate expression knowing there are citizens who have been victims of hate crimes fed with the slur of ‘gavur’ for generations. Shame on you!”

Emphasizing that Erdogan had engaged in hate speech, Paylan asked if Erdogan would apologize during his speech in parliament. “As an Armenian who has been subjected to hate speech with the word gavur many times, I want it to be known that it is unacceptable for the president to use this word,” he said.

Armenian minority groups in Turkey reported a rise in hate speech and coded language directed against the Armenian community, including from high-level government officials, the United States Department of State said in a recent report.