3 yıl önce

Turks and Armenians should build a future together: Erdogan

In message to Turkish-Armenian community, Türkiye's President Erdogan called to "heal the wounds of the past and further strengthen social ties."

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Erdogan assured that Türkiye would "make every effort in order for our Armenian citizens ... to maintain their lives in peace, trust and security."

Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sent a letter to the head of the Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul in which he stressed that Turks and Armenians should build their future together.

His message, sent on Sunday, addressed the Turkish-Armenian community gathered at the Istanbul Armenian Patriarchate to honour the Ottoman Armenians who died in the "harsh conditions" of World War I.

"I, once again, remember with respect the late Ottoman Armenians, and offer my sincere condolences to their relatives," Erdogan said in his letter to Sahak Mashalian, head of the Armenian Patriarchate of Türkiye.

“I believe that we should build the future together, inspired by our deep-rooted unity of up to a thousand years,” said the president, emphasising that Turks and Armenians have coexisted for centuries.

"It is important for us, who have for centuries shared each other’s joy and sorrow, to heal the wounds of the past and further strengthen social ties," said Erdogan.

He added that instead of increasing pain, "we should build the future together by drawing inspiration from our deep-rooted unity which dates back nearly a thousand years."

'Co-existence extending to centuries'

Erdogan reiterated that the final years of the Ottoman Empire, which coincided with World War I, were a "very painful period" for millions of Ottoman citizens.

He stressed that it is a humanitarian duty to understand and share these common pains without discriminating by religion, ethnicity, or culture.

Referring to the ongoing effort to normalise ties between Türkiye and Armenia, he praised the support of Türkiye's Armenian community for the process.

"I expect you to make a strong contribution to taking advantage of this historic opportunity arisen after so many years in the name of lasting peace and stability in our region," added the Turkish president.

He assured that Türkiye would "make every effort in order for our Armenian citizens, who have left indelible marks on our cultural and social lives throughout our co-existence extending to centuries on these lands, to maintain their lives in peace, trust and security."

Türkiye's position on the events of 1915 is that the deaths of Armenians in eastern Anatolia took place when some sided with invading Russians and revolted against Ottoman forces. A subsequent relocation of Armenians resulted in numerous casualties.

Ankara objects to the presentation of these incidents as "genocide," describing them as a tragedy in which both sides suffered casualties.

The country has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission of historians from Türkiye and Armenia, as well as international experts, to tackle the issue.