Turkey calls for proof of Armenian allegations

“Account for what you have done; prove the allegations,” Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül told a meeting of the parliamentary group of his Justice and Development Party (AKP), referring to countries whose parliaments have passed resolutions recognizing the alleged genocide.

Turkey categorically rejects charges that Armenians were subject to a genocide campaign at the hands of the late Ottoman Empire in the beginning of the last century and says deaths came while the Ottoman Empire was trying to quell a civil unrest, which brought losses to both Armenian and Turkish sides.

But national parliaments of several countries have upheld the Armenian allegations, drawing furious reaction from Turkey.

Gül said several parliaments have made wrong decisions, referring to resolutions on the alleged genocide and said Turkey has reacted and would continue to react to such moves. He said the government and Parliament would be actively working against Armenian allegations but did not give details.

Gül’s AKP and the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) recently united forces in calling for a scholarly investigation of allegations and said the Ottoman archives were open to researchers for study.

The foreign minister blamed the Armenian Diaspora for the anti-Turkey campaigns in parliaments of other countries and said members of the Diaspora exploited the issue of alleged genocide to promote their standing in the countries they are living. “They are a minority. Because they are a minority, they needed a tool that would help protect their minority identity and awareness,” he said, and added: “In addition, they are guilty. They are living comfortably in other countries and do not go to Armenia to help their country. They are exploiting this issue in order to erase this feeling of guilt and in order to strengthen their position in the countries they are living in.”