Armenian Foreign Ministry Responds to Turkish President's Statements on the Armenian Genocide in the United States

The Armenian Foreign Ministry has issued a statement regarding the remarks made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan concerning the Armenian Genocide in the United States. “Armenpress” presents the statement from the Armenian Foreign Ministry.

“In light of the further development of the international recognition process of the Armenian Genocide, the Turkish President has recently made contradictory and reality-distorting statements. These statements contain claims aimed at justifying the genocide through the insult to the dignity of the victims. On April 24 of this year, Turkish President Erdoğan already justified the perpetration of the Armenian Genocide by characterizing it as 'the most reasonable action,' labeling the victims as 'Armenian bandits and their supporters.' Now, the Turkish President deprives the victims of the Armenian Genocide even of their historical homeland, referring to them as nomads, while forgetting the history of his ancestors and the indigenous peoples of the region.

The recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide are undoubtedly necessary for the sake of truth and historical justice. However, it is not just necessary for history or historians, but today for all of humanity and especially for potential victims of crimes committed on the grounds of identity. It is necessary for those individuals and peoples whom the Republic of Turkey today labels as terrorists based on religious and ethnic affiliation and subjects to violence and displacement in the territory of its neighboring country. It is essential for overcoming genocidal perceptions and the universal protection of human rights.

For the descendants of the victims and the international community, the Armenian Genocide is a reality that served as a basis for the development of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in 1948 and subsequently for the establishment of mechanisms to prevent genocides and crimes against humanity.

By justifying and denying the Armenian Genocide, conducting an aggressive policy against its neighbors through the use of force, continuing the land blockade of Armenia for over two decades, and providing military-political support to Azerbaijan in the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Turkey remains a threat to the security of the Armenian people who survived the genocide.

Turkey must reconsider its current hostile policy towards Armenia and the Armenian people, which could be the first step toward overcoming the consequences of genocide and reducing regional threats.