Turkey’s Parliament Issues Statement Condemning Biden's Remarks

The official gazette of Turkey (Resmi Gazete) has published a decision by the Grand Council of the Turkish Parliament (Meclis) condemning, rejecting, and nullifying U.S. President Joe Biden's statement recognizing the Armenian Genocide. This was reported by Ermenihaber.

On April 27, a statement bearing the signature of the Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop was put to a vote at a plenary session of the parliament. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) seen as the political wing of the Grey Wolves, the nationalist Good Party (İyi), and the main opposition, Kemalist Republican People's Party (CHP) voted in favor of the statement. The only party to vote against it was the opposition pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).

“We regretfully and strongly condemn U.S. President Joe Biden's statement made on April 24, 2021, which contains claims from the Armenian lobby regarding the events of 1915, and we strongly reject those unfounded slanders, which mean nothing but a distortion of history for political reasons. We consider this statement by the U.S. President, who has no authority to judge historical issues, to be null and void,” the declaration reads.

It is also noted that making such an “irresponsible statement” 106 years later is a result of the U.S. administration succumbing to the pressures of Armenian lobbying forces.

“This statement, which is incompatible with historical facts, is an illogical and irresponsible move that brings no benefit to the rapprochement of peoples,” the parliament's declaration states. The document then references the 2005 proposal to form a joint committee of historians to open archives and study the events of 1915.

Additionally, the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) from 2015 and 2017 are presented as a reminder, attempting to illustrate that beyond the historical debate, no meaning can be attributed to the “1915 incidents.”

“Genocide is a concept in international law, the parameters of which are extremely clear, and its application is based on very specific conditions,” the statement emphasizes, evaluating Biden's action as an example of legal and moral irresponsibility.

The majority of parliamentarians believe that Biden's statement will contribute to the polarization of peoples, the agenda of radical-extremist circles, and the encouragement of hate speech. The parliament has called on the U.S. President to correct “this mistake,” support the efforts of regional peoples, particularly the Turkish and Armenian peoples, to live in a climate of peace, stability, and trust, and to retract the decision that will inevitably negatively impact Turkish-American relations.