In response to Germany’s recent parliamentary resolution that designated Armenian massacre during Ottoman era as “genocide,” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Germany was the last country in the world to speak on “genocide.”
Addressing Europe, Erdoğan said “Either we will solve the problems on our agenda in a just way or Turkey will stop being a blockage before Europe’s problems and leave you alone with your troubles.” His words were considered a reference to the migrant deal between Turkey and the European Union (EU) that stipulates the country to prevent refugees from crossing into Europe.
Speaking at the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TİM) on Saturday, Erdoğan said “The fact that the last country on Earth to have a word on genocide is making such an accusation against us, I am saying this with lawyers’ term, is against the natural flow of life. Let them first re-define Holocaust. Let them review Namibia massacre. What country are you addressing and what are you talking about?”
Referring to EU, Erdoğan also said: “We don’t want them to be hypocritical. Stop getting involved with issues concerning Armenians and terror organizations.”
“Be right out honest with me and [you can] take my heart out,” Erdoğan added, quoting a colloquial saying that is used to urge people to be brave and honest.
Erdoğan stated that his country has no issues in its past that would cause embarrassment and accused other countries of threatening Turkey with parliamentary resolutions on “Armenian genocide,” adding that each of those countries were responsible for the death of millions of innocent people. According to Erdoğan, their concern is not Armenians and this issue is being exploited as a political tool and a way of blackmailing against Turkey.
“I’m addressing the whole world, like it or not, our stance on the Armenian issue has been clear all along. We never accept the genocide accusation. Of course, some measures were taken in order to reinstate order in Anatolia, under the circumstances of the World War 1, at a time when our country was besieged from all four sides,” Erdoğan said.
Claiming that Turkey has been sensitive on the Armenian issue, Erdoğan stated, “If we were not sensitive [about the Armenians], why would we keep the Armenians, who are not our citizens in our country. We could send them to Armenia, just like European countries.”
On Friday, the German parliament passed a symbolic resolution that labels the killings of Armenians during 1915 and 1916 a “genocide” by Ottoman forces. Later in the same day, Turkey called back Turkish Ambassador to Berlin.