Ankara, March 07: Reacting to Washington’s ‘genocide’ charges, Ankara accuses the US of a political mistake which threatens to harm the two sides’ relations.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday called the US partial passage of a resolution which accuses Turkey of World-War-I ‘genocide’ of the Armenians, an outcome of “erroneous policies,” AFP reported quoting the premier’s broadcast remarks.
He said Turkey will “not be deterred by such a comedy, a parody, [and] a fait accompli.”
The House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday approved the resolution by a margin of one vote. The bill backs the claim that 1.5 million Armenian’s had been killed as Armenia’s then-Turkish rulers were losing power.
Ankara, however, argues that 300,000 to 500,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died in what was a civil strife when Armenians rose up against the Turkish Empire and sided with the invading Russian troops.
“Let me say quite clearly that this resolution will not harm us. But it will damage bilateral relations between countries, their interests and their visions for the future. We will not be the losers,” Erdogan added.
——Agencies