Vladimir Zhirinovsky
MOSCOW (Arminfo) — Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, stated that little will remain of Turkey if various countries including Armenia claim their territorial lands back.
“In response to Turkey’s refusal to recognize Crimea’s reunion with Russia, we should recognize the Turkish Kurdistan as an independent state and demand Turkey to return the lands of Western Armenia. If Greece, Bulgaria and other countries having territorial claims to Turkey demand their lands back, little will remain of Turkey,” Zhirinovsky, said at the Russian State Duma.
On February 15, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said his country considers Crimea as part of Ukraine saying “by supporting Armenia, Russia threatens the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.”
“Such statements by Davutoglu, at least, underline his ignorance. Actually, he does not know that Russia received Crimea after defeating Turkey and making the Kucuk Kaynarca Peace Treaty. Ukraine bears no relation to that treaty,” the politician said.
Signed in 1774 between the Russian Empire and Ottoman Empire the Treaty of Kucuk Kaynarca confirmed the territorial victories of Russia endorsed in the previous Belgrade Peace Treaty dating back to 1739, recognizing the independence of the Crimean khanate from Turkey. In 1783, Ekaterina II annulled the points concerning the independence of Crimea and issued a decree on accession of Crimean peninsula, Taman Island and Kuban region to the Russian Empire.
On April 24, 2015, the Armenians worldwide commemorated the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide in Western Armenia. Turkey still denies the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915- 1923. The Armenian Genocide has been recognized by most of the United States of America as well as by 23 countries, Vatican, European Parliament, World Church Council, and other authoritative organizations