Human Rights Association (İHD) will file criminal complaints against Prime Minister Davutoğlu, who have been criticized because of his “Armenian gangs” statement, and Aşkale Mayor Başaran who said “I gratefully commemorate our honorable ancestors who wiped the Armenians off.”
İHD İstanbul Branch Committee Against Racism and Discrimination declared that they will file criminal complaints against Prime Minister Davutoğlu and Aşkale Mayor Başaran, “because they praised the Armenian Genocide and threatened Kurdish people with genocide”.
Here is the call for press statement that will be made on March 8 at 13.30 in front of Çağlayan Courthouse:
“In a time when crimes against humanity have been committed in the war against Kurds, Prime Minister, on February 27, said that ‘HDP is in cooperation with Russia like Armenian gangs’ and on March 3, Aşkale Mayor Enver Başaran ‘gratefully’ commemorated the Armenian Genocide during a ‘theatrical Armenian massacre’ that was played by children and we will file criminal complaints against them because they praised the Armenian Genocide and threatened Kurdish people with genocide.
On March 8 at 13.30, we will make a press statement about our complaint in the parking lot in front of the Gate C of Çağlayan Courthouse.
We will invite everyone who refuses genocide, war, crimes against humanity and oppression to the press.”
What happened?
On February 27, during a rally in Bingöl, Prime Minister Davutoğlu said, “HDP is in cooperation with Russia like Armenian gangs; they open a representative agency in Moscow.” Davutoğlu’s racist statements were brought to the parliament’s agenda by Garo Paylan. Moreover, Armenia also reacted to those statements and Armenian Minister of Interior Edward Nalbandyan criticized Davutoğlu by saying “It is obvious that nothing changed in the mentality of the governing elite of Turkey in a century.”
In Aşkale province of Erzurum, a play was staged at the celebration ceremony of “the 98th anniversary of Aşkale’s liberation.” In this play, Armenians portrayed as people who burn down mosques and locals killed the Armenians. Speaking after the ceremony, Aşkale Mayor Enver Başaran said: “I gratefully commemorate our honorable ancestors who wiped the Armenians off. History of Armenian people is full of blood and betrayal. The Armenian gangs are betrayal organizations and their hatred against this land and noble Turkish nation has no end. Now, these Armenian gangs have been performing separatist activities with PKK.”