Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a message on April 24 to the Patriarch of the Armenians of Turkey, Archbishop Sahak Mashalian, in which he continued Ankara’s policy of denying the Armenian Genocide and instead voiced his expectation for the Armenian people to support the current process to normalize relations between Armenia and Turkey.
Describing the Armenian Genocide as a “painful reality that took place during the years of World War I,” Erdogan said he commemorates “the Ottoman Armenians lost in the war.”
“Let’s build the future instead of magnifying the suffering,” Erdogan said in his message.
He wished God’s mercy to “all Ottoman citizens who passed away forever in the difficult conditions” of World War I.
“The last years of the Ottoman Empire, corresponding to World War I, were a very painful period for millions of Ottoman people. It is a duty of humanity to understand and share these common pains without any religious, ethnic or cultural discrimination,” the Turkish President said.
Erdogan also touched upon the recent normalization period between Turkey and Armenia and said: “I know that the normalization process is sincerely supported by our citizens of Armenian origin, who favor close cooperation between the two neighboring countries, and I attach great importance to this.”
“I expect you to make a strong contribution to the evaluation of this historical opportunity that has emerged in the name of permanent peace and stability in our region after many years.
“I want you to make sure that we will make every effort to ensure that our Armenian citizens, who have left indelible traces in our cultural and human lives throughout our centuries-long partnership on this land, lead their lives in peace, security and safety,” he stated.