Turkish PM, Askale Mayor to be Sued for Praising the Armenian Genocide, Threatening Kurds

ISTANBUL (Agos) – Turkey’s Human Rights Association (IHD) will file criminal complaints against Prime Minister Davutoglu, who has been criticized because of his “Armenian gangs” statement, and Askale Mayor Basaran who said “I gratefully commemorate our honorable ancestors who wiped the Armenians off.”

IHD Istanbul Branch Committee Against Racism and Discrimination declared that they will file criminal complaints against Prime Minister Davutoglu and Askale Mayor Basaran, “because they praised the Armenian Genocide and threatened Kurdish people with genocide”.

Here is the call for press statement made on March 8 in front of Caglayan 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, Askale Mayor Enver Basaran ‘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 February 27, during a rally in Bingöl, Prime Minister Davutoglu said, “HDP is in cooperation with Russia like Armenian gangs; they open a representative agency in Moscow.” Davutoglu’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 Davutoglu by saying “It is obvious that nothing changed in the mentality of the governing elite of Turkey in a century.”

In Askale province of Erzurum, a play was staged at the celebration ceremony of “the 98th anniversary of Askale’s liberation.” In this play, Armenians portrayed as people who burn down mosques and locals killed the Armenians. Speaking after the ceremony, Askale Mayor Enver Basaran 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.”