ANKARA — Since the Armenians throughout the world are preparing for the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the Turkish foreign office is taking relevant steps.
The Turkish foreign office has prepared a 7-page report on the 1915 events. The report has been published in Turkish and English and distributed throughout the public sector. The report describes the Armenia Genocide as “tragic events” and Armenians as a privileged nation of the Ottoman Empire.
According to the report, Armenians, incited by other forces, began rebelling against the Ottoman Empire. During World War I Armenians cooperated with Russians and allegedly killed 523,955 Turks. The Turkish Government`s decision to displace Armenians had not been planned. It was not a political decision and was implemented on a limited scale, the Turkish foreign office`s report says.
According to the report, 29 Armenians had the title of pasha, and 22 Armenians were high-ranking officials at different ministries. In 1876, thirty-three Armenians were elected to the Turkish Parliament, seven were Turkish ambassadors, and eleven consuls. Eleven Armenian professors delivered lecturers, says the report.
The authors also recalled trials that followed the Armenian Genocide. According to the report, 673 people were arrested and 67 of them executed. On the other hands, the report does not say a single word that, in a short period time, the ones executed were declared national heroes in Turkey. “Would a state that had sought to annihilate Armenians have punished Turkish officials for bad treatment of Armenians?” is a naive question the authors ask.
According to the report, Armenian-Turkish reconciliation requires formation of a committee of historians for a scholarly and impartial study.
Sign Up for Our Newsletters
Get notified of the latest updates from MassisPost.
