Permanent Delegation of Turkey to EU returns EP's Turkey report

Permanent Delegation of Turkey to European Union returned Friday the European Parliament's (EP) 2015 Turkey progress report right after it received it on the same day.

Diplomatic sources said that the report, which the EP passed in April by 375 votes in favor and 133 against, was rejected without even being opened due its request to recognize 1915 events during Ottoman Empire as Armenian "genocide".

Turkey also returned a previous report in spring 2015 for the same reason.

"Turkey will reject the European Parliament Progress Report on Turkey to be voted on Thursday if it includes any mention of an 'Armenian genocide,'" Turkey's then-EU Minister Volkan Bozkir said.

Turkey denies the alleged Armenian "genocide", but acknowledges that there were casualties on both sides during the events during World War I.

In Turkey's view, the deaths of Armenians in eastern Anatolia in 1915 occurred after some sided with invading Russians and revolted against Ottoman forces. A subsequent relocation of Armenians resulted in numerous casualties.

Turkey describes the 1915 events as a tragedy for both sides.

Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission of historians from Turkey and Armenia plus international experts to tackle the issue.