Turkey to impose 3 sanctions on countries due to stance regarding 1915 incidents


Following some countries' acknowledgment of the 1915 incidents as genocide, Ankara's reaction is becoming clearer, according to Turkish newspaper Sabah's diplomatic sources. Harshly refusing accusations of genocide regarding the 1915 incidents, Ankara will apply economic sanctions to Austria and Luxembourg, which recognize the incidents as genocide.Turkey recalled its ambassadors in the Vatican, Austria and Luxembourg due to their stance on the 1915 incidents and sources have said the ambassadors are expected to stay in Turkey until September.Turkey and Armenia disagree on what happened during the incidents between 1915 and 1923, with Armenia saying that 1.5 million people were deliberately killed and Turkey insisting that the deaths were a result of deportations and civil strife.The 1915 incidents took place during World War I when a portion of the Armenian population living in the Ottoman Empire sided with the invading Russians and revolted against the empire.The Ottoman Empire relocated Armenians in eastern Anatolia following the revolts and there were casualties during the relocation process.Armenia has demanded an apology and compensation while Turkey has officially refuted Armenian allegations over the incidents saying that although Armenians died during the relocations, many Turks also lost their lives in attacks carried out by Armenians in Anatolia.