In a message to Armenian Orthodox Patriarch Sahak Maşalyan, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed the Armenian community who gathered at the Istanbul Armenian Patriarchate to commemorate Ottoman Armenians who lost their lives in the difficult conditions of World War I.
"I respectfully commemorate the deceased Ottoman Armenians once again, and convey my sincere condolences to their surviving relatives. I wish God's mercy upon all Ottoman citizens who passed away forever in the difficult conditions of the First World War," he said.
Erdoğan noted that the final years of the Ottoman Empire during World War I were a very painful period for millions of Ottoman citizens.
It is a duty of humanity to understand and share these common pains without any religious, ethnic or cultural discrimination, he said.
"It is important for us, who have shared joy and worry for centuries, to bind together the wounds of the past and strengthen our human bonds. With this understanding, I believe that we should build the future together, inspired by our deep-rooted unity of up to a thousand years, instead of magnifying the pain," Erdoğan said.
The president 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.
Turkey and Armenia have had no diplomatic or commercial ties for three decades, and the recent talks are the first attempt to restore links since a 2009 peace accord. That deal was never ratified and ties had remained tense. Following the war over Karabakh, previously referred to as Nagorno-Karabakh, in which Turkey supported Azerbaijan against Armenia, Turkish-Armenian relations have entered a new phase, with President Erdoğan saying Turkey is ready for dialogue with Armenia. Azerbaijan also supports the process.
The first meeting of special representatives from Turkey and Armenia toward normalization was held in January. The countries attended what both hailed as "positive and constructive" talks in Moscow, the first in more than a decade, raising hopes that diplomatic relations can be established and their land border – shut since 1993 – reopened.
Relations between Armenia and Turkey have historically been complicated. Turkey objects to presenting the 1915 incidents as "genocide," and instead describes the events as a tragedy in which both Turks and Armenians suffered casualties in the heat of World War I.
Turkey’s position on the events of 1915 is that Armenians lost their lives in eastern Anatolia after some sided with the invading Russians and revolted against Ottoman forces. The subsequent relocation of Armenians resulted in numerous casualties, with massacres by militaries and militia groups from both sides increasing the death toll.
Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission of historians from Turkey and Armenia under the supervision of international experts to examine the issue.