President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday marked the World War I deaths of Armenians living in the Ottoman territories. In a message sent to Armenian Patriarch Sahak Maşalyan, the Turkish leader called for avoiding "radical discourse" on the issue that has been a thorn in the side of Turkish-Armenian relations.
The president’s remarks came days after Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan abstained from using the term "genocide" while describing the deaths, to the chagrin of Armenian groups advocating pressure on Türkiye to acknowledge the so-called genocide. Pashinyan on Wednesday issued a message where he used both the word "genocide" and "Meds Yeghern," or "Great Disaster," a more ambiguous term.
"I once again remember with respect the Ottoman citizens of Armenian descent who lost their lives due to unfavorable circumstances of World War I and extend my condolences to their descendants. I also wish Allah Almighty's mercy to all members of the Ottoman society who passed away or were martyred as a consequence of armed conflicts, rebellions, gang violence and terrorist acts," Erdoğan said in his message to the patriarch published on the Turkish Presidency’s website.
"The devastation caused by World War I in the Ottoman Empire has opened deep wounds in our minds.The atmosphere of peace and serenity inherited from our ancestors can only be maintained through our joint efforts. The security, prosperity and well-being of our Armenian citizens, who enriched Anatolian lands with their cultural works and human relations, continue to be under our assurance. We did not and will not allow even a single Armenian citizen of ours to be discriminated, alienated or feel second-class in their homeland," he added.
Türkiye's position on the 1915 events is that the death of Armenians in eastern Anatolia took place when some sided with invading Russians and revolted against Ottoman forces. A subsequent relocation of Armenians resulted in numerous casualties, added to by massacres from militaries and militia groups on both sides. The mass arrests of prominent Ottoman Armenian politicians, intellectuals and other community members suspected of links with separatist groups, harboring nationalist sentiments and being hostile to Ottoman rule were assembled in the then-capital Istanbul on April 24, 1915, commemorated as the beginning of later campaigns. Türkiye objects to the presentation of the incidents as "genocide" but describes the 1915 events as a tragedy in which both sides suffered casualties.
Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission of historians from Türkiye and Armenia, plus international experts to research the issue. In 2014, then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed condolences to the descendants of Armenians who lost their lives in the events of 1915 in a landmark statement.
Türkiye’s ties with Armenia, nonexistent in the post-Soviet period, appear to depend on Yerevan’s stance on the issue. Türkiye’s staunch support for Azerbaijan in its bid to retake lands captured by Armenia further strained efforts to normalize relations between the two countries. However, as Azerbaijan and Armenia edged further toward a permanent peace between two neighbors, Türkiye signaled it may join the normalization drive.
Erdoğan on Tuesday spoke about the seemingly changing rhetoric of Armenia for the normalization of ties. "A new order is being established in the region, and it is time to set aside baseless claims. It is time to move forward with realities on the ground. It is better than moving forward with fabrications, tales," he said, referring to Armenia’s claim that Turks committed genocide against Armenians during World War I.
"Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan understands this (reality). Historians tackle history and this has always been our position on this issue. We opened our archives to historians. Now, it is time to create a new road map based on reality. I hope Armenia escapes from the darkness it was condemned to thanks to its diaspora and chooses the path to new beginnings," he told journalists in an interview as he was returning from a state visit to Iraq.
"The door to opportunity will not remain open forever," Erdoğan added.
In his message to Maşalyan, Erdoğan said that it was important to address history "under the guidance of wisdom, conscience and science, instead of favoring a radical discourse, marginalization and hate speech."
"Showing empathy without discrimination among the incidents engraved in our national memory will prevent the sown seeds of hatred from taking root. We believe that the way to protect future generations from the spiral of violence and war encircling the world is to build a future together in the light of the lessons we have learned from our common pain," he added.
In a separate statement on Wednesday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that they rejected "one-sided statements about the events of 1915 that have been made to satisfy certain radical circles."
"These statements, which distort the historical facts, are also contrary to international law. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has clearly underlined that the events of 1915 are a legitimate subject of debate. These biased and partial statements about history undermine the reconciliation efforts between the two communities and encourage radical groups to commit hate crimes. We call on all parties to support our proposal for a Joint Historical Commission and the normalization process that has been initiated with Armenia," the ministry said.
Hours before Erdoğan's message was made public, thousands of Armenians gathered in Yerevan to commemorate the "genocide." Demonstrators carrying torches in memory of the "victims" proceeded to burn the flags of Türkiye and Azerbaijan.
In a statement on Wednesday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called on his country to focus on building a "competitive and legitimate" nation today, instead of being haunted by historical trauma. "The commemoration of martyrs must symbolize to Armenians not a lost Motherland, but the one we have found – the Republic of Armenia," Pashinyan said.