Turkish community in Washington holds counter-protest against Armenian demonstrators over 1915 events

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Members of the Turkish community in Washington, D.C. staged a counter-protest Wednesday against Armenian demonstrators who gathered on the anniversary of the 1915 events.

The Armenian protestors marched in front of the Turkish Embassy and the residence of the Turkish ambassador as well as the Azerbaijani Embassy carrying banners and chanting slogans against Türkiye and Azerbaijan in support of Armenian claims.

Joined by Azerbaijani and Ahiska Turks, the Turkish community members carried Turkish and Azerbaijani flags and protested against the Armenian group.

Organized by the Turkish-American National Steering Committee (TASC), the event began with the reciting of the national anthem and continued with chanting.

Some banners said "We Remember 58 Turkish Diplomats And Family Killed by ASALA/JCAG Terrorists," "Let History Decide," and "US Supreme Court Rejects Armenian Allegations.”

In 2021, US President Joe Biden called the events of 1915 a "genocide," breaking with the long-held tradition of US presidents of refraining from using the term. The move was strongly rejected by Türkiye as "null and void.”

Nearly 80 people -- 58 of them Turkish citizens, including 31 diplomats and members of their families -- were killed in attacks from 1973 to 1986 carried out by the ASALA and ARA terrorist groups.

The deadly campaign began in 1973 with the assassination of Türkiye’s Consul General in Los Angeles Mehmet Baydar and diplomat Bahadir Demir by a terrorist named Gourgen Yanikian.

- 'Genocide is fabrication'

TASC co-chair Melih Bektas told Anadolu that for the last five years, every April 24, the Turkish community has been responding to the Armenian "lies and slanders" together with the Turkish American community and citizens from the Turkic republics.

"What we particularly emphasize in the banners we prepared today is that this is a political issue. Both the US Supreme Court and the UN declare that these allegations are not true and that this is not a genocide," Bektas added.

He drew attention to the "hateful looks and curses" of 12 and 13-year-old Armenian children passing in front of Turkish people.

“One of the points I would like to draw attention to is that while the hateful looks and curses of 12 and 13-year-old Armenian children passing in front of us reveal how pure and well-intentioned we are, we have seen how full of hate they are towards us,” Bektas said, stressing that the Turkish American community needs to be "more conscious" and resist this.

Attending the demonstration, Azerbaijani citizen Vusal Aliev told Anadolu that they gathered in front of the residence to support their Turkish brothers and sisters.

"Because we are one nation, two states. This genocide is a fabrication," Aliev said.

He said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan previously suggested to open these archives and see if there was a genocide or not.

"They use this against Türkiye in politics. There is no such thing. If there were, they would come, and archives would be opened, everything would be revealed," Aliev added.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Wednesday rejected the "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," the ministry said.

Stressing that "these biased and partial statements" about history undermine the reconciliation efforts between the two communities, the ministry added that they encourage radical groups to commit hate crimes.

Türkiye's position on the events of 1915 is that the deaths of Armenians in eastern Anatolia took place when some sided with the invading Russians and revolted against Ottoman forces. A subsequent relocation of Armenians resulted in numerous casualties.

Türkiye objects to the presentation of the incidents as a "genocide," describing them 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 as well as international experts to tackle the issue.