Türkiye does not permit exclusion of even single Armenian citizen: President Erdogan

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) – Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that the country has not permitted any form of “alienation, exclusion, or making any Armenian citizen feel like a second-class citizen.”

“We have not allowed and will not allow the alienation, exclusion, or the feeling of being second-class citizens of even a single Armenian citizen,” Erdogan said in his video message to Sahak Mashalian, the Turkish Armenian patriarch, regarding the events of 1915.

“It is important for us to approach the events of history guided by reason, conscience, and science, without giving way to radical discourse, alienation, or hate speech,” Erdogan added.

Commemorating the Ottoman citizens of Armenian descent who lost their lives under the adverse conditions of World War I and extending his condolences to their grandchildren, Erdogan expressed his condolences to all members of the Ottoman society who "passed away or were martyred" due to conflicts, rebellions, gang movements, and terrorist actions, and prayed for mercy from Allah.

"The continuation of the atmosphere of peace and tranquility inherited from our ancestors can only be achieved through our joint efforts.

"The safety, prosperity, and happiness of our Armenian citizens, who enriched the Anatolian lands with their cultural and humanistic works, are guaranteed today,” Erdogan added.

He noted that without discrimination among events engraved in “national memory, fostering empathy will also prevent the seeds of hatred from taking root.”

Erdogan stressed that the way to protect future generations from the spiral of violence and war engulfing the world lies in collectively building the future in the light of lessons drawn from shared sorrows, and he conveyed his greetings to the members of the Armenian community.