Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for a “new realistic road map” for relations with Armenia.
Erdogan made the remarks upon his return from Iraq and told reporters on Tuesday, April 23 that it was time to discard “baseless historical cliches” – most probably a reference to the Armenian Genocide, in which 1.5 million innocent people were killed at the hands of the Ottoman Empire.
Erdogan repeated Turkey’s long-standing narrative that the Armenian Genocide should be analyzed by historians, TRT reports.
“I hope Armenia will choose a path that allows it to break out of the darkness in which the diaspora has trapped it and make a new start towards a bright future,” Erdogan maintained.
“Doors of opportunity don’t stay open forever. They must be used while they are open,” Erdogan warned, noting that “not only the Diaspora, but also many other instigators” are trying to influence Armenia.
On April 24, 1915, a large group of Armenian intellectuals was rounded up and assassinated in Constantinople by the Ottoman government. On April 24, 2024, Armenians worldwide will commemorate the 109th anniversary of the Genocide which continued until 1923. Some three dozen countries, hundreds of local government bodies and international organizations have so far recognized the killings of 1.5 million Armenians as Genocide. Turkey denies to this day.
