Azernews.Az

ANKARA – Ethnic Armenian Turkish scholar Daron Acemoglu has not accepted the government’s offer to serve as Turkey’s representative at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Vatan newspaper quoted Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu as saying.

"We deem as unacceptable the Republic of Turkey’s citizens facing ethnic or religious discrimination," Davutoglu said. "Anyone in whose skills and capabilities we believe can serve as Turkey’s representative. Several months ago we offered this post to honorable Acemoglu…Mr. Acemoglu said it was an honor for him but he couldn’t accept the offer now because of his current job and scientific research, though he would consider taking up such a post in the future."

Turkish media circulated reports on Tuesday saying economist Daron Acemoglu will be appointed Turkey’s ambassador to France in the next two to three months. But it was later reported that he is expected to be appointed the country’s representative to the OECD instead.

Acemoglu, 44, was born in Istanbul. He graduated from the University of York London and received a PhD degree at the London School of Economics. Acemoglu has worked for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology since 1993.

Armenia-Turkey relations have been marred by decades of hostility due to the Armenian occupation of the territory of Azerbaijan, Turkey’s ally, and Yerevan’s claims on the 1915 "genocide" in Ottoman Turkey.