Turkey: no Armenian genocide in 1915
By Sara Rajabova
No "Armenian genocide" took place in Turkey in 1915, deputy head of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party said.
Mehmet Ali Shahin made the remarks in an interview with the country's TRT Haber TV channel on April 24.
Shahin said not only Armenians, but also Arabs, Kurds, and Turks were killed during the events of 1915.
Armenia commemorates the alleged "Armenian genocide" on April 24 each year. Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that Turkey's predecessor, the Ottoman Empire, committed genocide against Armenians in 1915, an allegation dismissed by Ankara.
Armenians worked hard for a long time to get recognition for the "Armenian genocide". They are going to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the so-called "Armenian genocide" in 2015.
By strengthening their efforts to promote the so-called "genocide" at international arenas, the Armenians have managed to get recognition from some countries such as Germany, Sweden, France, etc.
The Armenian lobby is expected to strengthen its activity in the world countries' parliaments, particularly the U.S.
Historians note that back in history, Armenians began an uprising, taking up arms against Turkey. To counter those actions, the Ottoman Empire decided to resettle the Armenians. The latter claims that their predecessors were subjected to genocide.
Shahin noted that there are many facts proving that Armenians revolted in 1915 against the state, teaming up with foreign invaders against the civilian population.
He added that the local population had to defend itself against the Armenians.
Turkey's Cabinet of Ministers issued a message regarding the events of 1915 on April 23.
The message says it is important not to be a slave of historical events and there is need to create a foundation for building a common future.
The events of 1915 were a difficult time not only for the Armenians, but also for Arabs, Kurds, and representatives of other nations living in the country, the message reads."Nevertheless, it is impossible to use the events of 1915 as a tool of political pressure on Turkey."
The message also says Turkey supports the creation of a joint historical commission to investigate the events of 1915 and sends its condolences to the families of those killed then, including the Armenians.
The message stresses that the events of 1915 are a cause of common grief.
Chief researcher at the department of the Turkish history and economy of the Institute of Oriental Studies of National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) Ingilab Alibeyov recently noted that for many years after the so-called "genocide" in 1915, the Armenians repeatedly increased the number of victims up to 1.5 million.
However, Alibeyov noted, the number of Armenians living in Turkey was 1.3 million people on the eve of the First World War, which shows the invalidity of the figures given by the Armenians.
He noted that the "Armenian genocide" is untrue, and the Armenians were unable to provide any evidence of mass graves in Turkey.
A solution to this problem must be found with the participation of historians and scholars, Alibeyov added.
Professor Govhar Bakhshaliyeva, Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies and MP, said since the Armenians have carried out extensive work for the recognition of the so-called "genocide", the Azerbaijani people must show the truth about the genocide of Azerbaijanis by Armenians to the world community.