Armenian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Responds to Ankara's Statements Ahead of Genocide Anniversary

The Turkish government has stated that "Armenia is afraid to open its archives from 1915, as the world would then receive evidence that the events of 1915 are not 'the Armenian genocide', but rather the genocide and extermination of Muslim populations in the Ottoman Empire by Armenian bands." Recently, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu mentioned that they are proud of their ancestors and history, asserting that there has been no genocide or colonization in their history.

In response to these statements, particularly in light of the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the spokesperson for the Armenian Foreign Ministry, Anna Naghdalyan, commented:

“Ahead of the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, I must note with sadness that we have witnessed various forms of denial by Turkey regarding the Armenian Genocide during this entire period. The denial has been consistent, while the forms and content of the denial have not. They have constantly undergone changes, at times trying to equate the perpetrators of the genocide with the victims, and now they are accusing the victims of the genocide while justifying the perpetrators. Often, outright fabrications are employed, such as the assertion that our archives are closed, when all experts engaged in genocide studies know that Armenia's archives are open. These fluctuations of denialism indicate their powerlessness against the truth, while the truth of the Armenian Genocide is a recognized fact in the international community.

Justifying genocide under the guise of denial is a shameful and dangerous phenomenon. It encourages new crimes against humanity and civilization, which is the primary responsibility of the international community to combat.”