Turkey's Presidential Spokesman Makes Statement on Genocide

Turkey's Presidential Spokesman and chief advisor Ibrahim Kalin has made a statement regarding genocide, once again presenting Ankara's denialist theses. Ermenihaber reports on this matter:

“In the destructive and traumatic conditions of World War I, the decision for the deportation and resettlement on April 24, 1915, was not the result of a policy aimed at the annihilation of the Armenian people, referred to as the 'loyal nation',” Kalin stated.

According to the Turkish official, the topic of genocide is being lobbied, and certain anti-Turkish political circles are allegedly intentionally “distorting the historical facts” with the aim of sowing enmity.

“The Republic of Turkey and its people, in all its strata, will never succumb to this manipulation, the campaign of lies and defamation,” Kalin asserted.

Continuing the exposition of Turkish theses, he reiterated President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's proposal to establish a joint commission of historians. He then spoke of the 2009 Armenian-Turkish protocols, describing them as steps taken for resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, political and economic regulation, and peace and stability in the South Caucasus, denouncing Armenia for leaving this “step” unanswered.

Kalin also discussed Erdogan’s “condolence message” sent to the Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul since 2014, calling it a hand extended to ease the “common pain” of the people of Anatolia, which has allegedly been ignored by the “lobbying forces” engaging in manipulation.

Kalin did not forget to systematically present all the other notorious theses accumulated in Turkey's arsenal during this period, relating to the millions of Muslims who died in those years, the general pain, supposed open archives in Turkey, the alleged dark pages of the past of third countries recognizing the Armenian Genocide, and so on.