President Erdoğan: Turkey Cannot Accept ‘Genocide Crime, Sin’

- Turkey has no reason to react against any motion to recognize the mass killing of Ottoman Armenians in World War I as “genocide,” as it will never accept “a crime and sin” like genocide, President Tayyip Erdoğan has said, as the European Parliament is set to vote on a motion on the issue on April 15.

“Why are we standing on the offensive? [Revelation of] a shame, a shadow like genocide is out of the question” Erdoğan said on April 15, when asked to comment on the European Parliament’s move.

In the event of the adoption of the motion by the European Parliament, “It will go in one of our ears and out of the other. Because it is not possible for Turkey to accept such a crime, such a sin” he added.

“Assuming such a stance against a country that has done all of these [services] is not acceptable” Erdoğan said.

Recalling that around 100,000 Armenian migrants are currently living in Turkey, in addition to Armenian-origin citizens of the Republic of Turkey, Erdoğan said the state had never “discriminated against the Armenian people.” He also repeated an earlier argument that he made a few years ago, stating that Turkey was actually acting generously by not deporting those 100,000 migrants, although it could do so if it wished.

When asked about a possible recognition of the killings as genocide by the U.S. administration, Erdoğan briefly responded that “they would receive the required response.”

The European Parliament is due to vote on a “Motion for Resolution on the Commemoration of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide” on April 15.

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