Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr.15
By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:
Turkey could have deported all Armenian illegal migrants from the country in time, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters.
The president made the remarks before flying to Kazakhstan.
Erdogan said that currently, 100,000 Armenian citizens reside in Turkey which proves that there has never been discrimination against Armenians in the country, TRT Haber TV channel reported Apr.15.
Touching upon the expected consideration of the resolution on the "Armenian genocide" by the European Parliament on Apr.15, Erdogan said he doesn't know which decision will be made by the EU legislative body on this issue.
"Even if the European Parliament adopts the resolution on the so-called Armenian genocide, it will not have any importance for Turkey, since nothing like this took place in the country's history," said the president.
Moreover, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tanju Bilgic earlier said that Turkey will make every effort to prevent the adoption of the resolution on recognizing the 1915 events as "Armenian genocide" by the European Parliament.
Previously, the European Parliament made a statement saying that allegedly, "ethnic cleansing" was carried out against Armenians in Turkey in 1915.
Bilgic at the time said Turkey is against the one-sided assessment to the 1915 events, and their use as a political pressure on Ankara.
Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that Turkey's predecessor, the Ottoman Empire allegedly carried out "genocide" against the Armenians living in Anatolia in 1915. Turkey in turn has always denied "the genocide" took place. While strengthening the efforts to promote the "genocide" in the world, Armenians have achieved its recognition by the parliaments of some countries.
Edited by SI
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