Erdogan sends letter to archbishop of Armenian community of Turkey

Baku, Azerbaijan, April 24

By Rufiz Hafizoglu – Trend:

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a letter to Patriarch Archbishop of the Armenian community of Turkey Aram Ateshian regarding the events of 1915, Trend reports with reference to the website of the president of Turkey.

Erdogan’s letter reads that 1915 was a difficult year for all the subjects of the Ottoman Empire. “Turkey expresses condolences for the loss of lives of all those residents of the state who died during the events of 1915, including Armenians,” Erdogan’s letter says.

“In Turkey, Armenians have always lived in peace and tranquility,” Erdogan noted in his letter. “The security of the Armenian population of Turkey is important for Ankara. We will not allow any discrimination of Turkish Armenians because of their ethnic origin.”

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.

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