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An influential Kurdish leader in Turkey, in an interview published on Sunday, acknowledged the Kurds’ role in the Armenian Genocide and apologized to the Armenians on behalf of the Kurdish people, the Asbarez Newspaper reports.

“Turkish parliament member and the vice-president of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Congress Ahmet Turk said that in 1915 the Kurdish people had a large role in the torture and massacre of Armenians, Assyrians and Yezidis and, he as a Kurd, apologized to the Armenian people on behalf of all Kurds,” the article reads.

Turk, who is also a mediator of talks between the Turkish government and Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan, urged Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to follow suit and recognize the Gencoide. He explained that the Kurdish population was used to commit the crimes against Armenians in 1915.

“Our grandfathers and fathers were used in the injustices perpetrated against Armenians, Assyrians and Yezidis. There’s blood on their hands. With the blood of these peoples they bloodied their own hands. Thus, as their children and grandchildren, we apologize,” said Ahmet Turk.

According to him the Kurds did commit those crimes, but they committed them against their will. “The Turkish government, instead of denying it, must also apologize… There is a need for fundamental change here,” Turk said.