Expert: Each sentence in Erdogan’s statement bears clear message
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statement made on the eve of the 99th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide was of course unexpected, but it bears evidence to the fact that Turkey has begun to use new instruments in denying the Armenian Genocide, political scientist Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan told reporters in Yerevan.
According to the expert, each sentence in the statement bears a clear message.
“First, Erdogan tries to link the Armenian Genocide issue with World War I. This is a serious propaganda trap. Second, Turkey tries to put into circulation a thesis that not only the Armenian people, but also all the peoples in the Ottoman Empire went through pain, thus trying to show that there was no deliberate extermination. Third, Turkey individualizes the tragedy,” Melik-Shahnazaryan said.
The expert also said that Erdogan’s message was addressed not to Armenia, but rather to the international community and it is the reason the text of the statement was presented in several languages.