Turkish Foreign Ministry: Message to Armenians not tactical
Messages from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last year and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Jan. 20 addressed to Armenians were not “tactical” steps taken for the 100th anniversary of the 1915 events, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tanju Bilgic has said, Hurriyet Daily News reported.
“Those statements have sincere and functional dimensions. They represent a conscientious stance and a humane perspective,” Bilgic told reporters on Jan. 21.
In a commemoration message for the eighth anniversary of the assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink on Jan. 20, Davutoglu called on all Armenians to jointly seek ways to resolve their historical differences with Turkey, stressing that it is a must for Turks and Armenians to “engage in humane relations and to recognize each other in light of 800 years of common history.”