Your trusted source

Turkey has a responsibility to share the pain of Armenian citizens over the 1915 events, according to a statement signed by Turkish President Recep Erdogan and read at an Armenian memorial held in Istanbul on April 24.

"It is Turkey's conscientious and ethical responsibility to share the historical pain of our Armenian citizens," Hurriyet Daily News quotes Erdogan's statement at the Istanbul Armenian Church on the 103rd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

"We will continue to share your pain and try to resolve your problems in the future," added the statement, which was read out both in Armenian and Turkish.

Extending his condolences to the Armenian community, Erdogan also expressed "condolences to the Turkish nation over loss of lives of millions of Ottoman citizens due to wars, migrations, conflicts and diseases during the same period."

The statement also called on the Armenian community to not allow those "who are trying to ignite hatred and hostility by distorting [our] shared past."

It is reminded that the Turkish president has issued a statement on April 24 every year since 2014. The 2014 message came as a surprise at the time, with Erdogan lamenting "shared pain" over the killings, which he described as "inhumane."