Garo Paylan threatened by nationalist MP over genocide remarks
Independent Turkish MP Ümit Özdağ has threatened Istanbul-Armenian lawmaker from Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Garo Paylan over his remarks about the Armenian Genocide.
On April 24 Genocide Remembrance Day, Paylan criticized the fact that there are still streets and schools in Turkey named after Talaat Pasha, who was the Ottoman Empire's minister of interior during the genocide, Bianet reported.
"After 106 years, we walk on streets named after Talaat Pasha, the architect of the Genocide. We educate our children at schools named after Talaat Pasha," he wrote on Twitter. He likened the situation to naming schools and streets after Hitler in Germany.
Quoting his tweet, Özdağ wrote, "Impudent provocateur man. If you are not content, go to hell. Talaat Pasha didn't expel patriotic Armenians but those who stabbed us in the back like you. When the time comes, you'll also have a Talaat Pasha experience and you should have it."
In response to Özdağ's tweet, Paylan called him a "fascist" and wrote: "The remnant of the mentality that obliterated my people says, 'We'll do it again.' You hit us and didn't we die? We died. But those left behind never give up the struggle for justice. And they won't give up after me as well."