Turkish General exposes Armenian lie [UPDATE]

By Azernews

By Gunay Hasanova

Armenia attempted to stir tension at the next 62nd NATO Parliamentary Assembly Session in Istanbul last weekend. Irritated by unfair accusations of an Armenian delegate to the meeting, Turkey's top officials demanded him to "take back what he said."   

Taking the opportunity provided in the meeting the Armenian lawmaker, being loyal to the old traditions of Armenia to blame the nations through putting groundless historical arguments, again sounded groundless “genocide” claims to Turkey. The move was indeed unsurprising for all who is familiar with the Armenian tactics, but nevertheless caused a fairly harsh reaction of the Turkish delegation.    

Chief of General Staff General Hulusi Akar was quite strict when answering next Armenian provocation staged by lawmaker Koryun Nahapetyan, who referred to the killings as “undeniable genocide” during a Q&A session.

“Some countries recognizing the Armenian genocide does not change anything,” Akar said in response to Nahapetyan, who boasted of recognition of killings by 26 countries as genocide.

“Any country may use its right to recognize something as genocide," he added. "When Galileo Galilei said in the 16th Century that the Earth moves around the Sun, all the world opposed him. But that did not change the facts. Even if all countries say that there is a genocide, that does not the change the fact that there was none.” 

Armenia says up to 1.5 million people were killed by Ottoman forces during World War I, in what it calls an act of genocide. But modern Turkey has always rejected the term genocide, putting the toll at 500,000 and blaming the deaths on starvation and unrest in the broader context of the war. 

Nahapetyan also addressed a similar question to Turkish Science, Industry and Technology Minister Faruk Ozlu, who refused to answer this provocative question

Nahapetyan’s next question about the alleged death of five people in Aleppo on November 19 as a result of Turkey-ISIL cooperation, draw a harsh response from Akar, as well.

“The Turkish army has not fired a single bullet in Aleppo. Disgraced is the one who claims this unless he brings evidence. If you prove it, I’ll resign. I demand you take back what you said,” he said.

It is worth to emphasize that Turkey has always been keen to normalize its relations with Armenia. In line with its vision towards Southern Caucasus, Turkey, recognized Armenia on December 16, 1991 and has produced a consistent policy of efforts to develop good-neighborly relations with this country. Due to the difficult economic conditions it encountered after its independence, Turkey has extended humanitarian aid to Armenia. Turkey has also facilitated the transit of humanitarian aid to this country through its territory. 

Moreover, Turkey proposed to Armenia the establishment of a Joint History Commission in 2015, which will be composed of historians and experts from both sides and third parties in order to study the events of 1915 in their historical context and share the findings with the international public. The fact that this proposal is yet to receive a positive answer from the Armenian authorities, when considered together with their rejection to open all the relevant archives to the historians, gives a clear idea about their confidence in what they claim.

However, these good-will gestures are not reciprocated by Armenia. Instead, Armenia, passed a new bill on 4 October 2006, which makes it impossible for any Armenian citizen, or third party in Armenia, to voice dissent about the “genocide”, rejected the inclusion of a Turkish officer to the NATO/PfP team that would conduct a working visit on border security in Armenia in July 2007.

Armenians have become captive to their own lie of “genocide” and every single support to the baseless Armenian allegations from the third parties will further cut their connection with the truth and prevent their integration and development.