Erdogan reveals reason for presence of Armenian citizens in Turkey

By  Trend

The reason for the presence of Armenian citizens in Turkey is the economic crisis in Armenia, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, Trend reports with reference to the Turkish media.

Erdogan was speaking at the Budapest Process forum on migration issues in Istanbul.

He noted that about 100,000 Armenians live in Turkey, and 40,000 of them are citizens of Turkey.

“Turkey doesn’t expel Armenians who have to flee their country due to the economic crisis,” Erdogan said.

He added that despite this, anti-Turkish propaganda regarding the 1915 events is being conducted in Western countries, in particular, in Europe.

According to the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 51,800 tourists from Armenia visited Turkey in 2018, which is 7.37 percent more compared to 2017.

According to the ministry, 3,900 Armenian citizens visited Turkey in December 2018, which is 10.26 percent more compared to December 2017. Every month the number of Armenian citizens visiting Turkey grows by at least 3 percent.

According to the Turkish media, monthly at least 200 Armenian citizens stay in Turkey and work illegally. This can be called Armenia’s "people's diplomacy", or rather, the method of settling in Turkey.

According to the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), nine companies with Armenian capital were registered in Turkey in 2018. The total capital of companies registered in Turkey for this period amounted to 1.1 million liras (approximately $213,500).

The companies with Armenian capital were mainly registered in Istanbul (eight companies) in 2018.

Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that Turkey's predecessor, the Ottoman Empire, allegedly carried out "genocide" against the Armenians living in Anatolia in 1915.