Turkish Prime Minister: the Pope’s statement on the Armenian genocide is inappropriate – RIA Novosti

ANKARA, April 12 – RIA Novosti, Fedor Smirnov. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu criticized the statement of Pope Francis on the Armenian Genocide, calling it inappropriate.

Earlier on Sunday at the start of the Mass dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Francis Pope said that in the XX century, mankind has experienced three “big unprecedented tragedy” – the Armenian Genocide, Nazism and Stalinism. The Pontiff described the tortures endured at the beginning of the last century, Armenians, Syrian Catholics and Orthodox, Assyrians and Greeks, as “the first genocide of the twentieth century.” After that, the Vatican ambassador in Ankara was summoned for an explanation in the Turkish Foreign Ministry and the Turkish ambassador to the Vatican recalled for consultations.

“Evaluate this tragedy unilaterally inappropriate for the Pope. Religious leaders should create an environment for peace and unity of the people and not incite hatred and confrontation,” – Davutoglu said reporters in Ankara.

Turkey has traditionally rejected such accusations, claiming that the victims of the tragedy of 1915 were both Armenians and Turks. Acute response of Ankara on the process of international recognition of the 1915 Genocide in the Ottoman Empire is one of the main reasons for the complex relations between Turkey and Armenia.