Turkish PM sees Obama's remarks for 1915 incidents as unaccaptable

Turkey criticizes Obama for not mentioning slain Turks

 

"We see the previous day's remarks on the incidents of 1915 as an unacceptable interpretation of history that does not reflect the realities," Erdogan said during a meeting of his Justice and Development Party, or AKP, in the Turkish capital of Ankara.

 

Erdogan said that his party had only exerted to win friends, not enemies since it became the government, but Turkey's sensitivity was not perceived well.

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"Such a sensitive issue of expertise, which should in fact be left to historians, is continuously being used as a tool for politics and a matter of misuse by lobbies every year, and this prevents normalization of relations between people and countries," he said.

 

Erdogan said Turkey had been in a since effort to examine and bring to daylight the incidents of 1915 by historians, but its good-willed proposals like setting up a joint committee of historians were not taken into consideration.

 

"I would like to express my deep sorrow over efforts of many politicians to try to win votes over misuse of 1915 incidents, and history is an esteemed branch of science that cannot be made a tool for internal politics," he said.

 

Erdogan expressed Turkey's wish to leave history to historians, and said if countries that had no connection with the issue gave up dealing with the issue, this would lead to normalization of relations, illumination of history and laying the groundwork for peace.

 

The Turkish prime minister said it was not a remark satisfying Turkey, but it was a statement which kept promises made at election grounds.

 

Erdogan also said that Turkey was not a country that could be fooled.