Turkey denounced on Sunday June 28 Israel’s recognition of the Armenian genocide of 1915 as a “political decision” aimed at covering up “the crimes” committed by the Israeli army against the Palestinian population in Gaza.
“The Israeli government, which has systematically persecuted the Palestinian people before the eyes of the whole world and is currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against the people of Gaza, seeks to cover up its own crimes with the political decision it adopted regarding the events of 1915,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Turkey, which regularly accuses Israel of perpetrating genocide in the Gaza Strip – which it refutes – categorically rejects this term to describe the massacres of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire during the First World War.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a fervent defender of the Palestinian cause, has often denounced Israeli “terrorism” in Gaza. “Turkey will continue to work with determination to put an end to Israel’s expansionist and destabilizing policies in the region,” added Turkish diplomacy in its press release.
A historic break for Jerusalem
The Israeli government unanimously approved the recognition of the Armenian genocide on Sunday, in a context of high tensions with Turkey. The measure must still be ratified by Parliament.
Successive Israeli governments had until now avoided officially recognizing the Armenian genocide, notably in order to preserve their relations with Turkey, once one of the country’s closest strategic partners in the region.
This genocide is recognized by the governments or parliaments of many countries, including the United States, France and Germany. The number of Armenians who died in these massacres committed by the Turkish army during the First World War is estimated at between 600,000 and 1.5 million.
