Turkey's prime minister has said the government "shares the pain" of descendants of Ottoman Armenians killed in 1915. Germany, meanwhile, looks set to follow the pope and others in calling the killings
"genocide."
Ahmet Davutoglu sought to reach out to Armenians on Monday, sayingTurkey wanted to heal the wounds of the past 100 years after the mass killings of their ancestors under the Ottoman Empire.
However, the Turkish prime minister's statement stopped well short of recent comments by Pope Francis and the European Parliament, never referring to the events as "genocide."
"We once again respectfully remember and share the pain of grandchildren and children of Ottoman Armenians who lost their lives during deportation in 1915," Davutoglu said in a statement released by his office to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the killings, observed on Friday, April 24.
Turkey softens tone in Armenian row, Germany to defy Ankara | News | DW.DE | 20.04.2015
"genocide."
Ahmet Davutoglu sought to reach out to Armenians on Monday, sayingTurkey wanted to heal the wounds of the past 100 years after the mass killings of their ancestors under the Ottoman Empire.
However, the Turkish prime minister's statement stopped well short of recent comments by Pope Francis and the European Parliament, never referring to the events as "genocide."
"We once again respectfully remember and share the pain of grandchildren and children of Ottoman Armenians who lost their lives during deportation in 1915," Davutoglu said in a statement released by his office to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the killings, observed on Friday, April 24.
Turkey softens tone in Armenian row, Germany to defy Ankara | News | DW.DE | 20.04.2015