Davutoglu slams Belgium's recognition of Armenian Genocide

September 29, 2015 - 16:30 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu met with his Belgian counterpart, Charles Michel in New York. The parties discussed various issues, with a special focus on Belgium's recognition of the Armenian Genocide, TRThaber.com reports.

Michel assured Davutoglu that the resolution is of exclusively political significance with no legal consequences.

Davutoglu, in turn, expressed dissatisfaction over sanctions applied against MPs who voted against the resolution (referring to Mahinur Ozdemir, a Belgian MP of Turkish origin). According to Davutoglu, the Turkish side is ready to discuss all issues, including the question of the MP's expulsion, Ermenihaber.am reports.

Belgian Senate recognized the Genocide in 1988, while the Prime Minister reiterated the country's stance on the issue on June 18 of this year.

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.