Istanbul hosted a protest rally over Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's insulting remark about Armenians, Demokrathaber reported.
The rally participants, including Turkey’s Armenian community, Nor Zartonk movement, Peoples' Democratic Party members, staged an anti-Erdogan action outside of the editorial office of Agos Turkish-Armenian daily.
The demonstrators slammed the presidential candidate’s racist remarks as an affront to Armenian identity, also characterizing Erdogan’s jibe as politically motivated in order to score nationalist votes at the oncoming polls.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan faced accusations of racism days before he stands in presidential elections after saying in a television interview that it was ugly to be called an Armenian.
During a live interview on the private NTV channel late Tuesday, Erdogan complained that the opposition was carrying out a smear campaign against him by claiming that he was from another ethnic origin.
"They called me a Georgian. Pardon me for saying this, but they said even uglier things: They called me an Armenian!" Erdogan said.
"As far as I have learned from my father and grandfather, I am a Turk," he added.
His comment that it was ugly to be called an Armenian drew anger on social media, further inflaming tensions days ahead of presidential election.
