5 Turkish NGOs urged world leaders “not to accept President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s invitation to Gallipoli on April 24 but to visit Yerevan instead for commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,” Bianet.org reports.

Previously, President Erdogan announced that in 2015 Turkey will commemorate the defense of Gallipoli - a ceremony usually observed on March 18 - on April 24. He also invited the world leaders to the northwestern province of Canakkale to join the ceremony

The associations (Human Rights Association (IHD)’s Commission Against Racism and Discrimination, Izmir Assyrian Friendship, Culture and Solidarity Association, Nor Zartonk, www.suryaniler.com Culture Platform and Zan Social, Political, Economic Research Foundation) issued a statement protesting Erdogan’s invitation at IHD Headquarters in Istanbul, Bianet reports.

“April 24 is marked worldwide as the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day,” IHD Vice Chairperson Meral Çıldır said in a statement.

“As the 100th anniversary of Armenian Genocide draws near, we, groups and peoples that struggle against the denial of the Genocide, protest the president’s invitation and urge the world leaders to visit the Genocide memorial in Yerevan instead of Gallipoli in Canakkale.

Following the press statement, IHD Vice Chairperson Eren Keskin said the following: “The mentality that founded the Republic of Turkey is the very mentality that committed the Armenian and Assyrian genocides in 1915. For us, 24 April 2015 is of huge importance. We want to face our history. We don’t want our children to be told lies. We know that the Genocide is still not openly mentioned by many countries, but we are asking a show a bit of conscience. The Turkish invitation mocks the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims. Go to Yerevan where the real pain is.”