Turkish PM apologizes for 1930s Kurdish mass killingsNovember 23, 2011 - 20:08 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has apologized for the killing of more than 13,000 Kurds by the Turkish military in the late 1930s. He is the first Turkish leader to make the apology. The killings occurred when the army crushed a Kurdish rebellion in Dersim, using aerial bombings and poison gas. Mr Erdogan made the unexpected apology during a meeting of party officials in the Turkish capital Ankara. "If there is need for an apology on behalf of the state, if there is such a practice in the books, I would apologize and I am apologizing," Mr. Erdogan said in remarks which were televised. The killings took place between 1936 and 1939 when the Kurdish population of the Southeastern region of Dersim, now known as Tunceli, resisted the efforts of the newly formed Turkish republic to exert its authority there, BBC reported. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Putin congratulates Pashinyan’s birthday Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his birthday on June 1. Opposition motorcade en route to Gyumri for large rally A motorcade of protesters headed by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan is heading to the city of Gyumri. Ruling MPs, Foreign Minister talk Armenia-Azerbaijan processes MOs from the ruling Civil Contract party met with the Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in the Armenian parliament. Russia: Armenia’s frozen membership weakens CSTO position in Caucasus A Russian envoy said any step that could alienate the CSTO member states from each other is “deeply wrong”. |