Turkey battling 'unfair accusations': Turkish PM Davutoglu

ANKARA

Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said his government will be conducting "phone diplomacy" over the 1915 incidents' centennial anniversary to press Turkey's position.

During a speech to the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges' Council in Ankara on Tuesday, Davutoglu said: "Turkey battles against unfair accusations which have made us react harshly, and battles against those who want to grab us by the throat."

Davutoglu highlighting the importance of institutions like Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges, said if such institutions were strong "then we (Turkey) are strong."

"If we stand strong politically, then you can join the competitive world in strength," said Davutoglu.

 Claims refuted

The 1915 events took place during World War I when a portion of the Armenian population living in the Ottoman Empire sided with invading Russians and revolted against the empire.

The Ottoman Empire relocated Armenians in eastern Anatolia following the revolts, resulting in Armenian casualties during the relocation process.

Armenia has demanded an apology and compensation, while Turkey has refuted Armenian claims about the incidents saying that although Armenians died during the relocations, many Turks also lost their lives in attacks carried out by Armenian gangs in Anatolia.

Ankara agrees that there were Armenian casualties during World War I, but says that it is impossible to define the events as "genocide".

 'Realistic goals'

Addressing the Turkish economy, Davutoglu said it had got stronger after 2008, despite the global economic crisis.

"The biggest danger in economics is irrationality. Your vision and aim must be big, you must be challenging, but your goals must be realistic," Davutoglu said.

He also supported remarks made by Turkey's Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek which criticized the main opposition Republican People's Party's election promises.

He said: "Our Finance Minister has presented the reality with some calculations."

"Kemal Kilicdaroglu (the main opposition party leader) should learn how to make calculations first, then we will see if he is a specialist on the subject."

The main opposition party's election promises on the Turkish economy are "hollow" and "utopic" Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek said on Tuesday.

 'Payments crisis'

The CHP plans to raise the minimum wage, improve conditions of the poor, retired and sub-contracted laborers, and support tradesmen and small- and medium-sized enterprises.

Simsek said: "I insist that either they do not know how to count, or they are telling lies while looking straight into the eyes of the people. These are all hollow promises."

"Our forecast for the budget deficit in the coming year is 15.8 billion Turkish liras ($ 5.8 billion). Their promises would multiply this number by 10."

He added: "We counted again, but no matter how we calculate it, it cannot be less than 150 billion Turkish lira."

"I insist that if you widen the budget deficit, inflation will explode, interest rates will increase and Turkey will experience a balance-of-payments crisis."

Kilicdaroglu has promised his party would raise the minimum wage from the current 949 Turkish liras (about $355) to 1,500 liras ($561), by cutting taxes.