Demonstrations held in Washington to mark 1915 events

WASHINGTON

A group of Turks and Armenians held demonstrations Wednesday in front of the Turkish embassy’s residence in Washington to mark the 104th anniversary of the events of 1915.

Turkish Americans waved Turkish flags and displayed posters reading "We remember victims of Armenian terror", "Armenia, open your achieves! What are you hiding?" and "Stop Armenian aggression on Azerbaijan" while Armenians held banners and chanted against Turkey over the so-called "Armenian genocide".

During the demonstrations, which ended without incident under intense security, D.C. metropolitan police and secret service officers had to warn some demonstrators to stay in the designated areas.

"Terrorist Yerevan, stop lying Armenia," chanted demonstrators against their rival counterparts, accompanied by Turkish songs.

Also, names of Turkish diplomats assassinated by Armenian terrorists across the world were read out.

Later, the demonstrators sang the Turkish national anthem.

Cihangir Aktas, a Turkish student from Boston, came to Washington to join the demonstration. He said he was against Armenia’s lies.

“I am here for solidarity with people,” he told Anadolu Agency.

Turkey's position on the events of 1915 is that the deaths of Armenians in eastern Anatolia took place when some sided with invading Russians and revolted against Ottoman forces. A subsequent relocation of Armenians resulted in numerous casualties.

Turkey objects to the presentation of the incidents as "genocide" but describes the 1915 events as a tragedy in which both sides suffered casualties.

Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission of historians from Turkey and Armenia plus international experts to tackle the issue.