Paris hosts ceremony to mark centenary of Armistice Day

By Yusuf Ozcan

PARIS

French capital on Sunday hosted a ceremony marking the centenary of the end of the World War I.

Over 70 heads of states and governments -- including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, U.S.’s Donald Trump, Russia’s Vladimir Putin German Chancellor Angela Merkel -- attended the commemorative ceremony in Paris which was hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.

The event was held near the Arc de Triomphe monument located in Champs-Elysees.

The Armistice of 11 November 1918, signed between the Allies and Germany, put an official end to World War I. Therefore, Sunday corresponds to the 100th anniversary.

Speaking at the ceremony, Macron noted 10 million people lost their lives in the war, while six million others were injured.

"During four years of the war, Europe attempted to commit suicide,” he said, adding that his country is the warrior of law and freedom.

Expressing concerns over the rise of “the old demons” again, Macron said: “New ideologies manipulate religions. History threatens to continue its tragic course.”