ANKARA
Turkey has rejected the Greek-Cypriot administration's law on banning the denial of Armenian claims over the 1915 incidents.
Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said in a statement late Thursday: "Greek-Cypriot administration's decision is null and void for Turkey and not worthy of comment."
"It is without doubt that those who try to exploit the 1915 incidents at every opportunity by using simple political ambitions, cannot get any result," Bilgic added.
Earlier Thursday, the Greek Cypriot administration's parliament passed into law a bill which criminalized disavowal of Armenian allegations over the incidents of 1915 involving the Ottoman Empire during World War I.
Thursday's move by the Greek Cypriot administration -- which remains at odds with the Turkish side over the future of the divided island -- came in the very month when Armenia will hold a mass commemoration ceremony in capital Yerevan to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1915 incidents on April 24.
The draft bill, which was jointly submitted by all political parties to the Greek Cypriot parliament, can impose a five-year imprisonment and fine of €10,000 to those who deny allegations about the 1915 events.
Vartkes Mahdessian, a lawmaker of Armenian origin in the Greek Cypriot assembly, also announced that a series of events would be organized in the Greek Cypriot side to mark the 1915 events.
Allegations refuted
The 1915 incidents took place during World War I when a portion of the Armenian population living in the Ottoman Empire sided with the invading Russians and revolted against the empire.
A decision by the Ottoman Empire to relocate Armenians in eastern Anatolia followed the revolts and there were some Armenian casualties during the relocation process.
Armenia has demanded an apology and compensation, while Turkey officially refutes Armenian allegations over the incidents, saying that, although Armenians died during relocations, many Turks also lost their lives in attacks carried out by Armenian gangs in Anatolia.
The debate and differing opinions between the present day Turkish government and the Armenian diaspora, along with the current administration in Yerevan, still generates political tension between Turks and Armenians.
'Great tragedy'
Turkey's official position against the allegations is that Ankara acknowledges that the past experiences were a great tragedy and that both parties suffered heavy casualties, including hundreds of Muslim Turks.
Turkey agrees that there were certainly Armenian casualties during World War I.
In January, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent invitation letters to more than 100 leaders, including Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, to participate in the commemoration of the Battle of Canakkale on April 24.
Sargsyan reportedly denounced Erdogan's invitation as a "short-sighted" attempt to overshadow the 100th anniversary of the 1915 events, according to armenianow.com.
