07 June 2016•Update: 08 June 2016
ANKARA
The controversial resolution passed by Germany’s parliament last week describing the 1915 relocation of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as “genocide” is simply outlandish, according to the head of Turkish Historical Society.
History professor Refik Turan told Anadolu Agency that the June 3 resolution is “full of claims lacking any scientific or historical basis.”
Saying that the Armenians under the rule of the Ottoman Empire revolted against the government after the Russo-Turkish war of 1877-1878, Turan added that Armenians also targeted civilians during World War I.
Most of these attacks on civilians were “terrorist killings” and were carried out with cruel “torture,” he said.
Turan said Germany is the latest country to jump on the bandwagon of the so-called "Armenian genocide."
"Twenty-nine national parliaments including Germany have almost rewritten history on a non-existent issue and legislated it. This is simply outlandish,” Turan said, adding that Germany’s resolution was nothing but “defamation” of the Turkish nation.
Turan said that parliaments have no role in writing about history, nor do they have the right to intervene in history, just as they cannot change the value of pi or alter the Pythagorean theorem.
"This resolution can only hurt the currently good relations between Turkey and Germany," he added.
The non-binding resolution passed by Germany’s parliament last Thursday accused the Ottoman government of 1915 of carrying out “systematic genocide” against Armenians, as well as other Christian minorities.
Turkey denies the alleged genocide, but acknowledges that there were casualties on both sides during the events.
In Turkey's view, the deaths of Armenians in eastern Anatolia in 1915 occurred after some of them sided with invading Russians and revolted against Ottoman forces. A subsequent relocation of Armenians resulted in numerous casualties.
Turkey describes the 1915 events as a tragedy for both sides.
