Türkiye condemns, rejects Israeli prime minister’s remarks regarding events of 1915

ANKARA

Türkiye on Wednesday condemned and rejected the remarks made by the Israeli prime minister regarding the events of 1915.

“(Benjamin) Netanyahu's statement on the events of 1915 is an attempt to exploit past tragic events for political reasons,” said the Turkish Foreign Ministry in a statement.

“Netanyahu, who is on trial for his role in the genocide committed against the Palestinian people, is attempting to cover up the crimes he and his government have committed,” said the ministry.

“We condemn and reject this statement, which is incompatible with historical and legal facts,” it added.

Burhanettin Duran, head of the Turkish Communications Directorate, also criticized Netanyahu’s statement, calling it “blatant hypocrisy.”

“At a time when thousands of innocent people in Gaza are being subjected to systematic genocide, with children, the elderly, and women dying from bombs and starvation, Netanyahu's statements regarding the events of 1915 are blatant hypocrisy that exploits history and law,” he wrote on Turkish social media platform NSosyal.

Duran said there could be “no justification for someone who has committed these crimes to pass judgment on history” and added: “As Türkiye, we will continue our efforts in all areas to ensure that Netanyahu and his network of murderers, already condemned in the conscience of the international community, receive the most severe punishment in international courts.”

Türkiye objects to the presentation of the incidents as "genocide," describing them as a tragedy in which both sides suffered casualties.

Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission of historians from Türkiye and Armenia, as well as international experts, to tackle the issue.

Israel has killed nearly 63,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine, rendering it uninhabitable.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.