WASHINGTON/CHICAGO/LOS ANGELES
Both Armenians and Turks held demonstrations on the 99th anniversary of 1915 events during the First World War, in front of the Turkish embassy in the U.S. capital Washington, D.C. on Thursday.
Turks displayed the Turkish flag and held banners, saying “Stop Armenian terrorism”, “Reconciliation, not accusation” and “History cannot be rewritten with lies.”, while Armenians also gathered and held opposition banners saying “We want justice”.
Thousands of Armenians also gathered in Los Angeles and California. However, many Ahiska Turks came to Chicago from four different states in the U.S. and gathered in front of the Turkish Consulate General in Chicago to voice that Ahiska Turks were also killed during 1915 events.
The new Turkish Ambassador in Washington, D.C., Serdar Kilic, also commended the Turkish people who displayed sensitivity against the Armenians in their commemoration.
-The Anatolian Armenians in the U.S. "satisfied" with Erdogan’s condolences
On 23 April, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered condolences to the grandchildren of Armenians, an unprecedented message which has attracted a worldwide reaction and has been seen as historic by many.
Besides the Armenians' protests, Anatolian Armenians who live in the United States are satisfied with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s condolences released on Wednesday.
Vago Mesrobian, who moved to the U.S. when he was 10, expressed his opinion on the condolence message saying, “We do not want to stay forever offended and resentful. Even though it was late, this message is an important step and I am sure around 2 million Armenians think like me over this conflict.”
73-year-old Armenian Setrak Kirec, who has lived in the U.S. for over 30 years, said “We must accept (Armenian community) Erdogan’s condolence. It is the first time the Turkish government has given this kind of message, and that it is very important. I personally would like to congratulate the Prime Minister in order to open a new positive door to improve relations between the two communities.”
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry expressed his own thoughts on the matter Thursday. "Thoughts and prayers are with Armenians today. PM Erdogan’s striking statement affirms global principles. #NeverForget," read a Tweet on his Twitter account.
The 1915 events took place during the First World War, when a portion of the Armenian population living in the Ottoman Empire sided with invading Russians and rose up against the Ottoman authority.
The uprisings were followed by a decision by the Ottoman Empire to relocate the Armenians living in eastern Anatolia.
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